Woods Intervals

I didn't have very long for a run so long and slow wasn't an option. I often state that I need to work on speed so an interval session seemed to be a good idea. I completed my usual circuit around the local woods but with a 45 second 'sprint' every few minutes. It's quite an undulating circuit so I tried to do the intense part on ascents and have gentle descent. Fast downhill seems associated with injuries!

The post run data shows the interval pattern clearly when shown as Grade Adjusted Pace for each interval but the heart rate data had little relationship with my effort. Early in the session it was very high, later it was low. Optical heart rate recording isn't reputed to be good and in this circumstance it didn't work well.

Fatigue or poor data?

Today's run explored a path between Burbage edge and Oxstones. I've seen people arrive at Oxstones from the east so assumed there was access. I've previously looked for the path but not had map with me, today I had my cheap phone with Viewranger with me so could relate my position to the map readily. The Strava heat map shows this new path nicely.

The path across the open moorland is indicated

With hindsight, today wasn't the best day to look for this route as there had been a lot of rain and so the path, and the moor was waterlogged. It was impossible to avoid wet feet and muddy legs.

The west peat, mud and stony ground forced me down to a walk as I was fearful of hurting a knee or ankle, pretty much my usual excuse to go slow. This slow but steady approach yielded the typical pace distribution on Strava.

As I do consider I'm still recovering from 'The Big Walk' and I had a good swim yesterday that was much as expected. The odd thing is that my heart rate data is to put it mildly, ridiculous.

Now I'm try got decided whether the data is rubbish, that is the wrist mounted heart rate monitor didn't take valid readings, or whether I was working that hard. I understand the 'threshold' section as on the road ascent I knew I was working hard-ish, but the majority of 'anaerobic' feels like rubbish. Clearly one can't be anaerobic for an hour!

As I type this my heart rate is 53 which is a little higher than I'd expect so maybe the data is indicative of underlying physiological stress?

Back to Back

I've just completed a 4km road run which is nothing in itself but as it's after yesterday's long run it does feel slightly important. On Wednesdays I 'jog' to circuits after the Tuesday run but usually i don't run on consecutive days. There is an issue of needing rest days but there's the conflicting argument that long runs shouldn't make up too much of the weekly load. Sometimes these aspects seem impossible to square with each other.

I also changed the battery in my heart rate strap beforehand. I've wondered if there was an issue for a few months and bought a packet of CR2032 coin cells fro eBay but hadn't fitted a new one. I think it did help as the recording in the early part of the run was far more stable than it has been for a while.

Let's hope all OK tomorrow. I'm entering 'tiger country'...