Fire, Ready, Aim. Training Log (March 24-30, 2024)
This was a fun training week with some interesting ups and downs.
I ran 120 KM and incorporated some higher speed kilometres into my training. My average resting heart was 38 BPM, which is where I want it to be during heavier volume training weeks. I slept less than usual, but felt good. I do notice that I am way hungrier the less I sleep.
My training this week was different than usual. Usually, 90% of my training is in Zone 2 (roughly 60-70% of my maximum heart rate, and approximately 130 BPM at the low end of Zone 2). This translates to something like 5:20-5:30/KM, which I can run at a comfortable pace. As a general heuristic, when I train in Zone 2, I can carry on a conversation without being out of breath. I tend to take most of my afternoon phone meetings during my second run of the day, which forces me to stay in Zone 2. I enjoy Zone 2 training because I can maintain high mileage and reduce the likelihood of injury.
This week, I sought to maintain my weekly mileage but increase my pace for several kilometres per run. For instance, during a 12KM morning run, I would run half the kilometres at sub-5:00/KM pace rather than at my normal 5:20-5:30/KM pace. I was able to run closer to 4:40-4:50/KM at a roughly 140 BPM heart rate. These harder workouts were difficult but a lot of fun.
This week’s biggest challenge was pain. I had to reduce my mileage during the two previous weeks due to injury. During that time, I mostly biked on my trainer. This week, I felt very sore from the higher speed workouts. The pain in my quads was especially intense during the second run of the day.
The same thoughts arose prior to each run. My legs hurt so much. How will I run?
These thoughts are unhelpful and irrelevant distractions. Like many other thoughts that arise, they do not mean anything. They are simply thoughts. And they mean nothing since I will run anyways.
I use the following mindset during these types of moments that can give rise to doubt, procrastination, or inertia: fire, ready, aim. I believe I first heard this term on Rich Roll’s excellent podcast.
We can contrast fire, ready, aim with its counterpart: ready, aim, fire.
Typically, ready, aim, fire connotes a degree of mental planning or preparation prior to a task. Planning and preparation is necessary and useful in certain contexts: conducting research, devising a presentation, organizing a trip, and so on.
But in other contexts, planning and preparation can be disempowering, unhelpful, or counter-productive. Procrastination and doubt can masquerade around as planning or preparation. In these types of situations, planning and preparation allow us to rationalize our way out of some unpleasant or daunting task. In such circumstances, we have already lost if we think about how we will do the thing or accomplish the goal.
In contrast, fire, ready, aim, suggests that we start the task without thinking and figure it out as we go along. This mindset is crucial when initiating the task or activity is the greatest obstacle. Fire, ready, aim recognizes that anything other than starting or doing the task is a deterrent or a waste of time. In many cases, the ability to start the task as quickly as possible — and reduce the amount of time thinking about it — is the difference between doing or not doing the task, and between doing more versus doing less. Moreover, fire, ready, aim allows us to maintain consistency in any difficult task that we wish to undertake daily, such as writing, training, studying, and so on.
Today is a much needed rest day. I want to take it easy, write, read, and cook. My goal for next week is to run roughly 100-120 KM and build my VO2 max with some higher speed workouts.
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.
