Okay so I’ve been following a plan now for 17+ weeks in prep for my A-race, and I have a bit less than 7 weeks to go. I’ve scheduled intensity (LT/Cruise/Tempo intervals by an large) twice a week with all other training Z1. I have some specificity weeks planned to do some mountain training. I’ve made great headway with the Gym ME program and I’ve never felt stronger descending trail or at the end of long runs as a result. I’m going to shift a bit away from the Gym ME to add hill sprints/bounding in the final 6 weeks or so, but that is the only other change remaining to my plan.

My question: Should I be re-testing during this period? I’m locked into Z1 for most of my runs, as Z2 tends to feel a bit too hard most of the time. I’m perfectly fine just doing Z1 though, but of course I want to be sure my zones haven’t changed. But if I am staying in a low Z1 does it really matter to much at this point? I think I’ve read it’s better to be conservative an undershoot the lower Zone than overshoot.

I don’t really want to re-test because it would be hard to fit into a week that already has base aerobic runs, 2 intensity runs, and an ME day squeezed in.

Beyond re-testing, is there anything else I’m forgetting? I’d like to bring this training cycle home properly by bringing back my “top end” after all the base/pre-work I’ve put in.