I'm coming up on the halfway mark of my first marathon training plan. It has me running 4 days a week. Seems like a pretty standard basic plan for newbies - Short run on Monday, MLR on Wednesday, another shorter run on Thursday, and LR on Saturday.
Last night, at the end of my 6-miler, I added fartleks into the last mile. It went REALLY well and it was a lot of fun. I'd like to make speed work a part of the rest of my plan, but I could use some help on how and when to do it. Any thoughts on how I should organize these individual runs? I realize it's a little late in the game to be asking this question, but I figure it's better late than never!
They'll tell you that failure is not an option. That's ridiculous. Failure is always an option. It is the easiest and most readily available option. It's your choice though.
Add a 5th day of running and do the speed work on that day. You will really, really thank yourself for adding that 5th day somewhere after Mile 20.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Thanks LtH. Where do you think would be a good day to add speed work? Maybe Tuesday? Between that short first run of the week and the MLR?
The plan I followed for my half had one speed session a week. Every other week, I'd do either tempo miles or a VO2 Max workout (they alternated). The VO2 Max weeks also had fartleks added to another run. It was nice but still left me fresh enough to get the miles in that I think were the most important part of the plan.
flashlight and sidewalk
I am cautious about adding quality and quantity at the same time. Not only are you losing a day of rest that you are used to, you are adding hard miles. It is tough to balance the scale when that much weight is added/subtracted all at once. I think LTH is right, but I would add slower. Also, if you are going to do fartleks for your speed work, then I don't see any need to pre-determine what day that will be on. Instead, pick a day that you are feeling good (like I'm guessing you did this time). If you do want to pre-determine the day, I'd pick a day that was preceded and followed by an off day or an easy/short run day.
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Awesome. I think all this has stemmed from that fact that while it's easy to just cover the miles and build the base, I want to make sure that the quality is there. Since, i'm half way to the marathon, I want to make sure my workouts are as effective as possible. I do worry about adding a 5th day. 4 days a week seems to be really good for me. I feel fresh each time I lace up my shoes.
Sounds like I could either add a scheduled 5th day of strictly speed work, or keep it capped at 4 days and intersperse some fartleks (or the like) into what I'm currently.
Thanks for the response.
If you are in training, you should feel a bit fatigued when you head out the door. Indeed, at the toughest part of a training cycle, you may find it difficult, if not impossible, to hit the times you were hitting earlier in the cycle. That's OK. The time to feel really fresh is on race day after your taper.
Former Bad Ass
I would add a 5th day and start with easy runs. Then, after a 2-3 weeks of that, then add some speedwork into that 5th day, especially if you have never run 5 days a week consistently.
Fartleks are fun and you can add them to any easy run you are already doing. Once a week should be enough.
Damaris
Are we there, yet?
What plan are you using and where are you in the plan? Adding additional days and/or mileage to a plan that may already be pushing the limits of what is reasonable in increasing training stress is not a good idea. It's one thing if you are in a general build up of base and fitness, but quite another if you are within the last few months of training for a goal race and your training plan is already full.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
The plan I'm using was one given to me by a friend who used it (successfully) for his first marathon. He doesn't remember where he found it initially. It's a 16 week program that's averaging around 30 mpw, and i'm midway through the 7th week.
I appreciate your input, and you're right. Adding an additional day probably isn't the wisest thing to do - for me. Perhaps the thing to do (again, for me, where I'm at in my very very early running life) is to just add a little speed work to my planned miles. I want to make sure the miles that I cover are quality miles. Perhaps, my question should have been, "How do you maximize training miles?"
Well, a marathon on 30 mpw isn't the wisest thing either.
I am different than most. I am a noob. I would add a 5th day and not add speed work.
More miles are goodness. Throw in some strides a couple days a week and have fun.
”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
Tomas
When's the marathon? If you are running 4 day and wanted to add speedwork, i think you can make Mon the speed day is it is sandwich by restday.. Maybe a tempo or interval run..
2015 Races
2XU HM - 29 Mar
Thanks, Bin. This is kind of what I was thinking too.
Well you should only be taking advice from people more experienced than me, but just a comment from one n00b to another, based on one of the things I have picked up from these forums.
Like you I had always isolated my LR - day off before & after. When I increased from 4 days to 5 during my last cycle, one of the things I changed was to run the day before my LR. This makes you a bit more fatigued when you start your LR, which provides the benefit of:
1. Giving you practice running long on tired legs
2. Slowing down the pace of your LR to help you get in the miles & time on your feet.
And there was a bit of confidence building on ability to do marathon distance - if I run 8 then 18 the next day, that's 26, even though split up.
Dave