k r i s a n d r o

I will start chronicling my training data and methods here from race to race. One reason for this is to serve as a running diary and the other is for anyone who might be interested to know how I train. I am only an amateur long distance runner and I definitely will not say this is the right way to train but I collect a lot of data and I am seeing good results from my training.

*Warning* This will be an extremely boring post for most, so do not read beyond this line if you are not interesting in running data.

Training period: 26 Jan 2011 – 28 May (Sundown 2011, 21.1 km)

• Distance ran (Excluding racing distance): 473.25 km
• No. of runs: 59
• Highest Weekly Mileage: 48.55 km
• Average running distance: 8.02 km
• Time spent: 46 hrs 47 mins 31 secs
• Max. distance ran: 20 km
• Avg. speed: 10.1 km/h
• Avg. heart rate: 157 bpm
• Avg. cadence: 166 – 174 steps/min.
• Calories burned: 32,233 kcal
• Weight change: 67.8 kg (9 Feb) – 64.5 kg (28 May)
• Lowest measured weight: 63.2 kg (29 May)
• Resting heart rate change: 63 bpm (30 Jan) – 56 bpm (12 May)
• Lowest measured resting heart rate: 52 bpm (24 Mar)

Race Details:

• Race Name: Sundown 2011
• Distance: 21.1km
• Time: 2 hr 02 min 13 sec
• Avg. Pace: 5:48 min/km
• Avg. Cadence: 164 steps/min

Training details:

I train mostly in heart rate zones. The zones are defined by assuming through calculation that my Maximum Heart Rate (HR^max) is 192 bpm and my Resting Heart Rate (HR^rest) is measured once every 3-5 days. I measure my HR^rest 1st thing in the morning before I get out of bed and it’s at least 24 hrs after the previous run.

These are my heart rate training zones with a HR^rest of 56 bpm:

The bulk of my training is of Long Slow Distances (LSDs) and the rest are Tempo Runs, Short Intervals & Long Intervals. I chose to adopt a 10-day training cycle instead of the more common 7-day cycle because I didn’t want to run 4-6 days straight with just 1 or 2 days of rest. The 10-day cycle also allowed me more flexibility in the event that I had to skip a session or two and was still able to keep to the important scheduled Long Run.

This is one real example of my 10-day cycle:

• Day 1: Warm-Up Jog – 1.5 km, Short Intervals – 800 m x 6
• Day 2: LSD – 8.8 km
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Warm-Up Jog – 1.5 km, Long Intervals – 2.7 km x 2
• Day 5: LSD – 8.8 km
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Warm-Up Jog – 1 km, Tempo Run – 6.6 km
• Day 8: LSD – 8.7 km
• Day 9: LSD (Longest Run) – 20 km
• Day 10: Rest
• Total distance (including jogging laps during intervals): 71.79 km

Types of Runs:

LSDs: These are ran in Zone 3. I will divide the distance as equally as I can into 11 parts (Zone 2.7 to Zone 3.7) and slowly allow my heart’s bpm to rise as I jog the distance. Barring sections on routes with down and/or up-slopes, my speed will naturally increase as the effort of my heart increases which results in a overall negative split.

Tempo Runs: These are ran in Zone 4. I will divide the distance as equally as I can into 12 parts (Zone 3.7 to Zone 4.8) and slowly allow my heart’s bpm to rise as I run the distance. As with LSDs, the overall timing of each run is a negative split.

Short & Long Intervals: After reading about efficiency of interval training distances by Arthur Lydiard, I mainly do distances of short intervals (800 m) and long intervals (1.5 km & above). I run as fast as I can (entering Zone 5) with the last session’s timing as a guide for each lap. Upon hitting the end of a lap, I will slow jog until my heart rate hits Zone 2.9 before I start my next lap.

Race Comparison:

(Click to enlarge)

Race to race comparison will show a very skewed improvement this time because the races are so far apart (almost 2 years).

Fitness comparison:

As my LSDs are done with the same effort (heart rate zones), I shall compare LSDs of similar distances over a time period.

As you can see, there is marked improvement in speed even with a decrease in effort (avg. heart rate).

Summary:

Seeing that I manage to finally complete a training period and run a good race, I’ll be adopting the same concept in my build-up to Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon (21.1km). However, my planned mileages are in preparation for my 1st full marathon in Dec for Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

Feel free to ask me or discuss about my training plans and running. I can be easily contacted via email through my contact page, on Twitter or through Facebook.

I had a great week of marathon training last week, hitting 30.13km of total mileage and meeting all my training goals except for a very disappointing Tempo run yesterday. I could blame it on the weather, the lack of breakfast, or the absence of babes on the jogging track that day but it’s probably all due to my bad planning and unrealistic pace for the run.

Setbacks like that are very good for my analysis and besides, the rest for the 26km ran that week was better than what I have expected.

It’s now week 7 of my marathon training with 25 weeks remaining to the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 and although my margins for improvement are starting to get smaller, it is still quite apparent that I am getting faster and longer. Faster in terms of pace and longer in terms of distance of course. You peeps don’t get dirty now.

Besides the improvement of my resting heart rate from 66bpm (beats per minute) to the current 60bpm, I can see from the logs of my Long runs that even though my pace and distance has increased, the effort perceived by my heart rate has actually lessened!

It’s quite exciting and interesting to see my body improving and adapting to my exercise regime and that makes me look forward to the next run as I can predict and plan my pace much more easily than just running by pure feel and intuition. So I highly suggest that everyone who is training to collect as much statistics as you can about your runs. At the very least, invest in a watch that has a lap function. And I believe the same applies to training for any sport as well with reference to collection of statistics.

Grab your shoes and a watch and head out to run peeps! Feel alive!