Hard work Fartlek

[Yesletsgo]

Almost the first thing my husband said to me this morning was 'Shall we run?'. After all the rain and wind the answer was definitely yes.

I'm almost following the NRC 10k plan so this morning's run was 'How Fartlek Can You Go'. It didn't look too daunting, repeated runs at 10k, 5k, Mile and Celebration Pace, the length of the fast bit and the recovery period decreasing as the speed increased. Oh, and you have to run during the recovery. My husband didn't want to do the fartlek so just ran off and did his own thing so I was able to concentrate on how I wanted to run.

The reality was challenging. The short recoveries didn't allow me to bring my HR down as much as I'd have liked and towards the end it was only the thought that I was nearly done that kept me going. On the other hand, Coach Cory's encouragement to smile certainly worked so I must have been enjoying myself

Looking at the graph of my pace on Garmin Connect I can see the peaks where I ran fast and the troughs where I 'recovered', but the heart rate graph is a jagged but steady rise to a bpm that felt as tough as it looks. Strangely though, only 32% of the run was in the Maximum HR zone, with 34% in the aerobic zone.

Mr Garmin tells me I'm 3 years older than after my last run. Sounds about right!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

I find those fartleks tough too. Sounds like a run to be proud of though. There’s something super satisfying about surviving a run like that! We are so much tougher than we think we are, even Mr Garmin thinks we are a bit older! 😂💪🏃‍♀️

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

He's usually such a smooth talker

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

I remember this run well from when I last did it over 2 years ago .I feel I was tricked into it by the title 😁

I usually like Fartlek runs as I enjoy the unstructured structure of a true Fartlek!

However, I was completely wasted after this one 🤣

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Glad it's not just me 😂

Unstructured is not a word I'd apply!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Very well done... that sounds to have been an interesting and a tad challenging session...but you got there and you only aged three years 🤣

I do not think my age in years, registers x

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

It's quite good to be challenged

Age is just a number isn't it Oldfloss 😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Don't listen to Mr Garmin, I love fartlek runs, the first one we did was flat out in the middle and poor Willow thought it was the end so gave it all he had then found out he was only half way through, he never did them again

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Poor Willow, I sympathise, I wasn't expecting the 3rd 5k interval!!!