#F3Swift – Heavy Breathing Wakes Neighbors in the Country Club

#F3Swift – Heavy Breathing Wakes Neighbors in the Country Club

Swift launched with 12 PAX at 0530 on Tuesday morning from the Vine restaurant. There would be heavy breathing through the Ballantyne Country Club that would be sure to wake the neighbors.

The Thang:

• Early 0515 crew got in about 1.25 miles of light jogging, some high knees, butt kicks, bounding, skipping, and strides to loosen up before Swift and Bagpipe.
• Run the course here http://connect.garmin.com/course/6798052
• Through the course starting at the base of Ben Nevis, run intervals at 2mile Race Pace (a.k.a. I-pace from the calculator at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator) of 2 minutes, 1 minute jog recovery back to last man, 1 minute I-pace, 30 seconds jog back to last man, 30 seconds I-pace, 30 seconds jog.  Repeat for 5 cycles.
• Cool-down back to the Vine.  Total at least 4.25 miles on the main portion with somewhere between 5.5 and 6.0 for most PAX that did the warm-up.
• Stand around until Bagpipers come streaming in by chattering, fluttering, or flat on the back pretending to flutter.

The Moleskin:

• The 2/1/30 workout was a repeat from 3 weeks ago, but this time we added the intention of elevation change up and down through the Ballantyne CC.  Not many flat areas there, and the only comfortable one was perhaps the ride down the shoulder of 521.
• The goal of this workout is to keep things under control on each interval.  Like most workouts we do, the longest interval is the one to target.  If you can run the longest interval at the goal pace, then you’ll be making progress.  If you sandbag in order to “go faster” on the shorter ones, then you’re missing the point.  Most non-sport specific running is not done over 1 minute and 30 seconds, so adjust efforts accordingly.
• The recovery we do to the last man not only keeps the PAX together, but also gives a little more mileage to those that ran the time-based interval faster.  All of us benefit.
• With 5 minutes left over, that just means we’ll have more rounds next time!
• If Frasier is going to be a Ninja, he better get some quieter shorts. Surprised his leg speed does not make those things catch on fire with all of that friction!
• Haggis is determined, check.  Haggis is stubborn about not pacing in workouts, check.  Haggis will successfully pace a 1 mile race at the FNG Olympics, TBD but probable.
• Madame Tussaud was already lauding the benefits of the Country Club route before we started.  Not sure he’s ever run it with intervals, so perhaps we’ll be looking at it differently now.
• Route confusion was complete when we went under the 521 tunnel, popped out at the stoplight, and heard several PAX saying “which way do we go?”.  Soft Pretzel must think YHC is a route master having perfectly timed the Frogger-crossing of Hwy 521 to get back to the other side, but we can’t be so lucky.  It actually happened in the middle of a 2 minute interval, but am guessing the PAX were grateful.  The tunnel was merely eye candy and to show the way, for next time we’ll probably be using the other side of the Country Club as well!
• Jamboree either didn’t understand what YHC said for the High Knees exercise, or this War Daddy needs a little more flexibility to get his knee above knee-level.
• A post 18 miler Strange Brew is apparently a 57 year old War Daddy.
• Welcome to Swift FNGs Mallcop and Yogurt!

Annoucements:

• F3 Olympics is coming on June 14th. On the same day is mountain biking with kids at Francis Beatty.  On the same day is the pool party.  On the same day your M becomes more convinced that F3 is a cult you joined under the guise of Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.
• TeamSpearhead.com – custom GoRuck light in August alongside a veteran
• 15K Obstacle course run by Navy Seals just north of Columbia with 50% F3 Discount.  Search for info.