Training log 2024
Road to Passatore
This is my training log for 2024.
I am mostly writing it for me, as a diary, but please feel free to comment or engage in conversation should you have any questions. This is how we learn and grow.
I will keep editing this post every Sunday evening or Monday morning.
Profile
This year I’ll be 40 years old. I have been running since 2009, and I have been building very gradually over the years. Last year I picked up cycling a bit more regularly, and I plan to keep doing so as a way to limit injury risk, keep my mind calm, increase aerobic volume, and enjoy my time outdoors.
In 2023 I ran PRs over every distance from the 5 km to the 100 km, something I do not expect to repeat, as I am now quite close to my genetic ceiling. My goal this year is to stay healthier and prepare well for the 100 km del Passatore, with fewer races during the year (see below for which ones).
For more background about my training history, philosophy, and structure, see this blog.
Other resources:
Year races and goals:
Last year I raced quite a lot, for a few reasons, one of them being the need to get used to “race stress” and live it better mentally (it can sound silly at my performance level, but I used to go the full night without sleep before a marathon, and I had to work on it). I think now I can handle the stress a lot better and given the many physical issues I experience, I have decided to focus on fewer key events this year:
February 11th, B goal: Barcelona half marathon
I ran 1h 20’ 47” for a personal best. Training and race report, here.
April 15th, B goal: Boston Marathon
Aiming to enjoy the day and run ~3 hours. Priority to Passatore here, so if anything feels a bit off, I will run slower and limit the damage.
I changed plans and trained through a series of events, two marathons and a 50 km in zone 2 with a harder finish, including Boston, as preparation for Passatore. See here for a detailed report.
May 25th, A goal: 100 km del Passatore
Aiming to race well, the time will depend on how hot it is, but I think a sub-10 hour and top 5% of the finishers should be possible. Finishing well at the Biel 100 km last year gives confidence.
I ran 9h 25’, very happy with this effort. Training and race report, here.
September 14th, B goal: Winschoten 50 km
I had a difficult summer training-wise, after Passatore, and managed to train well only in the last 3 weeks before Winschoten. I was however feeling good on that day and ran a personal best in 3h 54’. Training and race report, here.
There might be a few other C events in between, but I have not scheduled any at the moment. Given how fragile I have been in the last 6 months over short distances (5-15 km raced hard and leading to neverending injuries), I will likely avoid those for the foreseeable future.
Week one
Training: 16 hours:
Running: 130 km, 1900 m
Workouts: 6 x 800 m hard, 400 m easy
Cycling: 3 hours
Strength: 1 session
Injuries and rehab: managing the calf (strain in July 2023), no acute pain or issues during training, but a bit delicate.
Score: 7/10
First week of the year. A solid week, I aimed at a single workout (VO2max), and executed well, while being careful with my injuries. I went to the track to keep everything a bit more controlled, and I did not have any pain or discomfort, while running a good pace:
The following days I did feel a bit delicate, but no acute pain. The Barcelona half is in a few weeks but I have not decided yet if I will race: I will make up my mind after the next threshold sessions, which I think are the ones triggering more pain / calf issues, and also the closest to race pace. I do not want to make this injury worse by racing the half, since I know I can race well in longer (and slower) races that are more important to me (Boston, Passatore), while I manage the issue.
Sticking to my new plan, I did not run the day after the hard session (cycled ~3 hours in the hills), and I waited 4 days before running hard again, which means I will run hard tomorrow (Monday, I planned a long tempo run, so marathon pace). 5 workouts in 4 weeks might seem very little for some, but it is great consistency for me, and I am seeing the improvements week by week. I also feel less sore between sessions, and I can add a little extra here and there (e.g. I did strides twice this week, as opposed to the usual … zero times). I hope I can continue like this for much longer. Let’s see how it goes next week with the calf and two workouts (marathon pace on Monday and threshold on Saturday or Sunday).
HRV and resting heart rate are looking good (still in mild caloric restriction):
Full week of training:
Finally, I am trying different shoes in the hope of finding something that is not too heavy, and that I can use to race 100 km despite my flat feet. The first shoe I’m trying is the Saucony Endorphine Speed, which is neutral, but includes some stability elements.
Week two
Training: 16 hours:
Running: 140 km, 700 m
2 workouts: 20 km tempo (Monday), 4 x 4000m at threshold (Saturday)
Cycling: 3 hours
Strength: 2 sessions
Injuries and rehab: managing the calf (strain in July 2023), no acute pain or issues during training, no discomfort anytime during the week.
Score: 9/10
Good week. Almost a great week if it wasn’t for the tempo run going below expectations. I think I just didn’t eat enough the two days prior, as I was restricting calories a bit and training little over the weekend, I probably overdid it and ended up having little energy mid-workout. I then was in Liverpool for Ale’s PhD defense and ran good volume (including a 47 km run midweek), before doing a threshold session on Saturday. The threshold session went really well, and I am very happy not to have felt any calf pain despite having done a very large volume of high-intensity training this week and in this workout in particular:
I didn’t do any intensity for 4 days between workouts, as per my new plan, and I went riding the day after the hardest session (so on Sunday). I also went for a hike on that day, that’s okay as long as I do not run (for injury prevention). Full week:
Below is some interesting data, were we can clearly see how morning HRV measurements tend to be more useful than night ones (something I discuss in more detail here):
I am probably near my limit as I had three suppressions below normal during the week (morning data), but I bounced back quickly each time (no sustained suppression), pointing to an overall still positive response, but I need to watch my stressors. I am not traveling in the next weeks but since next week I’ll resume the heat training protocol, I will aim at one single workout, a VO2max session on Friday (giving myself 5 days this time between workouts). Let’s see how it goes.
Week three
Training: 17 hours (+heat protocol):
Running: 150 km, 2500 m
1 workout: 8 x 800m at ~VO2max (Friday)
Cycling: none
Strength: 1 session
Injuries and rehab: some discomfort at the left hip and glute. No issues at the left knee and right calf.
Score: 7/10
This week I felt a bit battered from last week’s workouts, but managed to do what I had planned. I went for a single hard session five days since the previous one, and for the rest, just easy running and hiking to try to avoid making things worse. I had some good social runs with Adrian and Geert here in Barcelona, which was certainly an highlight of the week. Here is the 8 x 800m session on the track:
I ended up skipping the bike ride on Saturday as I wasn’t really feeling it this week. On Sunday I was also really tired and sore. Happens. Maybe the heat protocol is also getting me a bit more tired.
Next week I hope to feel a bit better and fresher, and maybe a bit less delicate (calf and knee have been good this week, but the left hip and glute are still a bit off since Liverpool). Full week:
The goal next week is still to do just one hard session, long reps (5km) at threshold / half marathon pace, as the Barcelona half is only 3 weeks away.
Week four
Training: 25 hours:
Running: 150 km, 4000 m
1 workout: 3 x 5000 m, aborted (ended up doing one rep)
Cycling: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Strength: 1 session
Injuries and rehab: some discomfort at the left hip and glute. No issues at the left knee and right calf.
Score: 4/10
This week I started well, feeling good on Monday (ran with Mireia) and Tuesday (with Xavi), after a poor weekend last week, but then I was back in the hole. On Wednesday I couldn’t do the 3 x 5000 m workout I had planned, and I thought it was just a bad day, but the rest of the week I was quite miserable. I cycled on Thursday (no issues) but I could barely run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was out many hours, but mostly walking, as I felt like my legs just could not run. Weird feeling as I was okay mentally and when doing other activities. I also had more ectopic beats than prior weeks, something seems off even though I am not sure what, work stress is also quite normal these days.
I’m taking a day off tomorrow and changing my plans for next week, as I cannot possibly do any sessions in these conditions. Let’s see if I get back to normal in time for the Barcelona half or if I have to pass.
Full week:
Week five
Training: 17 hours:
Running: 100 km, 2000 m
2 workouts:
3 x 2000 m at threshold
Long tempo (30 km)
Cycling: 2 hours
1 workout
2 x 30’ hard climbs
Strength: 1 session
Other: no caloric restriction for 2 weeks, a hike on Sunday
Injuries and rehab: some discomfort at the left hip. No issues at the left knee and right calf.
Score: 8/10
Another weird week with some difficulties managing energy levels, but with a few very good workouts. I took a day off on Monday as I have been struggling a bit with feeling good consistently already for a few weeks. On Tuesday I ran a good hard session without overdoing it:
Then on Wednesday, I went for a short run (very sore) and then for a hard ride (2 x 30’ climbs). On Thursday another easy run (still quite sore), and on Friday I was out with friends in Montserrat. Saturday I was miserable, I ran for an hour feeling quite poorly and during the day I had headaches and spent most of my time in bed, I couldn't even work. On Sunday however I was good again and I ran a long tempo run quite well (nothing too exciting, but still, my best long run since the Amsterdam marathon):
Full week:
Resting HRV shows quite well the difficulties I had recently. This week I will take it easy, possibly resting for 2 days, so that I can try to race well the Barcelona half marathon on Sunday. Let’s see how that goes.
Week six
Training: 7 hours:
Running: 75 km, 1000 m
Race:
Barcelona half marathon, 1h 20’ 47”, personal best
Cycling: none
Strength: 1 session
Other: none.
Injuries and rehab: usual niggles but no drama.
Score: 9/10
This week I took it very easy, rested plenty, ran little, did not cross train, all with the goal of getting fresh for Sunday’s Barcelona half marathon, where I wanted to race hard. The week wasn’t particularly good, I often felt too tired or even more damaged than in previous weeks, but eventually, things started to feel better towards the weekend. I had two decent runs with Dave on Friday and Saturday, with strides that also felt quite good, despite some discomfort in the right hamstring. Really happy with a personal best and a time that is in line with what I thought I could race on a very good day.
Full week:
Tonight we travel back to Amsterdam, and then to Japan. Easy training weeks ahead.
Week seven
Training: 13 hours:
Running: 110 km, 2500 m
Workouts:
none
Cycling: none
Strength: none
Other: traveled to Amsterdam and then Japan
Injuries and rehab: usual niggles but no drama. Massive post-race soreness, could barely walk until Thursday.
Score: 5/10
This week I was way more sore than expected after last Sunday’s half marathon. I could barely walk for a few days, with lots of hamstring pain. I felt the issue even during the race, I was really tight, and hoping I would not pull one just like I did in Cannes. Eventually it went well, as I got to the end in one piece, but the recovery took some time. I have also been quite tired due to the travel to Tokyo, lack of sleep, etc. - but I managed to get out moving between Thursday and Sunday, for a total of about 110 km and some vert (2500m). Full week:
I was hoping to get back into structured workouts next week, but I am not in the conditions. Yesterday I had also a very elevated heart rate while running, I hope I am not getting sick on top of the muscular soreness and general travel fatigue. We’ll see, but in the meantime, only easy training.
Week eight
Training: 10 hours:
Running: 105 km, 500 m
Workouts:
none
Cycling: none
Strength: none
Other: traveled back to Amsterdam from Japan
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 5/10
This week has been rather uneventful in terms of training. I started feeling better and running better at the beginning of the week while still in Tokyo, then traveled back to Amsterdam. I was then quite tired with jetlag and the trip in general. The rest of the week I tried to keep up the volume and also to see how a bit of marathon pace would feel (on Sunday), but I felt really tired and empty, so I called it a day after a few kilometers. Hopefully back to training hard next week, let’s see. On the bright side, nothing hurts. That’s a nice feeling.
Full week:
Write up about the Barcelona half marathon:
and one about training zones and training intensity:
Tonight we go back to Spain, then travel to Italy via France in the next 2 weeks. Looking forward to settling for a bit and getting back into a more stable routine after these two weeks.
Week nine
Training: 20 hours:
Running: 160 km, 4000 m
Workouts:
7 x 3’ hard, 2’ easy
Long run (60 km, 2000 m)
Cycling: 2 hours and a half easy
Strength: 1 hour
Other: drove to France from Spain
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 8/10
Back to training. This week I felt better and managed to put in some decent volume for the first time in the past 4 weeks. I also attempted a workout (short VO2max intervals). I felt good but performed poorly. That’s okay, I always need a few sessions to get back into it after a race and a few weeks of low intensity.
On Saturday I went for a very long run, which felt okay. I was hoping to feel a bit stronger in the second part, but it wasn’t too bad either. The day after I felt surprisingly fresh and ran well in zone 2 for 80’.
I hope to be able to continue with some structured intensity next week, so that I can get in some key workouts before Boston. Let’s see. Very happy with my injuries and niggles, two weeks of no pain. A rare feeling.
Full week:
and running only:
Week ten
Training: 21 hours:
Running: 120 km, 3500 m
Workouts:
4 x 2000m hard, 2’ easy
Long run (45 km, 2000 m)
Strides
Cycling: 6 hours
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: drove to Italy from France
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 8/10
Another good week of training. Two in a row. No pain. Back to some consistent intensity. More cycling now that I am back home in Brisighella. Happy.
Tomorrow is the most important day of the block as I will do another tempo run and make a call for Boston. Despite the half marathon personal best, I have performed poorly in all my tempo runs in the past 3 months, and I am lacking confidence. Not sure if I have put on too much weight (I’m currently at 72.5 km, which I haven’t been in years), or else, but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. As Boston is quite close to Passatore, I am trying to convince myself to just jog it and have fun and not race it, so I can focus on what I care about the most. On top of that, my tempo runs do not seem to make it worth it at all to race.
Anyways, the workout this week was decent, much better than last week, and the other runs also felt good. I did strides today (Sunday), which is always a rare occasion, but the legs are feeling good. I went out on the bike the day after intervals, and did only one session, waiting 4 full days before the next one (tomorrow). All things I’m doing to reduce injury risk. Pat on my back.
Full week:
Finally, I am really happy to be back home. Office space is good, training outside is lovely, mentally I’m in the right place, and my data (heart rate and HRV) shows it quite well. Hoping for more weeks like this.
Week eleven
Training: 27 hours:
Running: 140 km, 4000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
2 hours at marathon intensity (tempo)
9 x 3’ hard, 2’ easy (~VO2max)
Steady uphills, 2 x 10-15’ (high end aerobic)
Cycling: 11 hours (all easy)
Strength: 2 sessions
Other: nothing to report
Injuries and rehab: mostly good
Score: 7/10
This week I trained plenty, and did more intensity than I usually do. It was good overall, but the key session of the week (marathon intensity) was quite depressing (very slow pace and very tired after 20-25 km only). Unsure why my marathon intensity isn’t up to the task at the moment, but no point in forcing it. I will try another session next week and see how that goes, now that I have added a few more hours and some more intensity to the mix.
Overall I was back on the bike quite a bit more. I do not think I will do the same regularly (trying to settle on two rides / week when I am running a lot, and more only if I am running fewer hours), but this week I was in the mood and the weather was perfect. I was also on the course of the 100 km del Passatore (went by bike to Borgo san Lorenzo and back from Brisighella). Really looking forward to be running it in two months time.
Full week:
Good energy levels, no tiredness despite the volume and intensity, no caloric restriction.
Week twelve
Training: 25 hours:
Running: 160 km, 3500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
45 km with 4 steady climbs (2km-5km-5km-3km)
2 hours at marathon intensity
Cycling: 7 hours
Workouts:
3 x 10’ hard (climbs)
Strength: 1 session
Other: nothing to report
Injuries and rehab: good
Score: 8/10
Another good week, high volume, high intensity, no physical issues. Very happy with this block. I’ve changed a bit the way I train in the past weeks, trying to possibly do intensity a bit more frequently, also as part of long runs (thanks to the climbs around here, I can push and not compromise my health with injuries and other issues that are so frequent for me when running “fast” on the flats). The workouts are more frequent but somewhat more controlled. I still need to get in the order of ideas that this is a good way to train. As someone that tends to do really hard workouts, it feels a bit less satisfying recently, but I do feel much better on a day to day basis. I hardly ever go out with low energy and I’m feeling better outside of training too. This is new to me. I hope that with a few more weeks of this, I will also start seeing some more improvements in performance, which would give me confidence in the approach. Anyways, a few extra words today as this is a bit of a shift from my typical way of training and I’m happy about the current state.
The weather was pretty good again this week, first warmer days (~20C) and some good rides. I went out also for a workout on the bike, which took just an hour, but where I could push pretty hard on the climbs again. I hope this will result in some benefits for my running, that’s the main reason why I do these sessions.
In terms of running, on Monday I went out for a long run with hard climbs, a key session for Passatore. It went well, I wasn’t super fresh at the start but I executed well and finished that I wasn’t too tired. I also practiced the usual race protocols (gels every 6 km, same for sodium pills, carried 1 liter of water then tried the Saucony Tempus, which seemed to work well with my flat feet, but rubbed my heel a bit too much). Two days later I went out for a marathon pace workout that wasn’t great but was better than what I did last time. It was also quite warm, so overall I am happy with the outcome even though I am slower than I was before the Amsterdam marathon, it seems.
Talking about marathons, I decided not to race Boston, but to run more or less in zone 2, or near 50k pace. I have also singed up for the Trittico di Romana, which includes the maratona del Lamone, 50 km di Romagna and 100 km del Passatore. I will run the maratona del Lamone one week before Boston, also easy in zone 2. I’d like to do all three just to see how I end up in the overall ranking at the end, if Passatore goes well. The two marathons at “easy but not too easy” pace should be good training, but not leave me drained (at all). That’s the goal as I do not think I have a fast marathon in me, and I care a lot more about running well at Passatore, which is just 2 months from now.
Full week:
Data looks good:
Week thirteen
Training: 25 hours:
Running: 180 km, 3500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
8’ @ VO2max
4 x 3000m @ threshold
Passatore race simulation: 74 km at ~100 km race intensity (+1500m)
Cycling: 6 hours, all low intensity
Strength: 2 sessions
Other: nothing to report
Injuries and rehab: good
Score: 10/10
Big week. Really happy with how it went. I have started using the hills to add some more intensity without getting sore, so that I can then still do a good session on the flats in addition to the hills. On Tuesday I went for 8’ all out on a steep but runnable climb (~9%), then the day after I ran 4 x 3000m at threshold on the smallest hills we have around here (that’s what I call flat at this point). It was a good day, I hit the same GAP I hit in Barcelona a month before the half marathon personal best:
I then kept accumulating volume at low intensities, running easy hills mid-weel, while recovering for the weekend, where I had planned the first (and maybe only) real race simulation before Passatore. These days were quite tough, maybe the double intensity left a bit of a mark, I had zero power in my legs, but I didn’t feel I was risking anything in terms of injuries, so I stayed out 3-3.5 hours at an easy pace.
The race simulation on Saturday went really well, I’d say beyond expectations in terms of the pace I could hit and how well I felt:
and here grade adjusted pace (5’08”/km), which is quite nice and steady the whole way:
Additional notes on the race simulation:
fueling: I had 1 gel every 6 km, for a total of 12 gels. 4 gels had some caffeine (20 grams), while the other ones had none. Each gel was 23 grams of carbs (I used Decathlon gels). I felt a bit hungry at times. I’ll have to see if I can eat a bit more, it will be even harder when it gets warmer.
hydration and sodium: I had 1 sodium pill with each gel, so every 6 km. For the first 42 km I had 1 liter of water (I started early morning and it was quite cool). Then I had 1 liter between 42 and 58 km, at this point it started to get warm (20-22C). Then I had another liter between 58 and 74 km. Total of 3 liters.
pacing: I tried to run easy but focused, not just a jog. I ran well the uphill and kept an easy but decent pace on the downhills (4’45”/km). Happy with this, it was about 30”/km faster than when I did a similar distance and elevation gain last year.
gear: I used Saucony’s tempus, which at this point are the shoe I picked for the race. Glad also to have found a decent shoe in terms of stability for my flat feet, that however feels also good when running. One less headache. Everything else is sorted, socks to hat.
breaks: I stopped twice to re-fill water at fountains, and once to pee. Otherwise, just continuous running on asphalt for 6 hours and 45 minutes.
headspace: I did well for about 55 km, then it started feeling harder mentally. After 65 km, it got really hard, but I kept going, I wanted to do three quarters of the race. For the real thing, it always feels easier, so I hope to be in these conditions only as we get closer to 90 km.
weight: I was 73.5 kg before the run, and 69.5 km after the run.
Given how it went with the race simulation I think I will keep focusing on fitness and staying a good shape with hard workouts, alternated with easy long runs. The mix is working well at this point, and I do not think I need to overdo it with race simulations, as many aspects have been sorted out in the last 2 years of tryouts.
I will now do two days on the bike to limit injury risk as much as possible after the race simulation, even though I am feeling quite well as I write this on the day after.
Next week there is the Lamone marathon, first stage of the Trittico di Romagna, I hope I’ll be feeling good again in a day or two, and then I’ll aim at getting some good training in, running around zone 2. I won’t race this and I won’t race Boston either, but I’d like to still get a good training stimulus, not just jog them.
Full week:
Week fourteen
Training: 26 hours:
Running: 160 km, 4000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
4 x 3’ @ VO2max uphill
Zone 2 marathon with a 5 km hard tempo at the end
Cycling: 9 hours
Workouts:
20’ + 10’ threshold
Strength: 1 session
Other: nothing to report
Injuries and rehab: good, even though I felt a bit my right calf again on Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully no drama.
Score: 10/10
Another good week towards Passatore. I managed two short and high-intensity session, with lots of volume (including a 7-hour run on trails on Thursday), and a good marathon on Sunday despite the load and warm day. I was thinking I’d end up around 3h 20’ for the race, but I was slightly faster (on pace for 3h 16’ at the half), then I pushed harder the last 5 km and finished in 3h 12’. I kept my heart rate in the low 140s for most of the race, really happy with where zone 2 sits now in terms of pace on a good day.
The marathon:
Full week:
This makes 4 weeks at 25+ hours / week, and responding very well. Let’s see what I can do in the next 7 weeks until the race. Off to Amsterdam and then Boston tomorrow.
Week fifteen
Training: 14 hours:
Running: 110 km, 0 m (7 days)
Workouts:
none
Cycling: 3 hours
Strength: 2 sessions
Other: traveled to Boston
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 6/10
Average week after last Sunday’s marathon, and traveling to Boston for tomorrow’s marathon. I’ve done most of my training at the beginning of the week, in Amsterdam, and then did little in the US. No workouts as I am doing three races in 2 weeks (two marathons and a 50 km), and even if I am not pushing as hard as I could, they do leave a mark, hence I will just train easy between events and use them as preparation for Passatore. This week I am quite tired, I think more from jetlag than running though.
Ale is a bit sick, so I am not really sure about tomorrow. In any case, the plan is to run just like last Sunday, taking it easy around zone 2 (140-145 bpm, up to 150 bpm on the uphills) and then if I really feel good, I can push in the last 5-7 km, otherwise I will just take it easy. On Saturday we also ran the Boston 5 km, which was lots of fun.
Happy to be here and ready to celebrate the journey, it did take me 15 years to qualify and be here, hence I am really looking forward to having a good day tomorrow out there (regardless of pace!).
I also had the chance to catch up with a few friends here in Boston, and meet new ones, which is always nice. I love the opportunities this sport brings. Alright, let’s see how it goes tomorrow.
Full week:
Week sixteen
Training: 14 hours:
Running: 150 km, 1500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
Boston Marathon: 35 km in Z2 + 7 km tempo / threshold
2 x 20-25’ climbs at threshold
Cycling: none
Strength: 1 session
Other: traveled to Amsterdam from Boston and then to Brisighella from Amsterdam
Injuries and rehab: mostly good, very minor calf and hip discomfort during long and hard efforts or the day after.
Score: 8/10
Well, Boston was fun. It was harder than I had expected, but it was fun. Proof:
In Boston, I had planned to run just like last week in Italy, with a zone 2 effort until the last few kilometers, then pushing harder only at the end. However, I had to re-adjust a bit my plan quickly. Overall, I felt quite a bit more fatigued than last week already since the start (due to the trip and jetlag, I believe). I was tired mentally, and despite the crowds, I felt really sleepy for the first half, until the caffeine kicked in. On top of travel fatigue, it ended up being an even warmer day, somewhat surprisingly, and I definitely felt that as well along the course. While Passatore can be really hot, I am not heat-adapted at the moment (I will start my protocol tomorrow), and I was pouring water on myself for the whole race. Eventually, I managed to stick with my plan and executed quite well, slowing down a bit more than at the Maratona del Lamone, especially on the hills just before the final push (see grade-adjusted pace here on Strava).
As I was traveling, I couldn’t ride, and even in Amsterdam, the weather was quite horrible and I only went running. I managed to run a decent volume, which was a good sign in terms of how I handled the two maratons in a week.
On Saturday I was traveling again, and my legs were quite tired from the volume and flat running in Amsterdam, so I took a day off. Sunday I was back in Brisighella and went out for a few hours on the hills. As I started running, I felt stronger than in the previous days since Boston, and decided to push two big climbs (5 km and 4 km) around threshold. It went pretty well I think, some good work while limiting impact forces and injury risk.
Full week:
As mentioned above, tomorrow I will start with the passive heat acclimation protocol. I will use the sauna this year as I wasn’t able to get the bathtub installed at the apartment yet (work in progress), but I found a spa just next to home here in Brisighella and that will work out just fine for this year.
I will now do three easy days, a mini-taper before the last of my three training races, the 50 km di Romagna. This one resembles much more the Passatore, even though it is half the distance, and while I don’t plan to dig deep, I want to race again just around LT1 or high-end zone 2, but for 50 km (as opposed to a marathon). There’s also a big climb and descent in the race, which will make it more interesting. A bit fatigued as I write this, but I should be good to go in 3 days, and I am looking forward to it, before getting back into regular training for the last 30 days before Passatore. I’ll try also to get back into cycling next week, the weather should be nice towards the weekend, and since the race is Thursday, it might be good to change the stimulus a bit, while I am still strong and healthy.
Resting physiology looks good to:
Week seventeen
Training: 22 hours:
Running: 130 km, 3000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
50 km di Romagna: half in Z2, half in Z3 (low end, apart from a 5 km climb and the last 5 km, in which I was in the higher end of Z3, at marathon intensity).
Cycling: 4 hours.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: started the passive heat acclimation protocol, I’ve done 5 days in the sauna this week (first week of the protocol).
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 9/10
Back to normal this week, in Brisighella, focusing on training for the big day. I ran the 50 km di Romagna, second stage of the trittico, and did quite well. I didn’t think I could run sub-4 hours without racing hard, but I felt really good during the race and pushed a bit more, eventually running a 50 km personal best despite the hills and long climb (my previous personal best was in Winschoten last September). I did my last hard session on Sunday (the race was Thursday), with 30 km including 8 km at threshold uphill, then did very little training for three days (Monday-Wednesday), about 10 km per day. I was quite fatigue but felt fresh again by Thursday. I’ve also finally started sleeping normally again, after weeks of jetlag in the US and then back in Europe.
My race:
I’ve also downloaded the results of the first two events of the trittico and wrote a script to see how I’m ranking. I’m currently 38th out of about 400 people that finished both events. Needless to say, the last event (Passatore) will determine most of the ranking.
I was back on the bike as well twice this week, when the weather improved. Sunday was really lovely, 20C, sunny, I am looking forward to more of these days.
For next week, I plan a bit of intensity mid-week if feeling good. I miss a good workout with all of these races in the past 3 weeks. Then, a weekend of very high load with Daniele that will be visiting from Amsterdam, as he is also preparing Passatore. Looking forward to this as well. I will try to push my volume as much as possible in the next 3 weeks, while maintaining a bit of quality (threshold sessions, hard but reduced in volume), before tapering a few days on race week.
I’ve also started the passive heat acclimation protocol, in the sauna, and for now I’m handling it well, I have not felt any additional stress / tiredness, and kept doing it also prior to the 50 km di Romagna, and even on race day. I might do 4 full weeks, or if feeling tired, 2 weeks, 1 week break, and then keep it up on race week. Let;’s see.
Week eighteen
Training: 32 hours:
Running: 180 km, 6000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
3000 + 2000m at threshold
Long race simulation with hard climbs
Cycling: 7 hours.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: second week of the passive heat protocol.
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 10/10
This was my biggest week of training. I’m quite happy as I felt good and I was able to do some intensity, as well as one last hard long run. During the race simulation I wanted to try a couple of things. In particular I started to get in the order of ideas that maybe I can spend some time between thresholds on the climbs, and recover on the downhills. Not sure honestly, I love the idea but I might not be ready yet. I pushed and I was really cooked at the end. Maybe I can try a similar strategy but a bit more conservative on race day, closer to LT1 for the climbs, to save more energy.
Fueling: pre training I had my usual race breakfast (oatmeal and soy milk, pretty big bowl, and a slice of crostata). During training I wanted to test how I’d do with higher carb intake using Maurten’s 40g gels, while also pushing harder on the climbs. I had three in a row at the usual frequency (one every 6 km, paired with a sodium pill), and it went well. I’ll do this at Passatore too. For the remaining of the training I had 30g of carbs per gel, a total of 8 gels (skipped the one at 56 km as I was basically home). I had one gel with caffeine at 30 km. Hydration: I carried 1 liter of water in the hydration pack, and stopped for a very quick sip at a fountain. Then I had maybe close to another liter when Daniele joined me on the bike, which was very helpful to practice for the race. Basically no breaks the entire run, as I’d like to do at Passatore. 8 sodium pills (200 mg each), but plain water in the flasks.
The run:
and the whole week:
Week nineteen
Training: 24 hours:
Running: 180 km, 5000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
Race intensity, 4 hours
Cycling: 2 hours.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: third week of the passive heat protocol.
Injuries and rehab: all good even though I was a bit sick between Tuesday and Friday (only symptom a throat ache)
Score: 7/10
This week started well, feeling good on Monday after my biggest week of training (32 hours last week) but then quickly turned into problems, as I woke up with a throat ache on Tuesday, and not feeling well. I opted for running regardless, trying to see how my body would feel, and without pushing it in any way. In the past few years when running a lot I did go out a few times when sick, just very easy, and never found the low intensity movement to make things worse, so I tried to stick to that plan, keep spending time on the legs, but paying attention not to overexert mysefl. Running felt tiring quickly, and I didn’t have the legs after 1-2 hours. By Friday night though I was feeling better and Saturday I went for a long hike / run with friends, staying out almost 7 hours. On Sunday, I opted for one last race simulation, a short one, but in warmer weather (26C), to get a feel for the real thing. I ran well and felt good, happy with that. I used the same protocols as I always do for these occasions but halfed the sodium intake (I stopped 3 times to fill in water, so I had 1 liter per hour more or less).
The past two weeks have been the biggest of the year, as planned, just before the race:
here is the elevation gain:
and here is the full week:
given that I wasn’t feeing great mid-week, I skipped the sauna on Friday, and did 4 days, to limit stress. I will do the same this week, another 4 days, and then next week (race week), I will still do it 2 days (Monday and Tuesday). Or at least, thats the plan.
Data shows a bit of struggle with sickness midweel and then maybe the high volume and heat, but I feel good now, as opposed to a few days ago, hence nothing to worry about:
For next week I hope to be able to do one good, hard session, which I had to skip last week as I wasn’t feeling well. I will however reduce volume, no need for long runs anymore, and mentally I need to get a bit more hungry for the distance, which will happen if I do 7-10 days of shorter runs. 2 weeks to Passatore. Lets’s go.
Week twenty
Training: 19 hours:
Running: 120 km, 2500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
Threshold climbs (8’, 2’, 8’, 2’)
Threshold climbs (30’, 10’)
Cycling: 3 hours.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: fourth week of the passive heat protocol (4 sessions)
Injuries and rehab: all good
Score: 9/10
Last week before the race. Here is a little recap of the past few months and this week. Up to last week, I maxed up running volume (I ended up running 30 km and ~1000 m of elevation per day, for two weeks, excluding a day off per week), i.e. 365 km and 11 000 m of elevation in 2 weeks. I opted for moderately long runs with hard sections (e.g. 50-60 km with hard climbs) as opposed to very long runs, which I did only once (74 km two months ago). The very long run went well and gave me the confidence I needed, so I thought it would be better to do shorter and harder sessions, with a bigger training effect, and skip potentially excessively long runs.
Passatore has almost no flat parts, apart from the last 4-5 km, hence all of my running has been on hills, typically doing similar grades or slightly harder grades even in all of my long runs. I think this is really one of the most important things for this race (or similar races that require to climb up and down for almost the entire duration of the event).
Before the last two weeks of very high volume, I did a big block of "zone 2 racing", meaning that I ran two marathons and a 50 km near my first lactate threshold, holding back, and aiming to get a good training stimulus without overdoing it and compromising training (which would have happened if I had raced the events). This is an intensity I barely touch normally, as it is not hard enough for a workout, but too hard for my easy volume (it'd get me sore and injured easily). However, I think it was the appropriate stimulus before the 100 km race, as it is a slightly faster pace, hence still somewhat specific. I lost a bit of confidence by not racing the marathons, but in hindsight, I am happy with this choice and I will do the same next year.
This week, I didn't do any long runs, but I ran hard twice, doing my favorite workout since I moved here in Brisighella: threshold climbs. The first session was with shorter climbs, while in the second, I pushed for 30 minutes uphill @ 5-12%, and then did another 10' on a smaller climb. A good way to accumulate some work while not stressing the legs too much (limited impact as the pace is rather slow when going up at that grade). I find that even when not feeling particularly great, I can do this workout well, while I would struggle to do a flat, hard session. I've been using the hills more and more in my training, and I feel both fit and healthy, which is typically not the case for me.
Grade adjusted pace for the second workout of the week:
Full week:
Running only:
Well, that's a wrap, time to rest now and get ready for the big day. Talking about the big day, here are my goals:
C goal: finish
B goal: sub 10 hours ("maintain my bib", as the first 250 finishers get to start in the first block next year)
A goal: as close as possible to 9 hours
Let’s see how it goes.
Week twenty one
Training: 14 hours:
Running: 130 km, 2000 m (4 days)
Workouts:
Raced the 100 km del Passatore (9h 25’)
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: 2 sessions in the sauna.
Injuries and rehab: all good.
Score: 9/10
This week I raced Passatore. It was a hard but great day, and I am extremely happy with my race and time, despite a bit of a struggle in the last third of the race. I will come back to this with another blog post covering in detail training and the race.
Now, it’s time to rest and recover, both physically and mentally.
Full week:
Here is my training and race report for Passatore:
Week twenty two
Training: 19 hours:
Running: 60 km, 2500 m (3 days, mostly hiking)
Workouts:
none, but cycling Gallisterna pushed me near my limit for a few minutes
Cycling: 10 hours.
Strength: none.
Other: none.
Injuries and rehab: recoverying from the race, too early to say if it’s all good.
Score: 7/10
This week I took it easy after racing Passatore last week. I mostly cycled and hiked. I ran 90’ on Friday and felt a bit delicate in my tendons near the left ankle, but the pain stopped the following days when hiking or cycling, I’ll see this week how it goes when I run. Otherwise all good, I felt surprisingly well on Monday, mentally, but then struggled with headaches from Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday I started feeling better again, and as I write this, on Monday morning, I am again feeling good. This week we are in Biella for Ale’s work, so I will mostly hike and try to see if I can do some running without pain, otherwise I will try to rent a bike.
Full week:
And the data, showing alignment with my subjective feel:
Week twenty-three
Training: 20 hours:
Running: 150 km, 3500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
8 x 3’ hard, 2’ easy
Cycling: 1 hour.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: in Biella most of the week.
Injuries and rehab: recoverying from the race, feeling good.
Score: 9/10
Second week post Passatore. I’ve started it cautiously given last week’s discomfort at the tendons near the ankle, but felt no problems when running (or afterwards), on Monday, and therefore started training more. I was in Biella for Ale’s work most of the week, and ran plenty of hills and a few trails. On Saturday we were back in Brisighella and I did a bit of cycling, not much, then Sunday I felt like doing a workout, and went out for a few 3’ reps. I was quite stiff, and slow, probably also from the mountains, but I felt good centrally (no headaches this week), and I’m glad I got back into the flow of things. It always takes me 3-4 sessions to start running a proper pace for these workouts, so no worries for now. Taking it step by step to avoid the issues I had last year with racing too early and getting injured, but so far so good.
Full week:
The main goal for now is to be able to do proper hard workouts with relatively short reps (e.g. VO2max/threshold) consistently, and start moving a bit quicker. I’ve signed up for the Winschoten 50 km (mid September) and Florence Marathon (end of November), and I’d like to get back into a decent marathon shape over summer (I’ll be in Amsterdam from July, hence lower volume and mostly running flat roads).
Week twenty-four
Training: 21 hours:
Running: 130 km, 4000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
6 x 1000m hard, 2’ easy
Cycling: 3.5 hours.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: in Termoli and then at Gran Sasso (Thursday to Sunday).
Injuries and rehab: recoverying from the race, feeling good even though I was a bit delicate around the left ankle after the intervals.
Score: 9/10
A hard interval session. A ride. A strength session. A long day. Nothing more is needed at this time of the year. Only thing to watch is again my tendons around the ankle, but today (Monday) I feel good after the long day, hence I’m hopeful it’s all more or less under control. I’ve done the hard session without overdoing it, and also limiting the number of reps to 6, to avoid these problems, but I still felt quite delicate the day after. I also ran 2 doubles this week, which felt good, and hiked plenty. Here is the workout, nothing special but I felt good and strong, for the first time since Passatore:
and the full week:
More of the same next week, even though it will be really hot in Brisighella, and I might have to train a bit less.
Week twenty-five
Training: 22 hours:
Running: 85 km, 1500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
15’ hard climb
Cycling: 13 hours with some intensity (2 hours z2, 2 hard climbs).
Strength: 1 session.
Other: 35C and very humid most of the week, difficult to train.
Injuries and rehab: felt a bit too delicate this week, in particular the left ankle is not 100% well since last week’s intervals (felt it first after Passatore, already a month ago, then it was good for a few weeks, but now it’s again a bit painful).
Score: 4/10
First bad week since February, which is okay, but I’m a bit concerned about my ankle. I didn’t have much energy for running this week (it was particularly hot and humid), hence I mostly cycled and split training into shorter morning / evening sessions.
Not much to say, I’ll see how the ankle feels next week and take it from there in terms of volume and intensity. Temperatures will be lower for a few days, with lots of rain though, hence probably there won’t be much room for cycling until the weekend when it clears up. Last week in Brisighella before driving north to Amsterdam.
Full week:
Week twenty-six
Training: 23 hours:
Running: 120 km, 3500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
2 x 10’ (uphill, downhill)
Cycling: 7 hours
Strength: 1 session.
Other: hot, hard to train.
Injuries and rehab: felt okay, keep the intensity low for the whole week until Sunday and I seemed recovered in the ankle and hip.
Score: 6/10
Uneventful week in terms of training, I did some cycling, some easy running, and a bit of intensity on Sunday. It’s been really hot and I’ve struggled to do proper training, but that’s okay this week as I was recovering from some physical issues I had last week. Let’s see how it goes next week as we drive to Amsterdam where the conditions are more training-friendly this time of the year. I’d like to get back into more structure.
Full week:
Week twenty-seven
Training: 13 hours:
Running: 90 km, no elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
800s, aborted after two
Cycling: 4 hours
Strength: 1 session.
Other: drove from Brisighella to Amsterdam, re-adjusting
Injuries and rehab: felt okay, just low energies
Score: 5/10
Low quality month overall, I haven’t been able to train hard consistently. Giving it time, hoping to feel better next week or the one after. As I’m back in Amsterdam, the heat is not a problem anymore, but I need to re-adjust to running always flat asphalt (it felt quite hard on the legs on Sunday’s long run, just not used to this right now). Anyways, the plan is to run a bit less, and cycle a bit more, while trying to re-introduce more quality in running. I feel quite slow at the moment. Let’s see how it goes in the next weeks.
Week twenty-eight
Training: 16 hours:
Running: 90 km, no elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
30’ tempo, strides
Cycling: 7 hours
Strength: 1 session.
Other: in Liverpool for most of the week for Ale’s graduation ceremony.
Injuries and rehab: I felt okay, my left ankle is still not 100% but it didn’t annoy me particularly or limit me during training
Score: 5/10
Another low-quality week, it’s four in a row now and it’s getting to me a bit. Even without physical problems, I don’t have the legs to push and do any decent workout or long run. I think part of it is just re-adjusting to running flat asphalt all the time, I feel it a lot in my legs, they are stones after 90’ of running, and it takes a while to get them back.
This week I’ve tried to move a bit quicker at times, some strides, some sprints on bridges, and a bit of tempo, but still, all rather underwhelming. I’ve also reduced volume quite a bit, as running doesn’t feel particularly good in general. Next week I’ll be cycling more, hoping to be able to do some better running as well, no targets for volume, but I’d like to get some intensity in. Let’s see.
Week twenty-nine
Training: 22 hours:
Running: 75 km, +500m elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
5 x 3’, strides
Cycling: 13 hours
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: none.
Injuries and rehab: feeling really sore, in particular in my quads, making it almost impossible to run. No idea why, not overtrained (feeling good and also no issues while cycling), but struggling in weird ways.
Score: 5/10
Another low-quality week, last week I wrote that I didn’t have the legs to do much, but this week I really had no legs at all, even for short runs. I am not sure what’s up, I feel good mentally, I sleep well, I’m doing good work with the book and a few other things, and cycling also feels perfectly normal, both when I ride long and when I ride hard, but I can’t run. Lots of pain in my legs, especially my quads, when I try to run. I had a decent day in the whole week and did a workout, which I thought was a sign that I was heading in the right direction, but the rest of the week was a real struggle. Next week I will cycle more and run even less, and see how that goes. The plan is to maintain intensity if feeling good enough, with a few short and hard runs, and then do high volume on the bike.
Mid-week workout:
Running week:
Full week:
Week thirty
Training: 22 hours:
Running: 55 km, +300m elevation (5 days)
Workouts:
4 x 3’
2 x 2000m + 1000m
Cycling: 15 hours
Workouts:
5 x 2’
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: none.
Injuries and rehab: still feeling really sore when running, but no other issues or injuries.
Score: 7/10
Giving a 7 to this week despite the difficulties running as I don’t have other physical problems and I did manage to get in quite some intensity on top of the usual volume. The running workouts went decently given the current physical condition, I ran 3’ reps at 3’48”/km and 2km reps at 3’55”/km, so about 10”/km from being in my best shape. Cycling keeps feeling good, both when I go hard and when I go long, it’s just running that keeps feeling extremely fatiguing in my muscles. During the threshold workout I was about to cramp and cut short the last rep. Weird considering the volumes I normally run, and that I don’t recall feeling like this ever before (I have been fatigued before, but it was more of an overall fatigue, not something so specific to running).
Anyways, I plan to keep going this way, with limited running, ideally hard running every few days, and then high volume on the bike. On the bright side, the weather in Amsterdam is cooperating.
Full week:
Running only:
Recent shift:
Week thirty-one
Training: 24 hours:
Running: 57 km, no elevation (5 days)
Workouts:
6 x 800/400m
Cycling: 17 hours
Workouts:
8 x 2’
90’ moderate.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: none.
Injuries and rehab: still feeling sore when running, but no other issues or injuries.
Score: 7/10
Giving a 7 to this week as well given that I am executing quite well the plan, even though I’d love to run more. I trained well on the bike, with two workouts, and also did a decent running session on the track. For the rest, the usual little running here and there. I’ve tested lactate a few times, and it was surprisingly low even after running a bit harder or with a higher heart rate on a warm day (< 1.6-1.8 mmol/l even finishing at 152 bpm or so). On the bike, I was already at 2.7 mmol/l after the moderate workout in which I barely hit 140-145 for short segments. Useful reference points to make some adjustments while I train high volume on the bike and low volume running (i.e. I can keep running pace a bit quicker at these low volumes, outside of workouts, if legs feel like it). Full week:
Next week I will be in Paris for the Olympics until Thursday, so there will be less cycling. Hoping I can start to run a bit more, let’s see.
Week thirty-two
Training: 14 hours:
Running: 100 km, no elevation (7 days)
Workouts:
2 x 2000m
Cycling: 4 hours
Workouts:
5 x 2’
Strength: 1 session.
Other: In Paris for the Olympics Monday to Thursday.
Injuries and rehab: a bit battered but I seem to feel a bit better, not as sore or fatigued in my legs as in the past 3 weeks.
Score: 6/10
This week I ran more, without really aiming for it or pushing it, but the legs felt better. I did a short workout on Tuesday, and didn’t really feel good, plus, I am a bit battered since then (again the ligaments behind the left knee, it’s not a limiter when training but it is a bit annoying, I had this also last year and following a similar threshold session). Sunday I was hoping to run longer or harder, not sure if it was just too warm (I am currently not heat adapted, any temperature above 20C + direct sunlight cooks me in about an hour), but eventually I called it a day after 2 hours in z2. On the bright side, lactate stays very low even when heart rate is high (e.g. 1.2 mmol/l at 155 bpm). Heart rate is however what better represents my limiters and the struggle it was to do this run. I did a short workout on the bike on Saturday, as I was out of town most of the week, which went okay. Pretty average week, honestly it is getting a bit depressing, with workouts that are not great, long runs that are very short, etc. - it feels different from the past 2 years. Let’s see how it evolves.
Full week:
Running only:
My data has been also pretty off since I came back from Paris, unclear to me what is the source of the problem at the moment (apart from my evident difficulties in re-adjusting to living in Amsterdam. I hadn’t felt this homesick in many years):
Week thirty-three
Training: 22 hours:
Running: 95 km, 500m of elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
3 x 2000m, some strides
Cycling: 11 hours
Workouts:
10 x 2’
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: making progress, not as sore or fatigued in my legs as in the past month. Hopefully, proper training is not too far ahead.
Score: 6/10
This week I ran a bit more and felt better, I am cautiously optimistic that the worst part is behind me. It’s been 2 months and a half already since the 100 km race and it has been a dramatically different post-race phase with respect to last year, when I was racing ‘fast’ (and also getting injured). Hard to predict what the body will do or need. In any case, I do feel better, and while training hasn’t really been exciting this week either, it has been better. I trained a bit harder, internal load was lower at given external load, and I did not feel as sore. All good on the bike, as usual, with a nice adventure on Monday with Piero to watch Le Tour Femmes, then some intervals two days later.
My 2km reps were really depressing in terms of pace, but again, I could finally do three reps without muscular issues, so I will take it as a small win. I am also grateful for the people I met in these past weeks, it has been lovely to connect and run or ride together (despite my poor shape). Something to look forward to when I am back in Amsterdam.
Looking forward to next week to see if I can keep making some progress in this strange summer. Full week:
and running only:
Week thirty-four
Training: 20 hours:
Running: 130 km, 1500m of elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
8 x 800m
5 km at threshold
Cycling: 6 hours
Workouts:
10 x 2’
Strength: 1 session.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good, some niggles but the fatigue seems gone.
Score: 8/10
This was a good week, I think I have finally turned a corner and I can train properly again. I ran ~130 km, with some elevation on the dunes, and two workouts. The pace during hard sessions is quite depressing, but given that I wasn’t able to train well for a few months, that’s normal, and I hope things can get back where they were in the next months, with consistent training. Time will tell.
800s on the track:
Running week, with the first long run in a while:
and full week of training:
Next week I aim at running a fair amount and trying a longer tempo run, to see if I can handle it or if it is too soon for intensity + distance. Based on this I’ll decide if I’m going to Winschoten or not, for the 50 km. I don’t have a good race in me, but maybe I can run a good effort in Z2 as part of training, if the legs get there.
Week thirty-five
Training: 16 hours:
Running: 130 km, 1000m of elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
5 km at threshold
Cycling: 3 hours
Workouts:
8 x 2’
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: some stomach problems the whole week, not limiting training so far, but quite tiring.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good, some niggles but the fatigue seems gone.
Score: 8/10
Second decent week in a row, the first two of summer. I ran again about 130 km with some quality and some long runs, happy with that. I’ve done also two runs (20 and 30 km) at “50 km race pace”, in preparation for Winschoten, which at this point I think I will run even if I’m not in a great shape. I can probably take it as a good training effort, running high-end zone 2. Running week:
I tested lactate after the 30 km on Friday, which was also quite a warm day, and I was glad to see just 1.6 mmol/l after 2 hours and a half, with quite high heart rate in the second part (~155 bpm). Metabolic fitness is still there, but I need to work on the cardiorespiratory side of things.
Below is the full week of training, which includes less cycling as I’ve been able to run well, which leaves less time and motivation for cycling (plus, with the stomach problems, I didn’t feel like doing more):
Next week I plan to do less volume and more quality, and the week after to take it easy before the 50 km in Winschoten.
Week thirty-six
Training: 21 hours:
Running: 130 km, 1000m of elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
6 x 800m, 2’
4 x 3000m, 2’
Cycling: 7 hours
Workouts:
5 x 2’
Strength: 1 session.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 8/10
Happy with a third week of solid training in a row. 130 km / week, some good workouts, some long runs. I’ve touched all intensities in the past weeks, from the track, to high-end zone 2 and anything in between, which is not so common for me, but that’s how I’d like to train when my body keeps up. The pace of my workouts is still quite depressing, but the only thing I can do is to train well and keep staying consistent with volume and intensity, until things get better. Mentally it felt really good to be able to train for a good block of a few weeks, after a summer in which I could barely run and where I felt like I wasn’t myself.
Workouts:
The 800s felt like a step in the right direction, I was quite a bit quicker than in the past weeks, even though I then ran the 3k reps quite slowly. I wasn’t fresh though that morning, maybe I could do a bit better if I had waited a day, but I wanted to have more easy days before Winschoten’s 50 km next week, which I have decided to race given the recent training block.
Running week:
Full week:
For the 50 km race, I am aiming at ~4 hours. I know I am much slower than last year over short distances, but I seem quite efficient around LT1, which is race pace, hence I might still give it a shot and see how it goes. Aiming for a heart rate cap of ~145 bpm in the first 30 minutes, and then about 150 bpm for the first 20 km, then holding the pace. Let’s see.
Week thirty-seven
Training: 14 hours:
Running: 110 km, no elevation (6 days)
Workouts:
50 km race (Winschoten)
Cycling: 4 hours
Workouts:
none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 8/10
Back to racing this week, after almost 4 months. I wasn’t sure what I could do given that I spent the first part of summer mostly cycling while my legs were on strike post 100 km del Passatore, and only in the past 3 weeks did I finally feel I could train hard and long again, slowly regaining fitness. Eventually, I did feel good (and fitter) in the past week too, and decided to give it a go for a 3h 50’ attempt.
During the race, I felt like I almost had the fitness but I didn’t have the legs (as expected given how summer training went), which made for a very hard second half of the race both physically and mentally, but I hung in there and ran just a bit slower than my goal time, finishing in a 3h 54’, a few minutes better than last year, happy with that.
Below are some more details:
pacing: I raced with a heart rate cap of 150 bpm for the first ~20 km, which I know is near the top end of my zone 2 (see recent lactate tests), but also trying to keep an eye at the pace I wanted to hit.
fueling: I had 1 gel every 7 km, with 30 grams of carbs, and 2 gels with caffeine (100 mg) at km 14 and 35. I also had a sodium pill with each gel (200 mg). I decided to lower a bit my intake (as opposed to having 1 gel every 6 km) as I often had nausea in recent races. Eventually, I felt a bit nauseous also here, but the race was short enough not to have issues while racing. I did not take bicarb (for the first time in over a year and a half), for the same reason.
training: in the past 3-4 weeks, when I could train properly, I alternated hard sessions at different intensities (short intervals, long intervals, and race pace) and added easy long runs up to 5 hours. With a few more weeks I’d have added some long tempo runs, hence harder than race pace but up to 30-35 km only. However, as I was rebuilding my fitness, it was too soon for this type of effort. Hence I opted for race specificity and ran 30 km and 25 km at race pace in the last 2 weeks.
gear: I tried the Saucony Endorphine Pro 4, which was recommended by the Doctors of Running, my trusted source when it comes to recommendations for people with flat feet like myself. These are the most stable supershoes on the marker at the moment, and indeed I did feel good in them even for a long event like this race. I used a Polar Verity Sense for heart rate, which I am finding very reliable, and a Coros Apex Pro 2, linked to a Stryd for pace.
resting physiology: recently I had a stable increase in HRV lasting for several days or even weeks, which is somewhat unusual for me. It came together with a similarly good subjective feel, and good recent training, adding awareness that this was a good phase and I could finally try to push my limits again.
Full week:
Running only:
Resting physiology and training load up to race day:
Week thirty-eight
Training: 17 hours:
Running: 130 km, 3000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
none.
Cycling: none.
Workouts:
none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: post-race week, driving to Italy (Biella) via Germany (Karlsruhe).
Injuries and rehab: feeling good, just sore.
Score: 8/10
Recovery week post-race, everything is more or less okay, it took me a few days to get over the race (I was pretty sore), and then I went to the mountains where I celebrated my 40th birthday and ran way too many hours (especially after a summer in Amsterdam.. ), which got me even more sore. I think it had been a while since I had so much pain due to DOMS, I cannot even touch my legs without feeling pain. Anyways, it will go away in a few days, and I really wanted to use my time here in Biella to go up to the mountains before we drive to Brisighella, hence no surprises. Next week I’ll go easy again and run with ale for her 50 km race, then I hope the week after I can get back into some structure and intensity again, while I keep re-adapting to the hills and elevation gain.
Full week:
Week thirty-nine
Training: 17 hours:
Running: 150 km, 3500 m (7 days)
Workouts:
35’ at threshold (in two blocks, one uphill, one flat).
Cycling: none.
Workouts:
none.
Strength: none.
Other: in Biella the whole week, then during the weekend we drove to Vialfre for Alessandra’s 50 km, and then to Brisighella on Sunday. We will now be in Brisighella for a while.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 9/10
Second recovery week post-race, and starting to feel good. Also starting to re-adapt to the hills and changes in elevation, I feel like it’s pretty good already on the way up, while going down really tires my muscles and will take some more weeks. I ran the Big Rock 50 km with Ale on Saturday, and I was a bit fatigued, but it was a lovely day out together. Then Sunday I was feeling good and ran another 2 hours when we got to Brisighella.
The plan for next week is to switch things up a bit, and start doing intensity and shorter races. I will aim for one workout (3’ reps) and then run the Tre Monti on Sunday if all goes well (15 km with half of the race climbing up, and half going down).
I’m feeling better and better every week, I just need to get some speed back and then we are looking good to keep building for the next months.
Week forty
Training: 16 hours:
Running: 120 km, 3000 m (6 days)
Workouts:
12 x 3’ hard on hills
one hour at threshold (Tre Monti).
Cycling: 3 hours.
Workouts:
none.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: back in Brisighella.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good (tight right hamstring after the race on Sunday, otherwise all good).
Score: 9/10
A very good week, back home and training hard. I went for short intervals on steep hills on Tuesday as a way to prepare for the Tre Monti on Sunday, given that I am just back and still struggling on the hills, especially on the downhills (climbing up came back to me pretty quickly, I suspect this has to do with muscle fiber type).
Between the workout and the race I did a long trail run and some easy running, I was really sore especially in the downhills, but made a recovery just in time for the race, giving myself the usual 4 days between Tuesday’s workout and Sunday’s race, which worked really well (despite being basically unable to even do strides on Saturday).
Tuesday session (using grade adjusted pace as I was going up or down 6-10% grades during the intervals):
And the race (same story, there won’t be any flat running now for a long time):
I felt like fitness was improving a lot in the past 5-6 weeks of consistent training, high volume and also consistent high intensity workouts, but I thought I was going to run 2-3 minutes slower. Very happy with my race, and hoping I can keep building in the next months. Time will tell.
Week forty-one
Training: 23 hours:
Running: 150 km, 5500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
10’ @ VO2max
Cycling: 1 hour.
Workouts:
none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 9/10
Happy with this week. Post-race (Tre Monti), I had to go for high volume and not proper workouts, since I was too sore. I managed to add 10’ of intensity (Monticino) on Friday, and to do a few longer runs, including 8 hours on the legs on Sunday with Valerio. Overall I am happy with how training is going, as I am able to sustained higher loads and good higher intensity efforts again. I just need to be careful balancing it all, as usual.
Full week:
Running only:
For next week I signed up for the 32 km in Parma, with the goal of running at marathon intensity (and learn what pace that would be, based on heart rate), with a harder finish. I might have to go easy until then, unless I make a quick comeback from the long run and I can do some intensity on Tuesday, otherwise it will be too late later in the week. Let’s see, either way it would be fine, I don’t mind going hard only on Sunday for this week. No need to rush it or pack too much intensity (and injury risk) in a few days.
Week forty-two
Training: 13 hours:
Running: 125 km, 3000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
3 x 2000m @ threshold
30km tempo
Cycling: none.
Strength: none.
Other: nothing to report.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 8/10
Another good week. I was quite fatigued after a few big weeks but I managed a decent workout on Tuesday, then took a few easy days before Sunday’s 30 km which I ran at marathon intensity (at the Parma 30 km). I felt a bit down the whole week and had a few headaches and stomach problems, including diarrhea the day of the race, which eventually didn’t go exactly how I was hoping, but all things considered, I cannot complain. I’m still training high volume and high intensity, consistently, without the usual physical problems, happy with that. No plans for next week, just easy running and then I’ll see how I feel and if there’s room for some intensity towards the end of the week.
Here is the full week:
with the mid-week workout (always showing GAP as I’m doing these on hilly roads):
and the race / workout:
My data has reflected the difficulties I had recently (with my health more than my training), hoping I can get things a bit more stable in the next weeks:
The lack of cycling and strength training also says something about the past week, (running) training is going well, but I was also a bit low in mental energy (+ the headaches), which normally means I have little or no motivation to ride or do strength training. Maybe a warning sign to pay attention to.
Week forty-three
Training: 19 hours:
Running: 150 km, 4000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
12 x 4’ @ threshold (on hills)
Cycling: none.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: passive heat protocol: 2 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 9/10
A good week overall, after last Sunday’s somewhat disappointing 30 km in Parma. I managed to run a decent volume, even though I was quite sore the whole week, and ran also a good workout on Friday, pushing hard on the hills (12 x 4’).
We finally got the bathtub installed here in Brisighella, hence I started with the passive heat protocol, which I’d like to do more or less throughout the year when I’m here (maybe 3-4 times per week or every other day, not too intensive, to keep some sort of baseline stimulus).
Workout (GAP):
I think I am starting to tolerate better the volume and the volume at intensity, as well as the hills. It takes some time, but it’s been quicker than in the past, and it feels good to train.
Full week:
Running only:
My health seems a bit better than it was in Parma, even though my data doesn’t look great and in general I still had too many headaches early in the morning this week, and my stomach is kind of weak. I did feel better Friday to Sunday, hence I am hoping to be heading in the right direction, time will tell.
Next week I plan to race Serra (hilly 14 km, a threshold effort), as my only workout of the week. For the rest, easy volume based on how I feel.
Week forty-four
Training: 23 hours:
Running: 150 km, 4000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
one hour at threshold (Serra)
Cycling: 3 hours.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 5 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 9/10
Another good week. A bit tired the first few days but I got to the race relatively fresh and ran more or less as expected, a bit slower than last year, but still a decent effort (~3’52”/km GAP, ~93% of max heart rate. 36th/~400). During the weekend I was able to push the volume despite the soreness, and without physical problems (apart from hamstring tightness, but that went also away as expected in two days). Next week I’ll reduce the volume a bit as I’d like to be fresh for a good marathon-intensity workout and see where I get with that. I suspect it will be slower than 3-hour pace, and if that’s the case, I will probably not race in Florence, but run in Zone 2 with a hard finish, which will be a lot more fun and less damaging. I am currently not in the mood for pushing hard in a marathon, only to finish 5-10 minutes from last year’s personal best. I’d rather just use the race as training at that point.
Full week:
Running only:
and the race at Serra (grade adjusted pace):
Week forty-five
Training: 18 hours:
Running: 145 km, 3500 m (7 days)
Workouts:
long tempo (20k)
Cycling: none.
Strength: 2 sessions.
Other: passive heat protocol: 5 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 7/10
This week gets a 7 for the botched workout. I still ran plenty and I have no physical problems or niggles, which is the most important thing, hence I’m staying mostly positive. However, as I can’t do much intensity, performing poorly when I do a workout leaves a mark.
Here is my full week:
I then took an easy weekend on the trails as the middle of the week was quite challenging, with the long tempo run and also another 30 km on the hills two days later.
For next week I planned a good threshold session early in the week and a long tempo towards the weekend, I hope I can execute those better. In any case, I decided not to race in Florence in 2 weeks, but to run in Z2 with a faster finish if I feel strong. I don’t have a good time in me now and I prefer to keep building (as opposed to getting completely trashed to achieve a mediocre marathon time). I think my LT1 is in a really good place right now but the top end is lacking, which makes sense given how I’m training and my racing goals (which at this point don’t include anything shorter than 50 km). Even though I won’t race a hard marathon, I am looking forward to taking 4-5 easy days before the race, and then see how I feel at high-end Z2, especially peripherally.
Week forty-six
Training: 18 hours:
Running: 150 km, 4000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
3 x 4000m at threshold
long tempo (2 x 10k)
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 6 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 9/10
A solid week of training to close a big training block, 1200km in 2 months (+33k of vert), consistent intensity, and feeling good. Building up well since the beginning of September and Winschoten. This week I ran a good workout on Monday (3 x 4000m at threshold), which went maybe a bit beyond expectations, not far from my workouts last year before running 1h20’ in Barcelona for the half:
Then I ran also another marathon pace workout on Saturday, which was the usual struggle. I really don’t have this gear (I never did), hence it is always a bit demoralizing, but I keep doing it once in a while, as I do think it helps also for the longer distance:
My resting physiology finally looks solid and stable, which hadn’t happened in a while, maybe I needed time to get used to the current load:
Next week I’ll rest more as I’d like to try a few things to assess aerobic fitness and durability now, and I want to do it when fresh.
First up is the Florence marathon, which I’ll run in zone 2 (+faster finish if feeling good). I’m hoping to run similarly to last spring at Lamone and Boston when I used the same strategy and I had good fitness (that would be 3h 10-15’ for a z2 marathon with faster finish).
The week after I’d like to try 60-70k of hilly asphalt Passatore style and test some tweaks with nutrition and pacing on the climbs (and maybe shoes). If all of this goes well, I might race a 5k as well mid-December when I’ll be in Amsterdam, but that’s very low priority.
Week forty-seven
Training: 12 hours:
Running: 100 km, 2000 m (5 days)
Workouts:
10 x 90”
Z2 marathon
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 4 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: feeling good.
Score: 8/10
Bittersweet. I took two days off, got reasonably fresh for a good test (high-end zone 2 marathon in Florence, so basically what I’d consider my 50 km pace), and ran well for about 30 km, but then struggled too much to maintain the pace, and eventually had nothing in me to finish faster as I did in my spring marathons, where I had used the same strategy. Some considerations:
The most obvious issue is my lack of training specificity for this pace, I train hard for anything that is shorter than an hour or a bit longer (let’s say a hard half marathon), and I train long, but easy, therefore missing marathon to 50 km pace. Maybe this is the reason, and I was certainly training differently in the past when I ran sub-3 marathons. This being said, I do not necessarily consider this a step back when looking at my goal, i.e. running a better 100 km. Given my limiters (muscular issues, cramps, poor economy), it is simply impossible for me to perform over such a long distance without training a lot and conditioning the legs not to fail, and therefore my training now reflects this need. However, I also had to accept that the days of “improving everything” are over, and I have to be selective. Running a better 100 km means training differently and therefore running slower marathons. This year I ran personal bests in the half marathon, 50 km (twice) and 100 km, which shows me the training plan is working, despite not being able to perform in the marathon anymore.
I do remain a bit disappointed as it is fine to intentionally run a slower marathon if I finish strong (i.e. a good sign for future longer-distance races) but finishing with no legs like I did in Florence is a bit concerning. Maybe I just need more time, I had a rough summer, trained little, slowly rebuilt, recently I raced decently over the ~hour, managed to increase volume, and things are certainly looking better than 2 months ago (for example, at the same heart rate, yesterday I lasted 15 km longer than in Winschoten before starting to drop the pace, and then I dropped it by very little - 4”/km, even if the first 10 km were a perfect match between the two races in terms of heart rate over pace), but maybe not as good as I was hoping for during this test.
I went back to look at my training before spring marathons and maybe I had a few harder sessions (I was still going hard every 3 days instead of every 4), but it wasn’t much different from now. My best guess is that I need more time (as opposed to needing to train particularly differently). One change I will make though, since I train hard less frequently, I will try to add 20-30 km in zone 2, not at the limit but mid-zone 2, weekly or every 10 days, so that I can get the legs a bit more conditioned to run closer to 50 km pace. I think this can help if I can keep it up. Ideally, I could add some variability, e.g. 20 km zone 2 + faster finish, or 30 km all in zone 2.
Finally, let's not forget that here I’m making lots of performance-related considerations, but I have been healthy and running well without any injury or serious niggle for many months, which is unheard of for me. Being able to get out there 3 hours per day and not being in pain, taking it all in, is worth it for me. Mental health has huge benefits, even if I have to give up 10 minutes over a marathon.
Alright, let’s see what the next weeks will bring, I do want to try another test soon, i.e. running 60-70 km at 100 km pace, and see how that goes. Do the legs have it? Or am I really that far still?
Full week:
Week forty-eight
Training: 20 hours:
Running: 150 km, 5000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
6 x 3’
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 4 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: had a foot problem after the short intervals, which is slowly improving, no drama for now.
Score: 6/10
Decent week post-marathon. I had only planned some shorter intervals if feeling well, which I eventually did on Thursday. The session seemed okay (3’45”/km and feeling relatively strong a few days post marathon) but I felt some sharp foot pain and stopped after six reps. The day after I was quite worried as the foot was painful even walking, but I could move a bit on trails. Same thing the day after, feeling much better. Sunday I had minimal pain and could do a long run with Samuele, still on trails. Next week I’d still like to try a very long run (60+km) on asphalt with long climbs, to test a few things far from Passatore, but I will go only if I feel good and healthy. I’ll start the week with some short and easy runs and then see how it goes.
Full week:
Running only:
Apart from this test that I want to do, I am feeling motivated to train a bit differently in the next months, maybe because of the disappointment in Florence. I made some changes to my periodization that I will try to discuss in a short blog soon.
In summary, I will still train hard only every 4 days, and still rotate sessions instead of doing blocks (e.g. alternate between short and long intervals and tempo), these changes have kept me healthy for almost a year, and that’s the most important thing. However, I will try to focus on easy volume on trails only the two days after hard intervals, then on the third day I will do a z2 session on asphalt, before doing a short run with strides on the fourth days, and then again a workout. This should raise the overall quality of the week, and help me accumulate time near race-specific intensities (at least for a z2 marathon or 50km), which I might not be doing enough of at the moment.
Week forty-nine
Training: 13 hours:
Running: 95 km, 3000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
6’ climb
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 5 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: dealing with an issue at the left foot, possibly the same thing I had at the beginning of summer, which was better now for a few months. Delicate tendons, I can run but not too long and not hard.
Score: 4/10
Bad training week. The foot will take more time than I originally thought, and in general I am feeling fatigued and quite tired. I ran more in Z2 this week, as per the new periodization I put together, but only for relatively short runs. Next week I will be doing the same, and resting a bit more, as I am still in pain and we are also traveling to Amsterdam and Tenerife, so limited time to focus on training. I'll take the week as an opportunity to rest a bit and start in a better physical and mental place the week after.
Full week:
Week fifty
Training: 10 hours:
Running: 90 km, 1500 m (6 days)
Workouts:
25’ climb
Cycling: none.
Strength: 1 session.
Other: passive heat protocol: 3 sessions.
Injuries and rehab: dealing with an issue at the left foot, and another issue at the right knee. Delicate tendons in both cases, I can run but not too long and not hard, plus I often haven discomfort when not running (e.g. stairs. etc.).
Score: 2/10
Another poor training week. At this point, it’s clear that it will take a while to get over the issues I have developed since the Florence marathon. I will take it easy, run less take a few days off, then see how things evolve, no other short-term plans.
I have also signed up for Passatore today, despite not feeling really in the mood due to the injuries, but I hope things can turn around in a few weeks and I can get back into proper training.
I have also started dieting as I jumped on a scale yesterday after a long time and I was 76 kg, which I think is too much at the moment. I do not intend to go back to starving myself like two years ago (when I went down to 66 kg), but I would like to drop about 4 kg in the next month or two. Let’s see how that goes as well, on the bright side it’s easier to do now that I cannot train that much.
In other news: going to Tenerife for the winter, flying out today from Amsterdam.
Week fifty-one
Training: 12 hours:
Running: 100 km, 2000 m (7 days)
Workouts:
10’ threshold
Cycling: none.
Strength: none.
Other: moved to Tenerife for winter. I am dieting to lose some weight as I think I let it slip too much.
Injuries and rehab: dealing with an issue at the left foot, and another issue at the right knee. They are both improving.
Score: 4/10
Dealing with low energies as a combination of the diet and my overall not-being-in-a-good-shape sort of phase. Not stressing about it, but also it is clear that I cant do much at the moment, hence motivation is a bit low. I hope I can turn it around in the next weeks.
To be continued…
Marco holds a PhD cum laude in applied machine learning, a M.Sc. cum laude in computer science engineering, and a M.Sc. cum laude in human movement sciences and high-performance coaching.
He has published more than 50 papers and patents at the intersection between physiology, health, technology, and human performance.
He is co-founder of HRV4Training, advisor at Oura, guest lecturer at VU Amsterdam, and editor for IEEE Pervasive Computing Magazine. He loves running.
Social:
Twitter: @altini_marco.
Personal Substack.
Hello, I have a question about week 3. I see daily heat protocol what is this exactly? And massage on Saturday does that mean the whole week was a recovery week in your training plan cycle?