This week was a little exciting. I was able to finally purchase a Garmin Forerunner 910XT. It is magical. I went ahead and bought the Triathlon bundle, which came with a heart monitor and a speed/cadence sensor for my bike. This new equipment has opened my eyes to the importance of a consistent heart rate. I ran hard this week.
Sunday:
I rested
Monday:
I ran 4 miles in 39:41 with an average pace of 9:51 minutes/mile. My average heart rate was 146 bpm. I was surprised to see such a low number. I suppose I am not pushing myself as hard as I thought. I need to work on this.
Tuesday:
I ran 3 miles in 26:41 with an average pace of 8:52 minutes/mile. My average heart rate was 154 bpm. My heart rate and pace were a little higher, but I didn’t feel dead during or after the run. I suppose I do have the ability to push a little harder.
Wednesday:
I ran 4 miles in 35:01 with an average pace of 8:44 minutes/mile. My average heart rate was 158 bpm. All I can say is, “wow.” I am sure the heart rate monitor is giving me a confidence boast. I can see that my heart is not going to explode if I push a little harder, so I do. I didn’t think I was capable of everyday runs at this speed. If I keep training at this intensity, who knows how much I will improve.
Thursday:
I ran 3 miles in 27:47 with an average pace of 9:15 minutes/mile. My average heart rate was 148 bpm. Honestly, my legs were tired, so I took it easy.
Friday:
I rested.
Saturday:
I ran 16 miles in 3:01:00 with an average pace of 11:18 minutes/mile. My average heart rate was 151 bpm. I ran the first 5.5 miles on the trails at Iron Mountain to break in my new Brooks Cascadia 7 trail shoes, then switched to the road to finish my milage for the day. The weather was so perfect. I also tried out the Tailwind Endurance Fuel and I was extremely impressed. Look for a full review Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
What do you think?