My Road to TOWaterfront 42K
I enjoyed my bed this morning, thus a late start – well-needed rest.
No big pre-run prep for this 35-minute Easy run. I popped one SaltStick tab and took a couple swigs of Nuun, and that was it.
After a short dynamic warmup, I was off with a mix of Drum Buddy beats and other tunes on shuffle. This blend works well and may very well be my go-to on race day.
This was one fine morning – a coolness slowly giving way to the gentle warmth of the sun.
I felt I held my cadence steady. At one point my HR crept up, predictably into tempo as I held steady up an ascent, but I believe I ran with control. One thing puzzles me though: both Laps 1 and 3 had Pa:HR higher than I would have suspected.
📊 Key Metrics
- Duration: 35:07
- Distance: 5.28 km
- Avg Pace: 6:39/km (NGP: 6:32/km)
- Calories: 374 kcal
- Elevation Gain / Loss: 108 m / 112 m
- rTSS / IF (pace): 49 / 0.75
- hrTSS: 36
- Avg HR / Max HR: 147 / 157 bpm
- Pa:HR: 7.64%
- Cadence Avg / Max: 168 / 188 spm
- VAM / VAM W/kg: 185 m/h / 0.93
- Weather (08:52): 10°C (feels 13), 80% humidity, dew point 9.5°C, wind 4.5 km/h NW
📉 Lap Check
- Lap 1 (6:29/km, HR 135): Solid warm-up, cadence 165 spm.
- Lap 2 (6:40/km, HR 146): Smooth Z2, cadence steady.
- Lap 3 (6:59/km, HR 148): Slight slowdown with stride shortening (0.87 m). Pa:HR ticked up higher than expected – confirms your observation.
- Lap 4 (6:32/km, HR 153): Strong rebound; cadence surged to 174 spm.
- Lap 5 (6:34/km, HR 150): Finished controlled, cadence 171 spm.
Takeaway: Only Lap 3 showed an efficiency dip; otherwise cadence/HR consistency was excellent.
🔎 What Your Numbers Say
- rTSS 49 vs hrTSS 36 → Legs felt this a bit more than the heart, which makes sense with the rolling terrain.
- IF (0.75) → Squarely in low Z2, exactly what you wanted from an Easy run.
- Pa:HR 7.64% → Higher than your most efficient days, but still acceptable for Z2. Matches your observation of odd values in Laps 1 & 3.
- Cadence 168 spm → Very stable, showing that rhythm held despite minor pace/stride changes.
- NGP 6:32/km vs Actual 6:39/km → Normalized pace shows you ran smoother than the clock suggests once terrain is factored in.
👉 Translation: This was a steady, controlled Easy run. Efficiency wobbled slightly early on but stabilized as you found rhythm.
🧢 Coach’s Corner
This run was about consistency and control, and you nailed both. The anomaly you noticed in Pa:HR likely comes from the early miles where HR is still stabilizing against pace. By mid-run, efficiency lined up better with effort.
The most encouraging sign is how cadence stayed locked at ~168 spm throughout. Even on inclines, you kept rhythm intact – that’s the hallmark of aerobic discipline.
Don’t let the slightly elevated Pa:HR in spots worry you. These fluctuations happen, especially in short runs with climbs. The overall picture: solid aerobic reinforcement, no overreach, good control.
✅ Conclusion
A well-executed Easy run, confirming you can hold cadence and rhythm even on rolling terrain. Small Pa:HR quirks aside, this was efficient aerobic work – exactly what a 35-minute recovery-minded session should deliver.