Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day Weekend

Total weekend mileage: 17

Saturday morning the weather was great. I decided to do a 6 mile fartlek "speed play" run. I like to use fartlek training as a good way to get used to faster paces before beginning intervals or formal speed work. Fartlek training involves informal increases in pace for varied distances during a run. I like to look ahead and pick a spot to run hard to, the stop sign or that big tree up a head. It may be only 100m or it may be a half mile, then I usually wait to do the next "surge" until my heart rate is under control again. The workout went very well and typically my "surges" were on the hills around Rancho Vista.

Sunday Andi and I met our friends Bill and Dawn for a trail run. We drove down to a trail off of Placerita Canyon. The first 4 miles were up hill on a great trail which was harder because of the 90 degree temperature! I actually ran out of water by the top. We then made it a loop run down another trail which I guess they call a "fire break" along the ridge. This meant that there were some very steep sections that we carfully walked down. The entire run was 7 miles. Besides the temperatures and the steep downhills we had a great time and got some good pictures.



My legs were so stiff from the run yesterday that I just did a very slow recovery run for 4 miles. It helped loosen me up and I felt much better the rest of the way.

3 comments:

Chuck said...

Great pictures!

Dale Lister said...

Nice! With my kids, I occasionally do a fun version of a fartlek run. I bring along a die (singular of dice) and I toss it in the air and catch it. Whatever # comes up, we run that many light poles hard followed by the same number easy. The kids often accuse me of cheating, though when consecutive sixes come up.....

Anonymous said...

Pretty place to run, but not much shade! I think about shade a lot now! Mom