Marathon Training and Discussions

12

How did you know.... (Read 372 times)


Giants Fan

    That the plan you picked for training for the marathon is the right one???? I started with one...am now second guessing myself with another one I found (I have to have a plan to follow...I'm just one of those people). So, how do you know? CC

    "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

    Charles Schulz


    #2867

      I knew that my plan was the right one for me because I wrote it. I've winged it a few times, I've written out workouts months in advance, but I think what has worked best for me is to plan what I want to do months in advance (or, technically, a year or two in advance) and then to set milestones w/where I need to be along the way. I only really plan workouts about 1-2 weeks in advance most of the time, other than the waypoints. For my last marathon, for example, I had a 10 mile race in early February, a half marathon in mid-march, and a marathon in late march that I used to figure out whether I was on pace for where I wanted to be for my goal marathon in early may. I wanted to run sub-60 at the 10 miler (ran 57:58) and wanted to run 76-77 in the half marathon (ran 76:31) and both of those should have felt hard but not all out racing. Then I wanted to be able to comfortable run the first marathon at a tempo pace (~3 hours). I made each milestone with the expected paces, and as I reached each one I planned out a little more what to do to reach the next one. Right now I am just finishing week 8 of a 5k training program that I designed to get me from a long winter training season into a late summer/early autumn 5k PR.

      Run to Win
      25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)


      Giants Fan

        I too have added some stuff in to the program I chose...but looking around I saw some things in another one I really liked. Here is another question...how many hard days of running should there be? I have my long day on Sunday, hills on Tues., would like to add in on Thurs. besides just my 2nd long run--I would like to add in a workout where I run 9 miles, but 4 of them at 1/2 marathon pace....So, are three hard days a week ok to do? CC

        "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

        Charles Schulz


        #2867

          Here is another question...how many hard days of running should there be? I have my long day on Sunday, hills on Tues., would like to add in on Thurs. besides just my 2nd long run--I would like to add in a workout where I run 9 miles, but 4 of them at 1/2 marathon pace....So, are three hard days a week ok to do? CC
          Depends upon how fast you recover and how much rest you get in between workouts, as well as how well you eat before/after your workouts.

          Run to Win
          25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)


          Oh Mighty Wing

            Depends upon how fast you recover and how much rest you get in between workouts, as well as how well you eat before/after your workouts.
            Hi-jack just for a moment - I can't find where you plugged the article on eating before so I went to the website, but I still can't find it... I think I might be an idiot.


            #2867

              Hi-jack just for a moment - I can't find where you plugged the article on eating before so I went to the website, but I still can't find it... I think I might be an idiot.
              http://www.runtowin.com/newsletter.html It's actually a pdf report you can download for signing up for my newsletter; if you go to the http://www.runtowin.com site instead of http://news.runtowin.com it has the details listed (although the news.runtowin.com site has places to sign up all over the place as well.)

              Run to Win
              25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)


              Oh Mighty Wing

                I did sign up... wait is it in the 3 components doc? I haven't gotten to read it yet.


                Future running partner.

                  Here is another question...how many hard days of running should there be? I have my long day on Sunday, hills on Tues., would like to add in on Thurs. besides just my 2nd long run--I would like to add in a workout where I run 9 miles, but 4 of them at 1/2 marathon pace....So, are three hard days a week ok to do? CC Depends upon how fast you recover and how much rest you get in between workouts, as well as how well you eat before/after your workouts.
                  Give it a try. Just do everything you can to minimize risk of injury or burnout otherwise. Blaine's newsletter is a very good guide for doing this. Many elite and probably most top runners run 4 long/hard workouts a week, but they also typically don't work regular 40 hr week jobs so they have more time for sleep/ recovery and even employ a masseuse to help them recover faster. It looks like you are already doing a long, a hill and 1 medium long. So to turn the med long into a tempo is not too big of an increase. You can always cut back on that third hard day if you are not feeling good that day. If this becomes a consistent problem then maybe 2 hard days is right for you or maybe take your easy days down a notch further in intensity.


                  #2867

                    Give it a try. Just do everything you can to minimize risk of injury or burnout otherwise. Blaine's newsletter is a very good guide for doing this. Many elite and probably most top runners run 4 long/hard workouts a week, but they also typically don't work regular 40 hr week jobs so they have more time for sleep/ recovery and even employ a masseuse to help them recover faster. It looks like you are already doing a long, a hill and 1 medium long. So to turn the med long into a tempo is not too big of an increase. You can always cut back on that third hard day if you are not feeling good that day. If this becomes a consistent problem then maybe 2 hard days is right for you or maybe take your easy days down a notch further in intensity.
                    Good advice (and thanks!) I think the first thing to do when ratcheting up intensity is to ratchet down your easy workouts - some people may not need to, but in my experience most do. Easy workouts need to be just that. Trial and error is the name of the game to figure out what you can handle, hopefully with the errors not resulting in more than a bit of fatigue (injuries are no fun.)
                    I did sign up... wait is it in the 3 components doc? I haven't gotten to read it yet.
                    Yep, I assume that's what you're looking for. I've written individual articles on all the topics before, but that kinda puts it all in one place in an easy to digest format.

                    Run to Win
                    25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)


                    Giants Fan

                      Ok, I think I'm going to do the long run Sundays, stay with hills Tuesdays (because I know my marathon is hilly) and turn the med. long run into my temp instead of trying to do that one day and a medium long run. I think I'm just to the point of doubt on the program, do I want to do this long of a race? all things are in doubt right now. I feel I just need to put more of myself into the program I'm following, go more with my own insincts on what I can do, and realize I've been going long enough to know what will and what won't work for me. Right? Ugh. If I can just make it through one marathon..... CC

                      "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

                      Charles Schulz


                      Oh Mighty Wing

                        CC, Listening to your instinct is great advice! ok so your thought is this: 1) Long Run 2) Hills 3) Tempo Could you possibly make either 2 or 3 a medium long run every other week - combined with what it is supposed to be. So that way those runs are being stretched out? so eventually you might get 10 miles of hills or something like that? That way you aren't actually getting rid of your medium-long run?


                        Future running partner.

                          You may already be doing this, but as you reach your highest goal distance for your long runs, then perhaps start doing them on hilly routes similar to the course of your goal marathon. This will get you used to running hills when you are really tired and will also give you more mental toughness.


                          Giants Fan

                            I love the two last suggestions...thanks guys. I am going to start really working more of me into the program. Thanks for helping me sort it all out! CC

                            "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

                            Charles Schulz


                            Giants Fan

                              Just had another brainstorm on run, how many people run their easy runs by time not milegae? I'm thinking of going that route on the days inbetween my hard workouts. Any thoughts on time vs. mileage? CC

                              "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

                              Charles Schulz


                              Future running partner.

                                If you find yourself having a difficult time keeping the easy runs slow enough, why not.
                                12