Sub-3:30 Marathon in 2012 Goal Thread (Read 4592 times)

    Julia I'm so sorry that you won't be able to take advantage of your marathon training THIS year but can't wait to see you KICK ASS next year! May I ask what type of surgery you had? I know it will be different than mine (cervical spine  surgery later this month to relieve pressure off my spinal cord) In any case I would have never guess you had any time off! Enjoy your running and I hope to join you on this board if I'm lucky late next year

     

    Modified to add spine

    Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

    Julia1971


      Julia I'm so sorry that you won't be able to take advantage of your marathon training THIS year but can't wait to see you KICK ASS next year! May I ask what type of surgery you had? I know it will be different than mine (cervical surgery later this month to relieve pressure off my spinal cord) In any case I would have never guess you had any time off! Enjoy your running and I hope to join you on this board if I'm lucky late next year

       

      Thank you SO much!  I know you've also met some disappointments in your training, so I would be very happy to see you lay down a sub-3:20.  And, I'll PM you about the surgery.  Might not be the same ailment but maybe the same recovery issues and since I know there really isn't much information out there for female athletes about that, I'd be glad to share my experience.

        Thank you SO much!  I know you've also met some disappointments in your training, so I would be very happy to see you lay down a sub-3:20.  And, I'll PM you about the surgery.  Might not be the same ailment but maybe the same recovery issues and since I know there really isn't much information out there for female athletes about that, I'd be glad to share my experience.

         Ya turns out my spinal cord is being compressed yet again and has been damaged. Apparently it's been happening slowly  UNTIL I fell in early July during a night time run (Viaduct Ultra). Apparently because my head snapped back that was enough to expedite things. It took awhile, get things figured out , neurologist was thinking MS until she saw my cervical spine MRI. 

        Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

          Julia - my good friend was going to run NYC as well, and was pretty disappointed to have it cancelled. 

          I'm running Philly in 2 weeks, and found that there are people trying to buy/sell bibs, but that's not legal transfer anymore.

           

          so - last night he registered for the Harrisburg (PA), taking place on 11/11. Just a thought? Small field, flat and fast and scenic...

          maybe thats where you can allow your training to kick some butt!!

           

          mark

            Julia - my good friend was going to run NYC as well, and was pretty disappointed to have it cancelled. 

            I'm running Philly in 2 weeks, and found that there are people trying to buy/sell bibs, but that's not legal transfer anymore.

             

            so - last night he registered for the Harrisburg (PA), taking place on 11/11. Just a thought? Small field, flat and fast and scenic...

            maybe thats where you can allow your training to kick some butt!!

             

            mark

             LOVE Harrisburg Marathon!!!

            Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

            stadjak


            Interval Junkie --Nobby

              Julia,

                 So sorry to hear your schedule prevents you from tearing it up this Fall.  Richmond still has openings as of this morning -- but that's next week.  It's been great to follow your training -- you're very inspiring.  I would never have guessed surgery was in your history.

               

              Hope you kill it in DC.

               

               

              P.S.

              CliveF: if you can put me down for Philly, time goal 3:10, I'd appreciate it.

              2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

              Julia1971


                Thanks for the alternative marathon suggestions but I don't really feel the need to run one.  And, I decided to cancel my trip after all so I'll either find a local 5K or 10K to run tomorrow (I remembered on my run today that my sub-20 5K has a cloud over it) or go ahead and run 26.2 anyway (which a group will be doing in Central Park tomorrow). 


                fake it till you make it

                   

                  P.S.  Since I won’t be making another attempt, I’m going to make my log private in a couple days so I can go back to adding all the notes and details I'd like to have.  So, if you want to see how I applied Pfitz 18/80 and 18/70 for my marathons this year, take a look this weekend because it may be gone by Monday.

                   

                  Julia- I have to admit I'm selfishly disappointed that you didn't get to run NYC- I was really looking forward to what I imagined would be a race report of a perfectly executed training cycle & race.

                   

                  Would  you care to share your thoughts on Pfitz 18/70?  I've done 18/55 in the past I am thinking about using 18/70 vs. RunningWizard (Nobbys/Lydiard plan) for boston. I'm building base right now aiming for 60 mpw base before pfitz.  Curious to know what you did/didn't like about the plan and what if anything you tweaked. 

                  Julia1971


                    Julia- I have to admit I'm selfishly disappointed that you didn't get to run NYC- I was really looking forward to what I imagined would be a race report of a perfectly executed training cycle & race.

                     

                    Would  you care to share your thoughts on Pfitz 18/70?  I've done 18/55 in the past I am thinking about using 18/70 vs. RunningWizard (Nobbys/Lydiard plan) for boston. I'm building base right now aiming for 60 mpw base before pfitz.  Curious to know what you did/didn't like about the plan and what if anything you tweaked. 

                     

                    Thanks, JenRosie.

                     

                    It’s funny you ask – I was thinking today, “Hmm.  Maybe I should try a different training plan this next go around”.  But, I really like Pfitz.  I feel like I’ve been very successful following his plans so I’m afraid to leave him.  The relationship is completely dysfunctional.

                     

                    In general, I think Pfitz does a good job of explaining the different workouts and why you need to run them to become a better marathoner.  And, the plans are fairly predictable and consistent.  Every week, I know I’m pretty much doing a long run on Sunday, medium run on Wednesday, an interval or tempo run at some point, and the other runs are easy.  And, the workouts aren’t that fussy – I don’t have to find hills, figure out how to pace a fartlek, or do intricate interval sets.  Some other programs I’ve looked at (Daniels and Hudson) seem a lot more complicated to me.  And, I like how the workouts are spaced.  It pretty much follows a hard-easy formula that prevents burnout.  It didn't leave me feeling exhausted or overwhelmed.

                     

                    As far as the dislikes and tweaking, the biggest is that the tune-up races are on Saturdays.  I feel like most races, in my area anyway, are on Sundays but I can’t really fault him for not knowing that.  It did mean that I had to either forego a long run on those weeks (which is anxiety inducing since long runs are so important to marathon training), or do a long run before work on Monday (which can be really hard to manage if you have a 9-5 office job).  It also means that you have to cut something out the next week to get back on track and it can be hard to figure what should go.  My other problem is that I don't know that he ever explains what "recovery" and “general aerobic” pace should be or feel like other than in the context of heart rate.  I don’t like wearing an HR monitor and when I do, I feel like I’d be walking in order to keep my HR that low.  And, half marathon to 15K pace tempo runs feel really hard to me.  I found it very difficult to run that pace in workouts, so I had to learn to accept feeling like a failure at the end of them.

                     

                    On a somewhat related note, after poo-pooing the value of doing things like strides and form drills, I integrated them into my training this year and I think they really did help with improving my running.  If you do decide to go with Pfitz, I would recommend reading that chapter and integrating some of that stuff since he doesn't put it directly in the plan.

                     

                    Have fun training for Boston whatever you decide!

                      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UP NEXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++

                      CliveF – 10NOV2012 – Richmond (Richmond VA) – Goal = 3:15

                      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UP NEXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++

                      Well, the weather forecast is sunny w/ temps of 40*-55* and little breeze.  Things have gone reasonably well over the past 3-4 months.  I've certainly not given myself any excuses.  (Although I've had a slight tingly feeling in my chest for the past few days, like a cold's trying to come in ...)

                      "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                      -- Dick LeBeau

                      runnerclay


                      Consistently Slow

                        Julia- I have to admit I'm selfishly disappointed that you didn't get to run NYC- I was really looking forward to what I imagined would be a race report of a perfectly executed training cycle & race.

                         

                         

                         +1

                        Run until the trail runs out.

                         SCHEDULE 2016--

                         The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                        unsolicited chatter

                        http://bkclay.blogspot.com/


                        fake it till you make it

                          Julia- thanks for the feedback on Pfitz!

                           

                          Clive- hope you are sitting somewhere celebrating an excellent race.  Looking forward to a race report.

                            Well, the weather forecast is sunny w/ temps of 40*-55* and little breeze.  Things have gone reasonably well over the past 3-4 months.  I've certainly not given myself any excuses.  (Although I've had a slight tingly feeling in my chest for the past few days, like a cold's trying to come in ...)

                            3:18:38.  I thought I was in 3:15 shape, felt really good, and decided to go for 3:12-3:13.  Had it for a long time, then things went off the boil.  Didn't completely bonk, though, and was able to bring it home in one (slower than hoped) piece.  PR by ~20 minutes!

                            "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                            -- Dick LeBeau

                            Julia1971


                              3:18:38.  I thought I was in 3:15 shape, felt really good, and decided to go for 3:12-3:13.  Had it for a long time, then things went off the boil.  Didn't completely bonk, though, and was able to bring it home in one (slower than hoped) piece.  PR by ~20 minutes!

                               

                              Nicely done!  Congratulations on the new PR!

                                Nice job, CliveF!

                                That's a great PR.

                                 

                                I run Philly a week from today - pretty sure that I'll run with the 3:15'ers.

                                Can't wait!!