back to the group

running with other people is far different than running alone.

The Bet Shemesh Running Club began marathon training season this week. While at this point I have not committed to running a marathon, I have decided I would train to the best of my ability, marathon or not. Training with the group is a big help in improving my fitness and my running - especially for the speed workouts and probably for the long runs.

When I run myself, I have to push myself. I often do, but not too hard. I am also listening to podcasts or whatnot, and I am not focusing on my running all that much. Running with other people is far different. We are chatting a bit, when possible, but mostly keeping each other going and reminding each other of the pace and the timing, offering words of encouragement and praise. And, especially, there is a bit of a competitive nature in all of us, and when running with other people there is a natural boost in your step.

Tonight I ran the speed workout with the group. The first speed workout of the season was a fartlek. Fartlek is basically running 4 cycles of twelve minutes each, with each 12 minutes broken into 3 segments of 4 minutes. Each segment of 4 minutes is run at a different speed - slow, medium and fast, and then all over again for a total of 4 cycles - plus a 2km warmup and a 2km cooldown (which was shortened tonight).

Not really knowing my marathon pace, which is how to determine the different speeds for the fartlek, I ran with two other guys at paces of 6:30, 6 and 5:30. While it was difficult to keep to the porogram accurately, overall we were pretty close.

I ended up running just under 10km at an average pace of 6:01mpkm.

A big problem I had was I could not get the fartlek program into any of the apps I tried for tracking, and to alert me of the time to change pace. I ended up using two apps which were not synced so it got confusing, and neither had the correct info for the fartlek, but at least the timing was pretty close so I knew when I was approaching the 4 minute mark , even if I did not know the exact pace I was running at. For that I had to rely on my running partner's occasional updates when they were with me.

Maybe I'll eventually figure something out, or maybe I'll get a new GPS watch that makes the tracking easier and more accurate, or maybe I'll just continue to rely on other people. Whatever happens, the run tonight was great. It is really good to be running with other people again


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Fartleks are back!

Wow. I forgot what these were like. It has been so long since I last ran a fartlek...

Our coach hits high intensity fairly quickly in our training regimen. He will obviously say that we are starting off slow and easing into it, but for some of us this is already high intensity.

Tonight we ran a fartlek. A fartlek is speed work. I think. The program of the fartlek is after a 2km warmup run, we divide the next 48 minutes into 12 minute segments. Each of the four 12 minute segments is broken up into 3 segments of 4 minutes each.

• The first 4 minute segment is run at a slow pace, usually about 30 seconds slower than half-marathon pace.
• The second four minute segment is run at moderate pace, generally half-marathon pace.
• The third 4 minute segment is run at fast pace, generally at 30 seconds faster than half-marathon pace.

After the 3 segments are complete (12 minutes total), you repeat, slow, moderate, fast, etc.

The run was a total of 12km, including a 2km warmup, 9km fartlek, and 1km finishing and cool-down.

I ran the fartlek at about 6:10m/km, 5:40m/km, and 5:10m/km.

Wiped. Out.

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.

The fartlek - what a difference!

Tonight was the run that sounds like a disease. A fartlek.

the fartlek is a workout that means speedplay. Basically it is a workout that builds speed and stabilizes pace.

We were meant to run a 2km warm-up run, which I ran at an average pace of 5:52/km.

After that, we were to run 48 minutes of fartlek, broken into 4 segments of 12 minutes. Each of the 12 minutes was to be broken up with 4 minutes of a slow pace, running at about 45 seconds slower than half marathon pace, 4 minutes at 15 seconds slower than half marathon pace, and 4 minutes at 5-10 seconds faster than half marathon pace. The redo the same pace cycles each of the next 12 segments.

We did the run in RBS on Dolev, which is probably the flattest course in Bet Shemesh, so it is good for pace training.

Last time we did the fartlek, I had no idea what I was doing, and I just ran as much as I could, as fast as I could.

Tonight the fartlek was a great run, and I kept a great and even pace with my running partner. We ran an expected half marathon pace of about 5:20 or so (though I thought 5:30 was more realistic), so our cycles were planned for about 6:15, 5:45 and 5:10.

Overall the 9km over the whole 48 minutes of running was at an average pace of 5:24/km, which is pretty good. The breakdown was pretty close to what we had planned, though just slightly quicker.
We basically ran the slow pace in the 5:50/5:55 range, the medium pace in the 5:18/5:20 range, and the fast pace in the 5:05 range, with the last fast circle of 4 minutes at a pace of 4:50!

So it was a good workout.

Half marathon is in two weeks!

running the fartlek! - marathon training #1

I did it. I have finally run with the group, and lived to tell the tale! I guess that means my marathon training has officially begun.

Tonight the group ran something called fartleks. I, too, had no idea what that meant. It sounds dangerous, if not terminal. But it turns out it is Swedish for something. According to the email sent out to the BS Running Group prior to the run, it means "speedplay". The email described the pace we would be running at, alternating between various speeds. None of that meant anything to me, as I have no idea how fast I run, nor how fast I can run. So I just run. I told Chauim, head of the Club, to tell me who to follow, and I would try to keep pace with them. He stuck me with a couple of guys who were planning to run at more of a beginners pace - not because they were beginners, mind you, but because they ran the Tel Aviv race last night and wanted to go easy tonight!

We ran the Bet Shemesh circuit, which meets on Narkis and Shoshan, and runs the circle around. The circle is about 2km. We first ran the 2km as a warmup run. After that, the fartleks began. We were to be running for 48 minutes. Mind you, we were supposed to be increasing speeds every four minutes, but I just ran. I figured if I make it all the way around, that is good enough.

So we ran the fartleks. I ran four circuits around the circle, totalling 8km, plus the initial 2km warmup run. That is a total of 10km! An increase of about 67% from my pre-training getting in shape runs! I could not believe I did it. I was nearly dead after three circuits, but decided I would do one more, as there was enough time remaining. I ran the whole time except for three times I had to slow down to a walking pace for about 45 seconds each time. I felt, at times, like my heart had ripped open a gaping hole in my chest and had climbed out.

But I mad eit with perseverance and am ready for the next run.

Tomorrow I am told we have to rest and let our bodies recover, so the next run is Wednesday night I guess.

There is a big difference between running alone and running in a group. Mor eon that later.

At the end we did some crazy stretching. and then went home. If I thought I knew what it meant to shvitz like the rebbe previously, I was wrong. Tonight I really shvitzed like the rebbe!