Pushing the Pace: 12 Seconds to Go

And the Ups and Downs of VO2 Max

Published December 21, 2023

Hi there! It’s Geoffrey again. Last week, I continued chipping away at setting a new 5K personal best. As you might know from reading my blog, I have been following a relatively regimented weekly workout routine, which includes sessions like 8-Second Hill Sprints and 1K Repeats while also trying to balance recovery. Five weeks into the journey, and according to Strava, on Saturday at the Velopark Torbay Parkrun, where I met up with the Jog On Crew, I ran within 12 seconds of hitting my 5k PB. Today, I’ll look back at week 5 of my training and discuss an unexpected twist in my VO2 Max results, which gave me food for thought.

So, over the last 5 weeks, I have been actively training my 5K pace and here’s how the week went.

On Monday, I skipped the 8-second hill sprint workout and excitedly (you might say impatiently) decided to do an all-out 5K effort. I ran a local 5K route, finishing it at 22:45 - my fastest time for the route. Encouragingly, this time matched my Cranbrook Parkrun PB I set in November. I say encouragingly because the Cranbrook Parkrun is flat, and this route is not. Hence, some encouraging progress.

On Tuesday, I continued the weekly seven by 1k intervals on the treadmill. I did a 7 by 1k @ 4:00 /km with a 70-second rest between. But reps 4 & 6 were 4:10 as a firebreak.

If you are wondering how to do this workout on a treadmill, I set up my watch to count down the 70-second rest. While letting me press the lap button when the treadmill clocks up another kilometre. For example, I must remember that the next kilometre will be at, as an illustration, 7.68k if, after 70 seconds, I begin the next at 6.68k.

On Wednesday, I went for another 5K run. I took the same route as I did on Monday. I ran it at an average pace of 4:43 /km in 23:36. This time was a deviation from my usual routine, as this should have been an easy pace. Again, I was impatient last week.

On Thursday, I began the day with a 6 am tennis hitting session and felt full of beans. I played well (if it’s okay to say so myself). But by lunchtime, my energy levels were starting to drop.

Thursday lunchtime, I took a VO2 Max test that showed a dip! I wasn’t expecting to get a dip; it’s not in keeping with my progress on the tarmac. What could be the reason? I will come back to the dip later in this post.

On Friday, I tried out 6 x 400m and 6 x 200m intervals on a self-powered treadmill. This time, I let my watch guess where 400m and 200m fell.

Between each 400m, I recovered for 45 seconds, and between each 200m, I recovered for 30 seconds. I have decided to do this workout the other way around next time I try it. So next time, the 200m reps will be first. I may also extend the 400m recovery time to 55 seconds, as the 400m reps were more demanding than anticipated.

On Saturday, I joined the Job On Craw at the Velopark Torbay Parkrun. To my delight, I finished it in 22:16. Strava said I ran 5:07k and gave me an estimated 5k time of 21:59. If this is true, I am now just 12 seconds off of matching my time 5k PB. So, hitting my goal of setting a new 5K personal best looks immanent. Can I do it over the Christmas/New Year holiday?

After the parkrun, Harry and Steve Morgan invited me to join the Jog On Craw for coffee. Which made for a delightful after-party.

Sunday was a rest day.

The Unexpected Dip in VO2 Max:

Just last month, I was excited to share my bounce-back progress with my VO2 max and how a relatively low score in September had prompted me to make a considerable effort to get back to where I was in February this year.

My test result last Thursday indicated a dip, which I wasn’t expecting. After all, I am running faster than I was in October. October was when the bounce-back test was taken. But Thursday’s submaximal VO2 Max test at the Exeter Cardio Hub gave me a 48 ml O2/kg score. That’s quite a drop. My mid-October bounce-back score was 54 ml 02/kg.

Should I be concerned that my VO2 Max has dipped? Initially, I was puzzled, and to some extent, I still am. As I said, I am running 5K faster now than in October. Back then, a sub-23-minute 5k wasn’t doable. Now, I am confidently running sub-23-minute 5ks on demand. Clive at the Cardio Hub wondered “if [my] present running training is helping [me] run more efficiently at the expense of vo2max”.

So, unlike the September wake-up call, which was unsurprisingly lower due to a lack of effort over the summer, should the latest test be a cause for concern? Does it reflect an actual decline in my fitness level? Or was I having a bad day? Only the next test can confirm this, but considering I am running faster now and didn’t eat much before the test, I want to think the latter is true.

However, I don’t want to be naïve and dismiss this dip. So here are the takeaways I will act upon.

Firstly, preparing for the next test:

Building on my past experiences, for the next VO2 max test, I plan to:

• Ensure a restful night’s sleep.
• Fuel adequately and smartly a few hours before the test (just like I would for a race).
• Avoid intensive activities right before (like playing tennis at 6 am the same day).

Secondly, adjust my training plan:

In the spirit of learning and adapting, here’s my strategy for the next 4-6 weeks (especially after the Christmas holiday):

• Intensifying Training: Incorporating more varied high-intensity workouts. For example, I tried the 400m and 200m repeats on Friday - hopefully, I can add this workout to my training.
• Prioritising Rest and Recovery: I’ll try to ensure ample sleep. For the last two weeks, I have struggled with getting enough sleep.
• Smart Nutrition: I’ll focus on well-timed, balanced meals, especially on testing day.

Conclusion:

As I reflect on the past week’s training and the unexpected dip in my VO2 Max, it’s clear that the journey towards setting a new 5K personal best is filled with nuances and surprises. I’ll continue my commitment to a balanced training regime, emphasising high-intensity workouts and crucial rest periods. Additionally, I focused on more thoughtful nutrition.

Stay tuned, but I will take a break from writing my blog over the holiday and return to it in the new year. In the meantime, why not follow me on Strava?

Enjoy your running.