"The Gas Chamber"

The words "I survived" probably best describe this past week of training. In addition to the continued emphasis on leg and core strength, I upped the ante with the hard long runs. I decided to do all of my medium long run in the altitude chamber and part of the long run in there. I'm enjoying the new challenge of running in the chamber, but I must say it is bloody sweaty hard work. I'm not sure if its the gas they pump in there to simulate 3200 metres above sea level or if its just bloody hot in there. What I can say is that every time I'm done in there I'm literally drenched. I unashamedly ditched the singlet because it was just soaked so bad it felt like I was swimming with clothes on. Even my shoes get soaked right through like I've been running through puddles. Leaving the chamber literally feels like leaving the Sahara in summer and immediately walking into the Arctic Circle. 

During the week, I haven't been able to do my runs until after 8:30 pm. So this has meant that I was forced to do 5 days straight of treadmill running. Pretty mind numbing I must say, but it beats running in the dark late at night. It felt great to finally run on a stationary surface over the weekend. 

A summary of the week that was is as follows:

Monday - 18 km's - 75 mins. Initial 12 km's progressive paced, starting slowly (6:00's) picking up to 3:45's. The ensuing 6 km's I maintained 3:40's with 8 x 30 seconds over progressively increasing inclines (1-8%) and then 2 x 60 seconds at 4%.

NB: Did 30 mins of heavy leg weights at lunch.

Tuesday - 16.4 km's - 75:15. Progressive paced finishing at around 3:55's.

Wednesday - 20 km's - 97:32. Ran in the "gas chamber". Included 6x30 seconds, 4 x 1000 off 400 recovery (3:59 / 3:58 / 3:57 / 3:56). I was pretty spent after those intervals. The effort felt like sub 3:20's. Easy running after that with 3 x 20 seconds to finish up.

Thursday - 20 mins solid then 3000 T/T

Had nothing. 5.1 km's. 5 min walk recovery then 10:11 for the TT

Friday - 9 km's - 43:49 - Easy hills finishing with 5 x 30 seconds

Saturday - 38 km's - 2:57:35

5 km's on treadmill outside, then 13 km's in the "gas chamber" (61 mins) then 5 more km's again on the treadmill outside the chamber. Continued outside on the road with 15 km's over hills. Felt depleted afterwards. My longest long run since May I think.

Sunday - Hills 

Included 1 x 2 mins, jog back then 4 sets of 60/40/20 seconds off 30 seconds with a jog back to the bottom of the hill. Very solid session after 2 hours of heavy leg weights and core work.

All up, 122.1 km's / 9:22:41 running time.

Weeks 32 & 33

Week 32

Monday - 20.0 km's - 1:40:05 (included 10 x diagonals)

Tuesday - 4 x 1500 (500) - Splits 5:11, 4:58, 4:58, 5:15. 15 km's all up in 67:41

Wednesday - 22.0 km's - 90:00. Included 15 x 1 min (1 min float)

Thursday - Saturday - 20 min jogs

Sunday - C2S - PB 49:27 (94th overall). Pleasing off minimal taper. Steady uphill, attacked downhills harder than previous years. Nice to see all the leg weights and hill reps paid off. 79th for heartbreak hill split. As always, not so great on the downhill, but an improvement so no complaints.

88.4 km's - Weekly Total - 6:39:41



Week 33

Monday - 14 km's - 68 mins.

Tuesday - 32 km's - 2:23:50, finishing with 8 x 1 min (1 min)

Wednesday
- Lunchtime - 4.2 km's
- Evening - Speed + LT

8 x 60 seconds off 30 second marathon paced float. 12 mins - 3.5 km's.

5 min walk recovery then:

4 km's - 14:26

Thursday - Leg weights plus hills. 5 km's solid uphill running on treadmill after 40 mins of leg weights.

Friday - Altitude Chamber - 35 mins bike. 68 mins running - progressive paced finishing with 8 x 30 seconds (1 min). 14 km's running in chamber.

Saturday - 10 km jog

Sunday - Carnova Special - 5 x 5000 (1 km jog recovery). Splits: 18:39 / 18:19 / 18:13 / 17:57 / 17:38. All up 32 km's - 2:03:58. Ave HR 153 (max 165). Tough work but pleasing.

Weekly km's - 125.3 - 9:24:29

Week 31

Signed up this week to use the altitude chamber at Valley Fitness at St.Marys. Dd the baseline assessment on Thursday and need to do 4 x 30 mins supervised before I can do sessions above steady state. 

Summary for the week as follows:

Monday - 19.5 km's easy over hills. Included 4 x diagonals early on and 10 x diagonals to finish off.

Tuesday - 18 km's hills fartlek in 74:11. Followed by 1 km jog warm down.

Wednesday - 28 km's solid in 2:00:45 

Thursday - 5 km's including chamber assessment session. Increasing pace and incline in the chamber up to 12% / 12 km/h.

Friday - 15 km's including 12 in the altitude chamber (12 km's progressive effort in the chamber up to 15.5 km's per hour). Tough work in the chamber. Never sweated so much. Enjoyed it. 15.5 km/h feels like 17 or more I estimate.

Saturday - 35 km's easy - 2:36:11 over undulating hills mainly on grass. Last 2 miles in just under 12 mins (marathon paced effort).

Sunday - 10 km's tempo. 15 all up including warm up and warm down. Tempo 36:39. Initial 8 km's at marathon intensity (H/R < 153  - low 3:40's), followed by 2 km's threshold (H/R peaking at 161 - 3:31's). Average H/R - 149

136.5km's for the week.