Workout Analysis

Post-Run Assessment Framework

When analyzing a completed run, consider:

1. Was it the right effort?

Easy Run Assessment:

• •Pace should be 1:00-1:30/km slower than threshold
• •Heart rate should be in Zone 1-2 (below 75% max HR)
• •If pace was faster than this, the run was too hard
• •Conversation test: could they talk in full sentences?
• •Common issue: "easy" runs done too fast

Long Run Assessment:

• •First half should feel comfortable
• •Pace within 30-60s/km of marathon pace is fine for experienced runners
• •Negative split (second half faster) is ideal
• •Watch for cardiac drift: HR increasing >10% at same pace indicates fatigue
• •Fueling: runs over 90 minutes should include some nutrition

Tempo/Threshold Assessment:

• •Pace should be sustainable for about 60 minutes in a race
• •Heart rate in Zone 3-4
• •"Comfortably hard" - can speak in short phrases but not sentences
• •Consistent splits (less than 5s/km variation) = good execution

Interval Assessment:

• •Target pace depends on interval length
• •400m-800m: ~5K pace or slightly faster
• •1000m-1600m: ~5K to 10K pace
• •Recovery should be adequate (jog, not walk to a stop)
• •Consistency across repeats more important than hitting one fast split
• •Positive splits (slowing) across intervals suggests starting too fast

2. Training Load Indicators

Acute Training Load (ATL) - last 7 days:

• •Sum of distance * intensity factor
• •Easy run: 1.0x, Tempo: 1.5x, Intervals: 2.0x, Race: 2.5x

Chronic Training Load (CTL) - last 28 days rolling average:

• •Fitness trends over time
• •CTL going up = fitness building
• •CTL going down = detraining or recovery

Training Stress Balance (TSB) = CTL - ATL:

• •Positive: rested/fresh (good for racing)
• •Negative: fatigued (building fitness)
• •Very negative (<-20): risk of overtraining

3. Weekly Distribution

80/20 Rule: ~80% of running should be easy, ~20% moderate-to-hard

How to check:

• •Count minutes at each intensity level
• •Easy/recovery: Zone 1-2 HR or conversational pace
• •Moderate: Zone 3 (tempo range)
• •Hard: Zone 4-5 (intervals, races)

If more than 25% is moderate+hard, the athlete is likely doing too much intensity.

4. Key Metrics to Flag

Cardiac Drift:

• •Compare HR in first 15 min vs last 15 min at same pace
• •Drift >10%: dehydration, heat, or insufficient fitness
• •Drift >15%: significant concern

Cadence:

• •Optimal: 170-185 spm for most runners
• •Below 160: may indicate overstriding
• •Cadence naturally increases with speed

Pace Variability in Easy Runs:

• •High variability on flat terrain = inconsistent effort
• •Suggest running by feel/HR rather than pace

Elevation Impact:

• •Adjust pace expectations for hilly runs
• •~5-8s/km per 100m elevation gain is normal

Feedback Guidelines

When giving feedback:

1. •Lead with the positive: "Great consistency on those intervals"
2. •Be specific: Reference actual paces, distances, dates
3. •Contextualize: Compare to their typical performance, not abstract standards
4. •One key takeaway: Don't overwhelm with 10 observations
5. •Actionable: If something needs to change, say what and how
6. •Check memory: Have they shown this pattern before? Reference it.

Red Flags

• •HR significantly higher than usual at same pace
• •Pace dropping on easy runs (fatigue accumulation)
• •Inability to hit interval targets they could hit 2 weeks ago
• •Increasing RPE for same objective effort
• •Missing workouts or cutting them short