Parkleting again …

Once upon a time, I was a runner.  That was before I developed a knee and hip problem.  In those days, I would “parklet”, a term I coined to describe my training method.  It was a variation of “fartlek”, the Swedish method that blends continuous training with short intervals for a period of approximately 45 minutes.  I would sprint from park to park and, at each park, stop briefly to complete strengthening and stretching exercises.

These days, I do not run.  I bike.  And, when the weather warms, I begin to “parklet”.  After work, I do laps around Stanley Park.  Each lap is approximately 10 km, depending on the route – the Seawall is flat and sometimes slow and the road has a 1 km climb and a 2 km fast descent.  After each lap, I stop at Third Beach to stretch and strengthen on the grass overlooking English Bay before doing another lap.  Each lap and exercise set takes approximately 45 minutes and I complete 3-5 laps before heading home or, more likely, to a local cafe for a black coffee.

I like to “parklet”.  I can vary the workout intensity simply by the number of laps I do, the speed for each lap and route selected.  On good days, I complete 5 laps, each averaging 20-25 minutes depending on the route, plus a 15 minute exercise set.  175 minutes.  3 hours.  A good workout on some of the most scenic roads. Today, I only did 3 laps at a 30 minute pace.  135 minutes.  2 1/4 hours.  And then a 30 minute climb to the house.  I have a long ride planned for tomorrow and didn’t want to over do it.

This is one of my favourite workouts.