Drawing it forward, pushing it back

Day:         67

Distance: 11km

Time:       59:21 secs

Calories:  843

The training plan is less specific than usual, my sole instruction: "60 mins fartlek". Not 2 mins easy 8 mins fast or anything like that, just 60 minutes of fartlek running. 

With this new found creative freedom I take the opportunity to create a new, less structured, fartlek playlist. It contains many of the usual suspects, but also gives me the chance to throw some different stuff into the mix. The first change in tempo comes around 5 mins into the run when Adele's heartbreakingly beautiful "Someone like you" segues into the Datsuns' pedal to the metal riffing monster "MF from hell". Such a juxtaposition has no right working, but it's fantastic for a run like this and I soon find myself tearing up the streets bellowing out the expletive strewn chorus. It's a good thing that no-one's around at this early hour of the day.

The whole point of fartlek (or, "speed play") is to alternate paces with periods of slow running augmented by bursts of speed. The playlist sees me swinging from slow acoustic numbers like "Don't leave" by Faithless and "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix into punky tunes like "I wish I was someone better" by Blood Red Shoes, "A whole Child Ago" by Biffy Clyro and "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. Good Lord, why have I never thought to add that last one to the actual running playlist? Not only is it a fantastic song, the 70s cop show spoof which accompanied the single release back in 1994 is one of the finest music videos ever made. Fact.

It's fair to say that this new playlist made for a most enjoyable run. While it probably wasn't as knackering as the more structured sessions I've been doing recently it still took it out of me and by the time the last slow song was rolling by I was about ready to stagger home. Until, that is, said slow song gave way for Funeral Party's fittingly titled "Finale". When the driving, insistent riff kicks in after 30 seconds my legs, energy levels and speed all pick up and the 60 minute run ends triumphantly.

But what of the actual run, I hear you say. Well, interestingly the Run Keeper stats for each of the 11 kilometres would suggest to a casual observer that this wasn't a fartlek run at all as they're remarkably constant (averaging 5:24 mins/km). Of course, these times mask the actual highs and lows so it's interesting to see that my slowest minute was jogged at 7:10 mins/km, while the fastest minute saw me propelled along, like a MF from hell, at just 3:49 mins/km.