A review of Runtastic's story running

I've seen the "story running" tab in my Runtastic App, and because I didn't have any idea (or curiosity) what it was I didn't bother to use it... until now.  Since today was pretty much a recovery-type day for me (considering how much hard running I did in Vancouver last week), I figured I'd run for about 30 minutes at a relatively conservative pace.  Naturally, though, I through my plans mostly out the window and did a "fartlek" session using the Story Running feature of Runtastic.  This particular program was of the coaching variety and featured non-descript gym music you might find in Berlin.  The narrator guided me through the oddly named "fartlek" session [note: Fartlek is a Swedish creation, and according to a Google search, is defined as "a system of training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied to eliminate boredom and enhance psychological aspects of conditioning"].  At first I had a little trouble determining when to start increasing my effort because, and maybe it's just me, the narrator was a little vague about giving the command.  I'm hesitant to criticize too much, but I will say that since my splits are being timed, it seems rather odd that the timer begins before the programs expects you to actually begin running.

The interface is similar to a normal running sessions, though the voice coach is muted by default (probably a good thing).  Overall I'm intrigued by the idea of story running, though it remains to be seen if any of the other offerings are better/worse than this.  We shall see.

Leg Day at the Gym

Greetings again readers.  What are you doing to train?  

Today I'll share my leg workout.  Yes, I incorporate core work into leg day.

• 209 bodyweight squats using the Runtastic Squats app (4 sets total)
• 50 squats with a 10lb dumbbell in each hand (held upward much like a barbell) (3 sets total)
• 50 lunges (3 sets total)
• 60 side lunges (30 on each side; 3 sets)
• 60 Erect Lateral Bends (3 sets of 20)
• 2.5 minutes of planking
• 2.5 minutes of side planking (both front and side planning were broken up into continuous 30-35 second sets, where after a normal plank I would switch to side planking and so forth)
• 1 set of 10 leg presses
• 2 sets of 10 hamstring curls
• 3 sets of 10 box jumps (20") 

I finished off by swimming for 200 metres.  I should add that I would have done back extensions as well, but I saw the following sign on the Roman chair:

My objective today was to work on my core and leg muscles, obviously, in order to avoid common running injuries and increase my speed.  Incredibly I was also considering a 20k bike ride as well today, but I think I've done enough.

On to the Manitoba Marathon

It hit me the other day about how awful it is to have to bail out of a marathon because of something as ridiculous as a two week slow down in training.  So, since dropping from the marathon to the 5K at the Saskatchewan Marathon I've done some soul searching and decided to register for the Manitoba Marathon in June.  Since I'm familiar with running in Winnipeg (thanks to running the Intrepid Dezine Half Marathon there at the 2014 Manitoba Marathon event), I'm not concerned with elevation.  And yes, the weather in Manitoba is every bit as terrible/wonderful as it is here in Saskatchewan.  I'd say the biggest superficial difference is that Winnipeg sits significantly closer to sea level than Saskatoon, and that has me thinking about potentially running a sub-4 hour marathon for the first time.
So there it is.
This Saturday I run an 18k test run as a final long run before the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon on May 1.  As silly as it may seem, my goal for this half marathon isn't just to run another sub-2 (though, let's face it, anything over 1:57 is going to be a let down), but to really see about improving my hydration strategy to something above and beyond merely hoping that there's enough on course support.  That may mean, gasp, carrying a hydration belt; but it might also mean deploying me wife to a strategic location on the course to hand me a small bottle of water (with a dissolved Nuun tablet).  It also might help if I actually "glyco-load" or "carb up" ahead of time.

Switching from the Marathon to the 5K...

A funny thing happened when I was running along the seawall in Vancouver... I started to feel an old and familiar pain in my upper hamstring.  To make a long story short, I noticed the very same malady that had struck me in 2014.  Now rather than living in denial and getting injured, I've decided to not to do any more long runs (e.g. 15k+) until I've got some treatment and recovered.  The one exception to this is the upcoming Saskatoon Police Half Marathon on May 1.

Other than that, I have to admit that I'm really excited about trying to get under 20 minutes in the 5k, so my training will continue.

So yes, for the third year in a row, I'll be participating at an event at the Saskatchewan Marathon.

Photos: Running in Vancouver