AM - 6 miles.
PM – 18 miles. LT Shuffle: 5 x 8 / 1 minute efforts (8 minutes LT, 1 minute easy, 1 minute 3K/5K, 3 minutes easy. Repeat x 5). Average pace for the 8 minute efforts was 5:01/mile and for the 1 minute efforts was 4:35/mile. Average pace for the 18 miles was 6:00/mile (that's my long run for this week!). Felt really good today. Things are clicking.
I’ll do iterations of this workout several times between now and Indy (down to 8x5/1, 10x3/1 and then back up the ladder).
Splits:
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Rep #
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8 min pace
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1 min pace*
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1
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5:04
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4:32
|
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2
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4:59
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4:34
|
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3
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5:00
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4:35
|
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4
|
4:59
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4:39
|
|
5
|
5:01
|
4:38
|
*I don't put a lot of stock in the specific pace of a 60 second effort on a Garmin, but you get the idea... it was faster.
Here is a more thorough explanation of the physiology behind these sessions from the creator -
The long reps will produce a small amount of lactate that the body will pick up and utilise during the effort - there will be some residual lactate that the body will 'shuffle' into the system during the 1 min recovery. Then, during the 1 min faster effort the body will utilise the lactate for energy and at the same time produce a larger amount of lactate. Through the 3 min active recovery the body will, again, use and 'shuffle' the remaining lactate into the system, which the body will then utilise during the next long rep and so on.
As the session progresses, more and more lactate is produced, shuffled, utilised - at LT and 5k/3k pace/effort. Towards the end of the session, the body floods with lactate and struggles to utilise and shuffle it into the system - the body goes into 'panic' mode and 'shunts' (forces) it into the system. This stresses the body and teaches it to pick-up and utilise lactate when the system is fatigued. This in turn helps to improve pace at LT.
With this in mind, as you do the session, you'll physically feel it happening - it hurts like hell but in a nice way :)
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