Using The Progressive Run Test

Faster To The Finish Line

A few months after this picture was taken my girlfriend, now wife, retired my favorite grey tri shorts.

Today, I explain how to get the most out of the Progressive Run Test, laid out in Your First Track Session.

This article is available in video format.

Inside the video, I explain:

Key sessions train the mind in ways no textbook can reach.

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Before Revving Your Engine

We don’t want to create an injury, or medical emergency.

Five boxes to check before adding sustained intensity.

1. Minimum Weekly Frequency - 4 Runs Per Week

2. Minimum Long Run Duration - 90 minutes Per Week

3. Strides In Your Basic Week - Speed Without Stress

4. Use Your Best Run Form - Reinforce Best Technique

5. Maintain Your Annual Medical Clearance

These ensure the general capacity to tolerate the specific stress of sustained intensity.

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Engage The Mind

The Progressive Workout requires us to think about pacing.

First, we choose, then we accept.

We split each step.

• 1st half - choose pace, and build to target heart rate.

• 2nd half - sustain target heart rate, and accept pace.

After the test, come back to the split data and review how well you paced. Over time, you’ll learn to pace better.

Pacing is an essential skill for racing well. What I recommend you notice is…

The way is feels at the start, is not the way it feels at the end.

In addition, take the opportunity to feel the entire range of intensities.

A Progressive Test offers the opportunity to learn Subjective Perception all the way to Maximum Heart Rate.

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Fade & Fitness Over Time

Once we have the Progressive Set’s data, we can combine with data from Submax Benchmarking.

Pick a heart rate target in the middle of your Steady Zone.

• Warm-Up Easy

• Stay On Target

• Accept Pace

1. See how long it takes you to fade.

2. Notice the impact of an easy, vs peppy, warm up.

3. Notice what happens if you surge early.¹

4. Notice the impact of raising the target by an extra 10 bpm.

1-4 have a direct impact on choosing your race strategy.

If you are fading quickly then:

• You need more Easy/Steady volume - Green Zone Focus

• You need more time to develop your stamina - Patience

• Be Humble with Warm-up, Early Workout and Race Pacing²

Green Zone Focus - Patience - Humility

Rest Intervals Can Fool Us

The Progressive Run Test is 10 km on the track.

No Extra Rest

Including rest intervals can mislead on true aerobic fitness. A progressive ramp gives a better look. Even then, the steps are relatively short when compared to our races.³

The longer endurance benchmarking sets, start the process of extending Durability at each effort along our profile.

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The Advanced Runner's Basic Week

At this stage of our development⁴, we are working with the following:

1. Frequency - Measured In Runs Per Week

2. Duration - Total Weekly Volume & Weekly Long Run

3. Quickness - Strides

4. Economy - Technique & Hills

5. Sustained Intensity - Final Steps of Progressive Test⁵

6. Durability - Benchmarking At Steady Heart Rate & Steady +10 bpm

We are building deep, balanced fitness to be used on race day.

I hope you are able to see the plan is coming together. How each step is bringing you towards becoming a better athlete.

One more bit of mental conditioning for you…

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Strong At The End

Compare & Consider:

• Warm-up pace vs what happens later.

• First day of the week vs the last.

• Who sees your best performances.

• What conditions bring out your best.

Strength is not about being hard on ourselves or overcoming pain.

Strong at the end is not about placing ourselves in the Red.

What I’m pointing towards is a calmness. A form of quiet power that enables consistent performance, without compromising mojo or future training.

• The ability to accept pace, with a heart rate cap, is a way to practice.

• The ability to quiet the mind on the final steps of the Progressive Test, is a way to practice.

Build quiet power as you accumulate work.

Save your best for race day.

1. If you think improper warm-up and fast early pacing doesn’t impair performance, then prove it. Apply the tools I share and gather data.

2. When pace fades, consider if the target was set too high.

3. I’ll be explaining how to incorporate race data into an athlete’s profile in a future article, and video.

4. The Advanced Runner’s Basic Week. It took me five years to get to this stage when I started in my mid-20s. Coming back to running in my mid-50s, it has taken a year.

5. Use Red Zone work with intent. It is expensive.