The final two sessions that completed Week 3 of my build up to Bristol and BIRC were a 1k time trial, and a 4 x 7min30s reps session. The 1k was always going to be very alien feeling having not done any sustained pieces at this type of pace in a long, long time. My target was to break 3:05, and do so with a quick start, then into a (relative) cruise before slowly building the pace to the finish.
1k = 3:04.0 / 1:32.0 / 37
200m splits:
1:30.7 / 40
1:34.0 / 35
1:33.2 / 37
1:32.2 / 37
1:29.7 / 38
All in all I was happy with that session. A strong finish, a good enough pace overall, and a good solid piece. For the same effort level I am usually very consistent with a 5second pace differential between my 1k and 2k, so this would predict a 6:28 time for 2k. I emphasise that this is what works for me, not that it is a rule that will work for everyone. This is pretty much where I would put myself at 2k last week as well, I could break 6:30 but not a whole lot quicker.
The final session then went like this:
4 x 7min30 / 90sec rest:
2145m / 1:44.8 / 29
2143m / 1:44.9 / 29
2134m / 1:45.4 / 29
2149m / 1:44.6 / 30
30mins = 8571m / 1:45.0 / 29
Apart from the fact that I was sure I did enough on the final rep to see an average pace under 1:45 in the PM memory, I was happy with this session. I was working hard throughout, hence the ease off in rep 3 to ensure I would get to the end of the session, but always thought I could achieve my 1:45.0 overall target.
Into Week 4 today with the first core session of the week. I had been looking forward to this one since I put it into the plan.
500m = 1:36.0 / 34
3min rest
1k = 3:11.8 / 1:35.9 / 33
3min rest
500m = 1:36.0 / 34
3min rest
1k = 3:11.8 / 1:35.9 / 33
Totals: 3k = 9:35.6 / 1:35.9 / 33
I’m not sure if this was a perfectly paced session, a perfectly targetted session, an over-ambitious first 3 reps target pace, or a slightly poor mental effort on the final rep. Whichever way, the training effect will be very strong from it. In reality the target was a flat pace for the first 3 reps, and a faster final 1k. I picked the quickest pace I thought I could sustain over the first 3 reps at 1:36.0. In rep 1 I thought this was going to be a pretty straightforward session. The first 1k rep did bite a bit though. The second 500m was ok, but I knew then that the final 1k was going to be tough. I was sure I could make the target pace, but I wasn’t sure I could exceed it. As it was I cruised a little too slowly through the middle, so a bit quicker final 200m just brought the average pace back on target. It told me what I needed to know though, and gave me a good training effect from the two 1k reps at pace. Overall my fitness, power, and mental strength are building nicely week on week through this phase of training.
Bristol is now just under 4 weeks away, but that means I’m not even half way through my build up training yet. Despite saying that I was just going there to do what I could in each race (2k, 1k and 500m) with no particular target, it is impossible not to begin thinking of certain numbers that I would like to achieve given how my training is going. If today I am around 6:28, 3:04 and perhaps 1:25 for the 3 distances as hard time trials, then I have to be looking to go at least a few seconds quicker than each of those on race day in 4 weeks time. Of course doing all three in one day will impact the second two races somewhat, but that doesn’t concern me.
Lunch hour 