Use it or Lose it

What a bunch of lightening and rain this morning!! (Good day to run indoors for sure!) 

SW today.  Wasn't sure what to expect, as I haven't done any rigorous speed work in months, so I planned on playing it by ear - maybe 6-8 1/4 mile reps @ 6.5 mph, or maybe some 1/2 mile reps @ 6.5 mph if I felt good. 

I warmed up for a mile, then started my first rep.  It didn't seem too horendously hard so I increased the distance of the reps and ended up doing 3 one-mile repeats (each @ 6.5 mph and 1.5% ) with a much appreciated 1/4 mile slow jog recovery after each rep.  I felt pretty encouraged that I could do mile reps at this pace, although the 3rd rep did start feeling rather brutal!  Then finished running at a relatively easy pace.  (Next week I'll try doing shorter reps at a faster pace, perhaps 1/4 mile reps @ 7 mph)

Cool crisp morning run up to city creek picnic area 7 and back.

Wanted to do a hill work out today because I think the strengthening will help both my knees and my speed. Was going to do it on the TM because that is the easiest way for me to do reliable short hill repeats, but my daughter so rightfully pointed out to me that it is darn beautiful outside and I shouldn't waste the nice conditions!

So I decided to run my usual route up to PA 7 in city creek and back, but to take my watch and try to run 3 of the hills as fast as I could.

Started by running at an easy pace to city creek, then:

Hill 1: one mile long from the city creek gate to the one mile marker. I took off and quickly got into a good 2:1 breathing pattern. I was hoping to make it to the one mile marker in 10 minutes, but was 30 seconds over. I don't feel too bad, tho, because I was working and breathing pretty hard the whole time. And now I have a good time goal for this hill!. (I designated this mile as "fast" because even though the actual pace wasn't particularly fast, my effort was way way up there!) Then I ran slow and easy a little further up to PA7, then turned around and ran slow down the hill.

Hill 2: Progably a little longer than a 1/2 mile from the intersection of the citycreek turnoff from bonneville drive up to the intersection of bonneville drive and 11th avenue. My legs were feeling a bit rubbery, but I ran this section pretty quickly in 6 min 14 sec. Unfortunately this section starts off going downhill before going uphill, so next time I'll probably start the hard running where the uphill part actually starts! Then I ran at an easy pace for a couple blocks on 11th Avenue before reaching my next hill.

Hill 3: One block very steep from 11th avenue up to 12th avenue. I gave this hill all I had to muster, and boy did I feel the lactic acid building in my calves!

Then I just ran slow and easy the last 1/2 mile home along 12th avenue.

All in all a good workout, but I think next time I will plan a hill workout with shorter distance hills. I might start at the bottom of the avenues, and then "zig-zag" my way up so that I run hard up a steep hill for a block, then run a block sideways at a recovery pace, then run another steep uphill block, etc., until I get up to 12th Avenue.

Salt Lake City has some truly gorgeous running weather this morning!!

It's my son's birthday, and I ended up going to breakfast with him, helping him with a project, and then wrapping presents, baking a cake, going to dinner & a movie. I really wanted to go on a long long run, but Ryan is more important! :)