My Road to TOWaterfront 42K
Today’s workout was set up as a classic aerobic endurance session in low-to-mid Zone 2. Nothing flashy, just steady miles to keep the aerobic engine humming.
This was a later start than I’ve become accustomed to since the spring. It was a bit of a challenge following my usual pre-run routine. Fortunately, it was an Easy Run, so I wasn’t overly concerned with pre-run carb timings, etc. I did chomp down on a honking big peanut butter on challah sandwich about 2 hours pre-run. I sipped on Nuun as usual. I chewed a couple of SaltStick tabs just before heading out.
I chose to run with a playlist of Drum Buddy Beats at 165 bpm, shuffled with some lyrical tunes. I like this mix as it challenges me to maintain my 165-ish cadence, even if the tune is not the same bpm. The beats kept me locked in and steady during a Lap 3 ascent. Also, I was more focused on cadence on this run as opposed to sticking too closely to HR. That said, I was surprised that my HR went a bit higher than my RPE suggested – later start? Warmer than I expected? I felt good nonetheless. I debated taking in-run hydration – should I have? Dunno.
Over to you coach!
Key Metrics
- Duration: 45:06
- Distance: 6.81 km
- Avg Pace: 6:37/km (NGP: 6:30/km)
- rTSS / IF (pace): 63 / 0.88
- hrTSS / IF (HR): 50 / 0.78
- Avg HR / Max HR: 151 / 160 bpm
- Elevation Gain / Loss: 140 m / 152 m
- Pa:HR: 6.48%
- Cadence Avg / Max: 167 / 178 spm
- VAM / VAM W/kg: 186 m/h / 0.94
- Weather (13:41): 19°C (feels 15), 56% humidity, DP 8°C, wind 19.4 km/h WNW
Lap Check
- Lap 3: +18 m climb, stride shortened (0.95 → 0.91 m), pace slowed +16s/km, HR nudged +4 bpm. Yet cadence held rock-steady at 166 spm, which is why it didn’t feel harder.
- Lap 6: Cadence spiked to 170 with stride drop – a mini form shift.
- Lap 8: Finish jog artifact (0.02 km blip).
- Elevation: Colour totals (36 m gain) underreport versus P50F (140 m). Trust the P50F.
What Your Numbers Say
- rTSS 63 vs hrTSS 50 → Legs felt this a little more than the heart, which makes sense with hills in the mix.
- IF (pace 0.88 vs HR 0.78) → The watch thought you were pushing; your heart said steady Z2. That’s aerobic control in action.
- Pa:HR 6.48% → Solid efficiency. Anything under 10% means you kept things stable, even late in the run.
- Cadence 167 spm → Locked to the beat, you held rhythm while stride shortened on the climb. That’s why RPE stayed even when HR rose.
- NGP 6:30 vs Actual 6:37/km → Hills and wind taxed the pace, but normalized effort shows you didn’t overreach.
👉 Translation: The rhythm carried you. Metrics confirm what you felt – smooth, aerobic, and right where it needed to be.
Conclusion
This wasn’t just about logging Z2 time. It was about proving cadence anchoring works – keeping RPE calm while terrain nudged the numbers. That’s a useful tool heading deeper into the marathon build.