The last time I was there I took the simple 5 minute test out of curiosity. You choose your weight, gender, age, and speed and off you go. I chose the same speed I took last time, which was 4.5 MPH. After one minute the incline ramps to 5 degrees then after the test is done your heart rate is taken. It supposedly measures your VO2 max. I scored below average last time at 32 (April 23rd after a 7 km run) and above average today at 41 after an 8 km run.
I doubt if it is anything more than entertainment. It can’t be that accurate.
Got a call the other day from Kamren Farr of 5peaks wanting to know what was up with my participation this year. I wrote back saying that I was only going to do Devon and Chickakoo so as not to interfere with my marathon training. I remember being hampered all last year from injuries, and this year my training has been quite incident free so I hope to do better. I hope to be able to maintain a 6:30 pace for the Enduros (see 5peaks.com) that I plan on running this year but chances are the hills are going to kill me. We shall see.
Tomorrow is guess what? A rest day, yes! No running about like a madman, no biking, no karate. Just rest. Ahhhh…