Mini-Series: This is Part 8 — Run Economy. Start with Part 1 — Rock Bottom Pattern, Part 2 — The Morning I Finally Listened to My Wife, Part 3 — First 30 Days, Part 4 — Nutrition Playbook, Part 5 — Travel Without Rebound, Part 6 — Hybrid Training, or Part 7 — HYROX Mumbai Recap.

Run Economy Breakthrough (Target: 6:xx/km)

!Threshold vs Z2 — 8-week map
Caption: One quality day + one easy day. Curve moves right.

Speed didn't show up when I "tried harder." It showed up when I got cheaper—less energy per kilometer. This is how I'm moving from ~7:11/km toward 6:xx/km without blowing up my heart rate.

Quick scan

* Where I am → where I'm going (VO₂, HR zones, LT pace)
* 2-lever plan: Threshold + Zone 2 (nothing fancy)
* Form cues & drills: strides, cadence, hill touches
* 8-week progression with simple KPIs
* Race carryover: why faster, cheaper running unlocks HYROX

Baseline → Target

* Current reality (Sept 2025): avg run pace in race ~7:11/km, VO₂ Max 36.8 (Aug), threshold HR ~170 bpm.
* Target (next phase): steady 6:3x–6:5x/km in training at sub-170 bpm, with strides that touch 5:xx/km briefly.

Why this matters for HYROX: Every station gets "easier" when the run is cheaper. Lower HR coming into sleds/lunges = free time.

The 2-Lever Plan (do not overcomplicate)

1) Threshold Intervals (raise the ceiling) — Tuesdays

* Goal: Nudge the pace you can hold near LT without spiking HR.
* Prescription: 1 km reps at T-pace with 2:00 jog (later 1:30).
* Target HR: Build into 165–175 bpm, steady, no redlining.
* Stop rule: If a rep is >+5 s off pace or HR drifts >+5 bpm at same pace, cut one rep.

2) Zone 2 Long Run (build the floor) — Fridays

* Goal: Accumulate easy minutes; teach the body to spare fuel.
* Prescription: 45–75 min at a pace where you can nose-breathe / speak 8–10 words.
* Strides after Z2: 6–8×20 s "fast but relaxed," full walkback.

Everything else is optional. These two levers move the curve.

8-Week Progression

| Week | Tuesday (T) | Friday (Z2) | Add-on |
| ---- | -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| 1 | 5×1 km @ T, 2:00 jog | 45–50 min Z2 + 6×20 s strides | 5-min mobility |
| 2 | 5×1 km @ T, 2:00 | 50–55 min Z2 + 6×20 s | drills (A/B skips) |
| 3 | 6×1 km @ T, 2:00 | 55–60 min Z2 + 6–8×20 s | 6×10 s hill strides |
| 4 | 6×1 km @ T, 2:00 | 60–65 min Z2 + 6–8×20 s | foam roll calves/hips |
| 5 | 4×1 km @ T, 1:30 + 4×200 m relaxed | 60–65 min Z2 + 6×20 s | 8-min core circuit |
| 6 | 4×1 km @ T, 1:30 + 6×200 m relaxed | 65–70 min Z2 + 6–8×20 s | hill strides 8×10 s |
| 7 | 3×1.5 km @ T, 2:00 | 70–75 min Z2 + 6×20 s | cadence check |
| 8 | 3×1.5 km @ T, 2:00 | 60–65 min Z2 (down-week) + 6×20 s | RPE audit |

Down-week tip: If fatigue climbs, drop 1 rep on Tuesday and 10–15 min on Friday—keep the pattern.

Form, Cadence & Strides (economy builders)

!Cadence & stride cues
Caption: Tall, quick, light. Let speed, not reach, lengthen stride.

Warm-up (10–12 min total)

* 6–8 min easy jog → mobility (hips/ankles)
* Drills 2×20 m each: A-skips, B-skips, high knees, butt kicks
* 3×20 s strides (build to ~5:xx/km feel), full walkback

During running

* Posture: tall, crown of head up, ribs stacked
* Cadence: aim >170 spm on easy runs; don't force huge jumps—add +3–5 spm over 2–3 weeks
* Footstrike: land under center of mass; let speed (not reach) lengthen stride
* Breathing: 2-in / 3-out rhythm for Z2; 2/2 at threshold if needed

Strides (technique, not sprints)

* Relax shoulders/jaw, quick feet, pop off the ground
* If you can't smile while striding, you're straining—back off

Hill Touches (low dose, high return)

* Once per week after an easy day: 6–8×10 s up a gentle hill, walk down fully.
* Cue: tall + quick + light. These hardwire mechanics without wrecking you.

Brick Lite (run-to-row/skills once every 2 weeks)

!Brick Lite — run-to-row flow
Caption: Breathe, brace, then pull. Cramp insurance.

* 800 m steady → Row 500 m @ target split → 2:00 easy walk/jog, repeat ×3
* Teaches breathing reset + bracing so cramp risk drops.

Fueling & Hydration (keep it simple)

* Pre-threshold (30–45 min): 30–40 g easy carbs + 500–750 ml water/electrolytes
* Post: 40–60 g carbs + 25–35 g protein within 2 h
* Z2: water; if >60–75 min or heat, small electrolytes

KPIs (what I actually track)

!KPI dashboard — weekly
Caption: T ±3 s, Z2 HR drift ↓, cadence trend ↑.

* Tues splits: all reps ±3 s; last rep HR ≤ first + 5 bpm
* Z2 drift: same route → pace up or HR down across weeks
* Strides: touch 5:xx/km feel without form collapse
* Cadence (easy): trend toward 170–176 spm at same RPE
* Weekly volume: build by +10–15 min every 1–2 weeks (Z2)

Troubleshooting

* HR too high on "easy": slow down until you can nose-breathe; shorten by 10–15 min this week.
* Calf tightness with higher cadence: add seated calf raises 2×/wk (3×12–15) + tibialis raises 2×/wk.
* Cramp on row after run: keep Brick Lite; add dead bug / side plank / paloff press 8–10 min, 2–3×/wk.
* Stagnant pace for 2+ weeks: add 200 m relaxed reps after threshold day (technique under speed).

How this pays off on race day

* Arrive to stations at lower HR, recover faster, and maintain cleaner form on sleds/lunges/walls.
* Faster laps with the same or lower effort = time gains without extra suffering.

Data Card — Run Economy (paste into post)

* Now → Target: ~7:11/km → 6:3x–6:5x/km @ sub-170 bpm
* Levers: 1× Threshold (km reps) + 1× Z2 (45–75 min) weekly
* Add-ons: Strides 6–8×20 s • Hills 6–8×10 s (weekly)
* KPIs: T splits ±3 s • Z2 HR↓ or pace↑ • Cadence 170–176 spm
* Race effect: lower HR into stations → fewer collapses, cleaner reps

JSON block (tracker-ready)

json
{
  "phase": "run_economy_8w",
  "current_pace_avg": "7:11/km",
  "target_pace_training": "6:35-6:55/km",
  "vo2_max": 36.8,
  "threshold_hr_bpm": 170,
  "weekly_plan": {
    "tuesday_threshold": "5-6x1k @ T, 2:00 jog (later 1:30)",
    "friday_z2": "45-75 min easy + 6-8x20s strides"
  },
  "extras": {"hills": "6-8x10s weekly", "brick_lite": "q2w 800m + 500m row x3"},
  "kpis": ["T splits ±3s", "Z2 HR down or pace up", "cadence 170-176 spm"]
}

CTA

Run this plan for 8 weeks. Post your Week-1 vs Week-4 T-day splits and Z2 HR drift—I'll help adjust paces and progressions.

Next 1–3 actions (today)

1. Put Tue (T) and Fri (Z2) into your calendar for the next 4 weeks.
2. Pick a flat route for Z2 and stick to it (consistency > novelty).
3. Film one strides set (20 s) this week for cadence/posture review.