VO2 Max

Geoffrey Hayward seated next to the Velopark Torbay parkrun sign, capturing a selfie. He is clad in a black sports outfit and appears content. The backdrop features a cloudy sky with other participants and volunteers visible in a park environment.

Pushing the Pace: 12 Seconds to Go

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.

Geoffrey Hayward undergoing a cardio workout on a stationary bike inside a room with white walls, connected to a VO2 Max testing apparatus with a breathing mask, surrounded by exercise equipment.

VO2 Max and Reclaiming the Pace

November 23, 2023

In pursuing our passions we often find ourselves veering off track occasionally. This year’s spring and summer months were a whirlwind of family commitments and garden landscaping that took me away from the roads and trails. In this post I would like to reflect on this period discuss how VO2 Max testing served as a wake-up call and share with you the new goal I am chasing down.

A photo of a beautiful sun rise over the grassy foot path.

Week 5: Training for the Manchester Marathon

February 26, 2023

Following on from last week’s blog, where I reported pain in my right knee during last Sunday’s long run, 16 km in, I have tried to think about what might have gone wrong and how to prevent it from worsening.