Weekly Totals: 11 hours 48 minutes of running, 94.44 miles, 9 total runs
Weekly Recap: Adding a weekly recap. Three quality sessions with two speed work sessions structured as short intervals just under VO2max and one long run with what ended up being some quality work near the end in the form of a fast finish. Really couldn’t have asked for a better week across the board. I was able to add a bit of extra volume to quality and slightly increase total volume to just under 12 hours of total running volume without feeling like I compromised recovery at all.
Monday:
AM Training:
Run: 01 hour 03 minutes 25 seconds, 9.51 miles, 6:40/mi., HR: 138 bpm.
PM Training:
Run: 35 minutes 34 seconds, 4.11 miles, 8:38/mi., HR: 118 bpm.
Strength: Lower Body (banded deadlifts, banded hamstring curls, banded side steps, banded hip flexor raises, banded foot and ankle rotations)
Recap: Short intervals for the AM run that I did on the roads. I intended to be on the track, but bumped up against the high school practice, so ended up on the paved loop around Zilker Park. The loop is just over a mile with some small rollers. Knowing I would be doing a second round of short intervals on Wednesday, I kept this one a bit on the lower end of total work with 12 x 60 seconds at just under V02max with 60 second recovery job between. I was dipping just under 5 min/mi pace for this session for the first time this training cycle. Still a ways to go, but a nice improvement from the first speed session. The PM strength session was pretty light as far as lower body sessions go. The plan for this week is to wait to do the bigger lower body session on Saturday after the long run to make sure I don’t tread on the speed work and long run quality. Afternoon run was very relaxed and mainly just flushing out the legs.
Tuesday:
AM Training:
Run: 01 hour 33 minutes 51 seconds, 12.12 miles, 7:44/mi., HR: 116 bpm.
PM Training:
Strength: Mobility & Massage
Recap: Barely could call this a morning run. I waited to head out until late morning to avoid the rain storms. I am glad I did as it was great weather after the rain passed through. Felt reasonable considering speed work yesterday, but held back a touch anyway to make sure tomorrow morning goes well.
Wednesday:
AM Training:
Run: 01 hour 13 minutes 01 seconds, 10.21 miles, 7:09/mi., HR: 142 bpm.
PM Training:
Run: 36 minutes 49 seconds, 3.95 miles, 9:19/mi., HR: 124 bpm.
Strength: Lower Body (banded hamstring curls, banded side steps, banded hip flexor raises, banded foot and ankle rotations)
Recap: I was not optimistic at all after the warm up for this one, but once I hit the first rep I could tell it was worth focusing and getting this one done. I managed to get out early enough to hit the track and targeted 10 x 75 seconds just under VO2max with 75 second recovery jog between. I was hitting right about 405 meters or just under 5 min/mi for this one. Similar to Monday, I saw the progress from the previous block, but need at least another block of this stimulus before I get it to where I want it to be. I was pleased to be able to increase my weekly exposure at this intensity to a total 24.5 minutes total between the two sessions. Similar to Monday, I kept the lower body work light in order to make sure things feel good for Saturday’s long run.
Thursday:
AM Training:
REST
PM Training:
Run: 01 hour 54 minutes 20 seconds, 13.43 miles, 8:31/mi., HR: 124 bpm.
Strength: Core (hanging leg raises, cable twists, plans, back extensions)
Recap: I waited until the afternoon for my run. I definitely felt the speed work from Monday and Wednesday, so I took it really easy. It was one of those runs where you just countdown the time to be done, even though you know that is a bad idea. I felt pretty good by the end of it despite being a bit less of a motivated session. The PM strength session went very well. I ended up getting a pretty thorough core session done.
Friday:
AM Training:
Run: 01 hour 19 minutes 20 seconds, 11.16 miles, 7:06/mi., HR: 116 bpm.
PM Training:
Strength: Upper Body (lat pull downs, shoulder press, seated cable rows, seated weighted push downs)
Recap: I felt much better for the AM run today than yesterday, so feeling pretty optimistic about Saturday’s long run. Ideally, this week's long run will be both quality and motivated compared to the previous block. Similar to yesterday’s core session, a pretty solid upper body session completed in the PM. If I can nail tomorrow’s post long run lower body session, it will end up being a really good training week across the board.
Saturday:
AM Training:
Run: 02 hour 13 minutes 10 seconds, 20.42 miles, 6:31/mi., HR: 137 bpm.
PM Training:
Strength: Lower Body (hex bar deadlift, weighted bent knee calf raises, weighted straight leg calf raises, hamstring curls, weighted tibialis raises, weighted leg extensions).
Recap: If you had asked me what the best case scenario for this long run was prior I would have underpredicted how good it would feel and end up looking in the data. I was way more motivated and basically walked the pace down to the mid 6s over the first 10 miles before dipping under 6 min/mi for the final mile and a half. I was pretty surprised to see something in the 5s pop up on the watch near the end by only adding a few strides on the straightaways over the final couple miles. Heart rate was pretty low at this pace. Weather certainly helped with low HR, but still better than I expected from previous sessions. I did this one on the track as a start to prepping specifically for the Dome in June. After getting caught up on fuel and hydration over the rest of the morning, I got loosened up enough to have a really good lower body session to end the week. This was far and away the best week of training so far this cycle. First week in a while I hit the higher end of expectations or overperformed on all the quality sessions.
Sunday:
AM Training:
Run: 01 hour 18 minutes 47 seconds, 9.49 miles, 8:18/mi., HR: 126 bpm.
PM Training:
Strength: Mobility & Massage
Recap: Took it pretty easy for the AM run. I already hit all my quality goals for the week, so it seemed wise to ease out the final day of the week in an effort to feel good starting next week.
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Great week Zach. Your use of the track to prep for the Pettit, is that mostly a mental preparation? I was thinking of doing the same thing last week for my long run, but they had a skating event at the Pettit and closed the track until this Wednesday. The prior week, because of the cold snap here I ended up with 70 miles around an 1/8 mile track at my health club. I would say by the end of that, I was ready for some outside time. I do have access to an outdoor track, but same as you I have to watch for the times the High schoolers are on it.