March 11th, 2009
60 seconds. Doesn’t seem long enough to make a person tired, but I am quickly learning that 1 minute, done several times, can be killer.
I first realized the power of a minute last week with the 15x(1min on,1min off) stints from Wednesday and Sunday. Then yesterday I discovered an alternate way to be made miserable in a mere minute: spend it going up a hill. Suddenly 1 minute seems like an eternity.
The run consisted of 6 miles, then 8x1min hill repeats @5k effort w/jogs back to the start, then one mile home. It was a little cooler than I thought it’d be out, so I started the run at a brisk 8:19, then feeling good, averaged 8:06 for the next 5 miles. Then came time for the repeats.
The place I do my hill stuff is called Lemon Hill, right across the street from the river and the boathouses. At the top of Lemon Hill sits an historic mansion and the whole surrounding area is park, so it’s quite lovely. However, as I’ve mentioned in the past, you can also find the occasional condom on the ground and people seem to hang out there in their cars to hide out from their jobs during the day, so it tends to skeeve me out a bit.
When I started my repeats, there was this one SUV with dark windows and motor running that I kept having to pass, leaving me extremely self-conscious since by the time I’d pass it, it was always the end of my repeat (when I appeared to be near death). Maybe they were just in there eating their turkey sandwiches, but luckily, there’s a fork in the road with a similar hill on the opposite side, so after repeat 4, I switched hills.
All I can say is, I wanted it to be over way sooner than the workout actually was – 5k effort on a hill is tough! The last couple repeats had moments in them where I felt I was standing still, my legs wobbling so much. I won’t post my splits because they’re ridiculous, I never neared actual 5K pace and the last two ended up slower than my usual easy pace, but I felt amazing after it was over, like I’d done something especially great for my legs and butt. Final tally for the run: 9.25 miles, avg. 8:23 pace.
Since the last 3 days have included quality work in each of them, it’s a treat to see the next 3 are purely easy, the only strenuous addition are a few strides on Friday. Originally, my schedule called for a tempo run on Friday, but Saturday’s race ends up being the perfect substitute, so it all works out swimmingly.
This afternoon I have 11 easy and a bunch of pushups (eek, 8 sets instead of 5 and only 45 seconds between sets with the last set “at least 40″ – I may need a redo on this week). Speaking of pushups, I’ve been contemplating getting one of those chin-up bars you put in the doorway. I’ve never in my life been able to do a single one so it’d be kind of cool to be able to do a few. Plus, pull-ups are the perfect counter exercise for pushups and would further improve my posture, ultimately improving my running. We’ll see, I have a limit to self-inflicted suffering and chinups might put me over the edge.
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Hey Flo, those hill repeats will do so much for your strength (even if you run them slower than 5K pace). Great job! And invest in a chin up bar! Here’s a workout for you to do sometime: complete as many rounds possible in 20 minutes of 5 pull ups, 5 dips and 15 sit ups. Knock ‘em out as fast as you can but using full range of motion. Do jumping pull ups (or assisted pull ups) if you have to, but get full range of motion in. Keep up the good work!
I dub you, “Fartlek Queen.”
You willingness to run hard as often as your body will let you is your testament to your speedy times.
Others’ entries – 5 miles @ easy pace
Your entires – 12 miles, 6 @ tempo, 10 x 1min hill repeats @ 5K pace then walk on hands for 2 miles for “shits and giggles!”
I still amazed by you Flo – I mean Fartlek Queen..
Glorybelle, thanks for the workout, reading it makes me sweat (from fear).
Dave, lol, blame Hudson, he sneaks in those harder bits so it’s not like they’re full-fledged consecutive hard sessions, more like meaty little teasers. Just enough for me to complain about. :-)
I’m a little confused, Are those hill repeats supposed to be 5K effort or 5K pace? It sounds like you were trying for 5K pace, which would be quite a bit harder.
I’m with Jim, I would think hills are usually done by effort.
Man, I would love to get you up here this summer to do hill workouts!
Jim, they were “effort”, so I had no illusions of trying for 5K pace. I was actually going for “getting up there as fast as I can” which wasn’t the best method either.
Your experience with hills is my experience with hills (without the used condoms). Burning quads, shortness of breath, and all that. I don’t know about pace. I just do them “hard,” but not too hard.
In addition to strength, they are great for form because you are compelled to run efficiently and especially to hold it as you start to weaken.
Hi Flo!! I love my hill intervals! They are hard no doubt. My coach has me do uphill at effort for 90 secs and jog down hill and then repeat. 90 secs is a damn long time!!!!! Luckily, I too do not have your type of hills condoms, etc. The killer hill is right outside my door and I call it Mount Woodmen. It is not really a mountain but when running or biking that hill it sure feels like it!!!!!! Good luck with the pushups!
Sounds like a mountain to me. :-) My next session is scheduled in a couple weeks but this time it’ll be 2min. repeats (double ick). I’m going to have to drive to a better hill since one minute takes me to the top of my local one.