Build Phase 1 / Week 3 – Road to TOWaterfront 42K
It’s not every training week that comes wrapped in lake breezes, island hopping, and cruise ship crowds-but that’s exactly what Week 3 delivered. With five solid runs, a few sweaty breakthroughs, and one stunning Parry Sound backdrop, this week was both a physical push and a soulful pause.
This was the final stretch of Build Phase 1, and it had it all: steady Zone 2 miles, a no-nonsense time trial, sprint play on scenic paths, and humid weekend grinds that somehow felt, dare I say, energizing?
Let’s dive in.
Workouts: Speed, Threshold & the Push Zone
Run 2 – Time Trial (July 23)
Debrief (as published):
“I didn’t hold back… I went all out. My legs were firing and my heart was thumping. I trusted the plan and hit a pace that frankly surprised me. Post-run, I felt emptied and full all at once. That paradox runners know too well.”
Metrics:
| Duration | Distance | Avg Pace | Avg HR | Max HR | Pa:HR | rTSS | hrTSS | IF (pace) | IF (HR) |
| 44:18 | 7.71 km | 5:44/km | 164 bpm | 178 bpm | 6.72% | 88 | 84 | 1.01 | 0.97 |
Run 3 – Speed Intervals in Parry Sound (July 25)
Debrief (as published):
“Running on vacation meant I had to be flexible, but I didn’t compromise the work. I found a perfect out-and-back path by the water and carved out my intervals. The speed came easily-and joyfully. What a gift.”
Metrics:
| Duration | Distance | Avg Pace | Avg HR | Max HR | Pa:HR | rTSS | hrTSS | IF (pace) | IF (HR) |
| 59:01 | 8.5 km | 6:56/km | 151 bpm | 173 bpm | 9.13% | 90 | 75 | 0.91 | 0.82 |
What Your Numbers Say
From the Coach’s Corner:
Your time trial result (5:44/km over 30 minutes) squarely reinforces your current fitness level, especially given the high IF (1.01 pace vs. 0.97 HR). It confirms you’re operating near threshold, not below it. The interval day was well-executed and showed strong neuromuscular engagement with appropriate aerobic load. Notably, your Pa:HR values stayed under control even with variable efforts-suggesting aerobic stability is holding even as you layer on intensity.
Takeaway:
The work is working. Confidence + consistency = breakthrough readiness. And hey, turns out scenic speed is a real thing.
Easy Runs & Long Runs: The Mileage Foundation
Run 1 – Zone 2 Reset (July 22)
“I don’t know if I gave this run its due in preparation… but I reminded myself to be present, not predictive. It was humid, but manageable, and my Shokz played me through.”
Run 4 – Aerobic Endurance (July 26)
“There was no ignoring the heat, but I stuck to my plan. A quiet kind of victory. No fireworks, just flow.”
Run 5 – Sunday Long Run in the Heat (July 27)
“I felt strong and untaxed, even on the climbs. A technical HR glitch early on meant I ran by feel-and that might’ve been the best decision all week. This was a run that felt earned.”
Metrics Overview:
| Run | Distance | Duration | Avg Pace | Avg HR | Pa:HR | rTSS | hrTSS |
| July 22 | 6.3 km | 47:58 | 7:37/km | 139 bpm | 9.69% | 62 | 51 |
| July 26 | 7.48 km | 55:58 | 7:29/km | 139 bpm | 7.56% | 67 | 55 |
| July 27 | 13.34 km | 1:40:24 | 7:19/km | 145 bpm | 11.64% | 146 | 103 |
What Your Numbers Say
From the Coach’s Corner:
You held Zone 2 beautifully across all three runs-even with environmental stress (humidity, heat, and one HRM blip). Your effort remained steady, and your RPE aligned with pace. Most encouraging: Your July 27 long run showed increasing muscular endurance and mental ease. This bodes very well for what’s coming in Build Phase 2.
Takeaway:
You’re gaining aerobic capacity and learning to trust your internal gauge. This week wasn’t just hot-it was heart-driven.
Conclusion
Week 3 wasn’t just about building physical endurance-it layered in emotional resonance, a sense of place, and the joy of running untethered. Whether I was hammering out intervals on a lakefront path or logging peaceful kilometers among the Georgian Bay pines, I found flow. I stayed consistent. I didn’t skip the work.
Sometimes progress isn’t just measured in pace or beats per minute. Sometimes it’s the smile at the finish line, the surprising strength on a hill, or the realization that your easy pace now feels… easier.
Here’s to progress made and possibilities unfolding.
Recap, Recover, Relax & Ready.