Tuesday, March 3, 2015

A lovely run outside...

Yesterday was the first time in about a week that I was able to run outside and it was awesome!  I can't wait for all the snow and ice to melt so I can do that more frequently.  I've managed to sneak out here and there for a run around my neighborhood this winter, but I'm getting tired of the same old route.  I want to get back to running on the local trails.


I tried something new yesterday - strides.  After completing my scheduled three miles, I picked a (flat) spot on my route and ran as fast as I could for 0.05 miles.  Then I turned around and walked back to the start to recover.  I repeated this sequence six times.  It was challenging - but fun!

I learned about strides in a RRCA coaching certification course I recently completed and I'm glad I gave them a shot.  After attending the course, I built a 16-week running schedule for myself based on class concepts (I'll save details of my current schedule for another post) and incorporated strides into my base mileage weeks.  I've been good about running the majority of my miles at conversation pace, but it's been a challenge to reign myself in sometimes.  I have to resist the urge to run faster.  I think that's why I enjoyed the strides so much yesterday - after being very disciplined at running at a slower pace, I was finally able to let go for a bit and run free!

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