Speed Work?
Today I learned something new, well new to me anyway. I learned that I like, or eh.. LOVE to run slow. It's easy (relatively speaking), my face doesn't turn a nice shade of PURPLE, my shorts don't creep up between my thighs (I knew I should have worn a skirt today), and I don't get that "I'm going to throw up" feeling in my tummy.
So, today I had my first "speed run" of the IM training schedule. Mark Allen's philosophy is based on a huge buildup of aerobic/low HR training at first, then about half way through, he ads a weekly "speed" training for each discipline. So, for the Ironman training we have not started speedwork yet, but we had one added this week to prepare for a "race."
The race is the relay I've been talking about. Anyway, the workout was as follows:
10 minute easy warmup.
3x1 minute fartlek accelerations with 30 seconds rest.
1x6 minutes, 1x4 minutes, 1x3 minutes, 2x1 minutes all with rest of half the fartlek length. Warm down 10 minutes easy.
Well, the warmup was nice.... The first 3x1:00 weren't so bad. The 6:00 damn near killed me... It was cracking me up. I'd look down to see if my heart was going to explode. Thinking it's going to read something like 196, only to see 178!! Are you kidding me? So, I'd push a little harder. I think I got it as high as 185.
It's just so crazy to see how my HR has dropped. At least my Max HR area. I could seriously hold 185-195 for a LONG time before. I didn't wear a HR monitor when I first started training, BUT I always, and I mean always ran a 9min mile. I knew all my mile markers & made sure I hit that pace. If I had one mile left and was 2 mins behind, I'd sprint home. Of course, NOW I am older (ha!) and a little wiser....
When I started wearing my HR monitor, I was surprised to see how high my HR was. I would do my long runs about a 9:30 pace, and my HR would avg about 165-168. That means to get an avg that high, sometimes I would have been up in the 170s. My week runs were 9min miles, and I was in the 170s.
When I started going to track workouts with my running group, I did my "tempo" sets at about an 8:00 pace (2:00 per lap), and the 5K, or mile speeds at like a 7:10-7:20 speed, so each lap was about 1:45-1:50. My HR would be in the 190s.
And, we WONDER why I was injured for 3 years?? Hmmmmm
Anyway - I can't tell exactly what my pace was for my speed sets, but I imagine it ranged from an 8:00 pace to an 8:45 at the end. But, my 178 HR, felt like my old 190 did. Funny how things change, huh?
It was a tough run, of course I'm glad I did it.... but like I said above. I have learned that "we" (my legs, tummy, red race & I) really really like the slow, aerobic stuff!
My little speed day gets even better. When I got to Masters & saw the swim board it was basically a repeat of this am. Check it out!!
Warmup:
10x50
1-2 : Easy Swim
3-4: Drill
5-10: Easy down, Fast Back
Main Set:
3 x 200 swim Level 4 (just under ALL OUT)
300 Pull Level 2 (pull with paddles, NOT the buoy between your legs)
200 swim Level 4
100 Swim Level 5 (sprint baby!)
200 Pull level 2
200swim level 4
200 pull level 2
300 Pull Level 2
200 Swim Level 3
100 Swim Level 5
Cool Down - 100 choice...
I did well until the last set, then I was DONE....
My 200's at level 4 were 3:08 (I used my tempo trainer so I was consistent
100:'s were 1:29. I set my tempo trainer too slow the first time, but when I packed it down on the second set, hoping to hit 1:25ish, I was too fatigue & lost some of my glide in the water.
So, all in a day's work.... I'm tired now :-) Good think work isn't crazy like yesterday! I know for sure if I didn't have my fabulous job, I would be missing workouts. I am very, very lucky... Especially with days like today. I planned on getting up at 5:30 with S, but I just couldn't do it. My body wouldn't move. I was "able" to stay in bed an extra half an hour...
Hope everyone's week is going well!
So, today I had my first "speed run" of the IM training schedule. Mark Allen's philosophy is based on a huge buildup of aerobic/low HR training at first, then about half way through, he ads a weekly "speed" training for each discipline. So, for the Ironman training we have not started speedwork yet, but we had one added this week to prepare for a "race."
The race is the relay I've been talking about. Anyway, the workout was as follows:
10 minute easy warmup.
3x1 minute fartlek accelerations with 30 seconds rest.
1x6 minutes, 1x4 minutes, 1x3 minutes, 2x1 minutes all with rest of half the fartlek length. Warm down 10 minutes easy.
Well, the warmup was nice.... The first 3x1:00 weren't so bad. The 6:00 damn near killed me... It was cracking me up. I'd look down to see if my heart was going to explode. Thinking it's going to read something like 196, only to see 178!! Are you kidding me? So, I'd push a little harder. I think I got it as high as 185.
It's just so crazy to see how my HR has dropped. At least my Max HR area. I could seriously hold 185-195 for a LONG time before. I didn't wear a HR monitor when I first started training, BUT I always, and I mean always ran a 9min mile. I knew all my mile markers & made sure I hit that pace. If I had one mile left and was 2 mins behind, I'd sprint home. Of course, NOW I am older (ha!) and a little wiser....
When I started wearing my HR monitor, I was surprised to see how high my HR was. I would do my long runs about a 9:30 pace, and my HR would avg about 165-168. That means to get an avg that high, sometimes I would have been up in the 170s. My week runs were 9min miles, and I was in the 170s.
When I started going to track workouts with my running group, I did my "tempo" sets at about an 8:00 pace (2:00 per lap), and the 5K, or mile speeds at like a 7:10-7:20 speed, so each lap was about 1:45-1:50. My HR would be in the 190s.
And, we WONDER why I was injured for 3 years?? Hmmmmm
Anyway - I can't tell exactly what my pace was for my speed sets, but I imagine it ranged from an 8:00 pace to an 8:45 at the end. But, my 178 HR, felt like my old 190 did. Funny how things change, huh?
It was a tough run, of course I'm glad I did it.... but like I said above. I have learned that "we" (my legs, tummy, red race & I) really really like the slow, aerobic stuff!
My little speed day gets even better. When I got to Masters & saw the swim board it was basically a repeat of this am. Check it out!!
Warmup:
10x50
1-2 : Easy Swim
3-4: Drill
5-10: Easy down, Fast Back
Main Set:
3 x 200 swim Level 4 (just under ALL OUT)
300 Pull Level 2 (pull with paddles, NOT the buoy between your legs)
200 swim Level 4
100 Swim Level 5 (sprint baby!)
200 Pull level 2
200swim level 4
200 pull level 2
300 Pull Level 2
200 Swim Level 3
100 Swim Level 5
Cool Down - 100 choice...
I did well until the last set, then I was DONE....
My 200's at level 4 were 3:08 (I used my tempo trainer so I was consistent
100:'s were 1:29. I set my tempo trainer too slow the first time, but when I packed it down on the second set, hoping to hit 1:25ish, I was too fatigue & lost some of my glide in the water.
So, all in a day's work.... I'm tired now :-) Good think work isn't crazy like yesterday! I know for sure if I didn't have my fabulous job, I would be missing workouts. I am very, very lucky... Especially with days like today. I planned on getting up at 5:30 with S, but I just couldn't do it. My body wouldn't move. I was "able" to stay in bed an extra half an hour...
Hope everyone's week is going well!
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