I think my "uphill fartleks" --

[Bazza1234]

are doing me good!!

I was discussing slow and easy runs with another runner at parkrun today - and he said that slow runs seemed to be slowing him down - and also that the small hills at this particular parkrun were "killing" him.

I told him about what I have been doing for the past few runs -- that is, "attacking" all hills while on easy and long runs. It definitely has been making the runs more interesting - and I swear that the much elevated heart rates during them are giving me more "oomph!! " during the non-stop parkrun.

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

Good to hear! Making runs more interesting can only be a good thing. it's a good discipline to learn to run this way. Can you judge what hr you are running at without checking your monitor? I have been trying and inevitably think I am working harder than I am when running at higher rates.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to agedsnailspace]

No -- quite often HR is higher than I want it to be - even when I think I am doing OK based on perceived exertion and breathing. It is quite difficult (at least for me) to keep HR below 75% of maxHR. And it is therefore easy to run a distance at too high a HR, especially going uphill. The monitor is good to keep a good eye on the true situation. Hence , instead of trying to keep HR down on the hills, I am deliberately turning each hill I come across into a "hill sprint" -- I don't overdo it -- but just get my HR up to 90% or so before walking to bring it back to 75%. I believe that my maxHR is close to 160.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I tend to agree that slower runs often slow me down, it's too easy to plod along and I find I actually feel better for pushing it a bit. Not every run, sometimes I just don't feel like it, but the runners high certainly comes for me when I've pushed myself a bit. I had intended to do more hill work now I'm back in France, where there is nothing flat, but the heat is too much at the moment. Looking forward to some cooler weather!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Looking good there Bazza. Might try your idea too of attacking rather than succumbing.