obsidian-vault/Runs/2026-09-18.md

---
date: 2026-09-18
type: run
tags: [run, morning, comeback, negative-split]
---

# Run — 2026-09-18

**3.11 km in 18:51 — 6'04" pace at 152 bpm (max 170). Progressive from the gun: 6'15" → 6'10" → 5'45", a clean negative split. First run this block that got faster instead of fading, run on a full 8h24 recovery night (HRV 127, RHR 47 — the first big sleep since quitting).**

## Data

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Distance | 3.11 km |
| Duration | 18:51 |
| Avg pace | 6'04" /km |
| Fastest pace | 5'45" /km (km 3) · burst 4'46" |
| Avg HR | 152 bpm |
| Max HR | 170 bpm |
| Cadence | 164 spm (max 175) |
| Stride | 98 cm · 3,095 steps |

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| HR recovery (2min) | 24 bpm (dropped 24, 164→116) |
| VO₂Max | 46 ml/kg/min (held, "average") |
| Recovery time | 12 h |
| Total / active calories | 246 / 217 kcal |

**HR zones:** Extreme 0 min · Anaerobic 7 min · Aerobic 8 min · Fat-burning 1 min · Warm-up <1 min. Splits: **6'15" → 6'10" → 5'45"** + 0.11 km in 0'41" (6'15" + 6'10" + 5'45" + 0'41" = 18:51 ✓). Running form: ground contact 293 ms, balance L 50.0% / R 50.0% (symmetric — no gait compensation).

## Sleep — Night before

**8h 24min** · 23:07→07:32 · REM: 8% · Deep: 28% · HRV: **127** · Resting HR: 47 · Woke: 1× · Score: 89/100

> First big sleep since quitting smoking. HRV snapped 98→127 and RHR 54→47, both back to clean baseline; bed 23:07 was the first pre-midnight bedtime since the Sep 8 record. The only soft spot is architecture — light 64% (High) and REM 8% (Low), still settling after the withdrawal week. See [[Sleep/2026-09-18]].

## How it felt

> *(no narrative given yet — confirm achilles/calf state and general feel)*

## Comparison

| Metric | Sep 9 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | **Sep 18 (today)** |
|--------|-------|--------|--------|--------|--------------------|
| Distance | 3.24 km | 4.05 km | 2.57 km (stopped) | 2.01 km | **3.11 km** |
| Duration | 19:21 | 26:52 | 20:49 | 12:09 | **18:51** |
| Avg pace | 5'58" | 6'38" | 8'06" | 6'03" | **6'04"** |
| Avg HR | 157 bpm | 154 bpm | 133 bpm | 150 bpm | **152 bpm** |
| Max HR | 180 bpm | 169 bpm | 149 bpm | 163 bpm | **170 bpm** |
| Cadence | 168 spm | 162 spm | 150 spm | 168 spm | **164 spm** |
| Sleep HRV | 127ms | 123ms | 119ms | 98ms | **127ms** |

**The engine is unchanged and the tissue is finally behaving.** 6'04" at 152 bpm is the same efficiency as Sep 9 (5'58"/157) and Sep 16 (6'03"/150) — VO₂Max held at 46, HR recovery 24 bpm in his usual 18–24 band, balance a clean 50/50. What's different today is the *shape*: the last three runs all faded (Sep 13: 6'52"→8'36"→9'23" → stop; Sep 16: 5'56"→6'08"), and today went the other way — 6'15" → 6'10" → 5'45". That is the warm-up pattern finally doing its job instead of the achilles announcing itself at km 2.

## Verdict

**The comeback run the down week was for.** Two days after the 2 km break-in and one day after the first full recovery night since quitting, this is a proper step back up: 3.11 km, progressive, no fade, no gait compensation. Opening deliberately (6'15") and letting it build (5'45" final km) is exactly the execution the Sep 16 note asked for — open easy and let the legs warm into it. It paid off: the negative split is the first signal that the achilles/calf issue that ended Sep 13 is quieting, not just being managed.

Still inside the down week, so no volume heroics: the Sunday long run is the actual goal, and this morning already banked the Friday slot. HRV 127 behind it means the base was fully recovered — this wasn't a run on credit.

## Connected

- [[Sleep/2026-09-18]]
- [[Runs/2026-09-16]] (the break-in this extends)
- [[Runs/2026-09-13]] (the flare this is the clean return from)
- [[Health/mobility]]
- [[Half-marathon-plan]]