I'm back on the running grind and feeling pretty stoked about it. Now, I can begin re-planning my goal—a sub-15 minute 5K by the end of our Kiwi summer. Annoyingly, my local athletics track is basically a grass field with a "no trespassing" sign, so I've got to hit the road to find quality races. As for balancing family, chores, travel and racing in one weekend? It's doable but mentally exhausting. I'm picking my battles—key races that align with my big goal. I'd love to hit the national series, but depending on who shows up, I could be out the ass, which doesn’t do much for my progress. I need a competitive “B” field or second pack to collectively push the pace together rather than hanging on and blowing my doors off.
I've pencilled a December race, two in January and one in February, with the Nationals in March as the grand finale. The calendar's tight, giving me just a couple of shots at a solid 5000m before the March main event. After a 3000m race around New Year's, I'll have a good read on whether a sub-15 in February is a dream or doable.
With about three months to the February 5000m and 20 weeks to the March event, I've got a decent window to identify and tackle my weak spots. This week, I've got our local 5K club series. It's not a speed demon event, but it'll give me key data points on my anaerobic threshold and running power. The December 5000m will be my reality check. If I struggle to break 16 minutes, dropping a minute in a few months will be a tall order, and I’ll need to reassess my goal.
Right now, it's all about building a rock-solid foundation. I'll start sprinkling in some speed work to get comfy with sub-3 min/km paces, kicking off with 200s and 400s to test the waters. The goal is to find a groove around that 3 min/km pace in the next few weeks. This way, come January, I can ramp up the speed over short distances and extend the duration at race pace without overcooking my system.
This week, I'm dialling in on two hard runs, the local 5K and a bike-run session (brick), while keeping the rest of the routine pretty standard. Over the weekend, I clocked a 5:25 mile (3:23 min/km) in some one-mile intervals off the bike, which was a pleasant surprise. So, at least I know my upcoming triathlon shouldn’t be a disaster!
The release of Stryd Duo. If you’re not on board with running power, be prepared to be left further behind. Stryd, who I would consider the world leader in running power, announced they are releasing a software update that will allow you to run with two footpods (it used just to be one) to offer “high-resolution 3D bilateral movement tracking for each and every run.” I’ve already ordered my second pod in anticipation!
Read more 👉 https://blog.stryd.com/2023/10/26/introducing-stryd-duo-stryd-footpath
If you want to try out Stryd running power, you can use one of my discount codes - NZ Runners, Worldwide runners “coachoconnor”.
I am having a go at a tech review. I thought it was worth recording my thoughts on the Coros Apex 2 Pro before I sell it and start using the Coros Pace 3.
📊10:49 hrs total (TSS 623)
🏃5x Run = 5:04 hrs (62 km)
🚵1x MTB = 1:30 hr (19 km)
🏊2x Pool Swim = 2:34 hr (8.6 km)
🎮1x Zwift = 1:30 hr (52 km)
Mon - Rest Day
Tue - Aerobic Run 1:00 hr (13 km)
Wed - AM Hard Swim Squad 1:09 hr (4 km) | PM 8x 1min on/off 45min (10.6 km)
Thur - Steady MTB 90min (18 km)
Fri - AM Hard Swim Squad 1:13 hr (4 km) | Late AM Easy Trail Run with Emma 1:18 (13 km)
Sat - Brick Session 2 hrs - 30min bike easy, 3 {10min @ FTP + 1 min hard run}, 15min cool down.
Sun - Long Trail Run 1:35 hr (19 km)
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