Category Archives: Plain intervals

Pulse based interval training

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#47 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#104 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

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Today it was time to do pulsebased interval training again where I during the intervals is a couple of heart beats under my threshold pulse. My threshold pulse is 163

Even if I didn’t have any sore muscles Sunday after the 30K cross country race that I ran Saturday I am of course frayed so I didn’t except the same pace as the other intervals when I have had more rested legs. But it would still be interesting to see what max pace I would be able to get to.

Ideal day for interval training, hardly any upwind.

First it was 2K warm up and then it was time to do the first interval, I first landed around 152-153 and stayed there for a while. It took a long time to get up to 160.

Rest for 2 min

Second interval I got up to 160 pretty fast, at the end I am running up on a bike path and had gotten up to 162, tried to avoid it but got up there this time too :-)

Rest for 2 min

Third interval I felt tired in legs and was around 155 in the beginning. Got to 158 and finally 160 but dropped to 155 at the end.

Rest for 2 min

Fourth interval I felt tired legs and was also around 155 in the beginning, down a bike path I increased the heart beat. Got up to 158 and finally 160 at the end but dropped to 155 at the end.

Then it was 1K cool down.

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Distance: 6.93 miles (11.15K), time: 1.09.19.7h, average pace: 6.13 min/k, max pace: 4.10 min/k, cadence: 182, VO2 Max: 28 ml/kg/min

Pulse based interval training

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#39 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#96 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Today it was again to do pulse based interval training where  am a couple of heart beats under my threshold pulse during the intervals. My threshold pulse is 163

The layup is the following:

2K warm up
4x2K intervals with 2 min rest between
1K cool down

A bit chillier today around 14oC (57F). Started with 2K warm up and then it was time for the first brutal interval. Rested (stood still) for 2 min where I drank some water and tightened my energy belt.

On the second interval I have notice that during the running on a bike path which is gradually increasing in altitude that I also increase the pace and got to 163 so then I had to run a bit “slower” to get back to 160 where I try to be during the intervals. Rested (stood still) for 2 min, drank some water and got the pulse down.

I have been lucky so far, on the third interval I am crossing a car road and this time a car came so I had to do a short detour and the pulse went down to 156. Take some time to get back to 160, the same if I get to 163 and have to get back to 160. At the end of the interval I ran into a heavier upwind and the pace got to 156 for a short moment, felt a bit more tired here as well. Rested (stood still) for 2 min, drank some water,

Finally the last interval where I also at some point got up to 163.

I handled the increasing pace much better this time, last time I got to 165 which is above my threshold pulse, this time my highest pulse was 163. Now I feel in my breathing when I am on my way to 161-163.

Ended with 1K cool down.

Intervals is not my favorite running training, it is the most brutal thing I can do to myself but I know what it will give at the end so there is a purpose and I am improving during my other runs. Maybe this interval training has something to do with it.

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Distance: 6.88 miles (11.07K), time: 1.06.40 h, average pace: 6.01 min/k, max pace: 3.53 min/k,
cadence: 188, VO2 Max: 28 ml/kg/min

 

Pulse based interval training

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#25 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#83 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Tonite it was time for intervals again.

I am very satisfied with my Suunto Ambit3 Peak but during the spring the pulse watch ran into issues not finding the pulse belt from time to time. It was not such a big deal in the beginning because I could live without not getting the pulse registered, even if it is interesting looking at once in a while.

But since I started to look at my VO2 Max and also have started with pulse based training the pulse has become more important.

Suunto Customer Service has been great. I have had several support requests about the pulse belt, I have gotten several solutions and then it has worked for a while but then the issue has come back and now it was time to get to the bottom of this. I have suspected that the pairing of the pulse watch and pulse belt falls out and we have discussed if the pulse belt is the problem.

So when I scheduled pickup with UPS this morning I found out they could fetch my pulse belt and pulse watch this afternoon.

This meant that I wouldn’t be able to see the pulse and had to use Movescount on my iPhone during this training.

So I had to go on feeling as far as the pulse was concerned. When I was running on a hill up and down with my running buddy Lars at Vallåsen I was having a pulse some pulse beats below my threshold pulse and remembered the feeling in my body.

Last time I did this interval training I was increasing the pace a lot on the last intervals and the plan was not to run too fast.

This pulse based interval training means that I run 4x2K intervals and the positive things about this type of intervals are the following:

+ Gentler
+ Less risk of getting injured

But it is also important not to be above the threshold pulse because then it becomes so hard that it might require several days of rest!

It was very warm today so I brought one bottle of Resorb and one bottle of water in my energy belt.

Started with 2K warm up. I pass a horseback riding place during this warm up and today a girl was out with a horse on the dirt track. I am not afraid of horses but I know what damage one kick can do so I had to run across to another path because I felt that I wouldn’t have enough space to pass the horse.

Then it was time for the brutal pain. First interval. Part of your brain want to quit but it gets a bit easier when it it 1K left. Decided to stand still during the rest for 2 min and catch my breath.

Another brutal pain for 2K. Here is a longer hill, last time I was flying up that hill but today it was tougher. Could be that I still has not rested enough after my 48K trail run last weekend, the heat or that I ran alone. The pace got a bit slower here. When I was standing to catch my breath a elderly lady asked me if I had trouble breating. Inside I was laughing a bit because of course it can look that way after a interval and she didn’t know that I just finished an interval. So I told her that you would be a bit breathless after an interval. A conversation started about summer allergy and I couldn’t just start running, felt I had to finish this conversation so the rest was a bit longer than 2 min.

During the third interval I felt that I got above my threshold pulse and had to slow down a bit. Rested for 2 min.

Then the final interval, same thing happened here, increase the pace so I got above my threshold pulse and had to slow down a bit.

Ended with 1K cool down.

Since I did not use my pulse watch, no cadence was registered and of course no pulse or VO2 Max.

I have a little separation anxiety and hope that Suunto technicians can find a solution to the pulse belt issue and that I will get my pulse watch back soon. But it worked quite good with using Movescount on my iPhone.

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Distance: 11K, time: 1.07.42 h,
average pace: 6.09 min/k, max pace: 4.04 min/k

Pulse based interval training

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#18 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#79 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

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Tonite it was time to test pulse based interval training. To have a pulse a couple of heart beats lower than my threshold pulse.

But of course I ran into issues with my pulse belt.

I had the pleasure of doing this with Malin, another Coach K Runner.

We started with 2K warmup and then it was 4xK intervals with 2 minutes rest between each interval.

I had created a workout in Movescount and thought that it was correct. The warmup, interval and first rest worked but not the second :-) so then Malin had to keep track of the distance after that.

Since I couldn’t see the heart beat on the display I had to go on feeling. My threshold is 163 and when we ran up the hill at Vallåsen this weekend I had a pulse around 160. So the first 2 intervals felt that I was below my threshold pulse.

Some other runners were out and dog walkers and I am wondering what they thought when they saw us and I was screaming at myself to continue and shout to Malin how long is is left from time to time :-)

Sometimes I wonder why I do intervals because I do not like them at all. That is the most brutal running I can do but I also know what it will give :-) And tonite I was running REALLY LONG intervals.

The last two felt VERY LONG and I also went above my threshold pulse, thought it never would end.

The pace was definately outside of my comfort zone

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Distance: 6.42 miles (10.33K), time: 1.01.20 h, average pace: 5.56 min/k, max pace: 4.11 min/k,
VO2 Max: 29 ml/kg/min, cadence: 182

MTD: 135.47 miles (218.1K)
YTD: 625.44 miles (891.90K)

#27 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

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I am not a treadmill lover but sometimes the treadmill is a life saver, like today when the weather is rainy, windy, cold and grey. I do not like to run in the rain.

So I have a pulse watch which warns me about storms and it made noise this morning and when I biked to the gym I had some heavy upwind part of the way so the watch was right :-)

I was suppose to have hilly running this morning with a CKR friend but she ran into a cold last night so it was cancelled. Plan A was not to run on the treadmill then but since I have set a goal now to hit at least 10000 kcal before March 1 (participating in “Kalorijakten”) I decided I would run on the treadmill also and when the hilly running was cancelled I decided I would do interval training on the treamill instead of only running 2-3K.

Last week I did Krutgubbens (The powder man’s intervals) intervals, since it was the first time and I did not know how I would respond to this type of interval training my fastest pace was 5 min/k but felt that I probabaly could run faster than that I modified my interval paces to the following:

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I have noticed that at 5.10 I start to feel a bit more breathless and have to fight with myself, not that I am going to quit or anything but it is getting down to the area where I am not really at. At 5.00 it was even tougher and today I would go beyond 5 min/k and I was a bit scared even if it would be for only 2 minutes and 1 minute but 2 minutes is quite long but I did it. It was such a joy to do the last 2 intervals even if I had to pep myself that it is not long time left til you will have 1 min rest. That minute rest is a relief for a short moment :-)

I am going to stay with these intervals for a while now. It feels good to have a security string that I use to be on the safe side.

So distance: 5.18 miles (8.34K), time: 50.03.30 min,
average pace: 6 min/k, max pace: 3.53 min/k, VO2 Max: 31 ml/kg/min

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After that it was biceps, triceps, legs and ended with core: circles, side plank and then 5 min and 15 s regular plank :-)

#3 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

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I was suppose to participate at Coach K Runners Hilly intervals at St Hans hills this morning but since it was raining I decided not to participate since I have had a cold this week and finally can come back and exercise again.

Since the rain didn’t want to leave I decided to do plain intervals on the treadmill at the gym by myself for the first time. I have participated at Coach K Runners plain intervals on a treadmill about 1 year ago.

The intervals exercise consisted of two sets

First 10 minutes warmup with a speed of 6 min/k and then it was time for the first set and realized that I totally forgot to stretch before I started  to run which I was punished for. My right knee protested and also my left butt so I decided to have a break between set 1 and set 2. Paused the treadmill and planned to continue where I ended but pushed the wrong button when it was time to get back doing set 2. So I had to start all over.

I am not sure what I did but when I was running 2 minutes intervals the treadmill just stopped. I hate when that happens. And then it happened again. So it was a bit screwed up at set 2.

The interval speed was 5 min/k but it seems to me that I can increase the interval speed next time I do this.

I am not very fond of treadmills but the positive thing with intervals on treadmills is that you can set a pace and keep it.

Afterwards I did the side plank and then 3 min regular plank.

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Distance: 5.84 miles (9.40K)