Run Faster, It's Easier

Yesterday I put down my first Steady-Fast Finish Long Run. I probably short come up with a shorter name for it, even though this one is quite descriptive. After cruising through the first fifteen minutes as a warm up I settled into a rhythm that felt about right. I ignored my heart rate at the time, but checking things later I found that I generally hovered around 75%HRmax. Somehow this felt easier than my previous long runs when I tried keeping the intensity down to 60-65%. Running that little bit faster just feels more natural.

After plenty of distance was in the legs it was time to kick it up a notch for a bit over 8km. The legs had just started to get tired, but the change in gear woke them up and I found myself cruising along at 4:50/km. I was working, but my legs now wanted to keep going. Nearly to the end of the run and what else was there to do other than open it right up. The last 800m were basically as fast as I could go. My heart rate and respiratory rate climbed as my body tried desperately to meet the demands of my legs. Somehow it did, and I hit the marker at the end of the trail. The burn only lasted a few seconds as I jogged back home for my cool down.

Two and a half hours in total. Even though it has taken me 3 hours to cover the same course in the past, running faster today just felt so much easier.

Comments

  1. I'm with you on the faster long runs sometimes being easier. Maybe having to concentrate a bit, plus not being out for so long.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is really cool. I hope I get to that level where running faster feels easier. It sounds like your training is going great!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Race Report: Sandy Point Half Marathon

Surfcoast Century - Race Report

New Blog: Running Alive