For most of this year, I've generally gone by the rule that anything under an avg HR of 155 is easy, 160-165 is threshold (sustainable for a 10k distance), and 165-175 is tempo (sustainable for 3-5 miles). While doing certain things like tempo and threshold runs in those ranges has worked out rather well, I started thinking the other day that I should probably get more regulated in keeping track of this stuff, since too many things have changed over the past few months, such as overall stamina at increased HR, and performance. The main reason I didn't worry about any of this in the beginning of the year was that I was more concerned with making sure I was managing and over my ITBS issues.
To help track this over time I've put a new page on the main screen of this blog (HR training zones) that links to a spreadsheet. Entering the base values of age and resting heart rate, I calculated various %HR numbers using the Karvonen Formula: [((220 - age) - RHR) * %HR] + RHR. I also put a place for my current Jack Daniels formula VDOT value, and below that what the easy, MP, threshold, interval and repetition paces are. My hope is that this way, over time I can track my RHR, race-determined VDOT, and what my resultant training ranges should be - based on the VDOT calculator found here.
So, just for fun - how does it all line up, with regard to HR ranges and race performance? The Monson Half was a 13.1 mile race, and fairy hilly (so in truth it probably wasn't the best race to base a VDOT on - but it was the only one available). Obviously the pace should be faster than the MP of 7:57 min/miles, since a half is half the distance of a full marathon. Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to find a corresponding pace in Jack Daniels world for the half marathon, but my average pace for that race of 7:38 min/mile was between VDOT (45) marathon pace of 7:57, and VDOT (45) max threshold of 7:25. Furthermore, my avg HR of 169 puts me at the 88%, which is at the bottom of the threshold range of 88-92%.
Then, for the 5 mile Whitinsville Thanksgiving day run - going off the VDOT of 45 from the Monson half, the predicted performance for 5 miles would be 36:07. My actual time was 35:29, which is obviously pretty close. In fact, recalculating the VDOT for a 35:29 5 miler results in the same VDOT of 45. Furthermore, the average HR of that 5 mile race was 172, which is again in the threshold range of 90%.
Looking at another example - last weeks 11 mile run - the pace was 8:03 min/mile with an average HR of 161. That puts that run at about 82%, in the marathon pace training zone. However this also highlights a subtle point and a resultant question - when you look at the zones that Daniels sets forth, there is something to account for the range between 65-92 %HR - so what distribution should be followed in a training plan? I suppose thats where weekly mileage comes in, and that would be where the plan really starts to take shape. However, when totalling up the percentages, it never seems to quite add up. This had been something of a persistent question in my mind with his running formula.
Lets assume a 40 mile/week, with an easy pace of 9:17 minute miles. Based on his formula, I should be running the lesser of 10 miles (25%) or 150 minutes at an easy pace. At 9:17 minute miles, it would take me a little over 90 minutes (but far less than 150 minutes) to run 10 miles, so that means I stop at 10 miles for easy runs.
On to marathon pace, which is lesser of 90 minutes or 16 miles. At MP speeds of 8 min/miles, time would be the limiting factor, as 90 minutes would be just over 11 miles. So now the total is 21 miles in the week.
For threshold runs, which are lesser of < 10% miles or 60 minutes. At a threshold pace of 7:25, the 10% miles is the lower value. So four miles at 7:25, which is a total of 25 miles.
Intervals are 8% of weekly mileage, so another 3.2 miles there, for a total of 28.2. However, in between intervals of whatever distance is used (probably 400m, or about 1/4 mile) - do you run slow and easy to recover, or just walk? All easy miles have been used up, so I guess you'd walk. Finally, repetitions for 5% weekly mileage, or 2 miles.
So in total for a 40 mile/week plan, only 30.2 miles are accounted for. I've never really known what to do with those extra miles. I would seem to make the most sense to have them be categorized as easy. Also, does that mean that the 10 miles @ easy pace is my 'long' run - even though my MP run is 11 miles?
Maybe the problem is that my pace is too slow. How different is it for someone who has a VDOT of 58, whose easy run pace is 7:34?
Easy: 10 miles @ 7:34 (about 75 minutes)
MP: ~14 miles (6:25 min/mile pace for 90 minutes)
Threshold: 4 miles
Intervals: 3.2 miles
Repetitions: 2 miles
Total: 33.2 miles
So, not much different
What about a VDOT of 58, but that person doing 60 miles per week?
Easy: 15 miles @ 7:34 (about 113 minutes)
MP: ~14 miles (6:25 min/mile pace for 90 minutes)
Threshold: 6 miles
Intervals: 4.8
Reps: 3
Total: 42.8
So, about 9 miles extra accounted for, but there are 20 more miles added to the week, so those numbers still don't add up.
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