2015/16 Nov OS Wk 8 RUN: Opportunity for Success!
Testing, testing! Yep folks, it is week 8, aka TESTING WEEK! Here are my thoughts:
1) Celebrate making it 8 weeks into the OS. Not an easy cause. Before you test, think about the process. Be proud of the work you have done, the consistency, the pattern of just getting it done that will set you up for success all season long.
2) Remember that a single number does not define you. Remember this as you get yourself all worked up before the test. It is a single run. Yes, you want to do your best and hopefully see improvement, but if not, breathe, move on. If you really blew up, talk to others here and maybe Coach P about a retest.
3) There is more to learn from a test than your new zones. Reflect on your mental toughness- how did you do when the going got tough? What did you notice about your form? Your HR? Was your sleep/recovery and nutrition on point?
4) Have a plan going in to the test. The wiki has some guidance on pacing. Don't blow up! Be realistic about goals, but then make sure to empty the tank at the end. Testing self respects the training self.
5) We are still very early in the season, and in the OUTseason, not even the in-season. So yes, take an honest look at your training at this point and how the results are, but if you aren't where you want to be, you've got a lot of time to change it.
Happy Test Week Friends!
Comments
So slid the 5k to today due to this being the only not raining day for the week. Didn't do to bad. 2 point Vdot bumped to 29 and pace dropped to 10:38/mile. Not bed for 3 weeks of "official" OS training. The run was cold. No wind. Did a 1 mile warm up. I was pretty stiff and sore to start. Woke up this morning with a muscle spasm in my neck. Still was bugging me. Gait was smooth. started out with a goal pace of under 11:00. after the 1.5 mile mark IF I was feeling good I could pick it up. So I picked it up to a 10:00 pace and sucked wind!
Well executed 5k test.
@ Mark- Thank you for the very detailed response to my question! I read it 5 times! Got me thinking when I was running today about core.
Have fun everyone.
Great work, Jacklyn! After all you've been through this OS, that gain is wonderful!
Moved up my run test this morning due to travel and ended up with another great test. I come from somewhat of a running backround so I really enjoy the running tests. 5k on the track all out. I decided to do the first 2 laps of each mile by feel and see how it goes. To my surprise the first was just under 6:00 min, It was a great morning so I figured I'd see where the second mile left me. It was better than the first. In the end, my finish time was 17:55. I haven't had a chance to download the run or really look at the splits as I had to hurry home then to work. I guess spending the last 8 weeks running with someone much faster and 10 years younger than me has paid off.
To those testing tomorrow, remember to pace the first mile. Blowing up in the end will cost way more than a few seconds earned. Always better to finish strong. Good luck!
@Bill - I know it goes against EN, but I usually bag the post bike test run as my running mechanics are way off due to my extreme state of exhaustion. If anything I will do a shakedown run sometime latter in the day if I can. You know a little bit of ice can never hurt.
@Tom, you should be fine testing at 1.5% incline. Coach Rich has mentioned in some podcasts to set the treadmills at 2% grade during the OS runs, but if you have trained at 1.5%, consistency is probably better at this point. If you feel the need, you could gradually adjust up to 2% for the treadmill runs the rest of the OS.
Got sick early this week, so bumped the bike FTP test and brick run to this morn. My brick run after the FTP test was a struggle to hit the Z1-2 number, and was slightly below for the whole run, but I was fine with that. Definitely felt the fatigue of the test. The strides were a shadow of themselves too, but the run test is a couple days away, so did not feel the need to push the run today. Good luck with the run tests!!
just did my 5k test. Was aiming for 20:00 and did 19:50 ! w00t
https://www.strava.com/activities/451465087
Today was supposed to be a rest day. I'm not doing the bike test tomorrow. So I hacked a run and redid last weeks Wednesday run. Boy was I tired. The new zip code is going to take some getting used too!
So today was my very first fully Gatorade Perform supported run. The taste is terrible. No icky tummy. Did supplement once with base. I keep getting a stitch in my side when I start out.
I'm not doing the bike test because I am still struggling at the zones i'm in. My bike consistency has been pathetic due to all the traveling and upheaval. I will test next time. On wards and up wards!
1st mi was a pretty solid 7:40 pace .
2nd mi started to have issues holding the pace. 7:10
3mi ready to knock over dead 7:20 . Would have liked to pick up the pace.
Found the biggest issue with the test was me constantly coughing , which I know is due to allergies and asthma.
And then definitely some more core training needed to maintain the pace
Got mine done early this morning. Left something on the table which wasn't the plan, but solid improvement over first test. Started at 7:50, dropped it to 7:40 for mile 2, then 7:30 down to last .2 at 6:58. Total was 23:58, so still at 40 VDOT, but definitely feel like there's more there. Feels good to be solidly sub 8:00, though, so I'll take it. Definitely working hard...grabbed the HR handles on the TM right after I finished, and it said 182!
I'm pumped! Hoping all my EN teammates the best for the run test.
Keeping it short since I'm at work. Did the 5K test at the track this morning. Set a target pace to buy me a VDOT of 38 (2:02/lap). After 9 months off for hamstring tendonitis my last test was 26:37 (8 weeks ago). This morning it was 25:12, WHICH GETS ME THAT 38 VDOT BY JUST ONE SECOND (the EN calculator # seems to truncate beyond the decimal point and just rounds down). One second. So very thankful.
NOS Wk8 5K Test
Virginia (wife and new runner) joined me at the track this morning. I rousted her at 4:30 and she did her first track workout. I asked what did she think...she said it was like mall walking for exercise, going round and round. Made me laugh.
Very Thankful for the day's blessings!
I'm trying to get psyched to do my test now. Will be heading to the local track in an hour or so. Lots of folks putting up solid improvements here and on Strava. Hoping myself to get a bump from 38 to 40--now that I've said it publicly I have some more motivation to push hard.
W/U: 10' @ 6.5 mph/1.0% incline w/4 x 30" 5k pace strides
5K Test:
Mile 1-2.00 8.2 mph/1.5% incline
Mile 2.00-2.61 8.4 mph/1.5% incline
Mile 2.61-3.11 8.6 mph/1.5% incline
C/D: 1 mile @ Z1
Test Result: 20:37/Vdot: 48.1 (increase from 45.1 in week 1)
Avg. HR: 175
Hope everyone has a great test today and enjoy tomorrows rest!
@ Rachel- Yep. Your right. Gatorade endurance. DUH! I haven't plugged it into nutrition spreadsheet yet to see how it plays for me yet. I am switching from Skratch, which my gut sorta liked. I haven't made it too the volume I should be drinking yet. I'm being cautious. I do like base salt.
As for being "old, stiff and sore" DAM! I hot tubed, rolled, and stretched last night and i'm walking around like an old women needing a walker. So I am now doing a repeat session of roll, heat, stretch. Glad it's a bike day. My right ankle is bugging me. It's the site of a very old injury. HMMMMM.
" On my path to AWESOME!!!"
Todd, I saw the opposite -- 14% improvement in FTP but only 7 seconds faster on the run (18:19 to 18:12).
I think a lot depends on where you were the strongest coming in, and how you feel on the day. I've also gotten better at pushing myself harder on the bike, while on the run I was already around the max I can push outside of a race.
Ok team... I need your thoughts on what to do:
I was suppose to do my run test today on outdoor track but it has been raining like crazy. I had planned on doing my test tomorrow or even sat if needed because I really want to do it where i did the last one but accurate testing. Anyone have an opinion on maybe i should just switch my testing over to a treadmill as then I will never have to be dependent on the weather? I feel like my week is so messed up!!
I don't know where you live, but if you think that the weather is going to keep you inside for most of the rest of the NOS and beyond, then perhaps testing on a TM is best because you can establish a benchmark. But remember, the NOS lasts just 6 more weeks and a half marathon is the preferred test at the end of NOS, especially if you're doing a HIM or a IM later in the year.
Todd, I see where your vdot is 48.1. What calculator are you using to get your vdot to a tenth? The EN calculator always just gives a whole number and the heads/tails spreadsheet has my goal at the end of the OS at 46.5.
Kim, I agree with Mark. If you will be doing most of your training outside then I would try and do yours outside again. For the most part, the vdot primarily sets up our training zones so if you train outside then you should test outside so your zones are reasonable.
Nice work, all!
Test track is indoors at the Y as it has been for the past 2 seasons. Started off my 2 mile warm up way faster than usual. Thought my Garmin was off like it was on my last test. I verified my pacing by time and it matched up to what the Garmin was showing me. I had a big goal of hitting a vDOT of 50, up from 47. Paces were all planned out run a 19:57 5k, which would be a PR.
Results 19:37 vDOT 51 and a 4 pt bump
mi 1 - 6:44
mi 2 - 6:40
mi 3 - 6:13
Exceeded my expectations by quite a margin. While technically a vDOT of 50, I was 1 second short of a 51, so I may go with that. While I was winded, I still had plenty of gas left in the tank. Now the scary down side is the speed of my new training paces. Psychologically, running a pace starting with a 6 just seems way too fast. I am just going to have to figure a way to get over that.
I completed the 5K test today. My running has felt good recently and I was expecting good results. I thought, perhaps, I'd get most of the way to my VDOT goal of 39.2. In fact, I ran the 5K in 23:55 (7:42 /mile) for a VDOT of 40.4 - a gain of 4.2 since late October!
My FTP test was pretty rough. It's nice to have some good success with the running!
I can't remember the last time I put in 41 days straight of training (NOV 2 - DEC 6). It was odd to take monday off. I guess I should have done core, but my plan said to do nothing, so I did.
Got a call from my LBS that my P1 power tap pedals arrived, so I had them put them on. I decided to do the power bike test, but still went by feel, tried to be consistent, and didn't pay much attention to the numbers. Now I have some numbers to compare for next test. There is so much information about power testing! Looks like I have some heavy reading to do. First bike test of the OS: Test HR 160, normalized power 204, avg mph 18.3 on trainer.
The plan for the run test was to do the same course as Thanksgiving 5k race, which I finished in 20:33. The race was in a park with one short hill. Woke up thursday morning to 41deg and pouring rain. Didn't think these were great conditions for testing so decided to wait. Thursday passed and no test
. Friday morning went to test on the tready and realized my Garmin was at work! Worked for 9hrs with my two young daughters with me, had a salad for lunch and trail mix snack around 7:30pm. Thought I would hop on the TM to see how I felt. Walked for a few minutes, jogged for a few minutes, Z1 for a mile, Z2 for a mile, and I felt pretty good. Bumped the MPH up to 9.5 (1.5 deg) which is supposed to be 6:32 pace. My Garmin 910 with foot pod had me at 6:17, which seems to be the consistent discrepancy. I went ahead and set my run zones for 19:35. Avg HR 183, max HR 188. Laps: 6:14,17,20.
I have been doing my runs after work on the TM, so I think this is a good test for me. Thanks for all the encouragement on Strava. Looking forward to a great second half of the OS!
I did my run test yesterday!! from a 34 vdot to a 38 vdot. yay but man oh man... i do not like testing. It HURTS! but it was great all at the same time. Glad i waited out the rain from thurs too so my testing could replicated the last test.
mile 1: 8:13
mile 2 8:12
mile 3 8:16
average heart rate was 170.