Swedish Speed Play on Scottish Estates

Swedish Speed Play on Scottish Estates

14 PAX set out from the Ballantyne Business District at 0515 on Tuesday morning to have some Swedish Speed Play #fartlek fun among the estates of the Scottish descendants of the Ballantynes.  At least one Scot in our midst gave the full tour.

The THANG:

• Pre-run at 0500 for about 1.6mi with 4 PAX.  Get back to AO at 0515 and pickup those standing around for the main Event.
• Warm-up for 10 min (just over 1mi) down Brixham Hill Ave (#ironic that it’s the flattest street in the AO) to a right on Ballantyne Corp Pl and up and over the Hwy 521 bridge towards the Premier Building.
• Do some heel walking, toe walking, high knees, butt kicks, and strides until crossing over Ballantyne Commons Dr to the East entrance of Ballantyne County Club (BCC).
• Start rounds of 2 minutes Hard (I-pace from the calculator at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator, a.k.a. 2 mile race pace), 1 minute recovery job and regroup, 1 minute Hard, 30 seconds recovery jog, 30 seconds Hard, 30 seconds recovery and regroup.
• 6 total continuous rounds with some of the PAX taking a break between sets 2 and 3 to cross in the tunnel under 521 to the West-side of BCC.  Apparently, the six didn’t get the word of the break and pushed through.  #cobains
• 0.5mi recovery run after the last set back to COT.
• Total miles for Main Event were between 5.8 and 6.7 depending on regroup distance.  Here’s the planned course (but run it in reverse) – https://www.strava.com/routes/1296732

The Moleskin:

• Pre-run should be a nice 2nd F and a chance to get more warm-up / miles.  #cobains on the Pace for the past 2 weeks, for we need to make sure that it is 2nd F for all.  If you can’t talk, it’s not 2nd F.  Strange Brew, Outback, Madame Tussauds, and Bratwurst get the extra credit this week.
• Almost picked up an unaware PAX at the start once again.  “Gloves aren’t needed for this workout”, oh, “you want the 0530 Bagpipe”.
• No 1 minute countdown warning given.  If you weren’t ready at 0515 to launch, you were running to catch up. Post-event texts indicate that we had a lurker among the PAX.  We’ll have to get start times right next time.
• The purpose of this I-pace workout is to get as much time at VO2max as possible.  Try to start conservative and then maintain that pace for 2, 1, and 30.  You’ll find it too hard on the 2 minute if you use the 1 and 30 second intervals to move up a few spots.  Use the 2 minute to do the moving, for that’s what benefits you most.
• Sleeveless shirts just aren’t for showing off the pencil arms, they’re for cooling the core!  Saw a few more of them this week.  Shirtless is just around the corner if they keep the humidifier turned on in BCC.
• Some of that extra rest messed up the Bratwurst wrist microcomputer.  #cobains AGAIN.  Think we still made the spirit of the event and knocked out a total of 21 minutes HARD running.
• A ton of solid efforts out there.  This one was HARD with the hills and humidity.  A record 6 rounds.  The goal is to jog the recovery, so push yourself to try to do that.
• Cheddar and VooDoo make it back to Swift after perhaps loving the Fartsack a little too much over previous weeks.  VooDoo requests alarm clock advice on Monday, makes it to Tuesday.  Would love to hear the advice!
• #Kotters to Hops on his Swift appearance.  Let’s just hope this one doesn’t take you to the IR again.
• Frehley’s Comet had the big wipe in hand this week.  Did it get used, buried, and left, or did he have it at the end?
• Perhaps Haggis knew something about “Ballantyne” that the rest of us didn’t.  Perhaps it’s just YHC that was slow.

Announcements:

• Haggis has the Swift Q next week 6/9.
• SIB will be joining Swift on 6/16 for the Monthly 800/200 test.  This will not be a race, but a chance to grab on to one of the many pace groups and push yourself.
• Based on the demand over the last 2 weeks, there will likely be a 0500 start option each week for the summer.  Gives a chance to increase the weekly miles just a tad, loosen-up, and have some 2nd F.  Look for the tweet or just Show!