The run where I fartlek in public
Over recent months I have focussed on my mileage. Every run
has been a distance challenge, and this has improved my stamina. With a regular
150 miles a month regime I feel good but unfortunately, it has also led me to
neglect my speed work. The result has been slower parkrun times and a lack of
variety in my training.
After realising John was feeling the same way we decided to make our Thursday night training a speed session and decided on pyramid fartleks. A fartlek is simply a form of interval running with periods of hard effort interspersed with shorter times of rest. The pyramid aspect involves increasing the length of time or distance the maximum effort is held for and then reducing it back down again. Over time this enables you to run shorter distances (5k / 10k) faster.
It was Dover’s turn to host this week and we met on the seafront where there is a long, curved esplanade hugging the harbour coastline. It is overlooked to one side by a row of five story Victorian hotels, 1960’s brutalist style flats and a Premier Inn. On the other the sea hemmed in by the harbour wall, four lighthouses spinning their lanterns, and the huge white ferries approaching and departing with a blast of their fog horns.
After a warm up we began with a 1 minute sprint at 90% effort followed by a 30 second rest. We doubled it next time meaning a 2 minute sprint and a 1 minute rest. Each time we increased the time by 1 minute up to 5 minutes and then back down to 1 minute. In total we ran and rested for 45 minutes and covered 5 miles.
It was a hot evening and the sweat poured from our bald heads like a pair of crying eggs. Many people were out for a stroll, riding their bikes, or walking their dogs. We managed to avoid knocking any of them over, and ignored their concerned looks, as this pair of gasping, red faced, Lycra clad old men sped past racing against some invisible opponents.
Our average speed was poor as it had averaged out with the times of stretching and resting but at one point we had managed to dip below 5 minute mile pace. To conclude the evening we blasted a 100m stretch and then aimed to return in the same time. In fact we beat ourselves by 5 seconds. As a reward we joined the holidaymakers outside the Premier Inn for a pint (or in John’s case a G&T – what’s that all about?)
Next week we will be doing a similar programme in Folkestone and hopefully over the coming weeks and months there will be a positive impact on our parkrun times with John hoping to get under 20 minutes for the first time and I am aiming for a sub 19.
After realising John was feeling the same way we decided to make our Thursday night training a speed session and decided on pyramid fartleks. A fartlek is simply a form of interval running with periods of hard effort interspersed with shorter times of rest. The pyramid aspect involves increasing the length of time or distance the maximum effort is held for and then reducing it back down again. Over time this enables you to run shorter distances (5k / 10k) faster.
It was Dover’s turn to host this week and we met on the seafront where there is a long, curved esplanade hugging the harbour coastline. It is overlooked to one side by a row of five story Victorian hotels, 1960’s brutalist style flats and a Premier Inn. On the other the sea hemmed in by the harbour wall, four lighthouses spinning their lanterns, and the huge white ferries approaching and departing with a blast of their fog horns.
After a warm up we began with a 1 minute sprint at 90% effort followed by a 30 second rest. We doubled it next time meaning a 2 minute sprint and a 1 minute rest. Each time we increased the time by 1 minute up to 5 minutes and then back down to 1 minute. In total we ran and rested for 45 minutes and covered 5 miles.
It was a hot evening and the sweat poured from our bald heads like a pair of crying eggs. Many people were out for a stroll, riding their bikes, or walking their dogs. We managed to avoid knocking any of them over, and ignored their concerned looks, as this pair of gasping, red faced, Lycra clad old men sped past racing against some invisible opponents.
Our average speed was poor as it had averaged out with the times of stretching and resting but at one point we had managed to dip below 5 minute mile pace. To conclude the evening we blasted a 100m stretch and then aimed to return in the same time. In fact we beat ourselves by 5 seconds. As a reward we joined the holidaymakers outside the Premier Inn for a pint (or in John’s case a G&T – what’s that all about?)
Next week we will be doing a similar programme in Folkestone and hopefully over the coming weeks and months there will be a positive impact on our parkrun times with John hoping to get under 20 minutes for the first time and I am aiming for a sub 19.
