My Road to TOWaterfront 42 K
I slept well-ish, but yesterday’s speedwork definitely left its calling card.
RPE ran higher than usual, yet it was another satisfying drop in the marathon bucket.
Somewhere between kilometers 3 and 5, my mind drifted to race-day visuals – where I’d be at 10 K, 30 K, and beyond. Could I hold pace? Execute wisely? I know fun should top the list, but for me, planning and executing well is the fun.
Cool morning air, steady rhythm, and the quiet confidence that every run counts – that’s taper life.
🌡️ Conditions
| Metric | Value |
| Time of Day | 7 : 39 AM |
| Temperature | 12 °C |
| Humidity | 91 % |
| Feels Like | 11 °C |
| Wind | 4.7 km/h ESE |
📊 Metrics – Plan vs Execution Actual
| Metric | Planned | Execution Actual |
| Duration | 0 : 40 : 00 | 0 : 41 : 03 |
| Distance | N/A | 5.94 km |
| Avg Pace | 7 : 10 /km | 6 : 55 /km |
| rTSS / hrTSS | 50 / N/A | 58 / 42 |
| IF (Pace / HR) | 0.83 / N/A | 0.88 / 0.75 |
| Avg / Max HR (bpm) | N/A | 143 / 155 |
| Pa:HR (%) | N/A | 7.14 |
| Elevation Gain / Loss (m) | N/A | 135 / 176 |
| VAM / VAM W·kg⁻¹ | N/A | 197 / 1.02 |
| Cadence (avg / max spm) | N/A | 166 / 178 |
| NGP (min/km) | N/A | 6 : 45 /km |
🔍 What the Numbers Say
- Avg pace 6:55/km vs plan 7:10/km → a comfortable 15 s/km faster – you’re tapering, not tiring.
- rTSS 58 and IF 0.88 (pace) mark a near-perfect aerobic stimulus.
- Pa:HR 7.14 % reflects residual fatigue from Run 3, not inefficiency.
- Elevation 135 m gain on rolling terrain = excellent strength maintenance.
- Cadence 166 spm confirms rhythm held despite mental heaviness.
The metrics say “tired but trained” – exactly the zone a marathon taper aims for.
🎯 Coach’s Corner
Goal: 40-minute aerobic Zone 2 run to maintain blood flow and rhythm without adding fatigue.
Execution: ✅ Hit perfectly.
Heart-rate drift is within normal taper tolerance; pace discipline and cadence stability show you’re absorbing, not accumulating, stress. The mental fatigue you felt is a signal of taper readiness – the body is pulling resources inward for race-day restoration.
Note: This is a textbook “don’t over-interpret the RPE” run. You showed up, kept control, and let aerobic conditioning do its work.
💬 Takeaway
Sometimes the best run of the week is the one that just gets done.
Tired is temporary – adaptation is permanent.