Re starting marathon training after a long break (Read 866 times)

P.S i have just worked out the 10 % rule

it would take me about 11 weeks to get to 30 mpw - then would have another 18 weeks

Hi

i am f, 37 , 140 lbs

I have run for 4.5 yrs 4 x a week

my running was stuck below 20 mpw for a long time but in the final year of the 4.5 got up to 20 - 27 mpw with a half marathon avg long run each week as well as doing 16 m long run once and 3 half marathon races in 8 months

 

then i took a break , lost 35 lbs (was 175 at worst) -> aiming to lose roughly another 20

 

i have been having a break for about 6 months - running a few miles once every couple of weeks

also 3 mo of no activity due to illness within the 6 mo

so -

 

i can run 30 mins without stopping 3 x a week

i am just getting back into it and need to set my goals realistically

i would love to run a marathon one day - hoping to hear that August next year is NOT too soon!!!!!!!!

 

but if not i can do a half in August and the full one a year later...

 

my miles were very slow to add on before - but i have now lost 20% of my body weight

 

Kath

 

thanks for reading

Yes, +1 to Lynn; congrats on your continued running journey and successful weight loss to go along with it!!

I've been working on this spreadsheet for this project and I'm kind of a analytic mood so here goes...  And you seem to be one as well, however, you still need to implement what you draw from the analysis and structure your plan accordingly.  If you lack that part, your analysis will not bring much results.  

First of all, I think, and believe, 9 months is probably enough to get your ready for a "survival" marathon--though personally I wouldn't particularly recommend "survival" marathon to anybody.  If you want to do one, why not prepare thoroughly?  That said, however, assuming you had done your homework, it's not too bad--my wife ran her first marathon in September after deciding to give it a go in March.  

Now, let's take a close look at your history here; if I interpreted your training background correctly (since you don't seem to have your log up), you run 4 times a week, total of about 20~27 miles a week, and your long run, occasionally is 13-miles???  And you are now doing about 3 times a week of running of 30-minutes.  Now, for the latter; I'm a big fan of fluctuation.  You need to have a longer run and a shorter run, slower run and a faster run.  So you have done that, but then, when you did do that, you were doing almost a half of your weekly mileage for your long run?  That's not a very smart way to train.

Also, you have done 3 half marathons in 8 months; and that's about average of 10-week for each half marathon preparation--and that does not include recovery period which I would assume you never took.  

To me, just jumping out and do a super long run, like 16-miler when your weekly mileage is 20+, is not the way to go about; it's probably a sure way to keep you slow as so many people today seem to get themselves in this trap.  It IS the way to go about--to keep it slow so you can go far.  But if it's above your head, you'll just make yourself too fatigued and you'll just stay in a rot. (gee, this is like the third time I used this phrase this weekend--and what does that tell ya?)

If you can run 30-minutes X 4 times a week, I would assume you should be able to run 45 minutes with relative ease once a week.  You may want to structure your training like; 45-15-30-20.  If you can do 45-minutes once a week as a long run, it is fairly easy to get it up to 90-minutes in 15 weeks (that's approximately 4% increase a week in duration).  If you can get up to 90-minutes without stopping, you should be able to structure your training, in the next 15 weeks (preferably you'll have a few more weeks; 20 would be ideal) to get yourself ready to "survive" a marathon.  That's 35 weeks; approximately 9 months.  

Yes, +1 to Lynn; congrats on your continued running journey and successful weight loss to go along with it!!

 

I've been working on this spreadsheet for this project and I'm kind of a analytic mood so here goes...  And you seem to be one as well, however, you still need to implement what you draw from the analysis and structure your plan accordingly.  If you lack that part, your analysis will not bring much results.  

 

First of all, I think, and believe, 9 months is probably enough to get your ready for a "survival" marathon--though personally I wouldn't particularly recommend "survival" marathon to anybody.  If you want to do one, why not prepare thoroughly?  That said, however, assuming you had done your homework, it's not too bad--my wife ran her first marathon in September after deciding to give it a go in March.  

 

Now, let's take a close look at your history here; if I interpreted your training background correctly (since you don't seem to have your log up), you run 4 times a week, total of about 20~27 miles a week, and your long run, occasionally is 13-miles???  And you are now doing about 3 times a week of running of 30-minutes.  Now, for the latter; I'm a big fan of fluctuation.  You need to have a longer run and a shorter run, slower run and a faster run.  So you have done that, but then, when you did do that, you were doing almost a half of your weekly mileage for your long run?  That's not a very smart way to train.

 

Also, you have done 3 half marathons in 8 months; and that's about average of 10-week for each half marathon preparation--and that does not include recovery period which I would assume you never took.  

 

To me, just jumping out and do a super long run, like 16-miler when your weekly mileage is 20+, is not the way to go about; it's probably a sure way to keep you slow as so many people today seem to get themselves in this trap.  It IS the way to go about--to keep it slow so you can go far.  But if it's above your head, you'll just make yourself too fatigued and you'll just stay in a rot. (gee, this is like the third time I used this phrase this weekend--and what does that tell ya?)

   If you can run 30-minutes X 4 times a week, I would assume you should be able to run 45 minutes with relative ease once a week.  You may want to structure your training like; 45-15-30-20.  If you can do 45-minutes once a week as a long run, it is fairly easy to get it up to 90-minutes in 15 weeks (that's approximately 4% increase a week in duration).  If you can get up to 90-minutes without stopping, you should be able to structure your training, in the next 15 weeks (preferably you'll have a few more weeks; 20 would be ideal) to get yourself ready to "survive" a marathon.  That's 35 weeks; approximately 9 months.  

WOW Nobby!!

Thanks for your support!!  Congrats to your wife!

i have found a marathon 2 months later - which i will think about aiming for - October... yes i can run 4x 30 mins and will put your suggestions 45-15-30-20 into place maybe tweak it a bit lol

I ran 12 - 15 mile weeks for 3 yrs then ramped it up in a big way in 2010 first HM March second August third November - by which time i was up to 10 - 16 mile long runs and 27 mpw at best... then i took this year off (almost)  this didn't really last i think it was yet another typical TMTS really - because if i do too much i take an 8 month break !! lol Have been give or take gradually losing fitness since Jan!!

So - that adds to your suggestion to train properly

i think i do have a bit of a 'just get me through it' attitude to the first marathon because i am aiming to run the distance a few times before i hit 40 in um 34.5 months

:-)

Actually think you have it down 100% here - you said - it IS the way to do it if i want to run slow and go far (distance was the one and only thing i used to care about)

i now want to do a sub 5H Marathon and that is something i wasn't thinking about when i was at a higher weight!!

ALSO

thanks for breaking it down to something sensible like a 90 min run non stop goal for 15 weeks that sounds so do able!!!

Katherine

That's sort of the problem with the 10% rule.   At low mileage, it takes a very long time get to bigger numbers. At high mileage, you might increase too much. 

 

Another guideline I've seen is to increase your mileage by the number of times you run each week.  

 

Let's say you're running 20 miles in 5 runs. You could increase your mileage to 25 either by adding another day of running, or by adding 2 to 3 miles to a couple of your runs.  This works to a point.... As Nobby said, it's good to have fluctuation in your daily distances and pace.  

 Hi

Thanks for the reply!

i see what you mean about the 10% rule - maybe better to drop it back to 5% in the later miles

I like the idea of adding a day to up mileage - i have found going from 4 - 5 days a week almost impossible in the past - but i think i just about did all i could at the weight and BMI i was  170 lbs 30 bmi

!!

I have to look at the running i'm doing and aim to get to that suggested ratio!!