Even when injured, Reid Coolsaet puts in monster-mileage weeks
Canada's fastest-active marathoner is injured and taking time off running but that hasn't stopped him from logging high mileage through other means
Reid Coolsaet, Canada’s second fastest marathoner all-time, put in more than 700K of training last week. On two wheels rather than on his feet, that is.
The 38-year-old from Hamilton has been on the injury shelf for the better part of 2017. “I’ve been cross-training so much this year I’m getting sick of it,” says Coolsaet, who raced the June 17 Toronto Waterfront 10K in 31:51. But he’s been hampered, on-and-off, by a foot injury. “Riding has been a nice change from elliptical, pool running and indoor spin bike.”
Over a seven-day stretch, Coolsaet put in 722K, according to his Strava page, including multiple rides of more than 100K. He averaged more than 30 km/h for most of it. He rides a Giant TCR A1 from the late 2000s, a bike his wife Marie formerly used for triathlons.
Rode my bike a lot this week. #injured pic.twitter.com/Zq8MA4s80O
— Reid Coolsaet (@ReidCoolsaet) July 31, 2017
“It’s been fun this week getting outside and pushing myself on distance,” the 2:10:28 marathoner explains. “I think moving forward I’ll do less volume a few days a week and focus more on intervals.” This is coming from a runner who, at his peak, puts in more than 200K per week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVlRZ7zg_jV/
The two-time Olympian says that he doesn’t really care for building power on the bike as he hopes to be back running in the next few weeks. How does a high-mileage bike week compare to a high mileage week on his feet? “Cycling tires out my legs but I don’t think it’s as tough as jumping into a high volume running week,” he says. “Mind you if I was riding faster or going up big mountains then maybe I’d have a different opinion.”
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