A.M. Breakthrough run on the treadmill (the same treadmill I always run on, with the same shoes, same fan angle, etc) 83:27
Today was a great run for me. Pace at a given heart rate is continuing to come down, even with sporatic training due to work obligations, an odd flat period where running did not feel good for a couple of weeks, and niggling tendonitis behind my knees.
I originally intended to run 8 miles, but settled into a great rhythm and just decided to keep going until 10. After a progressive warm-up starting very slow, I spent 5 or so miles at 8:00/mi in the middle of the run and then dropped down to 7:53 from 6-9.5 and then 7:24 for the .75 miles.
Steady state HRs
8:00 = HR 148-149
7:53 = HR 148-150 (final 5:35 at this pace I averaged HR 148)
7:24 = HR 156
I'm pretty certain this improvement is the result of backing off a little on my hard days and allowing my body to get in the zone where everything is starting to feel good again--pushing hard enough on the on days to drive adaptation, but checking it enough that I feel good the next day. This is really the art of optimal training. Fellow bloggers, you might at first glance think my training approach is hypertechnical and mechanistic. Rest assured, it is not. This is art to me. I didn't try to hit those HRs or paces. I knew before the workout how the run should feel, and adjusted the speed to elicit that feeling. These numbers are observations that I've collected along the way to monitor my progess, not dictate it. And after going through a rougher patch, I'm happy with my gains. Nonetheless, I still have a long way to go.
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A.M. Weight = 179.3
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