I made it to the track on Tuesday evening for the first time since 17th April to do 10 x 400m @ 3k pace. First quality run on my 16 week Amsterdam training programme and boy did it feel rough. I'm partly to blame for that though as I neglected to read the workout details before leaving the house - all I knew was 10 x 400m @ 3k pace (I was aiming for 85 to 87 seconds in lane 3 - 05:27 to 05:39 pace) - should be ok as there is recovery in between.
It is this "active recovery" that I neglected to check on the programme and so following a 1.5 mile warmup I started into the 1st 400m which was a bit under target @ 83s and proceeded to jog the next 200m in about 90 seconds before starting the 2nd 400m. After the 3rd rep I was so fatigued - "need more recovery" that I decided to walk the 200m to the start of the next 400 taking over 2 minutes and continued like this until the 10 reps were done - certainly made it easier. The heart appeared willing but the legs were protesting.
It was only when I got home and checked the programme did I realise that the recoveries should have lasted 3 minutes. It is interesting to compare this session with the same run during my last training cycle on 13th February where the target was 87 to 90 seconds per 400 and here's how the two compare - time (HR) recovery time:-
2nd July 2008 13th February 2008
83 (141) - 1:29R 82 (159) - 2:42R
85 (151) - 1:23R 88 (156) - 2:36R
85(154) - 1:30R 89 (156) - 2:38R
86 (156) - 2:08R 89 (159) - 2:37R
86 (148) - 2:10R 88 (148) - 2:43R
85 (147) - 2:10R 87 (156) - 2:50R
84 (149) - 1:37R 89 (153) - 2:42R
86 (147) - 2:14R 87 (157) - 2:41R
85 (148) - 2:10R 88 (153) - 2:41R
84 (150) 86 (155)
Overall an improvement so at least the pain was worth it.
Mon 30th June
am 8.59 Miles in 01:07:47 (07:54 pace @ 130 HR)
pm Swim with Jim and Eamon on Inniscarra Lake - 20 mins (1000m approx)
Tue 1st July
6.47 Miles in 54:12 (08:16 pace @ 134 HR) with 10 x 400m @ 83 - 86 seconds
Wed 2nd July
5.23 recovery miles in 45:26 (08:41 pace @ 123 HR) followed by some panting exercises that Thomas is raving about - exhausting.
Legs were tired and slightly stiff today following last nights reps so I gave the Stryker 4 Mile road race a miss in favour of tomorrows 3 x 1 mile @ 10k pace. Then I should really rest for Saturdays Tri.
besides taking a 3 minute recovery, your workout would have been a lot easier had you actually run ON THE TRACK, rather than in the infield and then across the track to where the grandstand would be, then back across the track again, as the picture above demonstrates.
ReplyDeletejust a helpful tip from your friend in Wisconsin (who will be in Ireland on Saturday, though!!!)
Quite some improvement. Well done!
ReplyDeleteGreat workout and the improvement is fantastic! Just think what would've happened had you enjoyed a 3' recovery? Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI did some more of that mad jumping myself, and I'm still waiting for it to get a bit easier. Maia thinks it's very funny, though.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the triathlon!