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Metabolic Testing at the U of O

December 29, 2016 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: indoors

Comments:
Today I FINALLY did metabolic testing at the U of O human phys lab. I've been meaning to do so for a YEAR. I was putting it off, but this is perfect timing: fairly fit, not too close to the race.

The test was early, at 0800. Got there at 7:4x, and jogged 1.5 miles to warm-up, but felt sluggish. Callie's been sick and A.) she's been hacking in the middle of the night, keeping me up and B.) she might be getting me sick. Other excuses include:

- being really tired this week, maybe a little over-reaching after Sunday's grind
- getting allergy injections yesterday

The test was two-fold:

1.) the lactate test, which was essentially a 3+ mile progression tempo run: 3min intervals of increasingly harder running, with prick-blood tests after each one.

- 10min break

2.) progression V02max test, hard on an incline.

It was...just HARD. The worst part, by far, is the damn mask. You have to strap this heavy-ass mask-apparatus to your face and head, stick a tube in your mouth and plug your nose. It's a claustrophobe's nightmare. On top of that, I was feeling asthmatic (allergy injections?), so it was double-hard to run hard with that set-up.

Felt sluggish and not great on the progression grind, but did good enough on the 11.2mph + 1% grade, which was the top of my prescribed range. But the breathing was tough. I think I ran about 3.5 miles or so, total, over about 20-25 minutes.

After a break, it was the VO2. It was set to 9.9mph, then progressive uphill. I didn't make it far....even with a nice view: the Sport Science building is on "The Bowerman Corner" of Hayward, so when the going got tough, I imagined racing on the track and rounding the corner. I thought I could make it 7 steps, and nearly completed them, but I tapped out 40s into the 10mph + 6% grade. BRUTAL. SO hard to breathe.

Results pending. Really don't care about VO2 (like bragging about "how much money you can spend"), but I"m interested in the HR training ranges.

Rest of the morning: SUPER-tired! NO additional track workout today, for sure! Also, my stride felt like ass on the treadmill and I had some right hip soreness...