Ou regular teacher is out of town for the next couple of weeks so we had a sub. The class was still challenging but also really relaxing because we went at a much slower pace than normal. It was exactly what we needed. We did try a new pose called Dancer's Pose. I liked it! Brings me back to my old dancing days.
Wednesday: Fartleks, total 6k, Untimed
Today was the start of speed training and we were doing Fartkeks. The word Fartlek, is a Swedish term that means "speed play," and is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance.
Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. Work-rest intervals can be based on how the body feels. With fartlek training, you can experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace.
So we did a 2k warmup, followed by 5 x 2 minutes of surges with a jog recovery in between each set, and then a 2k cool down. I actually really enjoyed this workout! We did time the surges and our fastest paces for the 2 mins were 4:58, 5:27 and 5:29.
Thursday: Yoga
It was a tougher class than usual! The pace was faster than normal with lots of strength work. We tried a new pose in this class as well and I'm happy to say that I was able to do it on my stronger right side. It was so fun to try. It's called Bird of Paradise and is kinda crazy but I liked it!
Friday: Rest Day
I switched my rest day from Saturday to Friday. I was too busy having fun and that's the way life goes.
Saturday: 5k in the pouring rain, 6:34 mins/km for the first 3k (I didn't resume my timing app properly after pausing it at a stop light)
So Jeff is still resting after having some bad IT band issues. I decided to head out for a 5k on my own but unfortunately it was pretty much a downpour all day! I guess this will just show my dedication! I put on a rain jacket and a short sleeved shirt but I was really hot. The temps have warmed up a lot. I did have the hood up but got so hot I just had to deal with getting totally wet. My pace was fast (for me) for the first 2k with an average pace of 6:20 mins/km. The first km was 6:07 and it kind of winded me. I should learn to start out slower and get into my groove and then pick up the pace. I didn't feel great on this run and I was completely soaked. I had trouble with water getting in my eyes, I almost needed goggles! I did bring my Handana for the first time which did help to clear my eyes at least. I paused my timing app at a stop light at 3k and thought I resumed it but I guess I didn't. Anyways, it was a very wet somewhat crappy run but I did it!
Sunday: Long, slow run pushed back to Monday
Jeff thought he could use another rest day just to make sure his IT Band issues were a-ok. Plus we were too busy having fun again and searching for my new shoes. Oh and I forgot to put my soaked shoes in front of the fire to dry out so they were still completely wet.
Monday: 17k Long, Slow Run , Pace 7:12 mins/km
I ended up doing more than 1/2 of this run by myself and I am so proud of myself!! Daylight savings time will definitely help with our later in the day runs and it was such a beautiful sunny day. We both worked til 5 and headed out the door at about 5:45. We figured we had about 2 hours of daylight so we decided to run our favorite road. This road is not safe to run on when it's dark, so it's nice to be able to take advantage of it when we can. We decided to do 3 loops, each loop being about 5k. For the first 3k my shins were feeling quite sore and tight but they were totally fine after warming up. After our first loop, unfortunately Jeff was feeling pain again. Ugh! So frustrating for him! I'm also sad because I miss my running partner. He decided to head home at 6k. I decided to push on by myself despite the fact that I had no interval timer for my 10:1's and no water. Jeff said he would come back on his bike but I was confident I would be fine.
I was actually feeling really good and comfortable. I was doing nasal breathing and things felt fairly effortless. Nothing was laboured. I decided I would run for 3 songs and then take a walk break. This timing worked out perfect. I had some Cliff Shot Blocks in my pocket and took one at 4k and 8k. I like these a lot better than the Sharkie chews. They are tasty, a good texture and don't stick to you teeth. I couldn't take a Gu gel without water so I just skipped it but I was totally fine. I felt like I had energy the whole time. I also couldn't believe how fast time was going by. I think doing the loops helped since each loop broke the run down. At the end of the loop is a tiny hill and I powered up it each time without tiring which was a good test as well. Usually any incline when I am really tired feels laborious to me.
Jeff showed up on his bike at about 10k, but he had popped his tire on the way over!! Talk about a bad night! All I could do was shake my head. He wanted to make sure I was ok and give me some water. I took a few swigs and told him to head home as I was feeling good. He stuck with me till about 12k and it was getting really cold and would be dark soon. The wind was pretty strong at some points and I wasn't dressed too warm. I decided that I would finish up on the road and not take the trail home since it would be dark by then. I asked Jeff to head home and come pick me up in the car in 30 mins.
It ended up working out perfectly. I had about .50k to finish up when he showed up and I even had enough energy to sprint it to the finish! I couldn't believe I did that and I couldn't believe how good I felt! I had I idea what my average pace was as my running app crapped out and I wasn't really paying attention to the Garmin.
When I plugged in the results I was extremely happy with the 7:12. It was a bit faster than the 16k and it felt 10x better. It's nice to know that 7:12 is comfortable and I still have room to push myself. Also it means that my nasal breathing threshold has gotten better. I used to only be able to breathe through my nose continuously at slower speeds of around 7:20 or more.
Only 4k to go til I reach 1/2 marathon distance again!
I am just praying Jeff recovers soon!
After the run I wore my compression socks for a few hours and my legs felt great the next day! They didn't feel stiff or sore at all while walking around, so very happy with that result as well : )
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