Aerobic Endurance in Parry Sound – July 26, 2025

Build Phase 1 / Week 3 / Run 4 – Road to TOWaterfront 42K

Setting the Scene

About an hour before my run, I chomped down a Maurten Solid 160 – still my favorite brick of engineered energy. I also began sipping Nuun, which is basically on autopilot for me at this point. I’m fairly sure I added a couple SaltStick tabs for good measure too.

What I forgot? Updating my heart rate zones in my app to reflect the new road-tested, Time Trial values. That small oversight had me running a little hotter than planned – but hey, I’m human too.

The air had a smoky tinge from wildfire activity, and while there was an air quality warning in effect, I didn’t feel any impact. Maybe I was too focused on maintaining that low Zone 2 cruise.

A wide-format comic-style illustration of a close-up forward stride running pose on a wooden bridge with colorful mural panels. The scene captures a muscular middle-aged runner mid-stride, with one leg extended toward the viewer and the other lifting off the ground. The perspective emphasizes motion and determination, set against a backdrop of green trees and a soft blue sky.

📊 Workout Details

Metric	Value
Duration	35:08
Distance	5.29 km
Avg Pace	6:39/km
rTSS	50
hrTSS	41
IF (Pace)	0.88
IF (HR)	0.80
Avg HR	153 bpm
Max HR	169 bpm
Pa:HR	6.62%
Elevation Gain	106 m
Elevation Loss	106 m
Avg Cadence	167 spm
Calories Burned	416 kcal
RPE	3–4 (Moderate)
Weather	16°C, 95% humidity, wind E @ 3.1 km/h

🧠 Coach’s Corner

This run showcases what aerobic base-building looks like when you’re just slightly above target effort, yet still in control:

IF (Pace) 0.88 vs IF (HR) 0.80 suggests your effort was a touch brisk, likely from an enthusiastic start or mild terrain misjudgment.
Pa:HR at 6.62% is well within acceptable aerobic drift limits-especially with elevation changes.
EF of 1.09 confirms decent aerobic efficiency despite the warm and humid conditions.

It’s great to see you responding well even when small logistical details (like zone syncing) slip through. That’s adaptive fitness in motion.

🔗 Related Reads

💬 Final Thoughts

I may have gone out hotter than planned, but this run still sits squarely in the win column. The hills, humidity, and a bit of smoke added complexity-but nothing derailed the mission: staying steady, staying strong.

Let’s keep stacking.