Improving 10k time at altitude

[MarkCo]

Hi TheEd

I've finished the cycle and just scraped in with my target of 200km for January. I am having a rest today and plan to start a new cycle tomorrow. Definitely feeling better now and my recent runs have felt quite good, so I'm hoping to move up to the 5x2km in a few days. I'll try to set off at 4:40 - 4:45/km and increase slowly to ensure I finish the session, can increase the speed next time (maybe!).

31 Jan
Waking HR 46
7.61km easy in 40:45
5:21/km
Av HR 140

1 Feb
Waking HR 52
Rested

2 Feb (Race day)
Waking HR 54 (Had a few drinks the night before for my birthday!)
Decided to go for something in between a hard effort and an easy run! So kind of a fartlek session with a progressive 3k in the middle and fast km at the end. Quite enjoyed the session as something different and felt it gave me a bit of fast running without draining the energy banks.

Here's a summary of the run with splits and Av HR in brackets:
Warm up 3km easy - 5:29 (130), 5:26 (144), 5:40 (145)
3km progressive - 4:56 (155), 4:34 (159), 4:08 (167).
4km easy - 5:42 (152), 5:27 (152), 5:26 (153), 5:18 (151).
1km fast-ish - 4:20 (165)

The 4:08 is the fastest km I've done at high altitude here. Felt good and wasn't pushing it to the limit, I reckon I could do a sub-4:00 km here. I was pretty out of puff though for 20 seconds afterwards!

3 Feb
Waking HR 50
11.32km easy in 1:00:11
5:18/km
Av HR 144

4 Feb
Waking HR 52
Resting.

cheers

[TheEd]

This is magic to hear markco, but don't become too much mileage numbers focused

when do you move to sea level again?

TheEd

[MarkCo]

Haha, I'll try not to be. It's just a target to help motivate me for the easy runs when I don't feel like going. I find I look forward to the quality sessions but sometimes I don't look forward to the "bread and butter" runs but know they're essential. Having the target of 200km means I can't miss too many, although if I genuinely need a rest I'll always take it.

Date of move back to sea level still not finalised - out of my control at the moment. I'm hoping some time in March or April, fingers crossed!

5 Feb (day 1 of new cycle)
12.72km easy in 1:10:12
5:31/km
Av HR 144.
Quite warm and sunny with a strong breeze, so a little harder work than it would have ordinarily been.

By the way, I remember you saying you didn't get a notification when there is a new thread on the forum, so I thought I'd let you know there is a new one today!

cheers

[TheEd]

Hi markco, thanks .. I received the notification for this post

you must be looking forward aiming at new target times for the year

TheEd

[MarkCo]

Hi TheEd

There is another new person / thread in the 10k forum today in case you haven't received an email!

Here's the latest from me:

6 Feb
8km easy in 41:53
5:13/km
Av HR 135
HR stayed the lowest I can remember and the natural easy pace has quickened slightly. Hopefully a good sign. Felt very easy indeed.

7 Feb - 5 x 2km
Engaged beast mode and went for the 5x2km for the first time. Quite warm and sunny here so set off at a slightly slower pace that last cycle. I'm pleased with the way the session went / felt. It was hard, but not agonising and I was able to maintain the pace and then up it a bit for the last interval. Probably the most consistent 2km session I've done on the program so far. According to Strava, my "grade adjusted pace" was 4:19, 4:20, 4:20, 4:20, 4:13 for each of the intervals, which accounts for a slight hill on one side of the lap, which is approx 0.65km around, meaning each of the intervals is not quite the same, but it seems my judged exertion is getting quite consistent. I always post up the data from my Tomtom by the way, rather than Strava, for some reason they always seem to disagree with each other by a second either way, how that is possible I have no idea!! Anyway, here's the stats, what can you tell me?

1km easy WU and CD.
Interval / time / pace / av HR / max HR / min HR after rest (90 secs walking)
1 / 9:03 / 4:30 / 156 / 161 / 116
2 / 9:04 / 4:31 / 158 / 166 / 124
3 / 9:07 / 4:32 / 160 / 167 / 131
4 / 9:01 / 4:29 / 162 / 171 / 135
5 / 8:49 / 4:23 / 164 / 175 / 135
Av pace during intervals: 4:29/km

Previous 4x2k session from 17 Jan:
Interval / time / pace / av HR / max HR / min HR after rest (90 secs walking)
1 / 8:51 / 4:24 / 158 / 164 / 123
2 / 8:56 / 4:27 / 159 / 169 / 130
3 / 8:58 / 4:28 / 164 / 172 / 139
4 / 9:02 / 4:30 / 166 / 177 / 135
Av pace during intervals: 4:27/km

Feet up tomorrow and then long run on Sunday, will post after that.

cheers

[TheEd]

Thanks for that markco, have replied there

congrats on moving up to the 5 x 2k, this session will bring the biggest change in performance. The session is about completing the total of 10k, it is a mentally tough session and it hardens the athlete for racing.

nice going and enjoy the long run

TheEd
ps.. I will be creating a new forum which only registered users can see, for users who have been on the program. This forum will be for ideas on variations for the 5 x 2k session et al.

[MarkCo]

Hi TheEd

Thanks, yes the 5x2k is definitely mentally challenging and I can see how that will help me in future races. Really looking forward to putting it into practice, I feel there has been a recent uplift, partly in performance but also in how my body is feeling when running.

The new forum sounds great, I look forward to sharing ideas on the different sessions, should help put a bit more spice into the program when needed!

Did the long run today, was feeling good so ended up bashing out a half marathon (the fact I got lost had nothing to do with it..). Felt pretty easy until 17-18km and I was a little tired from there but nothing too bad / painful. HR stayed under control in the 140s until I decided to finish strong with a slightly quicker last km. This was actually the longest run I've done since I did the Loch Ness Marathon in 2013!!

21.1km in 1:55:47
5:29/km
Av HR 143

Definitely better than the long run last session on 19 Jan, where the HR was a lot higher:
Long run - 16.02km in 1:28:24
5:31/km
Av HR 149

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

[MarkCo]

10 Feb
8k easy in 42:17
5:17/km
Av HR 137

11 Feb
No running as moving house. Carrying furniture up 5 flights of stairs at altitude is pretty good training anyway!!

12 Feb (6x1km)
Very sunny today, not hugely warm (22 deg C) but very intense sun. Different location to previous speed sessions, and better - found a lap on quieter roads, reasonably flat and 1.1km round which means 1 lap per interval (1km plus the 60 seconds rest is almost always 0.1km!). Session felt generally good, however the intense sun and extremely dry air did wear me down a bit towards the end. Comparing with last cycle, more consistent splits and looks like another sign fitness has increased a bit, although slightly slower on average the average and recovery heart rates were significantly lower. Tomtom also telling me estimated VO2 max is back up to 57.

km / time / av HR / max HR / min HR after rest (60 seconds walking)
1 / 4:18 / 153 / 160 / 123
2 / 4:22 / 155 / 165 / 127
3 / 4:20 / 158 / 168 / 135
4 / 4:23 / 161 / 171 / 140
5 / 4:25 / 163 / 171 / 142
6 / 4:22 / 164 / 177 / 142
Av. pace of intervals 4:21/km

Previous 6x1km session from 22 Jan:
km / time / av HR / max HR / min HR after rest (60 seconds walking)
1 / 4:28 / 154 / 163 / 131
2 / 4:23 / 158 / 166 / 134
3 / 4:15 / 162 / 171 / 139
4 / 4:12 / 164 / 174 / 148
5 / 4:16 / 168 / 176 / 150
6 / 4:22 / 169 / 178 / 148
Av. pace of intervals 4:19/km

[TheEd]

hi markco furniture removals .. hope no serious aches and pains

steady 1k session

TheEd

[MarkCo]

Hi TheEd

Yes actually - quite a few aches and pains, and felt very tired for a couple of days after the furniture removing, so had an extra rest day after the 6x1km.

13 Feb
Rested

14 Feb
11.46km easy in 1:00:02
5:14/km
Av HR 142
Had a very sharp pain in my quad that stopped me in my tracks just 10 seconds into the run, but managed to stretch it out and was OK once warmed up. Think it was just my leg complaining after the heavy lifting!

15 Feb
Rested

16 Feb
5k pace run. Was hoping to go a bit quicker than the last couple of cycles, as they were both about 10-15 seconds slower the cycle in November (22:39 - my best at this altitude until today!). Conditions were much nicer than for the 6x1km a few days back - cooler and mostly cloudy so far less draining. Decided to set off at 4:30/km pace and look to at least maintain that. Could 100% feel the benefit of the 5x2km session as although the pace was challenging, I was able to maintain it well and quite comfortably - difficult to explain but definitely feeling fitter and more efficient. Was able to squeeze the gas in the final 2km as well for a faster finish. Especially happy that not only did I go 50 seconds quicker than last cycle, the heart rates were lower, so a decent step up. I feel I could keep the pace of the initial 3km up for a full 10km and so I reckon a sub 45 min 10k here could now be possible. Looking for a race to test it but can't find any still!

Warm up 3km at 5:15/km and Cool down 3km at 5:21/km

km / pace / Av HR
1 / 4:30 / 150
2 / 4:25 / 162
3 / 4:27 / 162
4 / 4:21 / 164
5 / 4:15 / 166
Total time: 22:06 (4:25/km)

5k pace run from previous cycle on 26 Jan:
km / pace / Av HR
1 / 4:37 / 146
2 / 4:37 / 164
3 / 4:37 / 165
4 / 4:35 / 169
5 / 4:24 / 170
Total time: 22:56 (4:35/km)

cheers