Boston Bound: Training Zones & Hydration
By Leonela Connolly, Run Coach
Training for Boston is hard, but the payoff is so worth it! I don’t mind training hard, but I want to train smart too. That’s where proper preparation helps a ton. One of the initial steps in my preparation is strength training which I have been doing for the past six weeks. It has made running those hills at Umstead so much easier than they used to be for me!
The next step is to prepare a training plan. Right? Not so fast! I have a few questions.
How do I create a training plan that’s right for me? No generic training plan for me.
What about heart rate and paces? Not interested in overtraining.
What about hydration during my long runs? I sweat a lot!
What about nutrition before, during and after training sessions? Real food please!
Let’s start with heart rate, paces and hydration. The best way to get the answers that I need is with sweat and metabolic/VO2 testing. So, that’s exactly what I did at The Endurance Edge.
If I’m “keeping it a hundred” here, I have to say that the metabolic test was not fun. The anticipation was stressful. The mask was uncomfortable. The heart, lungs and legs eventually screamed for mercy. And then, not long after I stopped the test, I was convinced I could have gone for more. C’est la vie!
Despite all that (whining), I got answers! I now have heart rate, paces and carb information that I can use to develop a training plan with the right paces for me.
Check this out:
Now, I know exactly what I need to do to “run easy on easy days” (Zone 1) and “run hard on hard days” (Zone 4). This means I won’t spend/waste all of my workouts at the same heart rate or the same pace (as is my habit). There are many benefits to be gained from metabolic testing including getting faster and fitter, and who doesn’t want that, right? This is sooooooo exciting!!
I also got some pretty cool data about the contents of my sweat. Did I mention that I sweat a lot!! I have had a few pretty miserable long runs due to losing too much sweat and too much sodium. But what is too much? How much do I need to drink and what should be in that drink? Well, now I know what I need based on where my body is at this point.
Check this out:
I will use this data to get the right drink for me, particularly for my long runs. Again, this is all very exciting!!
My journey to Boston is coming together very nicely thanks to TEAM! I am now ready for the next step, to create my very own training plan. Stay tuned for more details on that and everything else that happens as my BOSTON BOUND journey continues…….
Let’s do this!!
