Day 43: Tempo Endurance

Workout

Type: 7x200m
Intensity: Power 75% 30.94s
Rest: [2']

Thoughts

Timings: 33 32.9 33 33.1 32.6 32.6 31.4 ~ 32.66

If you noticed, I had a 2 day gap in my training log. No I’ve not wavered. The mind is willing but the body ain’t. Let me explain. I was all ready to train on Monday.

I was there at the stadium, feeling great, warmed up as usual. Did the normal routine, drills and such, then suddenly I was careless when doing the core exercises.

I was in stationary position and needed to lift my legs up and over the concrete, mimicking going over the hurdle. But somehow I knocked my left knee hard into the concrete. The concrete wall is my imaginary hurdle.

Oh boy, there was a superficial cut, I’ve had worse and I thought I can continue my workout but I felt internally something ain’t right. It felt excruciatingly painful even to stand. I waited, stretched, put pressure on it, elevated my leg even for the next 20 minutes, hoping the pain will subside.

It didn’t … so I decided to stop training.

Another day, another challenge, another recovery. I’ve had plenty of shite happen to me over the years, but it ain’t stopping me. This is my life, part of my lifestyle and a small injury ain’t going to make me quit.

So I took two days off, put ice on it, rested the leg and today I felt better. So I tested the leg doing Tempo Endurance. Seems fine after the workout and as of I’m typing this entry.

Well back to today’s training. The target time was 30.94 seconds. It was a wet track, so I expect the timing will be hard to clock. The first run was 33 seconds. My guess was correct.

I knew that’s my comfort running level for tempo at 70%, but the intensity for today’s training requires 75%. So I sticked with the former. I knew if I went faster, it won’t be tempo training, but lactate training.

My breathing level was fast after each run. And the recovery was fine after 2 allocated minutes. That’s good as that’s the objective of the program. Tempo targets to increase the VO2 intake.

The last set I did a slightly notched faster than the earlier pace. I did 31.4 seconds and at the end of the run, I felt lactic at my ass. So my plan was right. If I went faster than 70% intensity, I would have ruin today’s training purpose.

I can run 31.4 seconds of course, but my lactic build-up would be enormous and defeat the purpose of a Tempo training.

Tomorrow would be Speed Endurance. Oh boy, now that’s the training that trains your lactic build-up.