Week 4: Apr 6 - Apr 12
Meso 1, DELOAD. Volume drops to ~20 km. No quality sessions except a sharpening tune-up. Let the body absorb 3 weeks of ramp.
Monday - Easy Run
- Distance: 5 km
- Pace: Z1-Z2 (5:30-5:45/km)
Tuesday - Sharpening
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog + 4 x strides
Workout:
| Interval | Reps | Pace | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400m | 4 | Z5 (4:00-4:20/km) | 2:30 full recovery |
- Total quality: 1.6 km. Low volume, high quality.
- Purpose: Keep the nervous system awake. These should feel smooth after the deload.
- Cool-down: 10 min easy jog
Total ~6 km. Compare how Z5 pace feels this week vs W2-3. If it feels easier, the fitness is consolidating.
Wednesday - Strength (Light, Single Session)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Leg Leg Press | 2 | 6 each | 90s | Same weight as W3. |
| Pull-ups (BW) | 2 | Max reps | 90s | |
| Hip Thrust | 2 | 8 | 75s | |
| Dead Bug (breathing) | 2 | 8 each | 45s | |
| SL Calf Raise | 2 | 10 each | 60s | |
| DB Lateral Raise | 1 | 15 | 45s | |
| DB Curl | 1 | 12 | 45s |
25 min.
Thursday - Zone Recalibration
Time to see where things stand after 3 weeks. Run a diagnostic.
- Warm-up: 15 min easy jog + 4 x strides
- Test: 3 x 1 km at current Z3 (5:00-5:20/km) with 90s jog between
- Assess: HR, breathing, perceived effort. If Z3 feels easy and HR is below 165, the zones need to come down. If it still feels like work at 170+, zones stay.
- Cool-down: 10 min easy jog
Update zones after this session. Even 5-10 sec/km shift matters. Don’t wait.
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Easy Long Run
- Distance: 7 km
- Pace: Z2. Easy.
- Cool-down: Foam roll
Sunday - Easy Swim
- Duration: 25-30 min easy freestyle
- Purpose: Pool time. Low impact active recovery.
Week 4 Totals
| Volume | |
|---|---|
| Running | ~20 km |
| Strength | 1 session (light) |
| Swim | 1 session |
End of Meso 1
| Check | Assessment |
|---|---|
| How did Thursday’s zone test go? | Update zones immediately based on data. |
| Did the volume ramp cause any pain? | Achilles, shins, knees — address before Meso 2. |
| How did Z5 feel in W2-3? | If manageable, Meso 2 can push the pace. |
| Body weight / energy on the cut? | If wrecked, nutrition needs adjustment before Meso 2 intensity. |
Meso 2 starts next week. Race-pace strides get introduced. VO2max and threshold work gets substantially harder. Volume jumps to 32-40 km.