6 Miles in the melting snow - Fartlek

Today was sort of a Fartlek.  I'm using that term loosely since I don't feel like I do it right.  I decided to go for a run after work.   Possibly the only positive of "spring forward Monday" is that it's still light enough to get in six miles after I'm done working.  The snow is melting like crazy around here and most sidewalks and streets are a slushy puddle-y mess.  I headed over to Lake Nokomis since I felt like it would be drier over there and a good place for a run.

For the non-runners around here, a Fartlek is training run where speeds vary along the run, usually in an unpredictable or mildly predictable kind of way.  See here for more information and ideas on workouts.  For today, the Fartlek piece was just to fend off boredom on a second lap around Lake Nokomis.  I ran 2-2.5 miles warm up, then started speeding up.  Since I didn't have a watch, I counted to 50 paces, then slowed back to the earlier pace; then 100 paces, then 200 paces, then 100 paces and then 50 paces and by then it was time to cool down.  I kind of thought my phone was kidding when it told the mile splits I'd run, but for now I'm trusting the GPS and thinking this 'mile a day' thing is starting to pay off.

I took some pictures, mostly on the first lap and on the cool down mile at the end.  The light was really pretty, not quite sunset but getting close.  Color seems to be coming back to the land.  The Willows look alive and the pine trees are as green ever so I'm starting to have hope for the spring again.

Bonus picture because one of my favorite people in the world called me just as I was getting done with the run.  Facetime is my favorite thing ever!