The Need For Speed

Perhaps I'm old school; I believe the best way to run faster is to run faster. Sure, activities like biking, weight lifting, yoga, etc will help a person become more physically fit. But if one desires to shave minutes or seconds off thier racing times, or just see how fast they can run a set distance, some form of speed work is essential. For it trains a person physiologically to handle the discomfort that comes with pushing oneself. Plus it teaches the body how to better flush out lactic acid, and helps build certain type of muscle mass in the lower legs.

For me it had been since my days of running track in school since i had done any sort of substantial speed work. A few weeks ago I started to do so again on a more regular basis. Some days this is faster tempo runs as they are called, where i'll pick up my pace to a little under a 10K race pace for a few miles in the middle of a run. Or fartleking it in the woods in the state park. Sounds kinda taboo I know; if i'm not mistaken the word's origins are Sweedish, it means "speed play". Bursts of running fatser during a normal run, for say ten, twenty, thirty seconds... or to the next telephone pole, driveway etc. The beauty of it is you make your own rules, run fast when you feel like it, dont when you dont. Big key though is to not slow down much back below the normal pace being run in the work-out.

Yesterday I did repeats at the lake in Carolina Beach. I use a stretch on the path which i estimate to be a little over 400 meters. I run the repeat at about 85- 90% effort, then slowly jog for another 2-3 minutes, then walk for about 2 minutes until i've circled the lake... then BAM... off again running fast. Usually this fast segment takes @ 1:20- 1:25, and can get a little hairy when a mallard duck decides to cross my path, or a person's dog gets a little too jumpy. Yes, ideally I need to get to an actual track, but what ultimately counts is the exertion I put out. And the bucolic setting helps to take my mind of the physical pain. For its about a 1/4 - 1/2 way into the repeat that the lactic acid kicks in, the heart rate elevates rapidly, and the breathing gets quick and short. The mind says stop, your a damned fool. No not really, but it can be interesting the body/ mind connections. Near the end it can be the repititive thought "hold your form, hold your form," for it becomes vital to not break the natural running rhythm when fatigued.

I had the thought at some point in the workout that running/ training is one continuous experiment, the same as living life is. We learn what works, and what doesn't work by going out there and doing it. And then we adjust and try it again, and hope for the best.

And I'd like to say a special thanks to Guy's lovely daughter Katherine, who called out to me and said hello while I was stetching in the grass by the lake.