What is a Fartlek?

I feel like I can call myself a real runner after today.

And why you ask?

because i did my very first fartlek workout! GO ME.

yeah i do own the oiselle rundies. i'm obsessed.

what's a fartlek? It's sweedish (love my swedes) for "speedplay" and involves interval-like training. Run hard for a specified period of time and then run easy. repeat.

Today I was determined to get a run in before I donated blood for the UM-OSU blood battle (reigning champs for 5 years! we rock!), and it was POURING when i left class, so to the gym for a fartlek workout it was.

Workout
10 min warm up - 6.0 pace
2 minutes hard - 7.9 pace
2:30 easy - 6.0 pace
3 minutes hard - 7.6 pace
2:30 easy - 6.0 pace
4 minutes hard - 7.6 pace
2:30 easy - 6.0 pace
3 minutes hard - 7.6 pace
2:30 easy - 6.0 pace
2 minutes hard - 7.8 pace
5 minutes cool down - 6.0 pace

hard stats:
40 min
4.5 miles

DONE.

i felt so strong going hard on the treadmill, and I'm not sure that I could have pulled it off out on a track or just out on the roads. so it was definitely a great first fartlek.


Go. Me.

(btw, this is totally 1. major stress relief, and 2. major working off the dozens of cookies i made on saturday)

(also blood donation was a total success, per usual. Go Me again.)

Half Registration and Relay for Life

Yesterday I signed up for my very first half marathon.

Now when I run it, it won't be my very first half marathon as I am planning on one in between now and then, that I just haven't registered for yet, BUT, regardless, I'm going to run a half marathon.

Come next October 16, 6 months, 5 days, and 12.5 hours from now, I will be running the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon, which includes running over the Ambassador Bridge, and back through the tunnel. Yes, I will be running underwater. 

I considered running this last year but the training never happened, and thus, I am still without a half medal :(

But not for long!

I'm considering doing some fundraising for this half as well.

Over the weekend, I spent some time at Relay for Life.

Relay has always been one of my favorite events. It's become even more important to me now that I've spent a lot of time working on the 7th floor of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital - Pediatric Oncology.

My Luminary this year was actually for one such 7-Mott patient.  Casey is the most adorable little boy I have ever met.  He loves lightning mcqueen, hockey in the hallways, and brightening my day every time I see him. Which thankfully, hasn't been in a while thanks to a cord blood transplant.

I recently came across giraffy's blogspot, and was reminded again of the prevalence of childhood cancer.

So yes, I'm thinking about fundraising for one of my half's. Someone should get something out of my struggles to run 13 miles right?

What are your charities of choice? What causes are you passionate about?