A 28K long run in heart-rate zone 2. I decided to run to my parents home (26K) with a small detour to reach 28K. First hour was rainy, but the second half was very nice. Not a lot of wind, a bit of sun. No complaints there.
Little boat in Benthuizen
Afterwards
As I needed some clothes for the way back and water, I took my backpack. It works well, but I still don’t like the feeling. Apart from that, the running was easy at a constant pace and cadence.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava.
Today’s plan is 2x3000m at 5% incline on the treadmill.
The workout
In total, a 12K run on the treadmill. First, five minutes of rope jumping to warm up a bit, then 2K at 1% incline on the treadmill, and then two times 3000m at 5% incline, all at the same pace.
Afterwards
Running went well. The 5% incline felt much harder last time. The last 3K, so, the cooling down, I did at 2% incline instead of 1, because the difference felt too great.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava.
Today the schedule tells me it’s time for Yasso’s. Although the programme tells me to do 10 yasso’s, I chose to do 8 instead, because the training on Monday was quite hard and I’m still having the flu. I thought I’d rather do 8 yasso’s very steadily and with good form, than pushing for 10 with degrading form. So, 8 yasso’s, each in 2:50 (pace around 3:30/5:38).
Afterwards
The yasso’s went well and even the first one was in the correct pace. I did the yasso’s on the track, so timing was easy, but on the other hand, I tend to go to fast on the track.
Photo by Cupcake Media on Unsplash
Yasso’s always feels like hard work, but I like doing them. I feel a bit guilty about doing 8 instead of 10, but I think I need to rely on my decision to keep being a bit ill in mind and to go for constant pacing and good form.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava.
I’m still having a cold, but I do feel a bit better. Today’s plan is a long run of 18K, but before that, I did something very exciting.
I got invited by Runner’s World and Nationale Nederlanden to meet Eliud Kipchoge, who ran the marathon in 1:59:40 on Saturday. There was a press conference-like meeting at Nationale Nederlanden and together with a running mate, I went there to see the Q&A with Kipchoge, and, of course, to take a picture with him. It was really something special to meet the best long-distance runner to date.
A long run of 18K in heart rate zone 2, pace around 5:00/8:00. The weather was okay, and I chose a nice route along water and through the nice Overschie area.
Afterwards
I did not feel better yet, but not worse either. Apart from that, running was okay.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it on Garmin or on Strava.
Yesterday I felt definitely ill — lots of sleeping, coughing and nose-blowing. Today, I did a workout while not feeling great. Probably not a smart thing.
The workout
This is a tempo workout, consisting of 3 times 2000m at lactate threshold — around 3:50/6:10 — totaling at 14K including warming-up (2K) and cooling-down (4K). In between the intervals, I ran 1K at a slow pace for recovery.
Afterwards
I did not feel good and I definitely have a cold. Running was okay, though, although breathing was a harder than usual.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it on Garmin or on Strava.
Today’s a special day. Eliud Kipchoge has tried again to run the marathon distance in under two hours — and succeeded in 1:59:40. Crazy and very impressing stuff. I got an invitation to watch the attempt together with other runners at the Nationale Nederlanden DE Café in Rotterdam — free and breakfast included. It was great seeing history in the making and I really like Runner’s World and Nationale Nederlanden organized this for us runners.
After the attempt, Dutch Olympic athlete Bram Som provided a clinic with exercises and, of course, attempt to reach Kipchoge speeds. It was educational and great fun. After the clinic, I did a long run back to my house, with a little detour to reach 22K.
As I said above, the clinic was a lot fun run. It’s nice to run together with people you don’t know and meet new runners. The long run was okay, but I felt a bit ill already, so I’ve seen better runs.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava (clinic)/ Garmin or Strava (long run).
The workout consists of two times 2500m at an incline of 8%, but last time I did that, I felt 8% was way too steep. It didn’t feel natural, nor good, so I changed it to 5%, which, for someone living in the Netherlands, is still a relatively high incline. In between the 2500 meters at inline, the recovery was also 2500 meters, at the same pace, but with only 1% of incline. The goal of the workout is to engage the upper legs in hill work, while maintaining steady pace and cadence.
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
Afterwards
I find running on a treadmill harder than running outside, even at low speeds. The workout went fine, an the two times 2500m at 5% were comfortably hard.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava.
It’s core/cross-training day again — an hour of circuit training at the gym at work. Not much else to say, except that I enjoyed it, and did a lot of rope jumping again.
Today, I will do a ‘climax run’ with the athletics club.
The workout
A climax run is a run in which the intervals mostly become shorter as the workout progresses, but also more intense. In this particular workout, I ran 4, 3, 2, 1K at 85%, 95%, 100% and 110% of my 15K pace.
Afterwards
I still felt tired from the yasso’s and the long run, but the workout itself went well. Apart from one 1K in the third interval where I lost track of pacing a bit, I was able to keep the pace steady. This was a nice, pretty hard workout.
Workout data
If you want to see the workout, check it out on Garmin or on Strava.
