Captain Kirk had emailed us throughout the day informing us that YES the run was still moving forward despite the rain and to be prepared with some extra warm weather gear for after the run. 6 pm rolls around and we pull into the scheduled meet up spot aka dirt parking only to find out from the park ranger that if we do in fact park there, we'll be gated in. Hmmm, I love a challenge but that was an obvious one. We all loaded back into our cars and drove to another spot to park. The rain at this point had all but stopped. Just the occasional mist flying in your face. However, as soon as we started, Coach Nikon (if you're reading Coach do you like the name?) declared "at least it's not raining!" and just like in a movie we stepped into a 30 second (literally, it lasted like 30 seconds) of a hard large rain drop down pour and then wham, it stopped. Nice!
We ran back to the parking lot we were ejected from earlier and then up and over the Hazel bridge to the other side of the river where there was a single track trail, basically a hill trail, that leads you to some bluffs. There were quite a few of us who ventured out to this run last night so navigating us all on the single track for 1 minute hill repeats was um, challenging? Garmin was a no show last night but boy would he have been excited trying to figure out how to set his Garmin for 1 minute hill repeats. He would have been beeping all over the place! You were missed Garmin!!!
So after approximately 3 repeats on this muddly, slippery slope of a trail, where we had a few casualties, it was decided that perhaps it would be best to move this workout to a safer less slippery location. The group then hauled ourselves back up to the Hazel bridge and continued to do our 1 minute hill repeats up and down the bridge. I managed 4 more and could probably have gone a few more but I was slowly getting cold. The work out was solid though. Although my timing might have been a smidge over a minute, my heart rate was jumping up on the sprints and I was letting it cool down a smidge before heading out for another hill sprint. I love workouts that let your heart rate jump up and down like that.
For you heart rate training buffs out there, this is an awesome way to gauge your fitness level when doing workouts like we last night. It is called a Recovery Test. Basically, what I SHOULD have done (but didn't last night) is on one of my sprints, push myself for that full minute as hard as I could up that hill getting my heart rate as high as it can go and the stopping and seeing how fast it falls within in a minute. I usually do this kind of test on a spin bike but you can do it running too. Sprint hard for as far and as long as you can or if you're doing a workout like last night, 1 minute up a hill works well too. Look at your heart rate and then stop completely. Wait one minute and notice what your heart rate is after that minute. The faster it drops is an indication of how fit you are. For example, I did do this test last week on my own and my heart rate dropped 40 heart beats in a minute. Anything over 20 is considered "good" and I have to admit, my heart rate has never dropped so much so fast in one minute which indicates I am probably in the best shape of my life right now. That makes me feel so much better as I realized that Way Too Cool 50K is less than a month and a half away.
This Saturday's long run will be in Auburn. Yeah!!!!!!! I love running up there so much and cannot wait to pack up Hydie and hit those trails. I wonder what they look like in January? Here are some pictures of what they looked like last August! I will also be sure to bring my camera along this Saturday for some new pics!
And because I cannot disappoint my Peanut fans (and Vans just realized that I am using his photos), here is a picture of the Peanut on a trip to Costco . . . don'tcha just love Costco Yogurt? :-)
Great review of last nights workout. We are the toughest training group out there. I figure we can goof on everyone who missed the workout at Saturday's run as lacking in the toughness department.
ReplyDeleteI like the nickname, I must infer from it your a Canon family, sigh. I quess we can still be friends.
Nikon
Oh no no no my friend. Canons are not allowed in our house unless they were purchased PRE-marriage! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do LOVE Costco yogurt. It's such a great buy, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's "dangerous" OR "stupid". ;)
I'm honored that I was missed, and was once again included in your excellent review. I sat in the doctor's office and made my watch beep at odd times, just for old times sake.
ReplyDeleteI was sitting there, wondering why it poured in the morning while I did my hills at Sac State parking garage number 3, and suddenly the rain stops at 6pm. :P It sounds like your workout was more exciting than mine, where the best part was stepping into a top-of-the-sock-deep puddle right outside my house, then having to do the full workout with soggy-sock.
See y'all Saturday!
Great post and an excellent report on the 'fun' we had Wednesday night. Although Garmin was a no-show, rumor has it he had done stair repeats earlier that day as an alternate to hills.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is going to be fun and a water/food stash is happening this morning. Rest up.
Capt'n K.