Fall back, fall back!

As often is the case, my grand plans are a little too grand.  I'm adding another week to my base/fartlek training.  With the weather as crazy as it is, and my struggles to get into a routine with weight lifting, I feel like I need more miles before I can really start to train effectively.

My runs this week have all been "fall back" runs.  Cut back the mileage, cut back the intensity, cut back the scope.  I skipped my "long farlek" workout on Thursday, replacing it with an easy 4 miler, which I had skipped on Wednesday.  And what is a "long fartlek" you ask?  It is a modified version of the original fartlek workout designed by Gösta Holmér, the Swedish cross country coach in the 1930s.  He and I share a similar attitude about training - running shouldn't be uncomfortable.  I don't think it should ever hurt to run - if it hurts, something is wrong.  You can run until you're exhausted, you can be fatigued, but you shouldn't be in pain.  The original workout looked like this.

My version of the workout goes something like this:

1 mile warm up
1 mile at 5k race pace
1/2 mile recovery
3 1/2 miles of easy running with 15 seconds of "near" sprinting (800m race pace) intermixed
Final 1/4 mile of 3 1/2 - best possible 400m given current state of fatigue
1 mile cool down

For those keeping score, that's a 7 mile workout.  A bit much, given this weather, and the state of the road shoulders.  I did the workout last week, but it was 10 degrees warmer at the time.  It leaves me too tired to lift, so I need to adjust that schedule to match up better.


So NEXT week is now the final week of easy transition miles, as I continue to get my mileage back up and work on intensity.  I'm thankful it isn't a matter of motivation, but one of too much too soon.

Now if only I could find a way to do too many dishes with too much motivation.  Still struggling with that.  I'm hoping my wife will work on them some today, since she's off from work, but somehow I doubt it.  I need some kind of motivation to do housework that is as strong as my running motivation.