SC100 Training: Focus 1
Out of the Base training and into the more specific training of the Focus phase. The first week actually quite comfortable overall. Admittedly I was skipping the harder hill run to allow for the increased mileage of the longer runs, but it felt easier than thought it would.
The Pace run gave me 26km in a bit under 2.5 hours. The heart rate was up a little and speed was appropriate, it just felt right while running like this regardless of what terrain I was on. Absolutely no flat spots in energy either. Consuming a bit of maltodextrin throughout definitely gets me some better training quality.
The Speed session was performed in groups of four. Plyometric hill reps, uphill sprints, downhill high cadence sprints, all taking 15-20 seconds each with about 2 min in between. In the end I felt ready to hammer a fast 5000m.
The Long run got me 5 hours 20min. The first 20km was mainly non-technical and was covered in 1:40, a bit quick. This did catch up with me as I got into the much more technical and hillier terrain of Plenty Gorge. My energy levels seemed to be maintained, but my legs were beaten up much earlier in the mix than they should have been. As a result the pace and skills suffered a fair bit despite the effort level being up.
As part of the long run I checked out the course for next week's Race 2 of the Salomon Trail Series. It's going to be fun. The water for the river crossing was flowing faster and deeper, destroying any concept of rock hopping. There's been the addition of rope to support the crossings recently, and to be honest I wouldn't have attempted the crossing by myself without them with the water the way it was. Still, it will just add to the event.
The basic runs were very easy runs. All mental pressure on these runs has been taken away. That combined with the lack of pace makes for some very enjoyable rejuvenation. One day saw no running which was mainly to ensure I got enough sleep to survive night shift. I decided that was a good move as the shift extended beyond 16 hours.
Next week will see the harder hill session added in the form of the 11.5km trail race in Plenty Gorge. Scheduling during the week will be a little less than ideal as it looks like my only option is to perform my long run the day after race. Should be interesting.
The Pace run gave me 26km in a bit under 2.5 hours. The heart rate was up a little and speed was appropriate, it just felt right while running like this regardless of what terrain I was on. Absolutely no flat spots in energy either. Consuming a bit of maltodextrin throughout definitely gets me some better training quality.
The Speed session was performed in groups of four. Plyometric hill reps, uphill sprints, downhill high cadence sprints, all taking 15-20 seconds each with about 2 min in between. In the end I felt ready to hammer a fast 5000m.
The Long run got me 5 hours 20min. The first 20km was mainly non-technical and was covered in 1:40, a bit quick. This did catch up with me as I got into the much more technical and hillier terrain of Plenty Gorge. My energy levels seemed to be maintained, but my legs were beaten up much earlier in the mix than they should have been. As a result the pace and skills suffered a fair bit despite the effort level being up.
As part of the long run I checked out the course for next week's Race 2 of the Salomon Trail Series. It's going to be fun. The water for the river crossing was flowing faster and deeper, destroying any concept of rock hopping. There's been the addition of rope to support the crossings recently, and to be honest I wouldn't have attempted the crossing by myself without them with the water the way it was. Still, it will just add to the event.
The basic runs were very easy runs. All mental pressure on these runs has been taken away. That combined with the lack of pace makes for some very enjoyable rejuvenation. One day saw no running which was mainly to ensure I got enough sleep to survive night shift. I decided that was a good move as the shift extended beyond 16 hours.
Next week will see the harder hill session added in the form of the 11.5km trail race in Plenty Gorge. Scheduling during the week will be a little less than ideal as it looks like my only option is to perform my long run the day after race. Should be interesting.
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