My Road to TOWaterfront 42K
First things first. I had planned to eat 2 slices of white bread with jam an hour before, but ended up going with a Maurten Mix 160 at T-minus 1 hour. I also meant to take a couple tablespoons of honey just before heading out, but forgot. In the end, I didn’t need it.
Cool air lingered from last night’s rain, though the humidity was on its way back.
Drum Buddy Beats were King! I set the sequence at 155 | 165 | 170 | 175 BPM in 10-minute steps. That rhythm kept me solid on the inclines, especially during the first 30-second stride. The beat carried me through both Z4 efforts and the cooldown, and I finished with a big smile.
What the Numbers Say
- Duration: 37:07
- Distance: 5.80 km
- Avg Pace: 6:24/km (10:18/mi)
- NGP: 6:17/km
- Calories: 463 kcal
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 126 m / 144 m
- Avg HR: 148 bpm | Max HR: 163 bpm
- Pa:HR: 4.42%
- rTSS / hrTSS: 61 / 41
- IF (pace): 0.78
- Cadence: 169 spm avg | Max 186 spm
- VAM: 204 m/h (≈ 1.03 W/kg)
Coach’s Corner
- Execution vs plan
✔️ Nailed the workout as prescribed: warm-up, strides, 2 × 7-min Z4 blocks, cooldown. Cadence ladder worked exactly as intended. - Performance quality
Strong control across the board. Heart rate averaged 148 bpm, with only 4.42% drift – well within the efficiency target. NGP (6:17/km) shows you ran smoother than the raw pace suggests given the hills. - Advisability
Absolutely advisable. This kept intensity sharp while respecting Active Recovery week’s reduced volume. - Efficiency check
Near-flat Pa:HR suggests aerobic stability and good heat handling. Cadence progression to 175 spm capped the workout with crisp mechanics. - Fueling reflection
Maurten Mix 160 alone (≈40 g carbs) was enough for a sub-40 min tempo. The honey kicker wasn’t missed – good sign that you’re topped up and efficient. - Hilliness impact
+126 m gain in just over 5.8 km kept HR honest. The cadence ladder proved valuable for maintaining rhythm despite terrain. - Takeaway
A quality tempo session that banked the intensity, sharpened cadence, and stayed fully within the recovery-week guardrails.
Conclusion
Today, the beat was the king – cadence ruled the session, effort stayed controlled, and the workout delivered exactly what it was meant to.