8.85 km · 2:04 moving (3:28 elapsed) · 533 m D+ · HR 88 avg / 129 max
Optional-day mountain: 533 m of climb at an average HR of 88 — the fjord view came basically free. Right foot slightly tight by the end; the known, load-responsive pattern.
The coach’s read
The number that matters is 88 — the average heart rate for two hours of moving time over 533 m of climb. Aerobically this was a non-event, which is exactly what an optional day should be; the load landed on the structures instead: uneven ground, a bigger climb than the guidebook promised, and a long walked descent. The right foot answered with some end-of-day tightness — the familiar load-responsive kind, not a flare. As UTFS preparation it was more specific than any road run: that race is this terrain, plus intent. It doesn’t count a metre toward run volume, and doesn’t need to.
Part of week 4 of the 30 km build.