What a beautiful morning for a little speed work! We've been graced with an exceptionally fine spring after what seemed to be a prolonged winter. Now, winter's in Atlanta aren't really winter at all. I spent most of this past winter's work weeks in Minneapolis. Now that's winter! And my undergraduate years passed by in northwestern Pennsylvania. They know a bit about winter there, too. Nevertheless, well into April we had Saturday mornings -- when we meet the gang for our weekly running and socializing sessions -- that were crisp, if not downright cold. I mean, goodness, we had to wear layers! OK, I confess. I've lived far too long in warmer climes. A guy gets spoiled.
Back to this morning: I took the speed work scheduled for week 15 of the FIRST training and loaded it into my Garmin last night. Another confession: I haven't fully figured out how to make this thing work yet. Using the available software, you can set a workout by segment -- warm-up, fast interval, rest interval, repeat, warm down.... You get the idea. The segments can be set for zones. My target speed this morning was 4:04 800 meter splits. So I set the watch for a 7:30 to 8:30 zone. As you begin the interval, the watch begins to calibrate your speed against the target zone, and, of course, at first it chirps as you to speed up. If you find the correct pace, the chirping should stop. Emphasis on should.
It's dark -- or mostly so -- when I run. And while the watch provides visual feedback -- speed up! slow down! -- it's not easy to read, especially when running at a good clip. And, yes, I'm at that age where I need to grow longer arms to read what's in (or on) my hands.... So I set out -- chirp! Speed up. Chirp! Now I'm pushing myself a bit. Chirp! Maybe I need to slow down. Chirp! And then the watch blessedly goes silent for a few strides. Sometimes I think it just gives up on me. Heh, look at this guy -- can't even hit a pace zone with a full minute range! Fine, mocked by my own technology....
So I ran along DeFoors today, chirping away. And, as has been the case with the other speed runs I've done with the new watch, this one was quick:
Interval 1 (downhill): 3:48
Interval 2 (uphill): 3:52
Interval 3 (downhill): 3:29
Interval 4 (uphill): 3:46
The slowest interval was 12 seconds quick. And my fourth interval was faster than my second. Nice....
Strong speed work and a beautiful spring morning. Truly it doesn't get much better!
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3 comments:
You are much further along than I when it comes to Garmin. I think I need a class on how to take full advantage because it's almost time for speedwork. Oh joy! It's all for a good cause though - Maui here we come!!!!
Welcome to the wonderful world of speedwork on Defoor Ave.! Oh, and also, welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. Good to see you on here!
Thanks for checking in guys! You've both inspired me -- with your running and your blogging. Sarah, I'd be more than happy to share with you what I know about the Garmin so far -- setting customized workouts is pretty cool. And, yes, most of my speedwork has been and will continue to be on DeFoors. I can't wait until I hear the mockingbirds mimicking the Garmin!
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