#F3Swift – Up the Dunreggan Brae and Plateau

#F3Swift – Up the Dunreggan Brae and Plateau

Swift launched at 0515 from the Vine in Ballantyne without the QIC (running late, but not running…) for some warm-up.  Once the festivities kicked off at 0530, we had 9 PAX up for a workout that called for hills and some sustained running.

The Thang:

• Warm-up of about 0.5 mile.  Since the Q failed to post earlier, we did some standing dynamic stretches to loosen up in preparation for the Dunreggan Brae.
• 4 x 200m intervals up the Dunreggan Brae (hill on Ballantyne Corporate Place eastbound to the bridge across Hwy 521 – aptly named by Haggis for a hill in his hometown) at R-pace / 1 mile race pace effort.  Jog back down after first 3.
• After the 4th hill and jog recovery, do a 10minute Out and Back run at 80%.  This is a new pace for QIC from the runcoach workout, but appears to be a pace slower that Marathon Pace by 15 to 30 seconds.  Not a recovery, but not a Threshold Run.
• 4 x 200m intervals up the DB.  Jog back down.
• Jog back to COT, stop for about 30seconds of Mary on the way with the Bagpipe gang.

The Moleskin:

• Inevitably, there are some mornings to run late.  After a long run, splashing in the pool, and backyard grilling, the QIC hit snooze a few too many times this morning.  Fortunately, there is a built in snooze button at Swift right now with the PAX returning to the Vine at 0530.
• Once the Bagpipe left the AO, we had 8 PAX looking for some running.  A late arriving Puppy Love was forced to admit he wanted some running, or that he didn’t want to catch up to Bagpipe.  We set out with 9 PAX.
• Dunreggan Brae is smaller than our Ben Nevis hill, but with the shorter distance called for this morning, there is nice to have less traffic and have the space of the bike lane and street to spread out.  Sidewalks are never the best for hill work.  Just about a perfect 200m from lightpost to lightpost at the DB.
• The 200m are usually run at 1 mile race pace on the flat, so the goal for these hills would be to push the same effort, maintaining good posture (slightly forward), arm swing (perhaps more direct and slightly bigger), and stride (tad shorter) that are appropriate for hills.  Pace will be slower, but the GAP on Strava should adjust (http://www.strava.com/activities/146165890/laps).  No downhills run at this effort today.  Good distance to keep the PAX mostly together and able to regroup before the next interval.
• The 10 minute out and back was pretty hilly.  There is not much flat at the Ballantyne AO.  Fun to try to make it back to the start right at 10minutes.  Big pack developed with Haggis, Spinner, Jamboree, Rock Thrill, and Puppy Love.  Hopefully everyone pushed themselves.
• Last 4 hills were smoking fast.  Haggis pushed each one extra hard, and YHC was pretty sure he was either trying to spill some merlot or push his hometown advantage because he knows DB so well.

Announcements:

• Check the Bagpipe backblast – http://f3nation.com/workouts/bagpipe