Flat 6 km — only if the return test was clean long

Keep some duration without provoking anything

Time~40m

Distance6.0 km

DifficultyEasy

Gated on a completely pain-free return test, at least 48 hours earlier. Flat, 6:20/km or slower, and turn for home at the first twinge. This is not a long run — it is a second data point.

Route: Hills are welcome here, but CHECK THE DESCENT PROFILE before setting off, not just distance and pace. The week-2 long run carried 21.6 m/km — double what was prescribed — and put its steepest descent (~11%) at 8.9 km, which is where the lateral knee pain started. Steep downhill at the end of a long run is the single worst placement for it. Otherwise judge effort by grade-adjusted pace, not raw pace: on your usual terrain that is 10-15 s/km.

Calibrated by your 5K best effort (23:55 on 08-27, measured by Strava): easy 6:12–6:52 · long 6:02–6:37 /km — trust these over the printed bands.

Ground you knowwithin reach of 6.0 km

6.0 km · flat, 7 m/km

steepest descent −10 m in km 3 · run once · best 5:59/km

5.7 km · flat, 2 m/km

steepest descent −6 m in km 5 · run once · best 5:46/km

5.7 km · steep, 29 m/km

steepest descent −16 m in km 3 · run once · best 6:48/km

6.5 km · flat, 6 m/km

steepest descent −6 m in km 5 · run once · best 5:45/km

Instructions

Run

16 km flat, very easy6:20–7:00 /km