First on the plan today was an early run to get it done and dusted. My TrainAsONE plan called for a 6 minute assessment, and these are never fun, so I was out before work, pounding the pavement at 6:30am.
The TrainAsONE description of the run is as follows:
Assessment (6 min)
A structured workout incorporating a specific workbout where you are asked to run for 6 minutes, during which you should get as far a distance as you possibly can.
The 6 minute assessment run provides extremely valuable information and insight into many aspects of your running and physiology. You are commonly asked to perform these at regular moments during your training. It is recommended to always perform them in the same place – a 1 to 2 mile, ideally straight and flat area that you can run fast and without any obstacles or interruption is obviously desired. In this way, you are more likely to perform at your best and if you remember the place you got to you can use it as a target for the next time…
Whilst the instruction is to ‘run as fast as you can’, for the less experienced runner walking is permitted – the key thing is to travel as far in the 6 minutes as you can. The gifted and experienced runners should start to feel sick with about 1 to 2 minutes remaining – if you don’t, you’re probably not trying hard enough… 😉
Well I have to say that I am not sure I fall into the category of “gifted runner”, but I suppose I will accept “experienced” given that I have done a few of these assessments now and am getting better at giving them everything I can on the day. The sick feeling kicked in around the 4 minute point but I managed not to ease off too much and put in what I felt was a good effort.
I’m also trying to balance my running training with additional cross-training, so I took the opportunity of having a whole hour without a conference call in it and did a 30 minute session on my Yogaia app. My free time didn’t coincide with a live class today, so instead I did a recorded class from earlier in the day. Today’s choice was a mixed level Hatha yoga class. It was a nicely balanced session with good options given for either stretching it a bit more, or taking it easier when it became clear there was no way I was lunging, bending my back leg up and grabbing it….near instantaneous cramp and a quick return to low-lunge followed.