Introducing The Shartlek!!!!!

I haven't been able to get very excited about running lately. I've been a bit burned out. I can't get motivated to push myself to improve on speed or distance. I have actually run a few 'easy three milers' in the last couple of weeks, which I have never really done before. With the half coming up in a month, I need to get the spirit back. So with my best friend and skinny running partner's advice, I came up with a new plan. I realized that i have given up my walk breaks without noticing. I used to take quick little recovery walking breaks every couple of miles and I somehow just stopped doing them. So I decided to shake things up again and try and make my workouts go faster, be more fun, and be more effective. Tonight I was actually *fairly* excited for my run again--and it went fabulous

I did my own version of the Fartlek.
I created the Shartlek.

I ran harder than usual for two miles, then walked a bit, ran an even harder one mile, walked a bit, and then ran one last hard mile. In the end I went 4.5 miles, with four of them run much faster than usual. My pace breakdowns:

First two miles in 19:10
One mile in 8:57
One last mile in 8:55
one half mile walked (in three chunks)
Total distance 4.5 miles in 44:55

I know that I'm not little-miss-speedy-Gnomezales, but i've never run a mile in under 9 minutes before tonight. So this was outstanding for me. and I had FUN!! and it flew by, and I got the runners high, and my legs are fatigued!

ALL HAIL THE SHARTLEK!!!!!!

Gnomemama's got her running groove back, baby!!!!!