Speed Play

I never knew there could be so many definitions and terms surrounding running. Lactate Threshold. Cadence. Aerobic. Anaerobic. Speed play (definitely not just running….) Fartlek.

Prior to the last couple of months, my daily, and often bidaily, running routine consisted solely of "Megan runs" - a term created by a friend of mine. My routine was as follows:

1. Drink copious amounts of black coffee

2. Walk out the apartment door, run as hard as possible from point A to B, turn around, then negative split from B to A.

Alternate variations include: 5 AM 13 mile treadmill tempos and 4 Al Buehler loops – same rules apply

3. Finish hands on knees

4. Shower (sometimes) and move on with the day. Or go to field hockey practice.

 I highly recommend "Megan runs,"but first I must present a few ground rules:

1. Absolutely no stretching before, during, or after. Don’t even consider drills.

2. Bathroom breaks must be on trail and must be under fifteen seconds.

3. Avoid sidewalks, concrete, roads, and steep downhills at all costs.

4. No water breaks.

5. No training logs.

6. You must Wohoo! literally and outloud, at the top of epic hill climbs.

Now any wise person reading this would immediately shake their head in disgust. This training style, especially when repeated over the course of several months at an average of 13-14 miles a day, seems risky and juvenile. Somehow though, I managed to stay injury free, and churn out some okay race results on roads and trails.

This philosophy has been greatly moderated since I joined the track team. Track has been one of the best experiences in my life - the coaches are fabulous, the team has been incredibly welcoming, and the training has been excellent. However, with excellent training comes aerobic runs. The very antithesis of Megan runs. Maybe someday I'll revert back to 100% Megan run dedication, but for now, the occasional hamstring stretch, google log, and aerobic run are small sacrafices when you have twenty amazing teammates and a Duke jersey in return.  

Here are some pictures (plus proof of areobicity – I’ll just make up my own terms) that I took on a run through Eno yesterday. 

Daisies and Power Lines at Dusk

Potentially Natural Trail Porta-Potty 

The Ritz Carlton of Trail Bathrooms (check out the chimney!)