Recovery run

As I wrote yesterday, marathon training has begun and I have a schedule to follow. However, in order for the training to be appropriate I calculated all of the running speeds that I needed to use for the different training blocks during the week.

My maximum heart rate is 192 and I reach this rhythm when I'm running at 18km/h or 3:20 per km. Based on this I calculated the following:

HR % ----- Level ----------- Speed ----- Seconds / km ----- Minutes/km

100% ----- Max Speed ----------18 km/h ---- 200 s/km ----- 3:20
90% ------ Top threshhold ----- 16 km/h ---- 225 s/km ----- 3:45
80% ------ Threshhold -----------14.4 km/h -- 250 s/km ----- 4:10
70% ------ Active Endurance -- 12.6 km/h -- 285 s/km ----- 4:45
65% ------ Basic Endurance --- 11.6 km/h -- 310 s/km ----- 5:10

Max speed is based on a 2 km race speed which for under 7 minutes is the longest time that you can keep your heart rate at its maximum effort. Top threshhold is roughly 90% of this value and equates to your time per km over a 10 km race. Threshhold is the level that you start to run anaerobically and the lactate levels rise within the body. This equates to my marathon speed (slightly above). Active endurance and endurance are training speeds to let the body recover after the threshold sessions during the week. This was the speed for the day.

It was supposed to be an hour's recovery run so I figured on a 13km loop. This involved the normal Maisons Laffitte route with an extra circuit thrown in half-way round in front of the castle.

I took it very steadily and enjoyed the run. What seemed relatively easy to begin with became tiring in the joints by the end. However, I wasn't breathless at any point over the run.

13.3 km in 1:02:30 - perfect. An average speed of 12.8 km/h or each km in 4:41. Spot on !