Another MAMMOTH engine power... 4227!!

VO2max for the 21min30 5km race is 45.8, so excellent.

You should be 11st 1lb ideally, and up to 10% lower than that for peak distance running. At that weight and 4227 engine, your VO2max would be 60.1 and you'd run that 5km in 17min + change!

I've somehow missed this thread but it looks interesting...

Luthor, if I revealed my statistics could you tell me how big my engine is please... and the VO2 thingy

I'm 45 in just under 2 weeks time
My height is 5' 4"
weigh between 8 stone and 8 stone 2

Last year I got a 5K PB of 20.36
I have asthma if that's relevant, but it's managed well with inhalers

I'm sure I can run faster, just don't know how much yet

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100k on a Crosstrainer.. for the bears
https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/100kcrosstrainerchallenge

Hi Trinity,

sure no problem! To run 20min36 for a 5km requires a VO2max of at least 48 so that very good!

Your engine is 2491, which is low for probably 2 reasons. Firstly the asthma, and secondly your light weight. Your asthma may prevent you pushing hard, and the light weight means you need to make relatively high effort to strain your body.

I've seen it a few times before, the lighter ones hit a kinda invisible brick wall. I guess if I had any comments it would be that for your "near perfect" frame, you should have a higher engine, and the best and easiest way to do this is hill repeats with weight.

I've explain it before but I'll go again for completeness...

When you ramp your heart rate up to 100% it moves a volume of fluid per beat, this is your stroke volume and for arguments sake that may be 90ml of blood per pump. Your heart may be at 195bpm or 185 or whatever, it's *your* maximum.

When you finish your hill and stop the effort and go into recovery, your heart responds to this by *increasing* the volume per pump by over-straining the heart muscle. It tries to make the same volume for a lower heart-rate as your heart rate slows your heart gets an *EXTRA* hard workout.

Research suggests that you should rest for 90seconds MAX, and if your heart drops back down to the magic *120bpm* within 90secs then you repeat the hill, if it doesn't rest to 120bpm, it's your heart telling you to stop the exercise, so you can repeat until it doesn't rest in full safety.

Since your heart over-beats to around 105ml per pump (15% over flat-out) your heart muscle grows and the natural stroke volume goes up, so after say 6 weeks of hill training with weight your natural stroke volume may increase by 10-20% or so which increases your engine power, and hence your VO2max.

So it's weight+hills for you Trin! One boost for you is the knowledge that small engine improvements translate into big track gains for you since you are light, so it's all good!!

Andy

wow thanx Andy... idiot proof explanations too

As most people know I luurve hill training, and I do do quite a bit of specific hill reps. I even have a particular road where I do it that is a 'bowl'. The hills are steep and it goes down quite a way, a short flat bit at the bottom and then back up the other side. Last week I did 14 hill reps on that road.

I haven't done it with weight though. How would I do that? I wouldn't want to carry weights or have ankle weights on (I have both) because I think that would alter my running style and risk an injury.

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100k on a Crosstrainer.. for the bears
https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/100kcrosstrainerchallenge

Yeah I know what you mean about carrying weight - I just use a rucksack with books inside. You can get the rucksacks that have a strap round your waste they are very comfortable. Start by just running with no weight in it to get used to the straps, then put a book in it.

It's just for hill reps where you are concentrating on form primarily over speed. Pumping, driving and holding yourself in the correct position and really giving that heart an airing.

Remember you are using 99% anaerobic energy so your gait should not suffer too much alteration due to fatigue. Briskly getting up to max heart-rate over a steep hill, maybe 1min to 1min30, then jog/walk down the hill and check that heart rate.

Sounds like you are doing the right training, just that being light you won't "load" you body enough for it to react by increasing engine size.

Hope that makes sense!
Andy

Thanks Andy... I've actually got some 1lb weights that go into my ankle weight pockets so I could use them.

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100k on a Crosstrainer.. for the bears
https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/100kcrosstrainerchallenge

Hey Granty,

You can definitely hit your goal of 1:40!

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The only thing you need to determine is whether or not you're willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen.

Shaving 20-30 minutes off your time will take some work. Have you tried the Half-Marathon 12-week Training Program at myTreadmillTrainer.com???

I would highly recommend. It's design is based on the latest science and how the top runners train.

You're some salesman, your website's getting a mention everywhere!

I think it's dangerous to say "you can definitely..." anything. Not to put a dampener on it, but that looks like an advert, not advice.

Everyone has a limit, and there are no certainties in the world. Certain things can push you in the right direction, but anyone promising anything I don't think should be allowed.

Andy