Multi-race training (Read 160 times)

I'm new to running; did a stint of about 6 months 3 years ago (did 3 5K's during that time) and have been running again since the end of May this year.  I have been following the run 30 minutes straight plan from the Runner's World Go app and I'm almost finished with it; it was a 7-week program.  I have a 5K scheduled for tomorrow and know I will have to take at least a few 30 second breaks (maybe 2) as much as I don't want to.  I'm not fast at all.  My question is this: I have a bucket list of distance races I would like to do over the next 2 years: get as close to a 30-minute 5K as I can, complete a 10K, half-marathon, and marathon along with a triathlon.  Is there a training plan that I could use that would cover all of these goals (I think I could figure out the triathlon training with a program I found sticking it between running days) or do I have to pick a different training plan for each race?  I open to any type of training plan, i.e.; Daniels, Higdon, Fitzgerald, Hanson, etc. The only type of plan I really don't want to follow is a Galloway one.  I understand the merits behind the run-walk methods but I would like to be able to run the entire distances even if it means taking longer to train for them.  I am in Chicago (well north of the city) and heard the Chicago Marathon is a good race for first marathons, not sure if that is true or not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance for your help,

Kim

Don't worry about specific training plans for future races yet.  To answer your question bluntly, no, there is no specific giant training plan that will get you through all those distances because they have different demands.  The only "plan" is to run more miles (prudently, without getting injured) and build your endurance so that you can finish the distances with minimal walking.

Get through your 5k and assess the training you did for that.  Then slowly build your mileage.  As you move to longer races, I think it would be more helpful to track mileage rather than time.  I can't see your log, so I can't comment on your volume and speed, but if you are close to a 30min 5k, then I'll assume your training pace is 10:00-11:00 minute miles and you're probably covering 2-4 miles a day a couple times a week, or about 12-15 miles per week.  After the 5k, try to increase your mileage by adding a mile to a couple runs per week, so your weekly mileage will be 15-20 mpw.  Hold that mileage for a week or two, then drop back to 12mpw for a recovery week and to assess how your body is handling the increase.  I think with this progression into the early fall, you'll be poised to pick up a more specific 10k plan and add workouts to help you race at a pace faster than "regular run" pace.  Until then, just work on running consistently and slowly increasing your mileage.  A half marathon within a year, and a full marathon within two years sounds very reasonable.

 When I did, and was happy with my time, I rewarded myself by buying Pfitzinger's marathon training book.

Sounds more like a punishment to me.

Tri training depends on the distance.  If you want to do a sprint, you could probably finish one comfortably after you've run consistently for a few months and are comfortable and confident on a bike and in the water.  If you are not a strong swimmer, you will want to spend time training in the pool so that you do not panic in the water.  Same thing with the bike.  Sprints can be distances like swim 750m, bike 12.5mi, run 5k.  Olympic distance is swim 1500m, bike 24.8mi, run 10k, and can be quite draining if you haven't trained.

If you want to be competitive, you'll want to find gear that is lightweight and comfortable, practice your transitions, and include brick training sessions, where you combine swim + bike or bike + run with little rest between the two to mimic race day.

Half iron is 1.2mi swim, 56 bike, 13.1 run, and full is 2x that.

Similar to run training, the best way to prepare for tris is to consistently swim, bike AND run.

I second all of the above. Have done both marathons and triathlons, I would suggest that you set a goal of doing a half marathon next spring and work towards that, doing some 5k and 10k races while building up to that. Then find a sprint triathlon to do at the end of the summer/early fall. You will have a strong base of running under your belt for triathlon training and will only need to maintain that while building up bike and swimming skills. If you aren't a strong swimmer now, you can also be swimming over the winter and spring as good cross training workouts while doing a lot of running. Summer is a good time for triathlon training because cycling and swimming in the heat is not as difficult as running, they are a lot of fun, and you can easily incorporate these into vacation time. After you complete your triathlon, then think about training for a marathon the following spring.

Good luck with this -- it is all very doable!

I cannot speak to triathlon training.

My starting point after years of NOT RUNNING was a 10K that got my interest back into running and my capabilities.  I was a solid 10:30/11:30/mile runner at the start.

I leapt to training for a marathon with a fallback to a half-marathon if marathon training didn't look like it was going well or I had serious questions about being able to finish my first marathon.

I started by using Galloway's training and method.  It did get me through the first marathons and a half marathons.  It did get my body gradually acclimated to a running routine and as a fallback in the event that something happened that caused "the wheels to fall off."  I made the transition away from Galloway last year (a good base mileage training without a specific race in mind) and went with Fitzgerald's training plans.  I liked the 80/20 aspect of it, but I wasn't quite ready for the overall stress I placed on my body.

Although I had no comparison, I ran my first 5K 3.5 months into my first Galloway marathon training (mid-September. I ran most of the way (didn't really run/walk that one) in a gun time of 28:03.  My next 5K came in March after run/walking two marathons (November and February) where I turned in a time of 25:32.

I ran/walked my first half-marathon the next day.with a time of 2:13:47.

As I mentioned above, I transitioned away from Galloway (though my current marathon PR was set by using the Galloway method a week after attempting to run an entire marathon after using Fitzgerald's training plan).

After resting and recovering from injuries in the spring of 2015, I set out to rebuild a running base (June-October) with a very gradual buildup to 32-39 miles per week before using Pfitizinger's 18/50-55 plan to train for a spring 2016 marathon.

No run/walking in this last one (though occasional short walks up the steepest hills) and I didn't set out to match or beat my PR.  This one was purely for the fun of trying a new training plan to see how I felt at the end.  I missed a PR by a mere 3:20 by just cruising along through the course that had more than 1300 feet of vertical climbing during the race.  Had a 5-minute negative split and was accelerating from mile 20 to the finish as I passed through the zombie zone.

What has happened through my marathon training is that all the times have come down.  My current 5K PR was set last April (24:11, 2nd in my age group).  My current 10K and 10-mile PR's were also set in April 2016.  And I've dropped my half-marathon time below two hours (1:58:16).  I'm sure I could put more focus on each race, but the workout that I'm currently doing through Pfitzinger's plan is producing speedier results in the other shorter distances.

I am currently (re)training for my next marathon in October using Pfitzinger's plan once again.  It will be a much flatter course than I've run recently and it is likely I'll run a decent PR time, but....

It's a vacation race so I won't be knocking myself out trying to set a BQ time,  That comes next year.  Instead, I hope to enjoy the course and cross the finish line feeling as good as I felt at the end of this last marathon.

A word about the Pfitzinger plan (and this applies to Fitzgerald as well).  You've got to feel comfortable with some base mileage that approaches 30-35 miles week-in and week-out before you start the actual program.  As a couple of my running friends have discovered, running 20-25 miles per week (2-3 five mile runs during the week and maybe a 10-miler over the weekend), this 18-week, 50-55 mile plan (the easiest that Pfitzinger has in his book) will kick your butt.

I should also mention that I do almost all of my training guided by heart rate.

Hope this helps.

Lots of good responses so I have nothing to add to training ideas.  To your question though about Chicago being a good marathon, once you're ready I'd say that's a good marathon for a beginner.  It is flat, in the fall (so you don't have as many long training runs in the winter), and has runners of all sorts of skill levels so you're unlikely to find yourself alone at any given point.  Good crowd support and particularly if you live north of Chicago (I'm in the north burbs) it is pretty accessible.  The weather can be kind of squirrely ranging from 40 and raining to 85 and blistering all within the last five years but that's true for just about any race.  Only negative is I'm not sure how hard it is to get into...they offer guaranteed entry if you've run a qualifying time so while I was guaranteed this year, I know some people have tried to get in and were unable to.  I think almost everyone that applied this year got in though so I'm guessing it won't be a problem...but when the day comes where you're ready to take a shot, you might want another race as a back up plan just in case.  Either way, good luck and happy training!

Thank you for your response!  I PM'd you as well.