Professional Noob
Roads were made for journeys...
The most miles I've averaged has been mid-20's for a period of about a half year. My highest ever mileage week has been 33, back in March of '07.
I cannot currently fathom wanting to run more than 40 mpw.
Since my May '07 HM, I've been hit wih injuries and illnesses and have not been able to maintain any kind of base. In addition to the IT band, I have sprained ankles, had some mysterious foot pain, had swelling and tenderness in my knees (especially the left, which had ACL surgery back in 2004), and have most recently been having fun with pain on the outside of my hips which I suspect is connected to my IT band troubles. My perception is that I am injury-prone.
A runner friend of mine is suggesting that I use my non-long run weeks to include a bit of tempo work. I am afraid to do that because 1) I have very little practice judging my speed (albeit, this could be an argument for including tempos), 2) I am afraid that it would be too much intensity for me, and 3) it seems to me that it'd sort of defeat the purpose of making the long runs every 2 weeks, by including a more stressful workout on "easy" weeks. What do you think?
When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
I know that a 25 week training plan seems a bit extended and overdone. Unfortunately, I know that my training becomes erratic when I'm not following a plan. I have to be able to juggle workouts within a week due to school and a work schedule that changes from week to week. But having a weekly structure is very helpful to me.
Wingz! Good to see you round these parts. I'm right there with you on needing a plan to help get things done. I think your goals and limits for mileage sound great. The plan you've laid out looks good, too. I would make one change to it though. Don't not do a "long" run. On your off weeks, just have a "not so long" long run. I think you will build much better endurance this way. I also totally agree that the best way for you to meet your current goals of getting to the finish line injury free and sub 2:30 is to simply run more miles - for now.
So if I'm understanding you right, you're saying that if I had a long run of, say, 8 miles one week, the next week I would do a "not so long" long run of, say, 6 miles, and then the week after that do a 9 mile, and then the next week do another 6. For example?
Only the hip pain is current. It's not enough to change my stride, but it does sometimes make me groan at the start of a run. It's been going on for, I dunno, maybe a month and a half? It's on the outside of the hips, feels like a tendon (as opposed to muscle or inside the joint), and is tender to mash on. It's on both sides. I can feel a stretch when I cross my legs at the desk, and I wonder if that's not contributing to it.
I also forgot to mention that my current "crosstrraining" is taekwondo (TKD). That and trail running are the sources of my twisted ankles. It has been the source of some of my knee woes. TKD training is almost exclusively anaerobic, requiring short bursts of lots of power. It's not exactly the best compliment to running, but I love it so much that I'd not dream of quitting...
Running the 2016 Boston Marathon for Children's Hospital
If it's something more significant, take a few days off running, drop back 2 extra weeks, ice, and vitamin I until I've not had any pain for several days.
Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson