Map
For this type of training, the approximately 1.5 km stretch of straight road in front of the Tokyo Imperial Palace is an excellent location.
Data
After running ~2 km at around 6’00″/km, I completed 4x800m intervals at a pace between 4’58” and 5’29″/km, which is supposedly my 10K race pace. The final 3x200m intervals were faster, ranging from 4’40” to 4’58″/km, and were done on the hill on my way back from the front of the Imperial Palace to Kojimachi. My heart rate remained mostly in Zone 2, which is a good sign.
Comment
I didn’t have to put in much effort to maintain my pace during the intervals—I felt in control throughout. Looking back at last year, I could barely complete two intervals of this type, and at a much slower speed.
There are two things I’m particularly happy about. First, my heart rate: last year, it would shoot above 150 bpm almost instantly, but now it stays in Zone 2 even during sprints. The only times I reached Zone 3 were during the last three intervals on the hill, which probably indicates a solid aerobic base. Second, my biomechanics: I feel like I’ve achieved a smooth and efficient running form.
I’ll be writing another post about my running form and how I used data from my Coros POD 2 to improve it.
If you are on Strava, you can check out the activity here: