2024 Training Log of a post-collegiate runner

Sick of these bullsh*t threads. Why can't we just talk about Baltimore, Chicago, and women's basketball!?!?

4/8 - 4/14

Monday - 8 miles + strides, 7:11 avg, 410 ft elevation gain, 149 HR, core

Tuesday - (1) 6 miles, 7:13, 279 ft elevation gain, 148 HR, core. (2) 4 miles w/ 3x200 w/ 400 jog in the middle (29.8, 29.7, 29.5), 7:05 avg, 144 HR

Wednesday - Workout, 11.6 miles total, 2 mile WU + strides, 5x5 minute thresh (5:45 avg)/ 90s jog, 3x2 min VO2 (5:15 avg)/ 2 min jog, 2 mile CD, core

Thursday - 12 miles, 7:11 avg, 571 ft elevation gain, 160 HR (I think my watch synced to cadence halfway through or I was dehydrated from the temps), core

Friday - (1) 5 miles, 7:24 avg, 226 ft elevation gain, 144 HR. (2) 4 miles, 7:23 avg, 180 ft elevation gain, 143 HR.

Saturday - 9.4 miles, ~6 miles of rolling hills w/ steady effort uphill and AE (7:10-6:55 on downhill), 6:39 avg, 561 ft elevation gain, 162 HR

Sunday - Off w/ core

Total - 60.4 miles, 7h2m, 2,463 ft elevation gain

Felt a little run down all week. Probably just my body adjusting back to training, plus the previous week was really good.

4/15 - 4/21

Monday - Workout, 9 miles total, 2 WU + strides, 4x4x400 @ 10k,5k,3k,mile within the sets, 60s btwn reps 3 min btwn sets, 2 CD, core. (80.2, 74.9, 73.4, 69.8) (80.0, 77.1, 74.3, 70.4) (79.3, 75.2, 72.7, 70.4) (79.1, 75.3, 72.4, 69.4)

Tuesday - 10 miles, 7:09 avg, 315 ft elevation gain, 157 HR (warm), core

Wednesday - 8 miles w/ 4x15s hill sprints, 7:25 avg, 420 ft elevation gain, 156 HR, core

Thursday - Off

Friday - Workout, 11.5 miles total, 2 WU + strides, 10 x k @ thresh 60s rest, 3x30s FBC 60s rest, 2 CD, core. 3:32, 3:30, 3:29, 3:30, 3:28, 3:27, 3:27, 3:27, 3:26, 3:27

Saturday - 8 miles, 7:13 avg, 325 ft elevation gain, 153 HR, core

Sunday - 15 miles, 6:34 avg, 230 ft elevation gain, 161 HR. Progressed every 3 miles from 7:00 - 6:15.

Total - 61.6 miles, 7h18m, 1,417 ft elevation gain

This week was up and down. Monday my confidence was extremely low and I broke down a bit during the workout. Once I finished I was just happy to get it done. Friday I gained some confidence back. I stayed in thresh and felt good. The long run got tough towards the end because I started to fatigue, but heart rate stayed in a good place (50 degrees helped).

4/22 - 4/28

Monday - 8 miles, 7:20 avg, 358 ft elevation gain, 147 HR, core.

Tuesday - (1) 6 miles, 7:28 avg, 344 ft elevation gain, 147 HR, core. (2) 4 miles w/ 4x150 (22.7, 22.0, 22.0, 21.9), 6:58 avg, 82 ft elevation gain, 138 HR (a couple stops).

Wednesday - Workout, 9.2 miles total, 2 WU + strides, 2x400 thresh 30s rest(84,81), 2x1k @5k 2min rest (3:09,3:10), 2x400 lactate flush 60s rest (80,80), 1x800 faster than 5k 3 min rest (2:26), 4x200 @ mile 60s rest (34,34,34,33), 1 mile thresh (5:44), 2 CD, core.

Thursday - 12 miles, 7:16 avg, 584 ft elevation gain, 152 HR, core.

Friday - (1) 5 miles, 7:24 avg, 246 ft elevation gain, 144 HR. (2) 4 miles, 7:06 avg, 148 ft elevation gain, 152 HR.

Saturday - 9.4 miles, ~ 6 miles of steady rolling hills, 6:37 avg, 505 ft elevation gain, 166 HR.

Total - 57.6 miles, 6h52m, 2,267 ft elevation gain

Gonna miss you, Frank. 5k this coming Wednesday.

Slow down your easy runs. Your HR should never above 150 avg which basically means your last half of the run was prob closer to 160. This is not easy, quit lying to yourself.

Slow these down and increase the mileage and start having energy to do faster workouts. This is how you get faster.

My heart rate never reaches 160 on my easy runs unless I'm running uphill for a significant period of time. It is never above 155 either. And I disagree with your statement that HR should never be above 150 avg. HR is a good metric but it is not one to adhere to completely. Every person has different baselines and there are many factors that affect HR day-to-day. You do not know my heart rate zones/baselines, nor do you know my effort level. I do not appreciate your passive aggressive advice, which is not even good advice. I am not building mileage now nor do I plan to until summer, and you would know that had you looked at all of my training. What sense would it make to increase mileage before summer? Lastly, when did I say I do not have energy to do faster workouts? I always have plenty of energy and run at the appropriate speed and intensity. That is how you get faster. Would you rather me race every workout? Respectfully, do not give people senseless, juvenile advice that I doubt you are even qualified to give.

An afterthought:

Any pace chart or calculator developed/used by the greatest coaches of this generation will show you I am running well within the right paces for my current fitness level. Training is more than just workouts. You cannot slog every single day and empty the tank every workout and expect to continuously progress. When every aspect of training is the right place, progress happens. That is how I went from 17:48 to 16:09 within 10 months. That is how I came back from three detrimental back to back to back stress fractures to PR in the 5k six months later. I appreciate constructive, informed advice, but what you gave is not it.