My First Interval Run: The World of 4-Minute Paces and the True Value of My Dormant Shoes.

Hello.
I usually spend my weekends enjoying slow, long runs, aiming to complete a full marathon (sub-6 hours).

Until now, my focus has been on "running long and slow no matter what," but this weekend, I finally tried "that" workout...

Yes, "interval training."

Using the audio-guided workout in the NIKE RUN CLUB app, I gave it a first try on the running course at a large park, and I'm recording the intense realizations I gained there.

⏱️ Today's workout: 1-minute dash x 1-minute recovery (8 sets)

I did a slow jog for about 6km from my house to the park as a warm-up, and then it was time for the real thing. The workout consisted of repeating "run for 1 minute, rest (walk/keep moving) for 1 minute" eight times.

At first, I thought, "1 minute will be over in no time," but it was exquisitely tough! It was the perfect time setting to keep pushing right on the edge of "it's painful, but I can just barely finish."

As a result of running with all my might, I recorded a top pace of 4:35/km! I was able to hit a 4-minute pace for several laps, and I received a pleasant shock, thinking, "I can actually run at this speed..."

My heart rate also shot up to a maximum of 190, and it was an experience of pushing myself to the brink of my heart jumping out of my chest. During the 1-minute recovery, my heart rate didn't fully drop, and I had the sensation that the next dash was starting while it was still very high. I hear that this "heart rate recovery range" improves significantly with training, so I look forward to seeing my own potential for growth.

👟 The biggest shock: "I wasn't using the power of my running shoes at all!"

The thing that moved me the most when I tried running at speed this time was that I could clearly feel the "rebound" of my running shoes.

I realized painfully that when I'm just running slowly, I wasn't really drawing out the technology of the shoes. By putting in strong effort and running fast, even for a short time, I could feel the energy as if I were being pushed forward from the ground. Running on the slightly softer ground made of rubber? in the park might have been one of the reasons I could firmly catch the rebound with the soles of my feet.

After the run, a "unique fatigue" that I never feel during my usual long runs hit my whole body. Honestly, after I finished, my legs were completely spent, and I couldn't even walk on the way home, so I rented a shared bicycle to get back (lol). Don't overdo it.

🚀 Looking ahead

My first interval session was more grueling than I imagined, but I feel like I was able to inject a very high-quality stimulus into my body by "fully activating muscles and cardiopulmonary functions that I don't usually use in a short amount of time."

This fatigue is definitely proof that I am leveling up. Since my body gets used to it if I only do the same workout, from now on, I plan to incorporate this interval training regularly as a tool for my weekends, while keeping a "5km slow jog" on Wednesdays during the week.

I will move forward one step at a time, savoring both the joy of running slowly and the thrill of pushing my limits with intervals.

Also, I learned that there is a term called fartlek.
It is a type of running where you enjoy yourself while running at various speeds.
I think I will try this out soon as well.

Well then, it was a nice run today too!