Walking and running at the end of long runs

by Clare
(Jersey)

What do you do if the heart rate keeps going at the end of easy runs - into Effort 2 ?

"Hi Marius

I am following the 4hr plan. I have a question about Effort 1 days. If I run for say 60 mins and I try to do this by pace, I can start off within the correct heart rate range - i.e. below 70% of maximum at a pace of 9.29 - but for the last third of the run if I try to maintain pace then my heart rate will be within the Effort 2 range. Should I therefore ensure that I slow my pace to keep it within the Effort 1 range despite a loss of pace? Does this mean that I am following the wrong training programme if I cannot maintain this Effort 1 pace consistently for the specified times?

I suppose this leads to another questions also. I am aiming for the 4 hour marathon but have never done a marathon before - farthest run would have been a half marathon 10 years ago. I have run regularly 4 or 5 miles a couple of times a week for the last 4 years and did a couple of sprint triathlons last year in reasonable times. I would really like to try and do the marathon in under 4 hours and for the 3 introductory weeks I have been able to follow the pace and heart rates set out in the 4 hour plan except as noted above. Am I aming too high? Will this have a negative effect on the day - i.e. will I go out too quick if I try and run at 9 minute miles and therefore risk that I may be unable to complete it?

I hope these questions have general themes that everyone will benefit from, albeit that I have been specific in the detail.

Many thanks

Answer: Hi Clare and thanks for your question. I've touched this slightly before and this is how it goes :

For most of the easy runs you want to stay within Effort 1, BUT at the end of these you can allow yourself slightly into Effort 2 but only if that does not mean an increase of pace.

Reason for this is that (especially when you are early in the schedule) cardiac drift due to sweat/heat etc. has a tendency to push the heart rate up a bit at the end of the runs - easy and hard ones without a real increase in lactate acid/muscular stress. You can therefore allow yourself those 5-7 beats into Effort 2 at the end of these.

When it comes to your goal pace, I think you should stick to the 4 hr plan up until the first 5k/10 race planned in the schedule. If your time is alot off the goal time when you use the calculators in the 100 day plan at that time you may want to switch it to a slower/faster one, but this is no problem as the schedules are parallell planned.

I wish you all the best with your training,

Kind regards,
Marius

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