Virtual Workout--THURSDAYS....

[Hammie]

Habs, what have I done to make you angry?

Modified version done. I left out one 800 and one 400 at the end - it was just a bit too long in total for me (6.4k of work, which would be over 10% of my weekly average mileage these days) and I did 400m recovery between each - all recovery was at 9.2kph (6:31/k). It looked like:

Warm up 2 k
2x 400 @ 13.0kph
2x 800 @ 12.6kph
1x 1600 @ 12.0kph
1x 800 @ 12.6kph
1x 400 @ 13.0 kph

Total 10k in 55ish minutes.

[purdy65]

Total was 7.25 km in 39 minutes. I did 200 m jogging recoveries in between each, because I don't like mixing up time and distance intervals on the treadmill (I get confused!).

Great job on the workout, even with the interruptions.

I was writing mine out today and was wondering how I was going to keep track, so I'm thinking if doing the same thing, go by even distances as close to the recovery time as possible. (If that makes sense).

This is exactly what I did this AM! If I was a few seconds away from an even minute when I finished my interval, I added. Some rest periods/intervals were either slightly longer or shorter. It always seemed to work out pretty close though!

Ok so this one was a great one! My paces were 7.8 -8mph for the 400 intervals 7.4-7.5 for the 800m and 7.2 for the 1600. I only had one hiccup. I started my mile interval and about 400 m in I had to make an emergency bathroom stop I took the bathroom break as a rest and started my 1600 over again, so I actually got a bonus 400m @7.2mph in. Otherwise my rest was 5.5mph. I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I think I picked the paces properly because I felt energized after it all rather than depleted. This is what I'm going for.

So total was 12K in 1:06:30. My only issue with this workout is it was long. I'm kind of time constrained, and I really like to get my stretching and strength in on Thursday as well. I managed some, but it was a bit less than I would have normally done. I would say this would be about the max time I could afford for our virtual Thursday workouts. Of course if I stopped being such a slug in the evening, I could do the strength work then.

I think this could easily be adjusted for those with less time by maybe removing a couple of the intervals and increasing the paces.

Thanks Habs!

[La]

I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I don't think I was the one who said that! If the goal of a 2- or 3- min break between intervals is to get enough rest so as to be able to hit the next interval at the desired pace, then I am all for walking the full rest period. I think it was JW or IC who said they didn't like to walk.

[purdy65]

I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I don't think I was the one who said that! If the goal of a 2- or 3- min break between intervals is to get enough rest so as to be able to hit the next interval at the desired pace, then I am all for walking the full rest period. I think it was JW or IC who said they didn't like to walk.

Yep! it was JW. I should have scrolled back!

[La]

I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I don't think I was the one who said that! If the goal of a 2- or 3- min break between intervals is to get enough rest so as to be able to hit the next interval at the desired pace, then I am all for walking the full rest period. I think it was JW or IC who said they didn't like to walk.

Yep! it was JW. I should have scrolled back!

IC was the one who said she didn't like to walk because it lowered her average pace.

[IronColl]

I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I don't think I was the one who said that! If the goal of a 2- or 3- min break between intervals is to get enough rest so as to be able to hit the next interval at the desired pace, then I am all for walking the full rest period. I think it was JW or IC who said they didn't like to walk.

Yep! it was JW. I should have scrolled back!

IC was the one who said she didn't like to walk because it lowered her average pace.

IC said she didn't count the walk distance in total mileage. IC doesn't call easy running or jogging as rest either.

[Jwolf]

I'm with La - I really don't like to walk the rest breaks. I find it hard to start again.

I don't think I was the one who said that! If the goal of a 2- or 3- min break between intervals is to get enough rest so as to be able to hit the next interval at the desired pace, then I am all for walking the full rest period. I think it was JW or IC who said they didn't like to walk.

Yep! it was JW. I should have scrolled back!

IC was the one who said she didn't like to walk because it lowered her average pace.

What?? I didn't say I don't like to walk- or I didn't mean to- I said I don't like to stop.

IC didn't say that either- she either walks or stops and stretches and I don't remember he saying anything about average pace. If anything she said she doesn't even count that time and distance at all.

I don't pay any attention to the average pace of a speed workout. I usually do recoveries by time, but sometimes by distance- just depends on what is convenient. But for speed intervals I usually walk for the first minute or so and then jog for active recovery.

I feel that active recovery is important to keep the systems moving during recovery. Also, walking the whole recovery or stopping makes it harder to get back going the next time.

Easy jog is recovery- it's not rest. Like easy spinning between hard intervals on the bike.

[IronColl]

Done!

2 km warm up
2 x 400 @ 4:48/km
2 x 800 @ 4:55/km
1 x 1600 @ 4:59/km
2 x 800 @ 4:53/km
2 x 400 @ 4:38/km
2.6km of recovery and cooldown

11km total.

Recoveries in between intervals as indicated up to a 200m distance except for the mile which had 3 min/400m. I have a 400m track visual on my treadmill so I either started at the top or the bottom so it would be easy to follow. The majority of the recoveries were power walking.

Tough workout and I really struggled with doing this on the treadmill. This would have been mentally easier for me on an actual track.

[Habs4ever]

Done!

1 mile warm up 6.0 mph
400's done at 8.2 mph (4:36/k)
800's done at 8.0 mph (4:40/k)
1600 done at 7.8 mph (4:47/k) 7:42/ mile

Recovery was at 5.5 mph, getting as close to the time as possible, but using even distances.

Ran it out to 7.3miles. I mis calculated the cool down distance. The treadmills at the gym cut out after an hour, so I had to stop it and start again. I thought I had stopped it at 6.2 miles, but when I looked at the picture I took when done it was only 5.9. I didn't want the treadmill to cut out right in the middle of the last 400m, I knew it would be close. Good thing I take pictures of the treadmill readouts, or I would never remember.

Tough workout, but felt strong the whole time. Unlike IronColl, I find the treadmill easier than outside or track for this.

Can't wait for next week.

[purdy65]

Wow! You guys were a lot fast today . Good work!

[alexk]

Awesome running, everyone!!!

I, too, was tight for time today so I had to modify the WO. I didn't want to skip the quality so I eliminated some of the rest.

My run:
1 mile wu @ 7.0mph
1 x 800m @ 9.0mph (instead of 2 x 400m)
3 x 1600m @ 8.8, 8.8, 8.9 mph w/ 400m EP between each set (did 2 1600s instead of 4 x 800)
1 x 800m @ 9.0mph (instead of 2 x 400m)
1 mile cd @ 7.0mph

Distance covered: 7 miles in 52:47. That was a great workout. I had lots of energy to burn off! Next time, I'd like to do it as prescribed. I think I could push the pace a bit w/ more recovery.

Can't wait 'till next Thursday - thanks for the motivation, partners .

[Habs4ever]

Great running everyone!!

[Avis]

Great running everyone!!

Ditto!

[RobW]

Well done everyone!

I did 8.08 miles in 65 minutes.
15 minute warmup
2 x 400m @ 9.2 mph
2 x 800m @ 9.0 mph
1 x 1600m @ 8.5 mph
2 x 800m @ 9.0 mph
2 x 400m @ 9.2 mph
Rest intervals @ 6 mph

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Yay I found the Virtual Workouts!!!! I was wondering when I saw reference to them in several journals, and the frog in boiling water thing had me .

I'm in. These workouts will fit in nicely on my Thursdays.
Thanks people.

[Habs4ever]

Yay, the more the merrier.

[IronColl]

Great job everyone!

[Jwolf]

Great job last week everyone!

This week's workout will be more of a standard tempo interval workout.

10 minute easy warmup
3 x 12 minute tempo intervals with 3 minutes active recovery (light jog).
5-10 minute easy cooldown

The pace of the tempo intervals should be a bit faster than half-marathon pace. If you feel up to it you can increase slightly to 10K pace, but the goal of the workout is strong and steady. Not a progression this week.

Note: these are longer intervals, therefore not all-out pace, and the recovery is not supposed to be complete recovery. They are sometimes called "cruise intervals."

That's about an hour total. If you need to do a shorter workout, you can shorten it to 8-10 minutes for each set with 2 minutes jogging recovery. Or by distance you can do 3 x 2K or 3 x 1 mile or whatever fits your time-frame. (The original workout would be about 3 x 1.2-1.5 miles on the treadmill depending on your pace.)

Have fun.

[Habs4ever]

Looks good to me!

[scrumhalfgirl]

Thanks for the new workout! Will either do it outside or on the treadmill on Wednesday, depending on the weather conditions.

[Avis]

I'll have to think how to modify this to work for me, as the last speed work I did really cooked my bad foot. I love being a part of this, so I'll come up with something. I think that just running 8-10 minutes continuously, with a 2 minute walk breaks will be enough of a step up for me.*

I like these workouts, even though I need to modify them, because they give me some new ways to think about my running, and fun variety in my pretty limited repertoire. Thank you so much!

*ETA: Besides, my 10k pace is the same as my 5k pace, which is the same as my (would be) half-marathon pace, etc.

[purdy65]

Looks good Jen! Thanks.

[Jwolf]

I will probably do this on Wednesday, because I'm planning a longish run on Friday.

[La]

This workout is more my style. I never got last week's workout done because I just couldn't fit it into my schedule. We're supposed to get snow this week, so I'll likely do this on the TM Wednesday after work (going out Wed night, so not going to runpub).

[Avis]

I'll have to think how to modify this to work for me, as the last speed work I did really cooked my bad foot. I love being a part of this, so I'll come up with something. I think that just running 8-10 minutes continuously, with a 2 minute walk breaks will be enough of a step up for me.*

I like these workouts, even though I need to modify them, because they give me some new ways to think about my running, and fun variety in my pretty limited repertoire. Thank you so much!

*ETA: Besides, my 10k pace is the same as my 5k pace, which is the same as my (would be) half-marathon pace, etc.

Sadly, I will not be participating in Virtual Workout Thursdays for the next few weeks. My physio has ordered me to stop running until the inflammation in my foot goes away. However, I will be stopping by to see what you all are up to!