Zach's Training Journal

2025 Week 26: 06.30.25 - 07.06.25

Weekly Totals: Running - 11 hours 50 minutes, 92.06 miles | Hiking: 3 hours 29 minutes, 8.08 miles | Total Training Volume: 14 hours 20 minutes

Weekly Recap: A full week in Boulder! This week was a pretty big jump in volume on feet with no bike and just running and hiking. Things all felt good, and may have been a good confidence boost with respect to what my achilles tendon can tolerate. I didn’t notice it at any point this week. With that said, next week when I get back to Austin, the bike structure will return at the end of the week, and in the coming weeks. It is good to know I can flex in some higher running volume, which may help guide my peaking phase this Fall. I was curious how I would feel being a bit higher in altitude, although in reality, I did most of my running off the trails, so it was really only about 5,500 feet, which based on historic training at varying altitudes, I usually don’t notice much of a difference outside of speed work. I continued last week's trend with a single structured speed work session, but limited the volume for it. That was the session I noticed the thinner air a bit. I did not notice my achilles though, which is the reproducible sign I was looking for to add a bit more structure above my aerobic threshold in coming weeks. My long run was probably the most promising of the training session for the week. I was pretty strict about keeping the effort low, and still produced some historically decent paces for the intensity. Things seem to be at a pretty good spot to get in some solid work in the second half of the Summer.

Monday:

Run:

• Duration: 01:10:06

• Distance: 10.11 Miles

• Average Pace: 6:55/mi

• Average HR: 140 bpm

• Elevation: 564 ft

Hike:

• Duration: 01:25:15

• Distance: 3.09 Miles

• Average Pace: 27:32/mi

• Avg HR: 102 bpm

• Elevation: 1,339 ft

Strength: Mobility, Stretching, & Massage

First full day in Boulder! I was curious how I would feel with the increase in altitude, compared to the humid morning in Austin. It was definitely easier to keep HR down. I didn't really notice the thinner air much at lower intensities, but historically I haven’t noticed altitude much between 5-6000 feet at lower intensities unless I was carrying in some fatigue or dehydration. The morning run felt good, and it was nice to run a different route. Nicole and I got to some trails by the Flatirons in the afternoon for a hike. I am not sure I want to tempt fate by running on the really steep stuff, but hiking seems like a good compromise.

Tuesday:

Run:

• Duration: 01:28:07

• Distance: 12.15 Miles

• Average Pace: 7:15/mi

• Average HR: 127 bpm

• Elevation: 617 ft

Hike:

• Duration: 01:00:00

• Distance: 3.00 Miles

• Average Pace: 20:00/mi

• Avg HR: ?? bpm

• Elevation: ?? ft

Strength: Mobility, Stretching, & Massage

My morning run was similar to yesterday, but a bit further. I am feeling pretty good about where lower intensity paces have been settling the past couple of weeks. I went for a solo hike in the afternoon on the Sanitas, but did not bring my watch along, so I guess it doesn’t count? While traveling, I haven’t been going to the gym, but did do a body weight/band strength routine in the afternoon.

Wednesday:

Run 1:

• Duration: 01:33:44

• Distance: 11.60 Miles

• Average Pace: 8:05/mi

• Average HR: 126 bpm

• Elevation: 541 ft

Run 2:

• Duration: 00:31:33

• Distance: 3.35 Miles

• Average Pace: 9:24/mi

• Average HR: 125 bpm

• Elevation: 194 ft

Strength: Full Body (push ups, banded overhead press, planks, body weight squats, banded squats, bulgarian split squats, single leg calf raises with straight and bent knees, banded side steps, banded hip flexor raises).

I ran with Nicole for both runs today. We were supposed to go for a hike in the afternoon, but opted for an easy run as we ended up running out of time. It was our 7 year anniversary, so we had to do a little celebrating.

Thursday:

Run:

• Duration: 01:00:06

• Distance: 8.40 Miles

• Average Pace: 7:09/mi

• Average HR: 132 bpm

• Elevation: 390 ft

Hike:

• Duration: 01:04:44

• Distance: 2.70 Miles

• Average Pace: 23:54/mi

• Avg HR: 105 bpm

• Elevation: 810 ft

Strength: Mobility, Stretching, & Massage

I did a short speed work session in the morning. I kept the volume pretty low, similar to last week, just to make sure I don’t get too aggressive too soon. My achilles has been responding well, but the speed work will likely take a gradual build up. I ended up doing 10 x 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy, jogged a bit, and jumped on the track for 2 x 75 seconds hard. This was the first day I really noticed the altitude. I found myself gasping a bit more for air at the end of a few reps than I would expect at sea level. I am pretty happy with turnover at this stage, but it will be nice to get some longer sessions on the track when back in Austin. Nicole and I did some hiking on the Sanitas Trails in the afternoon.

Friday:

Run:

• Duration: 01:45:49

• Distance: 14.03 Miles

• Average Pace: 7:32/mi

• Average HR: 141 bpm

• Elevation: 269 ft

Strength: Mobility, Stretching, & Massage

I got out for a slightly longer run than normal this morning. It was 6 miles solo and 8 miles with Jonathan Levitt. I pushed the pace down a bit on the final 2 miles of the first 6 just to see how things felt. It went well. I am noticing when working pace down the sustainability feels like it normalizes after about 5-6 minutes. I may add a progression run in the coming days just to test how some of the paces I have not been hitting between my typical runs and the two speed sessions I have done the last two weeks.

Saturday:

Run:

• Duration: 01:59:03

• Distance: 17.46 Miles

• Average Pace: 6:49/mi

• Average HR: 146 bpm

• Elevation: 692 ft

Strength: Lower Body (weighted hamstring curls, weighted hip thrusts, banded side steps, banded hip flexor raises, weighted leg press, weighted bent knee calf raises, body weight jumps).

I went out for a long run this morning with a plan to do a couple out and back routes in order to get water. Around 30 minutes in, I threw caution to the wind and just went out for an hour. I was feeling pretty good at the turnaround, minus a bloody nose shortly after. I have had this happen a few other times when in dry climates. It is usually minor and more annoying than anything. I made it about 40 minutes into the return before I started to notice the heat, so I made a pit stop at a gas station to get some fluid. Totals for this run were 20 oz, 44 grams of water, 1.3 grams of electrolytes. Before heading out I had 1 liter of fluid, 650mg of electrolytes, 20 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of fat. The run as a whole went great. I didn’t look at pace during the run. I just cruised and if it felt like I was starting to force in the slightest, I would ease back. I was happy to see a few groupings of pace in the mid 6 minute per mile pace.

Sunday:

Run:

• Duration: 02:21:44

• Distance: 14.92 Miles

• Average Pace: 9:30/mi

• Average HR: 121 bpm

• Elevation: 1,785 ft

Strength: Mobility, Stretching, & Massage

An easy day was on the schedule for today, but I decided to join Nicole on a longer session on the trails. She is preparing for Fat Dog 120, and working on race day specifics, so given the distance of that event, I was promised it would still be easy. It was fun to get on the trails with less hiking, and generally things felt good. We didn’t rip the downhills so should not feel this one too much to start next week.

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