My coach does know stuff... and, I have an Ironman goal.

I have been spending a lot of time on my long runs visualizing the run at Ironman – anticipating what I think the experience will be like and making a plan.

Much of my thinking is based on my first realization about the Ironman run: I am not going to run the whole marathon.

Thus, I started to experiment with various walk/run strategies. A little over a week ago I did a 50 minute run – run 5 and walk 1. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to pace. Rather, I focused on heart rate.

On race day I will set my Garmin to show me heart rate and distance.

I have learned that if I look at current pace I tend to go slower. I am running along feeling, “This is freaking hard. I’m dying,” and then I glance at my pace and note that it’s slower than expected. I start thinking things like, “What the point? I might as well walk.”

On the other hand, if I only look at heart rate and distance it’s a different experience. I am running along feeling, “This is hard. I’m dying.” Except now when I glance down I see a heart rate of 130 beats/minute I realize that it’s NOT that hard. I perceive it as hard but, in fact, I’m coasting. I am able to pick myself up emotionally and physically and go a little faster (I can always drive my heart rate up to 140 beats/minute).

This is what I did on this 5 and 1 run. Tried to press my heart rate between 135 and 140 and then I would walk for a minute. Here is the heart rate chart.

After 50 minutes my average heart rate was 129 beats/minute and my average pace was 6:43/km.

Coach Bruce explained that every time the heart rate is driven back up you create an oxygen deficit which has to be paid off. He encouraged me to run slow on my next run to compare. On Monday I ran 60 minutes at a low heart rate – no walking. Here is that heart rate chart.

After 60 minute my average heart rate was 137 beats/minute and my average pace was 5:59/km.

This is really encouraging. For a very marginal increase in effort and one that is easily sustained (my aerobic threshold is 142 beats/minute) I get a lot more speed. Over the course of the marathon this difference in pace is thirty minutes.

After a couple of weeks of experimenting, my Ironman race plan is settled: Swim easy, Bike easy (heart rate between 135 and 140), and then run easy (also between 135 and 140). I will break into walk at the aid stations during the run just to ensure that I am staying well hydrated and nourished but that plan is to make it a continuous, slow run.

And, I am back to having a time goal. Last year for males 45-49 the median time was 12:54. This is my goal. Finish in the top 50% of males 45-49. This is realistic: Swim 1:40, Bike 6:40, and Run 4:40 for a total of 13 hours. My long training days, going easy, make me feel that these times are easily achievable. Of course, it may all go to hell on race day.