Long Run with Lessons – Peak Phase 1 | Week 1 | Run 5

My Road to TOWaterfront 42K

The plan called for 2:30 with a closing block at marathon pace. The reality? I made it to 2:17 and 18.7 km before pulling the pin. Fueling was solid, effort felt manageable early, but the combination of hills, heat, and rising fatigue left me short of the goal. Sometimes, even when the nutrition and pacing plan are dialed in, the body has its say.

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📊 Metrics at a Glance

• Duration: 2:17:06
  
• Distance: 18.70 km
  
• Average Pace: 7:20/km (11:48/mi)
  
• NGP: 6:43/km
  
• Calories: 1,511 kcal
  
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 558 m / 561 m
  
• Average HR: 142 bpm | Max HR: 155 bpm
  
• Pa:HR: 9.26%
  
• rTSS / hrTSS: 203 / 138
  
• IF (pace): 0.73 | IF (HR): 0.73
  
• Cadence: 162 spm avg | Max 180 spm
  
• VAM: 244 m/h (≈ 1.22 W/kg)
  

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📦 What the Numbers Say

• Pa:HR (9.3%) signals notable aerobic strain – efficiency dropped off late.
  
• NGP (6:43/km) shows the course and effort were tougher than average pace suggests.
  
• HR (142 bpm avg) was within Z2–low Z3, but drifted as the run wore on.
  
• Elevation gain of 558 m made this a seriously hilly long run, adding muscular fatigue.
  
• Cadence stayed consistent at 162 spm, even as pace slowed.
  

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🧢 Coach’s Corner

Execution vs Plan
Planned: 2:30 with a strong closing MRP block. Actual: 2:17 with no sustained MRP finish. This counts as underperformance vs plan.

Performance Quality
Despite falling short, the quality of work was still meaningful: 18.7 km over tough terrain with Z2/low Z3 effort. The main limiter was fatigue accumulation, not fueling errors – fueling was executed well.

Advisability
Pulling the plug was advisable. Pushing through could have risked overtraining or compromised recovery heading into the next Peak week. Better to take 13 minutes off today than lose multiple days to a setback.

Hilliness Impact
This was a mountainous route for a long run – 558 m of gain is marathon-training gold, but it also magnified the aerobic cost. High VAM (244 m/h) underscores the demand. The hills likely inflated Pa:HR drift.

Efficiency Check
Pa:HR drift of 9.3% confirms efficiency slipped late, but that’s expected given elevation, duration, and conditions. Over time, repeating these long efforts should see Pa:HR stabilize closer to 6–7% even in hills.

Takeaway
This was a tough-love long run. I didn’t nail the prescription, but I banked nearly 2:20 of hill-heavy endurance – and had the maturity to stop when the effort turned unproductive. That’s smart marathon training.

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Conclusion

Peak Phase long runs test both body and ego. Today mine reminded me that effort, not perfection, is what builds resilience. Another brick laid – even if not the one I’d sketched on paper.