Return of the Run Spice

Let the training plan begin!
Sure - TECHNICALLY it began with my weekend long run...but today was my first specific workout on it. SPEED!  And I really needed to commit to my varied workouts again so I can plan on succeeding in my sub-2:15 goal for Harvest Half.
I admit, I had no idea what I was going to do.   Nothing was making me very happy as I thought about it and then thought about my super stiff legs.  But then I was rummaging through my running bag and my hand closed on a small rectangle of perfection.   My Gymboss interval timer.
Run Spice it was.
I decided to run from my office to the top of the hill at Elbow Drive as a warmup...and then start the timer for 10 - 15 sec "run like hell"/15 sec recover intervals.

It is astoundingly hard to take a picture of a timer
WHILE doing a "run like hell" section.

So, for the next 5 minutes, I ran those intervals like a madwoman.  I'm sure every dog I passed just loved the high-pitched beeping of the timer...(though it might have been hard to tell it was me since there is road construction going on and every truck sounds the same when backing up).  When the timer gave me the distinctive multiple beep to let me know I was done - I immediately walked and chugged every drop out of my water bottle.  So hot out there for a lunchtime run (even though it's cooled down a fair bit lately).

Soon I could hear this mewling noise up in a nearby tree and I started looking around in the branches to see if there was a stuck kitten.  Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a MAGPIE!  I had no clue they made that kind of noise - I've only ever heard them SQUACK!!!

I ran down the hill on Sacramento and by the bottom, I was cramping pretty badly.  The remainder of the run was "run like hell" and then "blindly stumble along clutching stomach".  A different kind of speedwork entirely.
4k in 28mins and change.



and I made sure to stretch the heck out of my calf.  My ankle has been feeling a zillion times better and I want it to stay that way.