I didn't die!!!

First, a couple of explanations.

The Run Min/Mile is just the first interval divided by the length (1.09 miles) to get my timed mile split. Yes, that is 8.26 (8:15 min:sec); am I a stud or what! /flex

All the walking really did in my total time, but I have to remember, today is not about total time, it's about spurts.

The "see below" comment is meant to account for all of the fartlek intervals. I didn't time a last walk for the 5th interval as I was at my cool down point.

I ended up watching my timer to see when my thirty seconds was up. My father-in-law suggested that 45 left foot strikes = 30 seconds and that I could just count foot strikes; I did that, and I consistently came up with 48-49 strides/30 seconds. I'm not quite sure why that is; it could be due to shortening up my stride in order to run faster or it might be due to the difference in our stride length (although I have a hard time thinking that I would run faster than him at any distance.)

Oh, and I couldn't count left foot strikes...I had to count right foot strikes. Weird, huh! I'm just uncoordinated I reckon.

The fartleks running actually felt great! I have not run all out in quite a number of years, and I was surprised how fast that 30 seconds seemed to go.

For the first time in my running, I took a water bottle with me (16 oz). I walked out to my mile loop, set the water down at a tree, ran my timed mile, and was happy to have water waiting for me.

Of course, I then carried the water through the next mile...doing my fartleks. About 1/2 hour after I got home, I did something and thought, "Wow, my left tricep is really sore." Oh, yeah, water bottle...ouch. I did try to alternate which hand I held it in, but when you don't do any workouts with your arms, the littlest things tend to make an impact.

My coach suggested getting up to 10 minute (or is that down to?) miles the week before my run (Oct 3-9), so if that is going to happen, I'll need to make sure to do speed work again next Saturday.