Running with Harley = Fartlek

I am not a big fan of Fartlek, or Farltek as Calvin tells me that it is supposed to be called. Fartlek, as I will continue to refer to it as, are shorter running sessions made up out of fast running followed by a short jog or walk. Normally it takes about 20 to 30 minutes which includes 4 minute fast runs followed by a minute jog/walk. I really don't enjoy running fast if I don't have to. Why run fast when you can jog at a steady pace and actually enjoy it (sort of)? But apparently Fartlek is good for your heart and builds your anaerobic threshold, so it's part of the training plan. Yeah!

As of today though, I have figured out a new way to incorporate Fartlek into the training.... go for a run with Harley. For her age (4 1/2 months) Harley actually does a good job at running on the leash. Although she has the tendency to run a little to the left, thus slowly crossing into your path, she likes it and it wears her out. Which means more quiet time later at night! Her running pace is also faster than my normal jogging pace so it's a great work-out. And every so often, Harley's beagle instincts cause her to stop abruptly and start sniffing around for something she'll never find, giving me the chance to catch my breath. Now we just need to work on getting her to stop making sudden sharp right turns and tripping me up in the middle of the run.