Progress Calibration Run
Steady State Run at Preset Heart Rate
Course: Choose an out-and-back or loop course for your distance that you will enjoy running and can do so uninterrupted. For road runners a course that has similar terrain features to your goal race would be ideal. A track works well for shorter distances such as 3k or 5k, This course will become your yardstick for progress. Run steady and evenly at race pace but do not sprint at the end as you would in a race. This is harder than your Out-and-Back run. If you are not confident on even pacing then use a HR monitor and check your Heart Rate at regular intervals to measure your progress as well as making sure you are not over-exerting yourself.
FEEDBACK:
1. Going out slower than coming home/heart rate similar
It is perfectly okay if you come home up to 10% faster than outward bound. If you come home more than 10% faster you started out too slowly.
2. Going out faster than coming home/heart rate similar
You started out too fast
OR
the workout may be a bit too stressful for you at this point and you may need to do adjust your training down.
3. Heart-rate at finish exceeds heart-rate at turnaround by more than 5 bpm.
Most likely that you kicked it home when you come to the final stretch. This is neither recommended nor desirable at this stage
OR
You started out a little too fast or picked up the pace too quickly during the run.
4. Heart-rate exceeds Target Pulse-rate at turnaround and your return run was slower
If you could not maintain your pace on the return journey you are working ahead of yourself. Adjust your training down. Be sure to check your Recovery Indicators.
Course: Choose an out-and-back or loop course for your distance that you will enjoy running and can do so uninterrupted. For road runners a course that has similar terrain features to your goal race would be ideal. A track works well for shorter distances such as 3k or 5k, This course will become your yardstick for progress. Run steady and evenly at race pace but do not sprint at the end as you would in a race. This is harder than your Out-and-Back run. If you are not confident on even pacing then use a HR monitor and check your Heart Rate at regular intervals to measure your progress as well as making sure you are not over-exerting yourself.
FEEDBACK:
1. Going out slower than coming home/heart rate similar
It is perfectly okay if you come home up to 10% faster than outward bound. If you come home more than 10% faster you started out too slowly.
2. Going out faster than coming home/heart rate similar
You started out too fast
OR
the workout may be a bit too stressful for you at this point and you may need to do adjust your training down.
3. Heart-rate at finish exceeds heart-rate at turnaround by more than 5 bpm.
Most likely that you kicked it home when you come to the final stretch. This is neither recommended nor desirable at this stage
OR
You started out a little too fast or picked up the pace too quickly during the run.
4. Heart-rate exceeds Target Pulse-rate at turnaround and your return run was slower
If you could not maintain your pace on the return journey you are working ahead of yourself. Adjust your training down. Be sure to check your Recovery Indicators.
This is a good time to use a heart rate monitor. You will find that as your condition improves, you will be able to run faster at the same heart rate as previous weeks.
You should still feel, at the end, you could have run faster and further if you wanted to. At this point, you are introducing various workouts that will sharpen you naturally (i.e.: Hill training and then intervals); so you can expect your times to come down.
During last 6 weeks of the marathon program this workout constitutes a very vital part of preparation. You will be running nearly 80~110 minutes at close to current predicted marathon pace and, as you cut back the duration of this workout, you pick up the pace to sharpen yourself more and more.
Substituting Races
During the Coordination and Taper Phases PCR workouts can be substituted for a developmental race of a similar distance. Treat these races as training and a chance to do dress rehearsal for pre-race meals, warm-up, clothing and racing shoes, tactics, pacing etc.
You should still feel, at the end, you could have run faster and further if you wanted to. At this point, you are introducing various workouts that will sharpen you naturally (i.e.: Hill training and then intervals); so you can expect your times to come down.
During last 6 weeks of the marathon program this workout constitutes a very vital part of preparation. You will be running nearly 80~110 minutes at close to current predicted marathon pace and, as you cut back the duration of this workout, you pick up the pace to sharpen yourself more and more.
Substituting Races
During the Coordination and Taper Phases PCR workouts can be substituted for a developmental race of a similar distance. Treat these races as training and a chance to do dress rehearsal for pre-race meals, warm-up, clothing and racing shoes, tactics, pacing etc.
Steady state aerobic up to lactate threshold depending on the phase
Feedback on Progress
Gauging Pace
Confidence
Race simulation
Gauging Pace
Confidence
Race simulation
Focusing on time rather than appropriate effort and pushing too hard.
Going beyond your Target Heart Rate; and/or RPE to prove to yourself that you are faster than last week.
This is primarily a feedback run that gives you a steady training effort. Your effort and heart rate should be constant from week to week so that your feedback from the run is an accurate comparison. Allow the progression of "pace" to come naturally.
Putting too much at stake in developmental races, running them all-out and then being ‘spent’ for your main event. Keep your eye on your final goal.
Continually checking your watch on your run
Some people tend to check their watch too frequently – meaning they compare themselves with the previous time at various landmarks. This is not desirable because invariably you’ll strive to do better each time and you are in danger of your competitiveness sabotaging your progress. Ideally, you should check your watch just at the turn-around point and at the finish. If this is you, arrange to have several different venues so you can use different out-and-back courses every time you do this progress test run.
Going beyond your Target Heart Rate; and/or RPE to prove to yourself that you are faster than last week.
This is primarily a feedback run that gives you a steady training effort. Your effort and heart rate should be constant from week to week so that your feedback from the run is an accurate comparison. Allow the progression of "pace" to come naturally.
Putting too much at stake in developmental races, running them all-out and then being ‘spent’ for your main event. Keep your eye on your final goal.
Continually checking your watch on your run
Some people tend to check their watch too frequently – meaning they compare themselves with the previous time at various landmarks. This is not desirable because invariably you’ll strive to do better each time and you are in danger of your competitiveness sabotaging your progress. Ideally, you should check your watch just at the turn-around point and at the finish. If this is you, arrange to have several different venues so you can use different out-and-back courses every time you do this progress test run.