Less than a day after the tempo run, I started the longest session of the project so far.
The instruction was simple. Keep it easy, ignore pace on the hills and do not add a faster finish. I walked the steeper climbs and tried to keep the effort steady.
The data
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Distance | Approximately 18.8 km |
| Time | 2:03:52 |
| Average pace | 6:35/km |
| Average heart rate | 128 bpm |
| Maximum heart rate | 143 bpm |
| Average power | 236 W |
| Elevation gain | 250 m |
| Temperature | 26°C |
| Perceived effort | 7/10 |
| Fuel and fluid | 500 ml water, one gel at km 10 |
The average heart rate was remarkably low for a run of more than two hours on a hilly route. It rose gradually from around 120 bpm early in the run to somewhere near 135 to 140 late in the session, but there was no sharp spike.
What the coach saw
ChatGPT rated the effort management very highly. Walking the climbs kept the session aerobic, and the stable power suggested that I did not suffer a major late collapse.
The contrast between the objective and subjective data was interesting. My heart rate looked very comfortable, but I rated the run 7 out of 10. The previous day’s tempo session probably contributed to that difference.
This is exactly why perceived effort belongs in the log. Heart rate alone might have made the run look almost effortless. It was not.
Fuel practice
I drank 500 ml of water and took a gel at kilometre 10. The gel contained around 21 grams of carbohydrate.
That was enough to finish, but the coach recommended taking more during future runs lasting over two hours. The proposed range was roughly 40 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
That recommendation sounded high compared with what I was used to, so it would need to be tested gradually rather than introduced all at once.
The week in context
This completed a four run week with intervals, an easy run, a tempo session and a long run. It was the strongest week of the preparation so far.
The coach planned another interval session for Tuesday, but with an important condition. A fifth repetition should only be added if I felt properly recovered.
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