An interesting HIIT run in Bradgate Park

[yatesco]

connect.garmin.com/modern/a...

So, motivated by my weekend run I decided to mix it up a little and do a HIIT run. After the usual intensive research I decided on a 5K run structured as follows:

- 1K easy pace

- repeat 200/400 (i.e. 200m flat out, 400m recovery) x 5

- 1K easy pace

so a total of 5K.

The first 200m felt like superman, flat out, body completely still except for my legs and arms, relaxed and could go on for ever. At the end of that first sprint I was only slightly out of breath.

By the third sprint I was death warmed up. The fourth one - forget about it :-).

I think an upgrade might be to do 100/300 or even 100/200 splits.

At the end of the run I was expecting another 200m sprint when in fact it was the last K, I started but then ran into a large group of deer so I had to pause and wait. When I resumed it said 0.7k left, which threw me a bit. Also, the route at Bradgate Park is about 5.6k as well.

Anyway, my legs now have all sorts of interesting and new sensations, and the foam roller has discovered new levels of pain to generously hand to me.

Very enjoyable though, and the time seemed to fly by.

My next run will either be a really slow recovery run or a cadence-work run. I am thinking I might always do the long meandering 9k..10k at the weekend. I am very aware of how much distance I am ramping up and how quickly, so I am being very diligent in the leg-maintenance.

Good fun all round!

[PippiRuns]

Does your fancy equipment- Garmin and stuff- tell you what to do when, or do you have to look at your watch to know when you've done the distance you planned for?

I too did intervals today with my running team. Really a lot of fun. The trainer, who wasn't there last week, said she noticed that my ability to 'shift gears' has improved. And one of my older running buddies said she couldn't believe that I could only run for 60 seconds in March. Sweet music in my ears.

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

It is incredible the amount we have come isn't it :-).

Yes, the watch allows you to create training plans. After each segment of the training plan it tells you what you need to do and if you have defined any criteria for that training plan (e.g. which heart rate zone it should be in) it let's you know if you are higher or lower.

I believe you can also have it give audio cues as well if you headphones and have your phone with you.

[PippiRuns in reply to yatesco]

Maybe I'll need one of those someday but I'm not a tech type of person... Afraid of spending a lot and getting very little out of it because I can't figure out how to use it

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

Sounds wonderful

[PippiRuns]

Oh, and well done, by the way. You are completely back in business after your back ache. Wonderful.

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

Thanks. You are look decades younger in your profile - all that running :-).

[PippiRuns in reply to yatesco]

Pippi was my childhood hero. Still love her. And running made me think of her and again aspire to be an adult version of her😀

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

Speaking of aspiring and inspiring, when I came in from my run I noticed somebody had given my wife some donuts at work which she had bought home.

I was looking for a post-run snack and looked to see how many calories they were. At that point a danish lady popped into my head with her arms crossed and tapping her foot!

I had a level teaspoon of peanut butter instead, much healthier :-).

[PippiRuns in reply to yatesco]

Don't know if I really want to be the strict lady in your or anybody's head 😄😄😄 but on the other hand I'm glad it kept you away from the donuts. Are you losing any weight? The many km you are running must make it easier, I would think...

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

Strangely, I'm not. Still ~20 stone. I did dip to just under but nothing is really shifting it. I am eating ~1900 calories so it should be going.

I am also quite naturally wide and chunky, most people who see me are astonished I am that heavy. When I spoke with the nutritionist they agreed that the BMI was a ridiculous rating and I should be aiming for around 18 stone.

Things are definitely shaping up though, so I expect it will eventually shift.

[PippiRuns in reply to yatesco]

Agree, don't put too much emphasis on BMI - my brother is a marathon runner, he is all muscle, very fit - but has an "overweight" BMI. Ridiculous!

If you keep up running as much as you do now and stick with 1900 calories, which is really very low for a man your size, those kilos should start shifting.

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

I think different types of runs will help. I am loving my 5Ks, but I feel they are taking less and less effort, which is great as it means I am getting fitter.

Different profiles should tax more I expect.

As my wonderful nurse stated in the middle of the surgery 'FAT people tend to replace fat with muscle'. Nice

[yatesco Graduate in reply to PippiRuns]

I should also say, I don't actually care that much about the numbers. This is all about mental and physical health as oppose to a 'target'.

[PippiRuns in reply to yatesco]

Very much so!

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate in reply to yatesco]

Really laughed at that! PippiRuns is now our communal conscience! By the way are you still doing your squats? I assume you've worked the chocolate off with all that running you're doing!

[yatesco Graduate in reply to JaySeeSkinny]

Oh! Squats - shoot, I had completely forgotten about that!

Give me a few minutes and the answer will be yes :-).

[yatesco Graduate in reply to yatesco]

Penance paid :-).

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

I just love your posts!!!!

I would love to be there watching you, your runs are so entertaining.. I have this image of you, with all your gadgets! and a herd of deer staring, bemused, as you hurtle by!

I can empathise with you on the speed bit.. when i first started trying Strides, I thought, after the first few flat-outs, I may never breathe again!

As you say... all good fun!

[yatesco Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Oldfloss , that's really sweet.

I actually only have a watch and a heart strap. Oh, and my phone. Oh, and running shorts and t-shirt. Oh, and my vibrams.

So, you know, just the usual stuff :-).

Next up, in a year or so when I can use the words 'running', 'gadget' and 'money' in the same sentence without my wife throwing something at me, I plan to get one of those go-pro camera thingies to record the run.