Well, it's two months on and the results are in. What are the results? To recap hit here on my Initial Heart Rate training post.
On Monday I revisited my initial 9.2km course and ran it at the 145 BPM heart rate. The first run was at 48:30, after 2 months of training I ran it in 46:13 this time. End result? I've taken 2 minutes 15 off the time for no perceptible extra effort. I call it speed for free!
I do feel that I have been able to be more consistent with my running now, but perhaps the Aussie summer was not the best time to commence it.
Temperatures can be as high as 35C, even the mornings can be 20C + - not good for keeping your heart rate down. This has been the case in more recent weeks and I've really struggled to keep in the zone. This also could be attributed to the fact that I was training mid morning or late afternoon where my natural circadian rhythm may have been naturally higher.
Where to next? All the reading suggests that if you run 3 times a week or less then you should do your mid distance runs at or just below race pace. As I fit into that category what do I do?
My new morning training HR will be at 150 BPM as I want to build up a little more speed on the flats and inclines. 150 is just shy of the 85% range they recommend for half-marathons so this should allow me to comfortably push myself if I'm in the mood. On most other occasions I will still try and sit at 145 BPM, especially when I'm running 15km and upwards.
I'll drop back in a couple of months to let you all know how it goes. From here I'm also hitting the Watt bike once a week to try and build up leg strength and push my HR to the higher limits and keep it there in more controlled conditions. A post on this is soon to follow.
Cheers and happy running, Lachie
No comments:
Post a Comment