run pace question
My Vdot tested at 33 last weekend. The data tool gives my Z4 pace at ~9:30. The last two runs I"ve done that called for 800M or 1 mile repeats at Z4 hard pace I've been able to do those at high 8 pace, ~ 8:50. RPE is hard but not killing myself. So a few things come to mind...
1.Run by RPE at the pace I"ve been doing, and do another test when the OS plan calls for it and adjust the paces.
2. Do another 5K test now and readjust.
3. run 9:30's now and readjust after the next test. 9:30 really feel quite slow by RPE.
I'm starting the OCT OS Monday and have been doing the week 2 run workouts. I'll test on the bike Monday eve.
Opinions? Also, the repeats are followed by a few minutes rest. Is this a walk? jog? Is the intent to get the HR low and the lactate cleared to go hard again?
Thanks! Kurt
Comments
In terms of the rest, there's a range of opinions, but I think the generic advice is that it doesn't really matter that much what you do in the rests. The key thing is to hit the intervals, so do whatever you need to do so that you can nail them. Personally, I like to walk for a minute or 2 and then slow jog it through the remainder of the rest.
Hey Kurt,
Bill is right on with his answer. The OS is going to get really hard, what seems easy now is eventually going to be quite difficult because of the accumalative fatigue.
The paces have been set by your testing and are at a speed that we can do safely without the risk of getting hurt and still provide the work that will allow us to get stronger and faster. So if you think they are rediculously easy then yes you should retest now, or wait until the next scheduled test and just follow the plan until you do so.
As far as your recovery question, our workouuts are all about the interval or what we call " the work". Yes we need to warm up and cool down and put in the prescibed time, but it is all about " the work" that is going to make us faster. So the answer to your question is an individual one, what do YOU need to do to get yourself ready to crush the next interval. If it is a walk to get your HR to the point that you are recovered enough to hit your paces then do so, if it is a jog then do that.
If you do not follow the paces I gaurentee you will eventually over train and get hurt. Every veteran in the Haus has found this out the hard way. There is a method and the science to back up these programs. We get the privilage to run or bike faster by testing. We are all happy when we have a good test but then we get the privilage of much harder workouts, you will find this out soon enough.
Good Luck and enjoy your OS. Train smart.
Kurt,
I think it's to give some recovery, but to maintain the overall goal of maximizing time at LT. So, you recover, but enter LT in subsequent intervals quite quickly. Daniels discusses this (although it's in reference to cruise itnervals):
The great advantage of the brief recoveries is that blood-lactate levels remain fairly constant and the runner experiences threshold effort throughout the entire training session, which can last a fair bit longer than could be accomplished with a steady tempo run. Even though it onvolves more T-pace running per workout than does a tempo run, a cruise-interval session is usually easier to do because the running looks forward to the little breaks that come periodically throughout the workout.