The race itself was a slog. I was going to try some new-old tactics; not hammering it from the get-go and saving a bit for the finish. I followed this for the first 4km, but then I couldn't let the lead group get away to far and I changed gears. I'm not sure if I was actually faster overall by trying to take it easy at the beginning. But, it was enjoyable passing people in the last 3km. I ended up 3rd overall.
New shoes this race, instead of the standard AdiZero racing flats that I have used for the past 4 years. I decided to branch out into some new minimalist racing flats. I train in the 0mm change NB 00 but I don't think my calfs would treat me very nice with a 12km hilly and hard road. My new NB 730 and really light and smoking fast in bright orange. They have a slight wedge heel-forefoot drop helping the lower leg out in those longer road slogs. My legs definitely felt the lower heel during (compared to my old racing flats) the race but I got through without too many problems. The next few days I was hobbling around a bit. Is it time to make the full switch?
 |
| New Balance 730! |
A novel approach to interval training I have recently stumbled upon is the New Interval Training. No, seriously, it has been coined by Peter Thompson as the NEW Intervals. See here for more information. The basis is to do the high-intensity intervals bi-weekly like usual but instead of taking a rest period in-between, transition into a fast jog recovery. For example, instead of 6x800m intervals with 90sec rest, do 600m interval at 10km pace and 200m at Marathon pace. The theory is that the training effect of intervals is to adapt the body to more efficiently utilize lactic acid as a fuel source.
