Goal of Sub-3 Hour Marathon (Read 15845 times)

busiman


Running out of mistakes!

    Hi folks, Today was my last day of training before taper begins (woohoo!). I ran a local 5K in 18:28 (PR!) then did a 20-miler. This was a great cap to my buildup. My weekly mileage has been over 60 for the past 6-8 weeks, and I've been feeling stronger from it. I may not be able to go sub-3 in Hartford, but it won't be from lack of training! Time to sleep... Craig
    -2009 running goals - sub-3 after Boston (probably VCM), 3 PRs, 2009 miles for the year, and no untreated injuries
    also on Twitter


    Right on Hereford...

      Wow, John and Ken -- very solid weeks. Nice. And Jim, as well (as always!).
        It seems as my goal for sub-3 is slowly slipping away. I haven't had a good September and since my 22 miler on 9/13 I've had some awful training. Last week was a wash with only 23+ miles. All easy 3+ milers from M-F since I was feeling run down. On Saturday 9/20, I was feeling better and ran a local hilly 10k. Set a PR for the distance and course (40:34, 56 seconds faster than when I ran 3:06 in NY), but about 3.75 miles into the race had some hamstring problems (felt something go) so couldn't really push it and left some time on the course. Then yesterday and today I've managed to run with the bum hammy but seem to have caught the sniffles from the kids. No fever or sore throat just feel off (as I've felt all of September). If the race was August 24th I think I could have broke 3, now I'll have to re-evaluate come 10/12. However, I still think a big PR is there maybe 3:02-3:03... If this fog breaks, maybe sub-3
        kcam


          Don't doubt your training, you've strung together some good, solid months there. And that was only 1 week of lower volume training - maybe feeling down last week plus the hammy thing this week is a touch of over-training? You should be coming within a week of tapering, anyway? I'm not a fan of long (3 week tapers) and you's would be more like 4 but you might need it. At any rate I'd do what's necessary to heal up the hammy and I'd probably ignore the sniffles.


          Right on Hereford...

            My week (recovery week from my half marathon)... Mon - off Tue - 7.1 easy Wed - 5.2 easy Thu - 7.1 easy Fri - 5.2 easy Sat - 5.2 easy Sun - 1.5 easy warmup, then 4.3 trail race TOTAL - 35.6 dcv, keep your head up. In the grand scheme of things, a couple of off weeks will not derail all the training that you've done. And hey, you just set a new PR in the 10k by a significant margin. That certainly says a lot about your current fitness.
              Don't doubt your training, you've strung together some good, solid months there. And that was only 1 week of lower volume training - maybe feeling down last week plus the hammy thing this week is a touch of over-training? You should be coming within a week of tapering, anyway? I'm not a fan of long (3 week tapers) and you's would be more like 4 but you might need it. At any rate I'd do what's necessary to heal up the hammy and I'd probably ignore the sniffles.
              Yes I think I might have been "overtrained" slightly, but Saturday's race was slightly encouraging except for the hammy that has held me back. The sniffles seem to be a minor annoyance and did put in 7 miles this morning a tad slower than normal. Just saw a chiro for the hammy so it feels better. Don't think it any serious damage, but something happened. Will just have to monitor. I guess I'm lucky I'm not training for a 100m dash. I'm hoping to get some good workouts in before Chicago. The plan is to do 45-50 this week with one day off, then 40-45 next week with one day off. Then 30ish before the marathon with much of the mileage coming Sun, Mon, Tue. But that all depends on how I feel. I usually get colds the week before a marathon (I had the sniffles going into NY for my 3:06) so hopefully I'm getting it all out the way now. Every morning I'm just looking for that run where everything clicks. Its been about two weeks since that's happened. Thanks for the encouragement, I think my wife is already tired of me bitching and complaining Smile
                I have abstained from posting, but know I feel on track. My week.... Mon - Easy 7 @ 7:46 Tue - Easy 6.13 @ 7:46 Wed - Intervals - 9miles (5x 800 x 400 @ 10kp - 3:10, 3:11, 3:08. 3:10, 3:11) + 2x 400x 400 @ 5kp (1:26, 1:28) Thu - Rest Fri - Easy 6.13 @ 8:02 Sat - Easy 5.1 (w/up -c/dn) Race 5k (train-thru tempo/19:03) Sun - Long 17.4 @ 8:13 TOTAL - 53.9 miles

                Ricky

                —our ability to perform up to our physiological potential in a race is determined by whether or not we truly psychologically believe that what we are attempting is realistic. Anton Krupicka

                  I had a pretty good MP run this morning. 15.06 miles total which consisted of: 2 miles Easy (8:25-8:30) + 10 miles MP (6:55) + 2 miles GA (7:35) + 1.06 miles MP (6:36) My hamstring got a little tight 7-8 miles into the first MP segment. Dialed it back one mile to 7:00, then finished it off with a 6:49. Another of the MP miles was slow since I took a gel and a water bottler that took 0.20 miles (I am NOT efficient at drinking). At the end of the 0.2 miles I was going 7:20ish pace, got it down to 7:03 at the end of the mile. The last MP mile felt very comfortable. My hamstring is still sore, but I go back to the chiro tomorrow for some more ART and tomorrow is an off day (Kings Of Leon concert tonight = getting home late).... So I'm thinking 1st mile 7:00, then 6:45-6:50 for as long as I can hold it (if the weather is reasonable).
                  DoppleBock


                    Just joined - I have done it since I started 5 years ago, but I have not cared about training much this year. But ... I will give it a shot in 15 days - I hope I have some carryover fitness Big grin

                    Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                     

                     

                    DoppleBock


                      I am really sorry to ask for something my 1st day - But ... Who is running what marathons this fall? I am running Whistle Stop in Ashland WI - October 11th with a goal of breaking 3:00 My training has been all over the map this summer. I was making a little headway in early July and ran a 37:53 10k, but then lost interest in serious training. I think I could break 39 in a 10k today. I have lots of lazy miles in this summer, so i do have some base. In fact I have more base than speed.

                      Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                       

                       

                      kcam


                        Welcome to RA and the sub-3 thread. Go to page 1 of this thread which will have a list of the races we're running. I'm running two marathons this fall - Silicon Valley (10/28) and Cal International (12/?). Good luck at Whistle Stop.
                        DoppleBock


                          Thanks - Here is my tentativemarathon list 10/11 Whistle Stop (Ashland, WI) 11/2 Trails to Rails (Norwalk, WI) 1/18/09 Icebreaker (Milwaukee, WI) 5/17/09 Green Bay

                          Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                           

                           

                            Thanks - Here is my tentativemarathon list 10/11 Whistle Stop (Ashland, WI) 11/2 Trails to Rails (Norwalk, WI) 1/18/09 Icebreaker (Milwaukee, WI) 5/17/09 Green Bay
                            Welcome, Dopple Bock. You're on the list now. Some of us have been posting our training at the end of each week. I would encourage you to do the same. Good luck at Whistle Stop.
                            Age 60 plus best times: 5k 19:00, 10k 38:35, 10m 1:05:30, HM 1:24:09, 30k 2:04:33
                              Since my calendar runs Sun-Sat for a week I guess I'm a day earlier than most. This week: Sun - 16 miles (felt good again, I did the first half brisk and the second half easier) Mon - 8 easy Tue - 12: ( 5 at a moderate pace, 4 on the track at tempo (6:24, 6:26, 6:25, 6:16), 3 easy cool down) Wed - off Thu - 8 easy Fri - 9: (into the hills, keeping a good pace especially on the uphills. Hotter than expected, I only usually plan water stops on my Sunday long run, I happened to weigh myself just beforehand, and so weighed myself out of curiosity afterwards as well. A 6lb difference. No wonder I was getting a bit thirsty). Sat - 8 easy TOTAL - 61 miles This is my last full week before my next race, a 1/2 marathon on October 5th that looks to be a flat and fast course. Training has been going well, that is now four weeks of 60+ miles since my last race and six weeks of 50+ before that. My tempo run this week felt great. It was a real boost to be able to chug out a series of 6:25 miles that didn't feel too hard. It gave me some confidence that I might be able to do 13 miles @ 6:35 pace. Next week I'll be cutting back a little to 40ish miles because I felt that worked great before the Pier to Peak half. My goal is to go sub-3 in 14 months at the end of 2009 so my aim here is to get a good solid performance well under 1:30 on the way to going sub 1:25 for the half in the fall next year and sub-3 at the end of the year. Since Bob Glover (still one of my favorite running books for its simplicity) recommends making goals public and recommends having multiple goals here we go. Bronze: Sub 1:29 - well it would be a pr and I don't want to be the sort of person who is disappointed by a pr. But it would leave a lot of work to go..... Silver: Sub 1:28 - getting close to 1:27 would be good, I'd feel I'd split the difference between where I am now (current pr ~1:29 last year) and where I want to get to next year (~1:25). Gold: Sub 1:27 - I think this is realistic if everything goes right. If I have a good day I believe I could get close to 1:26. My plan is to go out and try and settle into a good groove between 6:35 and 6:40 pace (6:35 is a 1:26 finish, 6:40 is a 1:27 finish). Watch this space for a report next Sunday.
                              Goal: Age grade over 80% on a certified course.
                              DoppleBock


                                2nd good week in a row after a summer of slacking, drinking too much beer and vodka. 12 total runs - 4 quality runs and 8 easy or recovery runs M 15 with 5 @ LAT W 20 with 5 x 5 minutes @ CV at end F 18 with 5 x 2 miles @ LAT SU 20 progressive with last 4 at or above mp rest were fillers.

                                Long dead ... But my stench lingers !