{I received a complimentary pair of Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit shoes as a participant in the Nike Force of Nature event. All text and opinions are my own.}

Last Thursday I attended a speed running event downtown hosted by the Nike+ Run Club, to try the Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit running shoes. Nike hosted three events that day, and I chose the sunrise workout at 6:00 am. Nothing motivates me more in the early morning hours than a group running date, especially when it involves a view like this:

Nike’s invitation asked runners to run the way you were meant to with the epic forces of nature. A stage was set up at Queen’s Landing, east of Buckingham Fountain downtown, complete with treadmills, a fog machine, and a DJ. We ran at three speed levels during the 45-minute workout. The easy pace {or marathon pace as the trainer described it} was 4.5 to 5.5 mpr on the treadmill. The first speed level was a 10k sprint pace {8.0+ mpr} and the second speed level a 5k sprint pace {9.0+ mpr}. The workout included a series of intervals followed by a brief cool-down jog. The trainer recommended a breathing technique during cool-down: take a slow, deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth to lower your heart rate after a hard interval.

We all ran with the Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit shoes during the workout. The Flyknit shoes shape to your foot like a sock, and are intended to offer a natural running experience. These shoes are almost weightless for running – I have taken them out three times since the speed workout and I’m still a huge fan! Cheerful color options don’t hurt either – bright orange is perfect for summer.

I have to admit the speed intervals in this workout were the fastest I have ever run on a treadmill – sore legs the next day proved it. If you want to try a Nike+ Run Club speed workout of your own, I’m sharing a similar running workout tonight that was provided by Nike after the event.

Pace guidelines for the Speed Run Workout:

• Warm-up: Your pace should be relaxed enough to be able to have a conversation.
• 10k pace: Run at the quickest pace you can manage that allows yourself to recover.
• 5k pace: Focus on rhythm and breathing as you run at a tempo slightly harder than 10k pace.
• Mile pace: Maintain your form and remain relaxed as you run at this fast pace.

Happy sprinting!