STRIDING INTO THE NEW YEAR

Happy New Years Eve . . . hope all of you childless folk are out living it up tonight as I'll be home with the Peanut and Vans eating pizza and sipping champagne! All fine by moi!
Last night my trail group met up and we did 6 miles with six 30 second strides built in the middle. I LOVE THOSE! I am usually not a huge fan of tempo runs because although I like to incorporate speed, I generally do not like to do that for long periods of time or miles aka what a tempo run really is. I love to race a good fast 5K but that is only because I know I will only be out there for 3.1 miles. Strides however, rock.
Coach K sent us a blurb about strides that I'll copyright post here: Strides, AKA as ‘stride outs’ or pick-up's are simply a gradual acceleration in pace. Think of being 50-100 meters out from a finish line. It is the initial start to your surge that is considered a "stride." The ending as you get closer and closer to the finish line is called a fartlek, which is a short speed burst and this focuses on more of the anaerobic threshold system. Strides are a great mental tactic during a race especially when the body and mind are fatiguing. Something as simple as a stride for 10 seconds or a section of trail can spur and awaken the body and mind. Additionally, strides help with "speed" and mixing it up, especially on the trails is necessary so the runner doesn't fall in to a shuffle.
I particularly like the blurbage about strides being a great mental tactic during a race. I will have to remember that when I am dragging mentally out on the trail.
Last night's run was fun. It wasn't too cold and I was a sweaty mess when I was done which is always a good sign. I also tried for the very first time one of the GU Holiday Flavors: Gingerbread. Shall I do a "product review?" Why yes, yes, I shall. If you remember from this post, Donald over at Rumbling and Rambling mailed to me some wonderful goodies this week that I had won on his blog. Last night I decided to try the Gingerbread Gu before the workout since I did not have any time to eat anything since lunch time. Bad, I know but tis the crazy season. So 15 minutes before the run I took a Gu. The flavor was "meh" in my opinion. Gingerbread "like" for sure but more like the icing that is on a gingerbread cookie as opposed to the cookie itself. Next up is the Chocolate Mint Gu which I hear is crazy good. The Hammer Apple Cinnamon gel is still my top favorite for guey gel substances which still kind of creep me out but are sometimes a necessary evil.
I hope all of you lurkers out there (and now I know I actually HAVE lurkers) have a wonderful wonderful New Years. Be safe. Be merry. Don't get too drunk that you can't run tomorrow! HA! :-)

"are you seriously in my face with that thing again?"

PS: Jersey Dad would like me to clarify that the race bibs on his garage wall (see this post) are not "whimpy" 5Ks but also some 10Ks and a 10 miler. JD, I never said "whimpy" and you still rock in my book! Love you!