2017 Sub 3 Marathons...and beyond! (Read 403 times)

Good afternoon folks - Good to see some familiar names in here.

Quick intro - I started running again in about 2005 after moving on from cycling (former Cat 1) and all the travel and time that entails. Debuted at St Jude in 2005 with a 3:08 and preceded to do a bunch of majors of the next few years working down to a couple of 2:49s at 2008 NYC 2008 and 2009 Boston while averaging 40-45 mpw. Had some achilles issued and then got my head screwed on straight and started to train properly (more mileage - 60 mpw) and finally broke 2:45 at 2011 Boston. Ran 2:39:16 at St Jude that fall. Carried some great fitness through 2012 with a 16:07 5k, 33:25 10k and 1:14:09 half. Injured my calf 2 weeks before the 2012 St Jude marathon. Recovered slowly from that injury to run a 2:40 at the 2014 Boston followed by a 2:38:16 at St Jude that fall at age 44 on 72 mpw. Raced St Jude again in 2015 with a 2:40 (marathon #13). Started to get into racing shape in 2016 but a pelvis injury ended things in the fall. Last race was a in 10k in mid Sept 2016!  After the pelvis healed earlier this summer I managed to develop a stress reaction in my left heel. Low vitamin D is the suspected culprit. I have been biking quite a bit lately but chomping at the bit to start running again. The plan is one mile this Thursday!

Looking forward to following everyone and tracking some wicked fast marathons this fall.

Philly HM, week 10/12
M     01 25 26       9.77 w/ 8x strides
T     00 58 13        6.88
W    01 25 26      10.28 
Th   01 48 41      14.3 tm w/ 7.3E + 20/5/5min@5:49 + cd, 0.5%, rec: active 5/2/2min @<6.6mph
F     01 28 43      10.03  w/ 6x hill sprints
S     01 45 54      12.91 
S    01 49 21       14.0 tm w/ 6wu + 5@6:10 + 3cd
                            ====
                           78.17

Pretty happy with my week. Highest mileage of my cycle thus far and feeling pretty good. The Q sessions were different types of tough. Having mastered T sessions earlier in the cycle, now having to run at T pace after an hour of running makes them all sorts of tough all over again. Hence Thur ended up being 20/5/5 instead of 20/10/5, no big deal. Sundays Q session was a lot more messy as I forgot to bring my water bottle and instead of getting 50mins of quality work in, I only got the first 30 at M pace. I felt a little light headed in that - when you've finished a marathon dehydrated light headed - kind of way at the end. Not too disappointed as I guess it has a depletion run kind of quality to it. Easier week ahead with some T/I repeats midweek and a progression run on the weekend. Goal is to stay up around 80 mpw.

That bridge at 15K looks like a beast, but otherwise, the back half looks perfect for you to negative split. It's good not to overthink the course, but certainly knowing where everything is is important so you don't get discouraged with poor splits.

I think you're ready to crush it. Very excited to see this Saturday what you have!

Overall I am not too fazed by a bit of rain - if it's a sunny day it will start to heat up by 8am so the rain might cool it off a bit (as long as it's not so much to soak my shoes!).  The wind would be more of an issue.  But ultimately you don't choose the weather and I have done enough long runs on hilly courses in bad weather to be able to suck it up and get on with the job!

JMac - yeah that's the Harbour Bridge. The scenery and novelty value is a good distraction from the climb but it's still a toughie.  It was the slowest km in my PR half last year at 4:04 but it'll be slower than that this time around!  The upside is that the gradient on the other side is perfect for downhill running!

Piwi - I am definitely aiming for a negative split.  I've run the first half of the course twice in the HM now, and both times saw (and passed!) a ton of people blowing up because they went out too hard on the early hills through Devonport and Takapuna.  It should be do-able as long as I don't cop too much of a late-race fade.  If ever there was a course that was made to negative split, it's this one.

ThreeDB - Awesome write up, and great looking splits.  You really were going at a nice and even pace up until the end. Amazing job considering you didn't quite feel it in the first 8 miles.  Too bad you can't just jump in to Philly and sneak that time down a little more.

Mark - Good luck this weekend.  I'm really looking forward to you crushing it.  I would be cautious about taking off too early to try to get a negative split.  I think it's common to feel great at 18, 20 or even 22 to then struggle after 23 (see ThreeDB's splits).  Unless you have heaps of natural endurance, the lower mileage training will likely show up in the end.  My cycles always tend to be on the lower end (and I don't have a lot of endurance necessarily).  What I found to be accurate is what other similar runners say: The first 13-16 miles should feel very relaxed and easy.  It's an annoying pace.  Not really an "easy" jog pace, but far from feeling like you are racing.  That same pace at mile 25 can feel like a sprint.

Welcome, tn_weather! Hope you get your injuries sorted out and are back to running soon.

I've decided on running the 5k over the half.  I looked up the route.  It's flat and fast with only 6 turns (which is probably 4 too many for IAM, but I think I can manage it).

Has anybody here run Chicago? I'm trying to plan out my marathon for next fall and considering it, but very concerned with how hot it can be for that race.

3DB - What's your review of the Baystate race? Would you recommend it?

Has anybody here run Chicago? I'm trying to plan out my marathon for next fall and considering it, but very concerned with how hot it can be for that race.

 

3DB - What's your review of the Baystate race? Would you recommend it?

I haven't (obviously) but a work colleague has.  He is not super quick but is a very experienced marathon runner (I think he has done all of the major marathons as well as many others locally and internationally).  Despite now being in his mid-50's, he PR'ed at Chicago (I think last year) and it was a pretty big PR too - like 5 minutes or so.  IIRC he had pretty much perfect weather (very little wind and cool temps in the 50's for most of the race).

Good luck on Sat Marky, hopefully you’ll enjoy the experience so much that you’ll sign up for another marathon next year!