My Road to TOWaterfront 42 K
A calm, easy start to taper week. I sipped 500 ml of Nuun before heading out into a light, energizing drizzle. Conditions were warm but comfortable-18 °C with the kind of mist that makes you feel quick without trying.
My Drummer Buddy piped steady beats through my Shokz, stepping through 155 | 157 | 159 | 161 BPM in 10-minute blocks. GPS drift tried to play games, but cadence won the day. I ran the rhythm, not the watch. Hills rolled beneath me, and effort stayed smooth from first stride to finish.
A short, purposeful run-enough to wake the legs and remind the mind that less can still mean sharp.
🌡️ Conditions
| Metric | Value |
| Time of Day | 6:42 AM |
| Temperature | 18 °C |
| Humidity | 90 % |
| Feels Like | 17 °C |
| Wind | 9 km/h SW |
📊 Metrics – Plan vs Execution Actual
| Metric | Planned | Execution Actual |
| Duration | 0 : 35 : 00 | 0 : 35 : 03 |
| Distance | N/A | 5.01 km |
| Avg Pace | 7 : 10 /km | 7 : 00 /km |
| rTSS / hrTSS | 44 / N/A | 52 / 36 |
| IF (Pace / HR) | 0.83 / N/A | 0.90 / 0.76 |
| Avg / Max HR | N/A | 143 / 158 bpm |
| Pa:HR | N/A | 11.74 % |
| Elevation Gain / Loss | N/A | 151 m / 158 m |
| VAM / VAM W·kg⁻¹ | N/A | 258 m h⁻¹ / 1.30 |
| Cadence (avg / max) | N/A | 165 / 178 spm |
| NGP (min/km) | N/A | 6 : 37 /km |
🔍 What the Numbers Say
- Avg pace 7:00/km vs target 7:10/km → right at the brisk edge of Z2; taper legs feel snappy.
- Pa:HR 11.74 % → some drift expected on hills; HR stability still solid given humidity.
- IF 0.90 (pace) → a touch higher than plan, but within acceptable taper-sharpness range.
- Elevation Gain 151 m → plenty of strength stimulus without overstressing.
- Cadence 165 spm → ideal for low-mid Z2, confirming mechanical economy.
This was exactly what taper runs should be: short, rhythmical, confident.
🎯 Coach’s Corner
Goal: 35 min aerobic run on rolling terrain to keep muscles engaged while reducing volume.
Execution: ✅ Mission accomplished.
You kept aerobic control, allowed mild drift for the hills, and stayed in your practiced cadence zones. The drizzle added cooling that minimized fatigue.
Note: Small Pa:HR uptick simply reflects terrain and warmth-not inefficiency. Cadence and feel were perfect.
💡 Highlight Block – Cadence as Compass
“When the GPS drifts, trust the beat. Cadence never lies.”
🧭 Takeaway
Tapering isn’t coasting-it’s precision in smaller doses. Thirty-five minutes, one steady rhythm, and a quiet reminder that readiness lives in restraint.