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February 13, 2008
Fartlek!
Just to give you a little insight into how much of a running nerd I was growing up ---
I had a t-shirt that I LOVED and wore everywhere. On the front it said FARTLEK and on the back it said "It's a running thing, you wouldn't understand." What a geek! I just adored that shirt. Can't remember what happened to it though because I definitely don't have it now.
Anyway, I was thinking about that shirt today because I actually got to do a fartlek! How exciting! You see my training is either aerobic or anaerobic (well duh!) meaning it's either zone 1&2 or zone 5. We don't have middle zones. No zone three. No running/cycling "sort of hard". All or nothing around here. And the majority of the training is aerobic in hopes of building a huge aerobic engine that translates into being able to go faster and faster and faster at an aerobic HR which of course means you can go faster overall. REGARDLESS, ALL of the training is aerobic this time of year. Long runs and rides and swims (although we all cheat a little with the swimming), all relatively slower. This is a long way of saying we have a LONG base building period of which I never run or ride really hard. That is unless you have a race coming up. And that is just what I have on February 23rd - a 10 miler! When you plan races into the schedule during a base period Coach will put in a harder running workout to prepare the body a little for what's to come.
So today was my day to run hard! I love running hard and I was REALLY looking forward to today because I haven't run hard since last October! It wasn't that long - 3x1, 1x6, 1x4, 1x3, 2x1 - but boy was it hard! Felt great to GO GO GO and PUSH PUSH PUSH! And I felt really out of shape. But that's a good thing to be feeling now because I still have a LONGGGG year ahead. Hopefully out of shape now will mean in shape at just the right time!
I did the fartlek outside. The roads were a bit sketchy as we got more snow last night and today but I found some clear(er) roads and went for it. I went looking for hills too because if there's one easy way to find the running hurt box, running hard uphill is just it! Great time. Really, really great time.
All of this fartlek fun came after work and a swim workout this morning where I set a new 500 pull PR. I've been setting a lot of pull PRs lately in the water. I think maybe because my arms are getting a little stronger? Regardless, I wish I could say that I have been setting lots of swim PRs too but those come a little slower than the pull PRs. :)
And that's my story for the day. Somehow it's almost 9 pm. Where do the days go? Time for bed! :)
Posted by beth at February 13, 2008 8:32 PM
Comments
Yuck! That main set sounds bitter... you know when they are shorter intervals they hurt worse! Wish I could have joined you for some "fartlek" running! Great job on a pull PR (never thought I would say that...)! Yeah, stronger arms!!!!
Posted by: Bree at February 14, 2008 1:35 AM
Ha ha ha! Fartlek - wonderful! When I lived in Minnesota, I skiied all the time (cross country, of course! Downhill is CHEATING - dude, you get a ride UP the hill. pish!) - and our ski wax was (wait for it... wait for it....) Fart-der-ski!
Brilliant!
Glad that you ROCK the pullbuoy. You'll do great on your 10-miler. ALWAYS fun going fast running, isn't it.
Here's to the fatlek and all the farter-de-skiers out there! Cheers!
Posted by: marit c-l at February 14, 2008 10:12 AM
Fartlek what a weird term?? Anybody know where it came from? It's gotta have some kind of meaning or derivative. Anyway, nice job! Way to pull through them. AND great job on the swim!!! GO, GO, GO!!
Posted by: at February 14, 2008 3:57 PM
Beth,
I'm just catching up on 2 weeks of your blog entries and, oh my gosh, your race! You did so well! You are really pushing yourself with this swimming thing. Congratulations on exceeding your expectations!
And, you know what else, you're inspiring the rest of us to be tough also! So, thank you for that!
Meghan
Posted by: Meghan at February 14, 2008 5:12 PM