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Scott Johnston
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Nick;
Very interesting dilemma you are presenting us with. I can’t say with any certainty why your lactates were so high in the first test. You have thought of all the factors that might have influenced it: A stay at sea level and a sugar water drink during the test could both impact the reading. Another could have been dehydration. Since we are measuring the concentration of lactate mMol/liter of plasma volume, if plasma volume drops due to dehydration, lactate levels will be higher.
Hopefully, all your subsequent tests will be more like the second one you just performed.
Scott
Zac:
Sorry for your confusion. This is a topic we have covered in our books, podcasts, and articles, so we sometimes forget that not everyone has seen, heard, or read this info. Do not worry about HR dropping out of Z2 on the downhills. We will make notes of this in the plan so as to not miss anyone.
Scott
I warmed up for 25 minutes and then lapped my watch at 25 minutes right as I made my final speed and incline adjustments.
If I understand you correctly, this might be the source of the large drift from 130-137 in the first half of the test. You started your test just as you made an adjustment to the pace and grade. You should be finding a pace and grade near the second half of the warm-up, where your HR stabilizes. Then start the watch.
Scott
Luka:
Unfortunately, you can’t compare a flat-running AeT test to a steep uphill hiking test. The AeT test in that plan recommends you do your test hiking steeply on a treadmill since your goal is mountaineering. Be that as it may, let’s get you stored out. Do the uphill hiking AnT test with no pack weight. It can be outside or on a steep treadmill.
If possible shift at least some of your Z2 aerobic base training to hiking uphill.
I hope this gets to you in time for your test this week.
Sorry, we have been slammed.
ScottAlex:
Unfortunately, 3 weeks is not enough time to make significant changes in your aerobic capacity. I recommend using 132 for the top of Z2 and training as much volume as you can manage in the 120-132 range in the next few weeks. Do this on a steep treadmill or stair machine if you do not have access to really hilly terrain. Cut your Crossfit to 1x/week and use that time for more aerobic volume.
Scott
Keep in mind that AeT will move up and down a few beats depending on your recovery status. This second test does look solid, and rather than redo the test, I would call AeT a few beats higher than the starting HR of 122. Train at 125 for a few weeks, then retest.
Scott
Patrick:
Since you mention the HR being in the low 140s, I would call the starting HR 143.
No problem that the test was only 50min.
Rather than redo the test, just set your Z2 top a little higher, like 145-147 range and train there for few weeks.
Scott
Thanks for sending in your test. My thoughts are the following:
1) You need to do most of your aerobic base training between 110 and 130 to flatten out the lactate curve (lower lactate levels).
2) People with your training background will often have a very low AeT relative to MAF and can breathe comfortably much higher than AeT.
3) The drop in pace as distance increases is to be expected when your aerobic capacity is low. That’s because you are relying too heavily on the anaerobic metabolic pathway.
Scott
David:
Thanks for writing in with your test results. Running and uphill hiking tests commonly give different drift results. This hiking test shows almost no drift, so redoing it at a slightly higher speed would not hurt.
Scott
Christian:
That rule of thumb, which states that you should be able to do the same run day after day, does not apply to the long run of the week. We normally program the long run of the week on the weekend when most people have more time and then usually make Monday a rest day. Try arranging your week so you have a rest day after the long run and see if this does not help.
Scott.
I love my non-weight-adjustable Everlast 20lb vest for ME workouts and hill sprints. It is nice and tight fitting with elastic where needed. I’ve got other weight-adjustable vests that go to 60lb, but they fit like crap and bounce when you jump. The Everlast, you can actually run with.
Scott
David;
Short answer: YES! Since you are going to be limited to uphill hiking/running while injured, it makes sense to conduct the drift test at the same gradient you will be training on.
Good luck with the injury. ITB syndrome is no joke.
Scott
This is a great strategy. It seems like a lot of ultra runners pack their racing schedule so full that there is little time for the training they really need in order to perform at their best. You’ve identified several qualities you need to address and with the long training blocks between races you’ll have plenty of time to develop those qualities. Don’t forget to add to the list of qualities you need to prepare, fueling and gear.
Good luck, and stay in touch.
Scott
If you have seen a 50% improvement in aerobic pace i 9 months that’s fantastic and you can probably expect to see more gains by keeping your Z2 volume high. I would suggest adding ME training. Your legs are sore after a big day in the mountains probably due to the down hill. You might benefit from doing step downs like I am demoing in this old video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqK5Xy00BjY. I’m not sure what sort of ME you are doing but I have never seen a mountain athlete of any kind (runner, skier, hiker, mountaineer) that didn’t benefit for using weighted uphill carries as described in this article https://evokeendurance.com/muscular-endurance-all-you-need-to-know/.
Scott
Matthew: Nose breathing is definitely NOT required for Z2 running. For many people, nose breathing is hard to pull off due to restrictions. While ‘ventilation’ is a great indicator of AeT it is best done in a lab using a gas exchange test.
dbroman: When you get over 2 hours you will likely see a more significant HR drift due to dehydration and an increase in core temp. So, I would not be too concerned over those drift numbers.
I hope this helps,
Scott
