My Road to TOWaterfront 42K
This workout targeted controlled marathon-pace efforts, set against a cool misty morning. The focus was efficiency, rhythm, and form.
Let’s get the pre-run ritual out of the way. I simply sipped on a Maurten Mix 160 until about 15 minutes pre-run. Two SaltStick caps and I was good to go.
It was a cool morning, cooler than we’ve had for quite some time. A fine mist hung over playing fields bordering part of my route.
Since it was so cool, I figured that I could go without Nuun on the run. Instead, I took a few sips with the salt tabs.
Interestingly enough, my RPE felt higher today than I expected. Probably lingering fatigue, but I’m not sure how much it impacted my numbers.
I held steady throughout with my trusty Drum Buddy beats. This allowed me to focus a lot on form – toes up, push down and away, and so on. I could feel my pace surge when I focused on the minutiae.
I took my scheduled Gel 160 during the last couple of strides. I also tried taking out the packet while on the run and began squeezing some out before deciding to walk and complete the task, but I think it’s doable.
I glanced at my metrics and was jazzed that my Pa:HR was nice and low. It looks how I felt!
Coach?
Key Metrics
- Duration: 1:08:06
- Distance: 10.5 km
- Avg Pace: 6:30/km (NGP: 6:17/km)
- Calories: 670 kcal
- Elevation Gain / Loss: 222 m / 206 m
- rTSS / IF (pace): 104 / 0.76
- hrTSS: 73
- Avg HR / Max HR: 150 / 159 bpm
- Pa:HR: 2.51% ✅
- Cadence Avg / Max: 167 / 176 spm
- VAM / VAM W/kg: 196 m/h / 0.97
- Weather (06:41): 10°C (feels 7), 89% humidity, mist, dew point 8.2°C, wind 11 km/h NNW
Lap Check
- Laps 1–2: Stable Zone 2 warm-up, cadence ~165–167 spm. HR rose smoothly from 136 → 145 bpm.
- Laps 3–8: Short accelerations and strides included. Pace swings reflect brief repeats, but cadence and stride stayed consistent.
- Lap 9 anomaly: Cadence dropped to 139 spm with stride shrinking to 0.75 m. Likely a sensor or GPS hiccup, not actual breakdown.
- Laps 10–11: Metrics snapped back to normal: cadence ~170, stride ~1.0 m.
Overall: Only Lap 9 showed a glitch. Otherwise, cadence, HR, and stride confirmed steady aerobic execution.
What Your Numbers Say
- rTSS 104 vs hrTSS 73 → Legs registered this harder than the heart. Elevation and terrain spoke more than cardio strain.
- IF (pace 0.76) → Squarely in mid-Z2 aerobic development. Ideal for marathon durability.
- Pa:HR 2.51% → Excellent efficiency. HR stayed steady relative to pace, signaling aerobic strength.
- Cadence 167 spm → Rock steady, confirming the Drum Buddy beats did their job.
- NGP 6:17/km vs Actual 6:30/km → Terrain cost ~13s/km. Normalized pace shows you were faster than it looked.
👉 Translation: Your aerobic engine barely wavered. Smooth, efficient, and exactly what you want from a marathon-pace session.
Coach’s Corner
This run was an example of how cooler conditions + rhythm + form focus can elevate efficiency. The misty weather stripped away heat stress, while cadence anchoring freed up attention for form. Every time you drilled into technique, the pace surged – that’s the payoff of conscious form work.
The highlight is the Pa:HR of just 2.5%. That’s excellent by any standard and proof that your aerobic system is not just holding steady but improving under build-phase load.
The higher RPE you felt is the subtle fatigue talking, not aerobic strain. That’s good news – it means your cardiovascular system had more to give, while your legs were the limiting factor. Exactly what you want to see at this point in the cycle.
Conclusion
A rock-solid marathon-pace effort on a cool, misty morning. With Pa:HR staying remarkably low and cadence consistent, this was an efficiency builder through and through. Even if fatigue nudged your RPE higher, the numbers confirm what matters most: your engine is running smooth and strong.