To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[DopeyBadger]

6 Weeks to go - 2022 Princess Challenge Training - Week 8/14

1/11/22 - M - OFF
1/12/22 - T - 9x400m Uphill @ Hard effort + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
1/13/22 - W - 1.25 mi w/ G + 3.8 miles @ Easy
1/14/22 - R - T+I+R (3x2mi + 3x3min + 3x200m)
1/15/22 - F - 7 miles @ Easy
1/16/22 - Sa - 7 miles @ Easy
1/17/22 - Su - 16 miles @ LR

Total Run Miles - 55.8 miles
Total Run Time - 7:46 hours
Total Run TSS - x TSS

Total Biking Time - 0:00 hours
Total Biking TSS - 0 TSS

Total Strength Time - 0:22 hours
Total Strength TSS - x TSS

Total Training Time - 8:08 hours
Total TSS - x TSS


Tuesday

My normal flat looped route wasn't completely clear. So I changed from a 10x400m 5k effort to a 10x400m uphill hard effort. The change was because I couldn't do only a 2 min RI on an out and back of 400m. I wouldn't make it back to the start in time. So I just went with what was doable. The uphill route was 100% clear, but it was good enough.

Conditions - Clear, Wind 18mph to 31mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 28°F + 22°F; FL - 15°F
End: Temp+Dew = 28°F + 24°F; FL - 15°F

It was windy, but it was a tailwind going up the hill. Although, I don't remember there being that much wind that evening.



In my mind, I was aiming for a 6:00 GAP pace which I went into the run thinking it was around a 6:20 actual pace. But as the faster pace started, I really locked into a GAP around the 5:40-5:50 area. This was one of the first runs since the Madison M where things started to flow more normally. Not completely back, but definitely in the right direction. Given the longer than desired RI, I was ok with the pace being a little quicker. Instead of 3k/5k pace, this was more like mile effort. I got through the first 5, and then took a short break for some water. I wasn't sure whether I had five more good reps in me. With that being said, the 6th, 7th, and 8th reps were all essentially the same pace. But I could tell the 9th rep was telling me the workout was done. The form was suffering, so I pulled back on the 9th rep, and skipped the 10th. Sometimes it takes an honest assessment to say, despite what I wanted to do entering the workout, it's over. More harm than good comes from trying to overcome. In all the nine reps were at an average of 5:48 GAP. Solid. The workout was 7.2 miles, 63 min, 8:45 pace, and HR of 131.

I did LIIFT4-Chest/Tri afterwards.


Wednesday

The weather improved enough that G and I could run together.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 5mph to 8mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 30°F + 28°F; FL - 25°F
End: Temp+Dew = 29°F + 28°F; FL - 25°F

It was a nice evening for a run. Calm winds, and the temps weren't all that bad. I asked her what route she wanted to do, and we settled on our shorter school route. We enjoyed each other's company and had a solid run together. We did 1.25 miles in 17.5 min at 14:00 min/mile pace.

Afterwards, I did 3.8 miles on my own. I don't remember anything specific about the run. Did it in 34.5 min at 9:04 pace and HR of 134.


Thursday

Big time run. A Threshold+Interval+Repetition Workout (T+I+R). Been a while since I've done this workout.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 5mph to 8mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 32°F + 29°F; FL - 27°F
End: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 29°F; FL - 27°F

Finally had really good running conditions on a hard day. Low winds, temps cool enough for shorts/tank, clean roads on my looped route. All was a go for a good test of fitness. I looked back to six weeks pre-Dopey 2018 to see about what I was doing then. I was around a 6:30 on my LT pace. So I was aiming for something around there for this run as well.



I didn't really look at the pace during the first rep and just kind of ran what felt good. But when I saw a 7:03 at the end of the first mile, I was a little disappointed. So I dug in and picked up the effort. Got down to a 6:43, which was good but off of goal. I picked up the effort again for the beginning of the 2nd rep set. Down to a 6:29 mile and was happy with it. But honestly, I couldn't keep it up. So I drifted to a 6:38 on the second mile of the second set. I was determined to keep this going. It was getting tough, but I leaned into the workout. The third rep was 6:37 and 6:43. So in the end, I ended up pretty much right where I should be based on a 40 min 10k (6:39 lactate threshold pace). Next up was the 3x3 min at 3k effort. I was dragging, but I felt capable of doing it. I was grooving and really leaning into the workout. Did the reps in 6:15, 6:15, and 6:10. Which is a little slow compared to goal, but only by a hair. Lastly was the 200m mile pace portion. This is when I actually really started to feel good. So despite having 90% of the workout behind me, the mile pace felt the smoothest of the day. The first rep was 5:24, then 5:46, then 5:30. That's definitely a good place to be. The CD actually felt better than the WU did. In all it was 13.4 miles, 104 min, 7:50 pace, and HR of 141.

Something I noticed during this workout. I definitely feel like the Saucony Pro shoes are more responsive on the treadmill than they are on the road. Like I can really feel the responsive bounce/kick from the carbon fiber plate on the tread. My running form feels better on the tread. Things don't feel as smooth on the road itself. Just something of note.

I was definitely gassed after the workout, and Garmin thought I overdid it. I was sore, but not all that bad.


Friday

Temps weren't great, wind was high, and it was trying to dust snow. So the conditions were quite slippery and not great all around. My right knee also felt a little sore (probably from pushing a bit too much on Thursday). So I went with the treadmill. I set it at 6mph (10:00 min/mile), and just took it nice and easy. The watch accelerometer said I was doing 8:17 pace, but I know there's no way that's the case. HR was 121 bpm (which makes more sense with a 6mph pace).


Saturday

Got almost 11 hrs of sleep and it was glorious.

Inside, outside, inside, outside, inside... which to do... which to do... It was pretty cold and windy outside. But I just bit the bullet and headed out.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 12mph to 19mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 11°F + 7°F; FL - -4°F
End: Temp+Dew = 13°F + 9°F; FL - -4°F

I settled into a nice pace and just went at it. Felt nice. Ended up at 7 miles, 63 min, 9:00 pace, and HR of 133. The HR didn't seem accurate at times based on the graph. It felt like it was running hot/cold in terms of accuracy.


Sunday

Almost another 11 hours of sleep. Sacrificing video game time, but here at the tail end of training my focus is running right now.

Longest run thus far. I had Liquid IV, spoon of PB, and Maurten 320 before the run. During the run, I had two scoops of concentrated Tailwind, a regular Maurten gel, and a caff Maurten gel.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 6mph to 11mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 9°F + 5°F; FL - -2°F
End: Temp+Dew = 16°F + 11°F; FL - -2°F

I was in my grey heavy columbia, medium columbia pants, and grey beanie/medium gloves. No jacket. I felt ready to attack the workout. The goal was to be somewhere around 7:40s.



I was happy with the first mile. Looked like it was going to be a nice day. Locked into the pace quickly. The first lap was a breeze. I grabbed my concentrate bottle (didn't have my normal shorts so I couldn't carry everything with me like normal). The second lap was good too. I was slowly picking up the effort. Even after passing the halfway mark I was still feeling good. The third lap was solid as well. Hitting the 7:30s and feeling good. Wrapped up the third lap and it was down to one more. The legs were actually feeling strong during the fourth lap (miles 12-16) than they were at any time prior. So I really leaned into the workout and just enjoyed it. The legs felt snappy. Nice. In all it was 16 miles, 123 min, 7:42 pace, and HR of 137. Now that's what I'm talking about. The run felt good, and the data post-run looked good to. Pretty close to peak level fitness based on HRvPace. Garmin VO2max moved back up to 56, and the estimate now sits at 39:59 10k. So it's all lining up.

I've got two more long runs left (17.5 miles and 19 miles). These last six weeks will be about being 10k ready now. So lots of specificity. The 10k race is Sunday if I go through with it. Fitness feels good. The WC is -5 and wind at 16 mph minimum right now. We'll see if I end up going through with it.

 

[DopeyBadger]

5 Weeks to go - 2022 Princess Challenge Training - Week 9/14

1/18/22 - M - OFF
1/19/22 - T - Descending Special Ks (3 sets of 1km HMT + 1 km 10k + 1km 5k) + LIIFT4-Chest/Back
1/20/22 - W - 45 min @ Easy (Treadmill)
1/21/22 - R - Mini Rat-A-Tat (4x400m at 10k w/ 15s RI) (Treadmill)
1/22/22 - F - 7 miles @ Easy
1/23/22 - Sa - 7 miles @ Easy
1/24/22 - Su - 12 miles @ Progression LR (Treadmill)

Total Run Miles - 50.9 miles
Total Run Time - 6:56 hours
Total Run TSS - x TSS

Total Biking Time - 0:00 hours
Total Biking TSS - 0 TSS

Total Strength Time - 0:23 hours
Total Strength TSS - x TSS

Total Training Time - 7:20 hours
Total TSS - x TSS


Tuesday

Steph left for Vegas for most of the week. So it was solo Dad time. When my MIL asked me Tuesday morning how long the workout was, I figured something in the hr range like most past Tuesdays had been. But when I checked my running schedule later in the day, I realized the workout was pushing 100 min instead. So I left from work a little early so that I wouldn't force my MIL to stay much later than normal.

I have to mention how incredible I felt post Sunday's 16 miler (120 min). I felt great after the workout was over on Sunday, but on Monday/Tuesday I literally felt like I hadn't worked out at all. Additionally, my resting HR has plummeted. Which historically is a sign that I'm getting close to/if not already peaking. All good signs pointing to this training plan being a success.

The workout was my first attempt at the Descending Special Ks (3 sets of 1km HMT + 1 km 10k + 1km 5k). New to me, and interested to see how it felt. I was aiming for something around 6:40-6:45 for the HMT, 6:20-6:25 for the 10k, and 6:05-6:10 for the 5k pacing. It was really windy, so I didn't set my expectations very high. From memory, I was wearing a tank top and shorts.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 18mph to 34mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 36°F + 32°F; FL - 26°F
End: Temp+Dew = 36°F + 32°F; FL - 26°F



Before I get to the workout itself, I've got to point out the HR during the WU. Running 8:35-8:40 pace with a HR of 127 bpm. In love. That's phenomenal and puts me in the same place as I was pre-Dopey 2018 (peak fitness level). So the HRvPace is there. It's all a matter of getting the muscular fitness to match.

I setup the workout so that the 1km loop would be roughly the same on each attempt. The wind was really rough for the first half of the loop and then at my back for the second half of the loop.

For my HMT loops, I did them in 6:42, 6:41, and 6:36. I felt incredible during the HMT at this pace. I was holding back quite a bit to maintain the necessary pace. After the HMT loops I was given a 1 min RI.

For my 10k loops, I did them in 6:25, 6:25, and 6:29. It was crazy how much of an increase in effort was needed to go from HMT to 10k. The HMT felt smooth and the 10k really felt like I was pushing it to maintain it. After the 10k loops I was given a 2 min RI.

For my 5k loops, I did them in 6:18, 6:20, and 6:23. This was full on effort, which again is crazy when compared to the 10k effort or the HMT effort. For the life of me, I couldn't get down into the 6:05-6:10 range. Obviously the wind was doing me no favors. But still, it was rough. After the 5k loops I was given a 3 min RI.

All in all, not too bad. The HMT was easy. The 10k was a challenge. The 5k felt impossible. It's a really nice workout. It forced me to hit multiple different effort levels within the same workout. It's definitely something I'd like to come back to when I'm not dealing with 18-34 mph winds.

In all it was 11.5 miles, 91 min, 7:57 pace, and HR of 136 bpm.

I did the LIIFT4-Chest/Back workout afterwards.


Wednesday

Steph still gone and a normal workday meant I was heading to the treadmill. From memory, I set the Treadmill at 6.5 mph (9:14 pace) and did that for 45 min. Looks like my HR was 120bpm which is not something I ever see on an outside easy day run (this was much much lower).


Thursday

Steph still gone and another normal workday meant another treadmill workout. I aimed to do 5 miles at an easy pace, then 4x400m at 10k pace with 15s RI, and then 1.5 miles at an easy pace. The 4x400m is the Rat-A-Tat workout (supposed to be 16 reps), but I'm doing a mini version because I had planned to do the 10k race on Sunday. So this was meant as a leg refresher, but ultimately a fairly easy workout. The weather had forecasted a slight chance of snow for Sat morning and Sun morning, but the forecast was less than an inch. So I decided I may still do the 10k on Sunday and thus should keep this workout easier.

From memory, I put the Treadmill at 7mph (8:34) for the easy portion and 9.3 mph (6:27) for the 10k portion. The workout created a beautiful HR output.



Just a nice steady HR, then the 4x400m section, and then dropped right back down for the CD. HR was in the low 120s for the easy portion (again not something that I normally see), and then the 10k portion was in the mid-150s which makes sense for the 10k effort level (essentially the same HR as seen during the Tuesday workout). The 15s RI was short, but doable. It'll be an interesting workout once I move up to 16 reps instead of 4.


Friday

I think it was today when I decided I was probably not going to run the 10k on Sunday. I didn't trust the weather forecast and suspected we would get more snow than they thought (still forecasted at 1 inch or less). So I opted not to sign up. Because it was 70 min away, and then there might be slippery conditions, it just wasn't worth it. If the conditions were good Sunday morning, I'd just do a hard workout at home instead.

Steph was back from Sin City, and so I was back outside.

Conditions - Clear, Wind 11mph to 21mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 11°F + 3°F; FL - -3°F
End: Temp+Dew = 10°F + 4°F; FL - -3°F

Something to be said about running inside on the Treadmill and not fighting the wind all day. Nice and easy effort. Ended up at 7 miles, 64 min, 9:08 pace, and HR of 135 bpm. A marked difference from the day prior on the Treadmill. The HR overall didn't make a ton of sense as it just seemed to consistently climb into effort areas that are far from easy. So I wasn't buying it.


Saturday

Just a dusting of snow overnight, so I was good to go outside. The roads were a little slippery, but waiting until mid-morning paid off.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 16mph to 28mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 21°F + 16°F; FL - 7°F
End: Temp+Dew = 21°F + 14°F; FL - 7°F

Still a good bit of wind. At this point if we've got wind for Princess Weekend, then I'll be fully prepared. Nothing much to say about the workout itself. The treadmill was calling me, but I went outside expecting that Sunday's run would be forced inside. I did 7 miles in 61 min, at 8:47 pace, and HR of 132 bpm. Still a little higher than I expected, but much closer.


Sunday

Turns out, I was right. Instead of the 1 inch projection, we got 4.5 inches. There's no way we would have driven the 70 min each way in 4.5 inches of snow for a race that would also be covered in snow. I would have eaten the cost. So my hesitancy paid off. The downside is that I didn't get in the "B" race for 10k race effort practice that I wanted to during this training cycle. But I'll survive. I headed down to the treadmill for 12 miles at a LR effort. I set the treadmill at 7.7 mph (7:47 min/mile) and then every few miles would increase the pace. I ended the workout at 8.2 mph (7:20 min/mile). I'd say the workout didn't feel all that tough until I hit mile 10 or so. Up until then it was smooth sailing. And my HR stayed in the 133-135 bpm range for most of the workout. It wasn't until I was doing 7:30s that I moved into my traditional LR HR of around 137 bpm. All in all a good workout. It was 12 miles in 91 min at 7:36 pace with HR of 133 bpm. This was my first workout in Next%s on the treadmill and like the Saucony Pros they respond really well to treadmill running. They offer a lot more bounce and ease of running than they do outside on my asphalt roads. Pretty interesting.

All in all, a good week of running. This was my last down week. The next three weeks are pretty hard, and then taper time. I was supposed to have an easy run on Tuesday to compensate for the Sunday 10k, but the race didn't happen. So I added in a new workout. It's called the Michigan (similar to the Descending Special Ks).

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile 5k) w/ 2.5 min EA between reps + 1.5 mile CD

We're getting into the late stages of training, and such specificity is the key. So lots of different ways to work in HMT and 10k paces together to get these things honed in on. Looks like a fun workout. Then a standard 14 mile Progression run getting down to 10k pace at the end. And then a 17.5 mile LR on Sunday. Tuesday is highly likely to be on the Treadmill because of road conditions and some brutal cold. Thursday might be able to get on the roads because it warms up and hopefully the roads will clear up enough (but not holding out a ton of hope if the Village doesn't salt). But I'd really really like to see the LR on Sunday outdoors. Here's hoping.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Resting HR response to running

It's not earth shattering data, but it is fun to look at. It's widely known that running causes improvements in the heart. Mostly around the stroke volume and efficiency. Thus one of the measurable responses is we can see the resting HR reduce as a response to increased stroke volume. Because the body needs the same volume of blood, but if each beat is pushing more through the body than there is less need for each individual beat. And back between 2016-2018 my resting HR would drop during high periods of training as an adaptation to getting fitter. When I'm at my lowest resting HR correlates to when I'm at peak running fitness. But from 2018 to 2021, I did less running. Instead, I dramatically increased cycling volume and weight lifting volume. So while my running was less, the amount of training I did overall was far far greater. So it's interesting to see each of these three periods of my running journey are so clearly illustrated by my resting HR.





From Nov 2016 to July 2018 (21 months) I averaged 26hrs per month of running. And June 2021 to Jan 2022 (8 months) has been about 24.5 hrs per month (although Jan isn't done yet). In these two periods, my resting HR average was 50.04 and 49.25 bpm. Where conversely during the period of less running between Aug 2018 and May 2021 (34 months) when I did 12.5 hrs of running per month, my resting HR was 53.76 bpm. The volume of total training during this Aug18 to May21 period was 42.5 hrs vs 27.5 and 25.5 hrs. So an argument could be made that it wasn't a reduction in running volume, but perhaps too much training led to an inability to get the HR down. But I'd contest that during that 34 month period, only once (1/34=3%) was my average resting HR for a single month at 50 bpm or less. Compare that to period 1 and 3, which had 14/21 (66%) and 6/8 (75%) makes it pretty convincing (at least to me). Suffice to say, my cardiovascular system is responding well to the current training.

 

[TheHamm]

Re: The Michigan
The route that was used for this is the most well shoveled and well lit place to run in Ann Arbor but this Tuesday it is also better on a treadmill.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Re: The Michigan
The route that was used for this is the most well shoveled and well lit place to run in Ann Arbor but this Tuesday it is also better on a treadmill.

Just out of curiosity, I googled "The Michigan" workout and got several different answers on what truly is the Michigan.

Where I found it:
https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/training-advice/workouts/workout-week-michigan/1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile 5k) w/ 2.5 min EA between reps + 1.5 mile CD

http://runners-resource.com/the-michigan-workout/1.5 mile WU + (1 mile Mile+15-20s + 1 mile HMT+ 0.75 mile Mile+15-20s + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile FAST + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ 3 min EA between reps + 1.5 mile CD

https://www.mensjournal.com/health-...ill-you-but-you-should-run-it-anyway-w488709/1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ no breaks? between reps + 1.5 mile CD

https://www.highperformancewest.com/workout-of-the-day/2020/9/27/the-michiganhttps://rollrecovery.com/will-leers-workout-of-the-week-the-michigan-followed-by-a-donut-always/https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/workouts-training/superstar-workout-the-michigan1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 3k+ 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ no breaks? between reps + 1.5 mile CD

***

I've got to think this one:

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 3k+ 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ no breaks? between reps + 1.5 mile CD

Is the real one. Because everyone seems to describe it as the most brutal workout of all time.

 

[garneska]

This morning the podcast i was listening to referred to their group getting together to do "the Michigan". They referred to it being one of the hardest workouts. Thanks for posting what it was. It definitely looks hard.

 

[michigandergirl]

I googled "The Michigan" workout and got several different answers on what truly is the Michigan.

If I ever see any of those workouts on any of my future training plans, you're fired.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I ended up doing this one, and while it was tough, it was by no means near the toughest I've done.

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile 5k) w/ 2.5 min EA between reps + 1.5 mile CD

So I've got to figure that's not the true Michigan. But then I ran the numbers on this one:

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 3k+ 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ no breaks? between reps + 1.5 mile CD

And let's use the paces of:

HMT = 6:40
10k = 6:27
5k = 6:12
3k = 6:06
ALL out = 5:30

Excluding WU/CD, that would be:

6:27+6:40+(6:12*.75)+6:40+(6:06*.5)+6:40+(5:30*.25) = 35:31 minutes and you covered 5.5 miles. That's an average of 6:27 pace. So if this is the true workout, then you're essentially running a 10k race. Because you're only short 0.7 miles of the complete 10k distance with no breaks, and you're doing this entire workout at average 10k pace. So I feel like, well yea this would be the "most brutal workout"... You're racing for all intents and purposes. So the truth has got to be somewhere in the middle, or essentially "The Michigan" is racing a 10k with slight changes in pace along the way, and then no duh it's hard, it's a race.

If I ever see any of those workouts on any of my future training plans, you're fired.

 

[dobball23]

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile 5k) w/ 2.5 min EA between reps + 1.5 mile CD

So I've got to figure that's not the true Michigan. But then I ran the numbers on this one:

1.5 mile WU + (1 mile 10k + 1 mile HMT + 0.75 mile 5k + 1 mile HMT + 0.5 mile 3k+ 1 mile HMT + 0.25 mile ALL OUT) w/ no breaks? between reps + 1.5 mile CD

Looks like some tough workouts! I know I'd be nervous going into both of those, especially the second one. I would welcome them in my next training plan, though.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Got a new pair of Nike Next% 2.



These Nike Next% might be expensive, but on a per mile basis they're serving me quite well. Since my first pair in July 2019, I have purchased only 7 pairs of different shoes and run 3700 miles.

3 pairs Next %
2 pairs Nike Ride
1 pair Saucony Kinvara
1 pair Saucony Endorphin Pro

I've gotten an average of 528 miles per shoe over that timeframe. Historically, Kinvaras give me about 150 miles and Rides about 300 miles. And only 1 pair of Ride and the Kinvara have been retired (so about 450 miles off). So the other 5 pairs have given me 650 miles on average. I'm getting about 800-1000 miles per Next% shoe. So at $250 per pair, I'm getting about 1 mile per 27 cents. To match, I'd need to buy Kinvaras at $41 and Rides at $81. The Ride price is about what I normally pay, but I haven't gotten Kinvaras for $41 in a long time.

These shoes also have a nostalgic colorway for me. They remind me of the running shoes I wore in Middle School when I was nicknamed "Fire".

 

[SarahDisney]

I love the color on those.

Also, I'm fascinated by the fact that you get so much mileage on the Next%, since I've heard others say that they don't get the best mileage out of them. Obviously all people are different but that's interesting.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Also, I'm fascinated by the fact that you get so much mileage on the Next%, since I've heard others say that they don't get the best mileage out of them. Obviously all people are different but that's interesting.

I should always add the caveat that they aren't "race ready" anymore after about 100 or so miles. But they give me a 95% ride, and better than most any of my other pairs of shoes for the remaining 800-900 miles.

 

[DopeyBadger]

4 Weeks to go - 2022 Princess Challenge Training - Week 10/14

1/24/22 - M - OFF
1/25/22 - T - The Michigan (1mi 10k + 1 mi HMT + 0.75mi 10k + 1 mi HMT + 0.5 mi 5k + 1 mi HMT + 0.25 mi 5k) (9.5mph,9mph,9.8mph,10mph) + LIIFT4-Chest/Back
1/26/22 - W - 38 min @ Easy
1/27/22 - R - 14 mile Progression
1/28/22 - F - 7 miles @ Easy
1/29/22 - Sa - 7 miles @ Easy
1/30/22 - Su - 17.5 miles @ LR

Total Run Miles - 60.6 miles
Total Run Time - 8:07 hours
Total Run TSS - x TSS

Total Biking Time - 0:00 hours
Total Biking TSS - 0 TSS

Total Strength Time - 0:18 hours
Total Strength TSS - x TSS

Total Training Time - 8:26 hours
Total TSS - x TSS


Tuesday

I REALLY wanted to be outside for this run. I think it would have been a better test of fitness. But alas, I don't get to choose whether the roads are well plowed or not. The conditions weren't good enough to run fast. So it was a treadmill run. I decided to do the Michigan in this manner:

(1mi 10k + 1 mi HMT + 0.75mi 10k + 1 mi HMT + 0.5 mi 5k + 1 mi HMT + 0.25 mi 5k) (9.5mph,9mph,9.8mph,10mph)

9.5 mph = 6:18 min/mile
9 mph = 6:38 min/mile0-
9.8 mph = 6:07 min/mile
10 mph = 6:00 min/mile

It felt like a good workout. Not the hardest workout I've ever done, but despite two fans blowing on me I was completely soaked through on my singlet. So I was working pretty hard. Something I realized during this workout is that my HR and cadence are showing roughly what I typically see outside at the same paces. But the big difference is my breathing isn't as labored on the treadmill. Not sure necessarily what to say about it. It's a taxing workout by all measures, but just a little easier to breathe inside than out. Overall the run was 10.2-10.7 miles, 7:10-7:30 pace, 76 min, and HR of 139 bpm. During a different training cycle I'd like to attempt this workout again, but outside.

After the treadmill run, I did the LIIFT4-Chest/Back workout. At some point during the workout, something went wrong with my right knee. It wasn't like a sudden pop or anything, but at one point I just noticed hey my knee kind of hurts. I think it was either the upright rows, or the bridge chest press. I definitely had some soreness post workout, and my knee was upset with me. Right down the center of the knee, and there was some slight bruising down the center. Something to keep an eye on.


Wednesday

Knee was sore throughout the day. Especially when going up and down the stairs. A little less when walking around.

G had basketball. I didn't like how my knee felt and thought better about running outside in less than ideal conditions (roads still had some residual snow in places). Just didn't think it would be worth it to do something stupid on a simple slip. So I ran on the treadmill at 6.3-6.5 mph. I ran out of time and ended the workout at 38 min. HR was 119 bpm (which is incredibly low for me). The knee was sore at times during the run, but not enough for me to need to stop.


Thursday

A 14 mile Progression! It's been 4.5 years since I've done this workout. I did it four times during the Summer/Fall 2017 season. It's always a deceivingly hard workout. For this iteration, I was aiming for a 2 mile WU, then start at 8:45 pace and drop the pace by 15 sec at each. At the end I would be doing a 7:00, 6:45, and 6:30 min/mile which is roughly M Tempo, HM Tempo, and 10k pace. Then finish it up with 2 miles at CD. The last two miles of the progression are incredibly hard as you've got a lot in the legs and no rest leading into it.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 11mph to 19mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 24°F + 17°F; FL - 13°F
End: Temp+Dew = 20°F + 13°F; FL - 13°F

I wore shorts. It was a little cold for shorts, but I survived.







By all measures it was a thing of beauty. I love the pace graph just showing that consistent increase in pace at each mile interval. I did this run on the hilly route, which means some of the miles effort level were easier and harder than the actual pace. By for this run I decided to ignore the hill effort and try to hit the pace goals regardless. There was snow/ice on my street, so I couldn't do my normal route which allows me to drink and run easily. So there were two stops which are quite obvious in the HR graph. So not a complete Progression, but the hard stuff was all one block. I was doing alright on the HM Tempo mile when I checked in (saw a 6:41 average), but heading into the wind caused it to slip upwards. I didn't think I had anything left, but I found another gear and grinded the pace lower. I was running in the 6:20-6:30 area for most of the 10k split, but then heading into the wind for the tail end of the split slowed me down to a final average of a 6:39. Slower than I want, but I was giving close to maximal effort. In all it was 14 miles, 8:01 pace, 112 min, and HR of 138 bpm.

When I look back to 2017 at the other four attempts, there are good comparisons and weaker comparisons. This was one of my best HR to pace relationships. But twice I was able to get the 10k pace down into the 6:20s. So making progress.

No real issues with the knee during the run which is a good sign.

Friday

Knee was still sore throughout the day. Especially stairs.

A nice and easy 7 miler.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 5mph to 7mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 9°F + 2°F; FL - 1°F
End: Temp+Dew = 7°F + 1°F; FL - 1°F

The right knee was more sore during this run than the 14 miler. I think part of it was that the Saucony Rides just don't give me the same bounce/return as the Next% do. But it was tolerable. Cold night, but the wind was minimal which was nice for a change. Ended up at 7 miles, 65 min, 9:18 pace, and HR of 132 bpm. Not buying that HR. Something is up about these Friday HRs. My right hand after finishing the run was cold as ice. Literally. It was also a little swollen red. I think the watch and gloves were on too tight. I don't think I had good circulation going which might explain some of the HR data.


Saturday

Another nice and easy 7 miler.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 8mph to 13mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 10°F + 4°F; FL - -2°F
End: Temp+Dew = 13°F + 6°F; FL - -2°F

Colder and a little windier, but not too bad overall. Knee was better than Friday despite being the same shoes. Not much to say about the run. Ended at 7 miles, 62 min, 8:49 pace, and HR of 134 bpm.


Sunday

Pushing the LR up to 17.5 miles (2:15 hrs). This is longer than I went during the 2021 Madison M training cycle. I did my normal long run morning routine and took in my normal nutrition during the run itself.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 8mph to 13mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 14°F + 11°F; FL - 3°F
End: Temp+Dew = 19°F + 14°F; FL - 3°F

This was a hard one to dress for. I didn't want to wear the jacket, so I went heavy columbia upper. But the pants were a tough decision. It was too cold for shorts. But I wanted to wear my Lulu shorts with pockets to carry my nutrition. The medium/heavy columbia pants were probably going to be a touch too warm for this effort. But the lighter UA pants are a little more restrictive. So I was going to have to fight through the resistance a bit more. I went with the UA pants and the Lulu over them.



For the first mile or two, I was really not pleased with my choice of the UA pants. They were more restrictive than I wanted them to be. I felt like I was really pushing through it. Eventually that feeling faded and I settled in. This was a good long run overall. Each successive 4.08 mile lap felt better than the one prior. I kept getting stronger throughout the run. I started seeing 7:20 paces and was like, meh let's see what happens. My breathing was easy and things felt good up until about 15 miles or so. But even then, I felt good to keep it going. Mile 8 was a little hiccup because my bottle was frozen through and so I had to stop for few moments mid run to chug the bottle. Outside of that, all was well. I really like how I felt to end this run. In all it was 17.5 miles, 2:13 hrs, 7:38 min/mile (GAP of 7:35) and HR of 138 bpm. And dare I say it felt generally easy. It's a nice feeling to have here late in the training cycle. My body has responded well and a few hours later feels pretty good. This run continues to show I'm near all time high level of fitness right now.

The week was good. Ended with 60.6 miles which is the highest since July 2018. I'm pleased with that as well.

Only 4 weeks to go. I've got some incredibly difficult workouts coming up, but they should simulate racing a 10k. Game on!

 

[DopeyBadger]

3 Weeks to go - 2022 Princess Challenge Training - Week 11/14

1/31/22 - M - OFF
2/1/22 - T - Rat-A-Tat (16x400m at 10k w/ 15s RI) + LIIFT4-Shoulders/Arms
2/2/22 - W - 4.4 miles @ Easy
2/3/22 - R - 60 min @ Easy
2/4/22 - F - 95 min @ LR (Treadmill)
2/5/22 - Sa - 7 miles @ Easy + LIIFT4-Chest/Back
2/6/22 - Su - 14 miles @ LR

Total Run Miles - 53.8 miles
Total Run Time - 7:23 hours
Total Run TSS - x TSS

Total Biking Time - 0:00 hours
Total Biking TSS - 0 TSS

Total Strength Time - 0:41 hours
Total Strength TSS - x TSS

Total Training Time - 8:05 hours
Total TSS - x TSS


Tuesday

Steph let me know that she was going to be working late on Thursday. So I decided to flex my Thursday workout to Friday, and then I'd have enough time to run and then pick up Steph from work.

Rat-A-Tat time! I did a 4x400m version on the treadmill a few weeks ago. But this time it was the full workout and it would be outside. I was aiming for something in the 6:20-6:30 range.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 11mph to 22mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 27°F + 20°F; FL - 18°F
End: Temp+Dew = 24°F + 17°F; FL - 18°F




I was aiming for a WU of 3.5-4 miles. I got to my start spot at 3.78 miles, and then it was go time. The HR for the WU is in a really good place. Low 9s/High 8s and HR in the very low 120s. A normal trend after the really long LRs. Body is responding really well to the training. But would it translate to this hard workout? My right ankle (on the inside) was a little sore to start (wearing Endorphins), but once the actual workout started things calmed down.

I wore shorts and tank for this one. Based on my triceps, that was REALLY pushing it. They felt like they were on the verge of frostbite, so I gotta be a bit more cautious.

The first three reps were a little slower than intended (6:46, 6:30, and 6:50). I focused on relaxing my body, my jaw, and really focused hard on my breathing. As soon as I did, then I started to hit my groove. Staying mostly in the 6:15-6:30 range. The workout felt really good. 400m at 10k is a nice effort level. But those 15s RI are really short. You essentially stop running, and then you start running again. But despite that, the breathing really settles down quick. The last four reps really were as hard as described. But I leaned into the workout and was able to get it done. Last rep being the best one. The average GAP of the 10k reps was 6:24 pace.

I like this workout. You can really work on pace, breathing, and cadence without it being really aggressive.

The workout overall was 9.8 miles, 78 min, 8:02 pace, and 133 bpm.

Afterwards, I did the LIIFT4-Shoulders/Arms workout. I think it's been two weeks since I've done the Arms LIIFT4 workout, and it showed.


Wednesday

G had basketball, so it was a rush out the door.

Conditions - Mostly Cloudy, Wind 14mph to 24mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 13°F + 3°F; FL - -2°F
End: Temp+Dew = 12°F + 3°F; FL - -2°F

The run was nice and easy overall. Body felt good. Just did some loops and then headed to G's practice. In all it was 4.4 miles, 41 min, 9:19 pace, and HR of 124 bpm. Simple stuff.


Thursday

Because of Steph working late, this was just going to be an easy day. I was limited to about 60 min at the absolute most before I'd need to get back in the car to pick her back up.

Conditions - Clear, Wind 11mph to 19mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 9°F + -1°F; FL - -5°F
End: Temp+Dew = 8°F + -2°F; FL - -5°F

Nothing special. Just a nice and easy run. Body felt good. Ended up with 6.6 miles, 60 min, 9:11 pace, and HR of 125 bpm. Loving these low HR runs. Fitness is in a good place.



Friday

Alright, I was excited for this one. A true test of fitness and one of the hardest workouts I planned on doing. A T+I+R. I've only done a few of these before. This was one planned to be 2x3 miles T (20 min max) + 3x3 min I + 3x200m R. But then I was sitting there mid-day wondering, my fitness is in a good place. Is this workout TOO much? Like I last did this workout in 2018 right before my ankle tendonitis. Things are going well. Do I really want to rock the boat. So then I switch it to 3 miles + 2x1 mile T. And then I dropped the I and made it R+T+R. And then I settled on 3x200m R + 2 x 3 miles T + 3x200m R which is similar to a workout I did in winter 2017 prior to Dopey 2018. That was the right one. And then, I looked outside. Wait... is that snow? Pull up the radar and see the tiniest baby storm. Just dumping a tiny bit of nice fluffy snow. DARN IT ALL! Now the roads were definitely too slippery. It wasn't even forecasted to snow. So it was a real bummer, otherwise I might have done the workout Friday morning instead. Oh well. Such is life. I didn't want to do the workout on the treadmill, so I just settled on a 90-100 min LR effort on the treadmill.

I set the treadmill to 7.8 mph (7:41 min/mile). And then every other mile I set the incline to either 1 or 2,3,4, or 6. So it was flat, up, flat, up, etc. Interestingly, when I did an incline of 3 is when my actual pace and treadmill pace aligned. If I did a 1, then my watch pace showed slower. And if I did higher than 3, then I was showing faster than actual.

All in all I did 95 min, 7:41 pace throughout, for 12.6-ish miles, and HR of 131 bpm (which is definitely lower than LR effort).

Afterwards, the area right below my knee and to the inside of my shin was sore.
-I was like, oh hey now, who are you and what do you want.
--You have a stress fracture now.
-Uhhh, no I don't. And you can buzz off.
--No, I'm serial. Your leg is broken and it's all over.
-Be quiet and go away.

My concern level was at like a 2/10. I figured it was because I did some inclines on the treadmill. I was getting a bit of a buzz on the leg, so it did worry me a little.


Saturday

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 8mph to 13mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 5°F + -1°F; FL - -8°F
End: Temp+Dew = 8°F + 0°F; FL - -8°F

The roads were still covered in a light layer of snow, but it was manageable to run on. I've found that I can tell the difference when I run several days in a row on the treadmill. So I really wanted to run outside. Plus, I wanted to see if this leg thing was real. Narrator - It wasn't. The leg felt fine throughout, and honestly the chance it is a stress fracture is very very low. Otherwise, I would have felt at least something. Nothing else other than that. Just a nice and easy run. In the end it was 7 miles, 62 min, 8:55 pace, and HR of 126 bpm.

Afterwards, I did LIIFT4-Chest/Back. Felt good.


Sunday

I had originally planned on 12 miles, but the lack of a hard run on Friday pushed me to decide to do 14 miles instead.

Conditions - Clear, Wind 10mph to 20mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 25°F + 20°F; FL - 15°F
End: Temp+Dew = 29°F + 23°F; FL - 15°F

I did my normal pre-run LR routine (Liquid IV, Maurten 320, PB spoon) and normal nutrition during the run. I wore my medium columbia pants, Lulu shorts w/pockets, heavy columbia top, and a headband. I was a little warm, but overall it was tolerable.



I did 17.5 miles in 7:38 (7:35 GAP) last week at 138 bpm. So I aimed to be slightly faster than that. Trying to keep the pedal down, without overdoing it. From past history, I do better flying close to the sun, than I do pulling back on the pace late in the training. I always find it interesting how the start of the run always feels a little tougher from a effort/breathing standpoint and then after a few miles things calm down and get in that groove. So the first five miles were mostly in the 7:45 GAP range, and then as the run progressed I moved down to some pretty consistent splits around 7:27 GAP. That felt good, and then I kicked it up a little to close the run down. Overall, it was a nice run and I felt strong. Ended up 14 miles, 106 min, 7:35 pace (7:32 GAP) and 137 bpm. This puts me at top end level fitness compared to what I've done in the past. My Garmin VO2max hit 57 for as it also about 2-3 weeks in advance of the Madison M. So now it's just a matter of holding onto that fitness level. My watch (which accurately predicted the 3:15 marathon) now predicts a 39:30 10k.

Alright, peak week time. I plan to try out my new Next%2 on Tuesday during my second (first outdoors) Vigil miles attempt (6x1 mi at 10k). Then Steph works again on Thursday night, so at the moment I'm planning on doing the Fast, Steady, Blast workout at 3am before work. I really want to do this outdoors, and I really don't want to move it to Friday because of Sunday's 19 mile run. So we'll see. And then Sunday is the max LR. Locked in and ready to go.

 

[HangWithMerida]

Seems like you are in a really good place right now! Your internal dialogue re: the stress fracture cracked me up. I had the same conversation with myself this week over a random pain along the front of my ankle/top of foot that I ultimately decided was due to lacing my shoes too tight and some anterior calf tightness. But you better believe I was obsessing over that pain for a couple of days!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Seems like you are in a really good place right now! Your internal dialogue re: the stress fracture cracked me up. I had the same conversation with myself this week over a random pain along the front of my ankle/top of foot that I ultimately decided was due to lacing my shoes too tight and some anterior calf tightness. But you better believe I was obsessing over that pain for a couple of days!

It's that time of the training cycle. Every little thing seems monumental.

 

[DopeyBadger]

2 Weeks to go - 2022 Princess Challenge Training - Week 12/14

2/7/22 - M - OFF
2/8/22 - T - Vigil Miles (6 x 1 mile @ 10k)
2/9/22 - W - 5 miles @ Easy
2/10/22 - R - Fast, Steady, Blast (1500m @ 10k + 40 min Progression + 2x300m @ Mile)
2/11/22 - F - 65 min @ Easy (Treadmill)
2/12/22 - Sa - 9 miles @ Easy + LIIFT4-Chest/Tri
2/13/22 - Su - 19 miles @ LR

Total Run Miles - 63.9 miles
Total Run Time - 8:31 hours
Total Run TSS - x TSS

Total Biking Time - 0:00 hours
Total Biking TSS - 0 TSS

Total Strength Time - 0:15 hours
Total Strength TSS - x TSS

Total Training Time - 8:46 hours
Total TSS - x TSS


Tuesday

Vigil Miles! The last time I did this workout it was on the treadmill. Not the best representation of what I can actually do outside. I was aiming for something in the 6:20-6:30 range. I decided to wear my new Next%2. They are a little different then the Next%1. The shoe laces are different, the upper is a bit more airy, and the ride is a bit more firm. Based on the run, I'll have to be careful with tying them because they hit the top of my foot just a tad different.

Conditions - Overcast, Wind 8mph to 16mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 32°F + 28°F; FL - 25°F
End: Temp+Dew = 31°F + 28°F; FL - 25°F

Shorts, tank, temp was good, and the winds weren't all that bad. Close to a best case scenario try-out.



The Next%2 didn't really feel all that different during the WU. That HRvPace relationship during the WU was solid again. Once I started running at 10k pace, the Next%2 shoes really started to shine. They felt great. The first mile came in at 6:36, but I wasn't really all that stressed. So I tried to push the effort up a bit more. When I did a quick check-in during the second rep (at about 0.25 mi) I saw 5:58 pace, and I was like, umm nope. So I pulled back some. Hit the second rep at 6:15. Felt strong. Did the third rep and saw 6:06 at the 0.25 mi and pulled back again. Finished it at 6:15. On the fourth rep I saw 6:12 at the check-in and was like, alright here we go. No more holding back as the workout as caught up to me. Finished the fourth rep in 6:17. Knew the fifth and sixth reps were going to be full go. I think during the fifth mile 0.25 mile check in I saw something like 6:25 or so, and increased the effort. Finished at 6:21. And then the sixth rep was just a steady hold throughout around 6:18 pace. Boom baby! The last five reps were a 6:18 min/mile average pace. The CD felt great too. Ended up at 10.8 miles, 84 min, 7:44 pace, and a HR of 135 bpm. Nice!

After the workout, the Garmin was predicting a 39:00 10k (6:17 pace). I wouldn't disagree with it. Under ideal circumstances, it's a reasonable goal.


Wednesday

A nice easy run before G's basketball practice. I got home with enough time to try and squeeze the run in before practice.

Conditions - 🌨 Light Snow, Wind 14mph to 27mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 35°F + 33°F; FL - 25°F
End: Temp+Dew = 34°F + 31°F; FL - 25°F

A few moments of snow exfoliation, but other than that the run was good. Just took it nice and easy. Ended at 5 miles, 45 min, 9:00 pace, and HR of 128 bpm. Got home, threw some normal clothes on, and then headed to practice.

I was showing G after practice how to aim for the backboard box to hit the shots. I did a SMALL jump and the bottom of my feet didn't enjoy it. It was like, yep we're both ripped and broken. You're dead now. I wasn't buying it.

Steph was going to have to work late on Thursday. My run was scheduled at 97 min, and I only had 60 min on the Treadmill at best before I'd have to turn around and pick Steph up. So I had planned on doing the workout Thursday morning so I could do it in full and outside. But then, I wasn't pleased with my recovery from Tuesday's workout. It lingered into Wednesday a bit more than expected. It was also because I didn't get a full night's rest on Tuesday. So I decided to prioritize sleeping over the workout. I settled on doing as much as I could on the treadmill in the evening at LR pace before heading to pick Steph up.


Thursday

Both arches were sore throughout the day. Yep, you're broken. LOL, no I'm not.

Well the plan changed. Steph didn't have to work late. So I could run outside. But then it was an internal debate whether I should do the originally planned workout (Fast, Steady, Blast) or 90 min or so of LR pace. I decided to go with the FSB workout, but not sure if that would be the right decision.

FSB is a Northern Arizona staple workout. It's a race simulator. The Progression is suppose to be 90sec slower than 5k pace and move towards 20s slower than 5k pace. So I was aiming for something like 7:45, 7:30, 7:15, 7:00, 6:45, and 6:30 for 5 min.

WU + 1500m @ 10k + 40 min Progression + 2x300m @ Mile + CD

Conditions - Overcast, Wind 14mph to 27mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 25°F + 19°F; FL - 14°F
End: Temp+Dew = 26°F + 20°F; FL - 14°F

The wind was a bit more noticeable than the Vigil Miles workout. Plus, I wasn't wearing my Next%2 shoes.



The WU was in a good place again. I went with 2.5 miles of WU. Then I settled into 10k pace. Hit that at 6:25 pace, and felt pretty good about it. Took a short 3 min break, and then it was 40 min Progression time. I ran the Progression on hills, so that meant it was a back and forth between effort and pace goal. The Garmin workout failed me. I kept thinking the "lap pace" during the 40 min Progression was showing me the current mile lap pace within the 40 min Progression, but it was indeed showing me the average pace of the 40 min Progression as a whole. I learned this lesson before, but I forgot it. So I hit the first rep near goal (7:53 real and 7:42 GAP). But I was misled on the second mile and went too quick (7:14 real and 7:20 GAP). I didn't learn my lesson and was too quick on the 3rd mile as well (6:56 real and 6:56 GAP). I was digging myself a hole. The next mile was a 7:19 real and 7:04 GAP. Which was actually a bit closer to the goal. Then I did a 6:49/6:54 and was really putting in a pretty good effort. Part of that was a downhill portion and I was flying, but I was trying to avoid bombing the pace downhill. Then came the final push of the progression towards 10k pace. And I pretty much nailed it at 6:27/6:30 pace. Honestly, I was quite pleased with the effort. Got further down in pace than the 14 mile Progression a few weeks ago. Then I took a short break, and did 2 x 300m at Mile effort. Ultimately, it felt good throughout. I wrapped up the workout with a CD which felt pretty smooth overall. Things got a little tight in the last few moments, but I was alright. Despite the paces being a touch jumbled on the progression, the goal was around 7:10 pace as an average over the 40 min, and that's essentially what I did. The workout as a whole was 12 mi, 92 min, 7:43 pace, and HR of 138 bpm.



Friday

I had a slight pain in my left leg below the knee and on the outside of the leg. It didn't feel like a bone issue, more like a muscle issue.

It was G's birthday. Originally I planned on doing the workout in the morning before work. But sleep. So I decided I would do it after G's birthday party with family. It meant it would be after dinner, but I was just planning on going really slow since the timing wouldn't work out well. It was snowing lightly in the evening, and it just wasn't worth it by the time I was ready to start running. So I just did a nice and easy run on the treadmill. I set the treadmill to 6.5 mph. The area on my left leg didn't bother me. Just nice and easy. I did 65 min at around 9 min/mile pace and the HR was 117 bpm.


Saturday

Lots of sleep and it was glorious.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 11mph to 13mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 8°F + 1°F; FL - -7°F
End: Temp+Dew = 10°F + 1°F; FL - -7°F

It was cold, but tolerable. I was aiming for 9 miles. The area on the left leg was noticeable on the uphill, but like a 0.5/10. Definitely doesn't seem like a bone issue because that would be a downhill issue normally. Other than that, I think everything was pretty much normal. I did the run in 79 min, 9 miles, 8:49 pace, and HR of 134 bpm. Not buying the HR data. Seems like something happened after the halfway point.

I did a LIIFT4-Chest/Tri workout afterwards.


Sunday

Max LR at 19 miles! Steph had to work, so I had a limited window to get the workout done. I decided to try out the Maurten 320 caff liquid to see if it would be a good pre-HM option. Other than that everything else was essentially the same. The weather was cold. And while there was no snow in the forecast there was a thin layer of snow on the roads. Something that would burn off later in the day, but I didn't have the option to push it later.

Conditions - Partly Cloudy, Wind 9mph to 14mph
Start: Temp+Dew = 4°F + 0°F; FL - -10°F
End: Temp+Dew = 7°F + -1°F; FL - -10°F



The first mile was solid. Felt like the caffeine in the Maurten 320 was having an effect. I don't normally run that fast on the first mile of a LR. Things settled in after that though. Not ideal conditions out there today. The downhills had the thin layer of snow, so I couldn't bomb them. The uphill had the super cold wind. So it wasn't easy to run uphill either. All in all a challenging run conditions wise. The first two laps were 31:30 each, then the third was 31:00 flat. Things were feeling alright. It didn't get all that tough until towards the end of the fourth rep, which I did in 30:40. Then it was time to settle in and run into the finish. From mile 9 through to the finish the GAP was 7:28 to 7:39 which is nice and tight. There were a few moments where I could feel the spot in my left leg, but nothing worrisome. Ended the run at 19. miles, 145 min, 7:40 pace, and HR of 136 bpm. The HRvPace is in a great place. Essentially it's the same as Dopey 2018 when I had peak fitness levels. My Garmin is saying 18:31 5k, 39:04 10k, 1:27:00 HM, and 3:08:07 M. Which I think all are bests on this Garmin 245 watch.

Glad to have this week behind me. Body is in a phenomenal place compared to everything I've done in the past. Time to stay healthy and give a good effort on the victory laps!

 

[avondale]

Happy birthday to G!

 

[dobball23]

My Garmin is saying 18:31 5k, 39:04 10k, 1:27:00 HM, and 3:08:07 M. Which I think all are bests on this Garmin 245 watch.

Interesting. Your HR is lower and your paces faster than mine, but my Garmin 235 says 18:48 5K, 39:01 10K, 1:26.18 HM, 3:00.04 M for me. Did your 235 typically give you faster race predictions than your 245 is?

 

[DopeyBadger]

Interesting. Your HR is lower and your paces faster than mine, but my Garmin 235 says 18:48 5K, 39:01 10K, 1:26.18 HM, 3:00.04 M for me. Did your 235 typically give you faster race predictions than your 245 is?

Historically, my Garmin 235 gave me race predictions that were not possible for me at that time. 5ks in the 17:00s and M in the 2:50s. I found that I needed to subtract 6-8 points from the Garmin VO2max value to more accurately predict my race times. I believed my maxHR and restingHR inputs were accurate for the device based on values that had been given that didn't appear erroneous.

The race predictor feature for the Garmin 235 is simply a lookup table based on your estimated Garmin VO2max value. The Garmin VO2max value is dependent on the HR zones you set. So if you say your maxHR is 200bpm when it is actually 160bpm, then it will appear like you have a higher level of capacity in your training. Because a 150 bpm run which is something like your 10k effort level in reality, would look like your aerobic level. Thus, the watch then thinks you're capable of much more than you are. My HR can be lower than yours, but that's less relevant. What's more relevant is my HRR% compared to your HRR% at the same pace. If I do 7:30 at 60% HRR and you do 7:30 at 85% HRR, then I am likely faster than you. But my HR at 7:30 could be 170, and you 150. The raw value only matters in the context of what your maxHR and restingHR are.

So the Garmin 245 has an adaptive HR feature which over time is suppose to hone in on your true HR zones. So instead of fully trusting my input, it also seems to adjust based on how the workouts go. At this time, it's pretty much settled. And the results are that my HR zones are a touch lower than previously thought. Based on the "Time to recover" and "Race Prediction" values I'm getting now, I suspect this is closer to reality. What I find interesting is that the race predictor values for the Garmin 245 don't seem to be solely reliant on a lookup table. Because the values it's producing for me don't follow the classic race equivalency calculation and don't change as a homogenous block. I suspect it's pulling from the training load data for the HM/M predictions to say what is and isn't possible based on how much training I'm doing.