fartlek workout

Tonight was a "fartlek" workout in RBS.

We ran a 2km warmup run, and then started our fartlek, or speedplay, workout.

the fartlek is a 48 minute run, broken into 4 segments of 12 minutes. Each of the 12 minutes is broken int 3 segments of 4 minutes. Each of the 4 minutes is run at alternating speeds, starting with 4 minutes of a slow pace at 20 seconds slower than marathon pace, then 4 minutes of medium speed, at about marathon pace or 5 seconds slower, then 4 minutes of a fast pace at 10-15 seconds fast than marathon pace.

That is repeated for each of the 12 minute segments.

I ran pretty evenly, with the slow 4 minutes more or less at about 5:50/km, the medium at about 5:20/km and the fast at about 5/km.

Overall the 48 minute workout I averaged at a 5:20/km pace.

I keep having trouble with my watch on these workouts. I can't seem to get the settings right. Last time I messed it up with not setting it properly to alert at 4 minutes. This time I figured that out, but it did nto count my laps - it counted 1 long lap of 9.13 km, so I cannot see the breakdown of each set of 4 minutes.

This weeks long run is going to be on Wednesday instead of Friday, due to a scheduling conflict for many for the advanced guys. This is goign to be the final very long run of the season, and it is going to be my longest at 38km. It is sort of going to be a simulation of the marathon, as we ar eplanning no stops and the water will be out along the route similar to the way it is in the marathon, rather than stopping at gas stations. I don't think it is such a big deal, as my last three Rehovot runs anyway I did not stop at the gas stations anyway. But this is the big one.