| 12/18 | 1/1 | 1/15 | 1/28 | |
| Weather | 5F/3mph | -2F/16mph | -3F/19mph | 20F/9mph |
| WU Time | 22:00 | 20:09 | 13:43 | 20:35 |
| WU Dist | 3 mi | 3 mi | 2 mi | 3 mi |
| Mile 1 | 5:59(152) | 6:07(152) | 6:01(152) | 5:55(151) |
| Mile 2 | 6:08(152) | 6:11(152) | 6:11(152) | 6:02(152) |
| Mile 3 | 6:11(152) | 6:14(152) | 6:12(153) | 6:06(152) |
| Mile 4 | 6:14(152) | 6:11(152) | 6:10(153) | 6:07(152) |
| Rec 130 | :32 | :23 | :28 | :29 |
| Rec 120 | :44 | :34 | :34 | :37 |
Ni!
Monday, January 28, 2008
1:06:00 :: 10 miles
Evaluation run. A day earlier than planned due to some bad weather on the way. I figured I'd give up a day of recovery, but wouldn't need a facemask or a second layer of clothing, which I haven't had the luxury of skipping so far this year. Light winds and +20F this morning, versus a forecast of -2F and 25mph winds tomorrow. A no brainer.
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10 comments:
Hi Eric. I have a question for you. When you do these evaluation runs, how much do you find that the weather impacts the results? (especially in the extreme weather you can get sometimes)
Reason I ask is - the gap between this run and your previous one seems larger than the gap between the previous 3 runs combined. I'm trying to ascertain whether you expect to see performance improvements in "step-functions" or is the improvement more gradual and the warmer weather on the last run played some part in the results.
Great questions, Mike. The weather has a lot of impact on the results. Depending on the weather, I need to wear between 2-4 pounds of extra clothes, breathe through one or more facemasks, and sometimes wear slip-on spikes for traction, which add weight to the feet. All of those additions increase the workload on the heart and increase the heart rate. Getting consistently crappy conditions therefore helps in comparing efforts.
As far as improvements, one of the things Mystery Coach likes to remind me of is that progress isn't always measured in speed improvements, but also in recovery improvements.
You'll notice that even as the conditions of each evaluation got progressively worse (the first three), the times stayed roughly the same at the same heart rate. Recovery was much improved on the second eval run, and stayed about the same on the third eval.
While the progress was not obvious to me, Mystery Coach pointed out some positives. On today's eval, the progress was much more obvious. Thw warmer weather actually wasn't much of a factor--half the wind does make it easier to maintain a rhythm. The only difference from the previous eval was I skipped the facemask. Otherwise, the kit was the same.
So, to answer the question, no, I wouldn't expect to see step-by-step improvements over every two week period. I have come to expect an observable fitness increase about every six weeks during base. Usually, I'll notice a sharp drop (maybe 5bpm) in HR at a given pace, and that becomes consistent over a few days. Other indicators would be a long run like this last Saturday, where recovery was very quick, or a markedly different eval like today.
Thanks for the question. That was kind of a rambling answer, so let me know if I can be more clear.
Cheers!
Thanks a lot Eric for the detailed answer, yes it's very clear. One thing I picked up right away from your blog is your measuring of the time it takes your HR to come down to particular levels after a run. First time I saw it I was thinking "Man what a great idea, why didn't I think of that!"
I've started doing it on some of my runs, but being that I haven't been running for very long, my resting HR is not very low at this time. This results in my HR data being somewhat "compressed" as I almost never seem to be able to average less than 140 even on my easiest runs, but at the same time, my HR rarely averages more than 170 even on my hardest runs. (and the pace can be as much as 2 full minutes per mile between easy and hard)
I imagine once I get into better shape, my HR on sub-max efforts will drop enough to give me a larger "spread" making it much easier to compare HR data over time.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer and good luck w/ your training.
Credit goes to Mystery Coach for that idea. As long as you use consistent numbers, (I use 130, 120, and sometimes check 110 as well) it's a very good way to measure recovery.
Your HR range will likely improve on the low end (your low will become lower) as you improve your aerobic efficiency. However, everyone is different. Don't get too worked up about it. Just keep the metrics consistent and watch them over time.
Remember that the key to making gains is not only to work long and hard, but to *recover* from all those efforts. Without recovery, there is no improvement.
Thanks, and good luck with your training as well!
"Did you get yourself a Garmin 205" -
Blimey, you're close! Excellent Guess!
The comments are better than the post.
You could keep the metrics consistent by using distances in metres and temps in celsius ;) I have the opposite problem comparing runs in that the HR is always higher running in 30+C summers compared to 10C or so in winter.
Very true about individual differences. Easy runs for me are now 125ish (used to be 130+ when not as fit).
Here is another question. I know that you kind of already touched on this a little bit in your last post but I am looking for a little more clarification.
You mentioned that for your recovery you measure your heart rate at 130, 120, and sometimes 110. But your max heart rate is probably somewhere between 170-175. So for a person that has a higher max heart rate of around 190-195, would it still be recommended to use those numbers being that it will take longer for that person to reach those levels. Or should one judge there recovery off of higher numbers (140, 130, 120).
I would say, generally, yes. Work with a range of HRs that you can recover to in 30-90 seconds. Always keep in mind that the most important thing is to pick a set of numbers and stick with them.
Cheers!
How is the running going, you stuck in that "deep freeze"?
Yes, it's been pretty awful here, and it's beginning to wear on me a bit. The high was -2F today, and that's the warmest it's been in days.
At least it isn't raining. =)
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