Let's Begin Again

Week 6 Key Run 1
Planned Workout: 10-20 min. warm-up, 1k, 2k, 1k, 1k (400m RI), 10 min. cool-down
Actual Run: 6.6 miles (10.7 km) in :49:26 min. @ 6:30 a.m.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 62°F, 87% Humidity, Wind: From SW @ 3 mph; feels like 62°F.
Average Mile Pace: 7:27 min./mi.
Course: Key Run 1 Kilo to Miles made using USATF Map It!.

This week, I'm starting a little something new, again. Though perhaps not the best time to make a transition (what with my being out of town for five days over this coming weekend--a trip wrought with potential missed runs!), this week seemed like as good a one as any to move from a five-day-a-week straight training runs to the more structured FIRST "Three Key Run" approach.

I employed this strategy to fairly good effect this past Spring in preparing for the Buffalo Marathon, so why not go back to the well (sort of)?

While today's key run would qualify as "speed work," I built the distances into a long fartlek run rather than going to the track. As the program progress the speed work distances will get shorter and therefore easier to gauge on a track, so my return to the track is imminent. For today, things went well and I enjoyed the psychological freedom of feeling "okay" with exerting myself because I knew tomorrow would another recovery day. The great thing about the FIRST plan(s) is that although you only run three-four days weekly, each run has a focus so... less "junk" mileage!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Week 4, Key Workout Run #1

Scheduled Workout: 10-20 min. warm-up, 10 x 400m(400 m RI), 10 min. cool-down.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 44°F, 71% Humidity, Wind: From WNW @ 16 mph, gusting up to 23 mph; feels like 44°F.
Actual Workout: 5.6 miles in :40:23 min. @ 4:10 p.m.
Average Mile: 7:10 min/mi
Course: Harvard Street to Monroe to Field Street to South Goodman to Rockingham to Clinton to Highland to Monroe to Cobbs Hill to Culver to Harvard and home...

Both the conditions and format of today's workout were altered slightly: much cooler weather, and rather than a speed workout track-stylee, I ran a fartlek series on the streets. Once again, deviating from the plan proved to be a great way to train, as I had a great run in the cool air without losing the emphasis on speed.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!