Training log: June 15-21, 2025 (and some thoughts on sleep)
This was not an easy training week.
Each training day had double runs and my body still has not acclimatized to the greater training volume. I didn’t feel particularly motivated near the end of the week (on a side note: I find that motivation is essentially useless and we should not depend on it, but more on that in a future post). I also had to manage training with lots of other obligations.
But there were many upsides to this week’s training cycle. I focused primarily on heart rate and completely ignored pace. By running slow, the runs near the end of the week were more bearable. I also spaced out while I ran, had some important life realizations, processed a lot of thoughts and feelings that I’ve been trying to mentally digest, and had some new ideas for academic articles. I generally slept well, focused on recovery, and dialled in nutrition. The weather was sweet, and the runs in the rain were fun. I felt happy when the training week ended.
Last week was a periodization week and I barely ran (you can learn more about periodization weeks here). The prior week I ran 82 KM.
Here is an overview of this week’s training. This week, I ran 97 KM exclusively in Zone 2 (roughly 70% of my max heart rate). I’ve been slowly building mileage over the past couple of weeks, and working my way back to 100 KM+/week. I also took two rest days during this week, so crammed the 97KM into five days. Most days involved 18-20 KM of running mileage, which I tend to split into 2 runs: a 12KM morning run, and a 6-8KM afternoon run. I also did some weight training sessions and kettlebell workouts, which are a blast. On days when the weather is especially bad, I’ll complete my second run inside on a treadmill. The training week looked like this:
My main goals for this week were: (1) run roughly 90 KM at a low heart rate between 123-130 BPM, (2) have fun, (3) avoid injuries and over-training. One of the most difficult aspects of training is to run slow. Rich Roll has a great quote about one of the most common training mistake that runners make: “People run too fast on slow days, and run too slow on fast days”. Sometimes, the hardest part of Zone 2 training is to be patient, slow down, and restrain the ego. If we run too fast, we lose Zone 2 training’s benefits, and we lose the lessons we would otherwise learn. We must trust the process. And it’s not easy to do so, because the results of Zone 2 training are not immediate.During higher mileage weeks, I remind myself that it’s important to slow down because I still have a second run and need to complete it, and do not want to squander my energy and effort.
Here is a breakdown of heart rate and sleep. My resting heart rate was roughly 36 BPM, and I tried to keep my training heart rate below 130 BPM. I find that my resting heart rate tends to be lower when: (1) I eat a smaller dinner at least three hours before sleep, (2) I run mostly in Zone 2 and below 130BPM, and (3) I sleep at least 7 hours. This week. I slept roughly 7 hours and 20 minutes per night, and the quality of the sleep felt good. I wasn’t tired when I woke up, which was nice.
Some thoughts on the importance of sleep. I am continually surprised by the importance of consistent and high-quality sleep. When I sleep well, I feel better, train better, and feel mentally sharper.
I place a lot of emphasis on sleep hygiene. I make sure my bedroom is dark, quiet, and relatively cold. I set an alarm clock for roughly one hour before bed and turn off my phone. I spend much of the hour before sleep reading and relaxing so that I can wind down. I generally try and follow the 10-3-2-1 sleep hygiene rule, meaning:
I cut out caffeine 10 hours before sleep
I eat at least 3 hours before sleep
I stop working 2 hours before sleep
I don’t use electronics 1 hour before sleep.
Going to sleep very early and waking up very early continues to be incredibly valuable for me. It allows me to think, train, and write before the work day officially begins. I can run 10-12KM, refuel, and write 500+ words during that time, which results in slow but incremental improvements over 365 days. I feel more relaxed and the rest of the day feels much easier once training is done.
I also appreciate the humility of starting my day with training. Although I have been doing endurance training for years, it is never easy. I am rarely motivated. I do not generally want to train. I don’t like to run when it’s hot, or humid, or rainy, or windy. But so many good things are on the other side of training, especially when we don’t feel like it. Training is a daily reminder that we can do hard things and get out of our own way. It shows us that we do not know our limits; an insight that can be transposed to all different areas of life. Training helps us build discipline, solve problems, and overcome procrastination. And it offers us true alone time to explore our thoughts and let our minds wander.
Goals for next week. Saturday will be a recovery day. I plan to do some easy weights, walk a lot, and recover a bit before the next training week begins on Sunday. My goal for next week is to run between 100-110KM mostly in Zone 2 and below 130BPM. I am still in the mileage building phase and don’t care about speed or V02 max for now. I also want to swim a bit more and do some weights. I also want to enjoy the great weather and go for some easy bike rides.
Have a good week!
All views expressed in this blog are my own and do not constitute any form of medical, nutritional, physiotherapy, or other type of advice.
They do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any academic institution.
