Since publishing this training plan, for people just encountering their Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) challenges, it occurred to me that my following comment in the Preface was inadequate for those unfamiliar with marathon training.
“PAD training is endurance training, because PAD never gives up. This work is combined with a little intensity, from time-to-time, to slowly increase your overall pace.” by Kevin Thomas Morgan
Can’t believe it just occurred to me. I decided to create an example data set, using the 5k distance walk/run (largely walking at present). Collecting data from my Garmin, I completed two 5k workouts, on similar terrain, on hot days, one with an endurance approach, the other with intensity.
I use a 0 to 5 pain scale, with pain level to set my pace, much as my coach used Lactate Threshold to set my Ironman training level. PAD intensity required rests to allow muscles to re-perfuse with blood.
PAIN SCALE: (1) just perceptible discomfort in feet or calves, (2) distinct discomfort, (3) true pain, (4) marked pain without impaired function, (5) severe pain, starting to impair function, forcing a recovery stop.
Here are my first such data, fyi, collected with a Garmin sports watch.
PAD Endurance 5k Walk: Pain level maintained between 3 and 4, no more, confined to walking. Note steady heart rate and cadence. Breaks in pace were due to traffic and pedestrian interruptions, not voluntary. Also felt I could have kept this up for a much longer.
–ooOoo–
PAD Intensity 5k Walk: Pain forced to level 5 using strong effort, walking and/or running. This was painful, pushing up my heart rate, while cadence jumped for each walk/run restart. It was extremely tough, for a completion-time gain of only 5 minutes, over the endurance data. I was glad to finish, and could not have continued for much longer.
Compare cadence and heart rate, and overall pace, between the two approaches.
For me, the level of discomfort with intensity, versus endurance, was remarkable. The intensity approach was difficult to say the least, pushed up my heart rate, and was not appropriate for distance training. That said, a careful combination of the two, with brief intensity workouts, combined with regular distance, as in marathon training, should get me ready for the White Lake 70.3 Ironman, to be held in May, 2026, for which I’m already registered. My goal is to break 8:30, which is tough with PAD. If I succeed with that goal, in White Lake, I’ll sign up for a World’s Qualifier.
Either way, this training should contribute significantly to growth of collaterals, and my PAD walking and running skills.
UNKNOWN: Which approach is most effective for collateral growth?
You can ask Kym McNicholas and me questions on PAD training on the Collateral Nation, Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Never give up.
-kev aka FitOldDog at Inspirational Self Help Books
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