SPE #7 — 101:58 • 2,193 ft. • 14.65 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 54 (low)
Pillow Time — 10 hrs, 38 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 34% (yellow)

Session Notes:
• Very poor overnight recovery due to celebrating wife’s birthday (consumed a couple of beers @ 5.5% ABV ).
• Late start to session due to daylight savings change over + wife’s AM birthday breakfast (SPE sessions are usually in an overnight fasted state, so had to allow a few hours for digestion of AM brunch before session start).
• Other than feeling cognitively tired, this session didn’t feel too stressful physically during it.
• My technique is getting more reactive every session.
• 100% nasal breathing for the entire session, without any sign of respiratory resistance.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.


Post-Session Notes:
• No acute fatigue expressed during session — only slight (and transient) immediate fatigue residuals starting 90 minutes post-session and lasting several hours (until bedtime).

SPE #6 — 96:45 • 1,380 ft. • 14.24 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 90
Pillow Time — 9 hrs, 34 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 94% (green)

Session Notes:
• Session was SIGNIFICANTLY less stressful (read: easier) than any last week (or the week before).
• Felt very comfortable, focused, and coordinated throughout entire session.
• 100% nasal breathing for the entire session, without any sign of respiratory resistance.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.


Post-Session Notes:
• No acute fatigue expressed during session — only slight (and transient) immediate fatigue residuals starting 90 minutes post-session and lasting 3 hours.

Rest Day (11.4.22) Notes:
• See-food diet — saw food, ate it.
• Felt like had “squat flu” during early afternoon from 1 pm to about 4 pm (~3 hrs) then symptoms evaporated.
• The excellent AM Recovery Report (above) demonstrates the weekly Rest Day was both effective and well-timed.

Review: SPE #1-5 — 8 hrs 19 mins • 5,250 ft. • 73.57 Miles

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Load Totals: SPE #1-5*
Duration — 498:54 minutes (8 hrs 19 mins)
Ascent — 5,250ft
Volume — 73.57 miles
*Recuperation Session not factored into totals


Review Notes:
• Need to increase ascent on Saturdays (+500’), Sundays (+200’) & Tuesdays (+300’).
• Reactions (acute, immediate, and delayed) to SPE training loads/stressors suggest either a Type 2 or Type 3 response trajectory — it’s still too early to tell. Need ~25 hours of exposure to SPE amassed before a definitive expression of my response to SPE loads in this Stage will present.
• 8+ hours of SPE down…92 more to go…

SPE #5 — 98:42 • 1,218 ft. • 14.08 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 78
Pillow Time — 9 hrs, 38 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 67% (green)

Session Notes:
• Woke up feeling fatigued. Felt like dogshit from step 1. Clearly a direct result of cumulative sub-acute glycogen depletion due to SPE #3 & #4 over last few days. Which is OK. And to be expected. Cannot forget: No Stress = No Change.
• Session was a total grind. Very hard to focus throughout. But The Clock Does Not Puch Itself. Despite some superficial mind obstacles held onto my immense joy for this journey. Every day is Special.
• Hardest part of sub-acute glycogen depletion is constant brain fog and scattered motivation. Got through it by centering my attention on breathing and running mechanics. No mechanical beat-up to report — just really tried.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.


Post-Session Notes:
•1st Kettlebell Strength Training session of this Development Period (about 45 minutes post-SPE session) — was very tired going in, but Strength Training sessions always provide me an acute energy boost — both during and immediately after.
• Thursday is massage day — on the table for 90 minutes. Excellent work by MB.
• Very much looking forward to the weekly full REST DAY tomorrow — will be eating and drinking as many calories I possible on 11.4.22!

SPE #4 — 99:10 • 751 ft. • 15.00 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 83
Pillow Time — 8 hrs, 12 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 77% (green)


Session Notes:
• High Power Output and High Energy for first ~70’ into session.
• Hit my acute “glycogen depletion” zone around 70’ into session, sparking an elevated lipid contribution to kick-in. Brain Fog and discoordination for approx. 15’, then body delivered a “second wind,” restoring higher energy and power over final 15’ of session. First time this has happened during a SPE session in this Stage/Period.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.
• Feeling more “spring” in step when going uphill and downhill. Which indicates Gluteal Group is getting stronger. In turn, this is allowing for better mobility in ankle each step and better loading of Achilles tendon (which has been a chronic limiting factor of mine for 20+ years).

Post-Session Notes:
•Immedaite (post-session) fatigue residuals lasted only 3 hours today (2 hours less than yesterday).
• Right TLF sore/tight, but manageable — addressing with myofascial self-care.
• Complete rehydration happened about the same time of day as after SPE #2 + #3 session — liquid consumption was generous directly post-session and throughout day.
• Overall, post-session fatigue evaporation & acute recovery was (again) the most rapid after any session within the Stage — continuing the promising trend.
• Appetite surprisingly suppressed again. Didn’t feel ready to consume any calories until 2pm (vs. my norm of ~12pm-1pm range).

SPE #3 — 104:04 • 1,664 ft. • 15.23 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 77
Pillow Time — 7 hrs, 52 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 60% (yellow)

Session Notes:
• High Power Output and High Energy for first ~72’ into session — approx. 7 minutes extension from SPE sessions #1 & #2!
• Hit current “glycogen depletion” zone around 72’ into session, sparking an elevated lipid contribution to kick-in. Brain Fog and discoordination in the final 1/3 of the session were slightly less than SPE #2 session (which is a promising acute trend to keep an eye on).
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.

Post-Session Notes:
•Immedaite (post-session) fatigue residuals lasted only 5 hours today — not all day!
• DOMS reported earlier, completely evaporated.
• Complete rehydration happened about the same time of day as after SPE #2 session — liquid consumption was generous directly post-session and throughout day.
• Overall, post-session fatigue evaporation & acute recovery was the most rapid after any session with the Stage (recent SPE Sessions as well as any of the Familiarization sessions) — which indicates a promising trend.
• Appetite surprisingly suppressed throughout the day. Didn’t consume any calories until 3pm (usually first calories happen at ~12pm-1pm range).

Recuperation Session — 148 Avg. HR

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AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 80
Pillow Time — 9 hrs, 38 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 65% (yellow)

Session Notes:
• Felt like total garbage at the start of — and for the first 40 minutes of — recuperation session. Felt drastically better in final 10 minutes of session.

Post-Session Notes:
•Felt overall better and more energized immediately (post-session) compared to when started — as well as throughout the day.
• Ate “all the food” and generously hydrated throughout the day (drank half a carton of Chocolate Milk!) to “stock up” glycogen supplies for the 3:1work:rest spilt planned over the next 4 days.

SPE #2 — 97:23 • 1,100 ft. • 14.65 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 75
Pillow Time — 9 hrs, 40 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 56% (yellow)

Session Notes:
• Fatugue residuals from the prior day’s SPE session completely evaporated!
• Hit current “glycogen depletion” zone around 65’into session (again) which sparked an elevated lipid contribution to kick-in. Brain Fog and discoordination in the final 1/3 of the session were significantly less than the prior day’s SPE session.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.

Post-Session Notes:
•Immedaite (post-session) fatigue residuals lasted nearly all day (again). A little more tired throughout today than yesterday, but that is due to glycogen stores being further depleted.
• DOMS started to manifest: gluteal group, “side abs,” and quads being sore. Uniform and bilateral soreness, so nothing to worry about — part of the price of getting the body “ready to train.”
• Complete rehydration happened earlier today than yesterday — liquid consumption was generous directly post-session and throughout day.

SPE #1 — 98:44 • 1,507 ft. • 14.61 Miles

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Periodization:
Session — Specific Preparatory Exercise (SPE) | Very Hilly Running
Phase — Adjustment
Stage — Foundation
Period — Preparatory

AM Recovery Report:
Overnight HRV — 76
Pillow Time — 8 hrs, 12 mins
Whoop Recovery Score — 53% (yellow)

Session Notes:
• Three prior days of no running = very well-stocked glycogen stores. This resulted in very high energy and power output for 1st 55’-65’ of session.
• Hit current “glycogen depletion” zone around 65’into session, then could feel lipid contribution began to increase. Over the final 20’-25’ of work in session coordination significantly declined and brain fog increased as the body became embarrassed/overwhelmed by the SPE stress/stimuli imposed.
• Took 30” - 90” active relief intervals (of walking + deep, slow breathing) as desired throughout session.

Post-Session Notes:
•Immedaite (post-session) fatigue residuals lasted nearly all day.
• An afternoon nap of 75’ did little to alleviate fatigue residuals.
• Big Meals Only Club status: dinner = Bacon, Cheddar, Egg Burger w/ Fries + ice cream protein whole-milk shake for dessert.
• Complete rehydration took several hours, even though liquid consumption was generous directly post-session and throughout day.