Training Thread - Marathoners

kruss · Jul 25, 2007

I think the only benefit anyone will get from my impending race report will be comic relief! I've done 3 18 mile long runs and one 22 10 days ago. Last week (when I fell) was a step back 15 mile long run week. I felt great during and after the 22 (and the previous 18 milers) however I felt awful the whole time doing the 15 mile run and I think that's part of how I fell<img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> Some cumulative fatigue. 
TJOCF: To answer your question: 
This week my plan (depending on my injuries) is: 
Sunday: 7 mile recovery run-done 
Monday: 25 wup/wdn 8x800-done (speed a litle off due to injuries) 
Tues: 60 min stairmaster-done 
Wed: 60 min easy (7 miles)-done 
Thurs: 28 wup/wdn 3(9t/2e)- 
Fri-60 min spin 
Sat: 3hour 15 min long run 
That's the plan-I'm really nervous about Sat. Between my physical injuries and more importantly the blow to my self-confidence I don't know if I can do it. Any words of wisdom from you pros out there? I take all advice/criticism<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> Can I just say some of your goals/plans are amazing! How do you guys do this? I'm already up at 5:00am to fit this in and some of your plans are over double what I do-wow!

toe jam on crusty feet · Jul 25, 2007

Kruss- Do you have someone that could do some of the miles with you, like the first 3-5 or the last 3-5 miles? That seems to help me. I have a friend that meets Snooze and I at 5:00 am on Saturdays. She runs the first 6-8 miles with us. She is a touch slower, but it keeps us from rolling over on a saturday and putting it off til later. Just a thought.

kruss · Jul 26, 2007

I'm hoping to find someone. I just join a running group a few weeks ago. The problem is a lot of them are really fast and most people aren't going that long yet (so their pace is pretty quick) most of the people are training for Philly or New York which aren't until Nov. What I've been doing is running for about 90 mins before they meet and then meet up with them for the rest. I've been lucky to have someone to run with but there is no way to know who is going to be there. And I just realized that we may have thunderstorms on Sat. and Sun. so that may keep people (inc. me away) There is a five mile loop I may end up running if the weather looks bad. That way is something comes up quickly I'm not too far away. I can't deal with 3+ hours on the TM<img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> Oh well-this will just make me tougher, right? BTW-Do you and your finance run at the same pace? That would be awesome to have a constant running companion.

toe jam on crusty feet · Jul 26, 2007

I agree that 3 hours on a treadmill is the major suck!! How early do you start your Sat runs? If it looks like rain we try to start by 4:00 am and then maybe the last couple miles will be in the rain, but that is doable! 
Snooze and I are almost exactly the same pace....he tends to flush the lactic acid better than I do, like on hill runs and speed work. But, I tend to push harder and be more dedicated. so we balance each other out.

joplus · Jul 28, 2007

I just saw this thread. Can I play? Not only am I female, I'm over 40 and not as speedy as some of y'all. But I'm training for Twin Cities with a goal of 3:09:59.999 or thereabouts.

phillytom · Jul 30, 2007

joplus - hop on in! 3:10 sounds plenty speedy to me 
Here's my week of 7/23: 
Mon: Planned 0 
Tues: 8.5 w/ 5 at tempo (29, 5:48 pace) 
Wed: 9 easy 
Thu: 12 - took 3 or 4 to loosen up then 6:50s 
Fri: 9 easy 
Sat: 17 hard, rougly 6:35 pace 
Sun: 12 easy 
For a total for the week of 67.5. 
I was very happy with some of the quality I got in this week, which was also a new mileage high. I finally nailed the pace I was looking for in the tempo run and was surprised how well the long run went. My garmin actually froze up and I couldn't rememeber the magic buttons to reset it, so I just cowboy'd up and ran hard. Didn't know how fast I was running until I was back at the car. 
Today is a planned 0 and this a planned cutback week. Which is good, becasue frankly, I'm tired.

baggio16 · Jul 30, 2007

Here's my week of training. I'm so going to hear about it now... <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> 
Sun - 12 w/5x800m am/6 pm 
Mon - 13 am/ 6 pm 
Tu - 5/6 
W - 10 w/3 @ tempo am/ 6 pm 
Th - 7 
F - 14 - was supposed to be around 20, but the guy I was running had a miserable run... 
Sa and Sun - Wasted away again in Margaritaville <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> Was going to do six easy when I got home, but the Buffett concert and a six hour car ride wore me out. 
Oh, I'm taking it easy this week. I'm running a half on Saturday. So no doubles and just a bit of tempo tonight.

Korbel · Jul 30, 2007

Last week turned into a a low mileage rest week...it was my first week under 25 miles in like 9 months probably. even the week after my first marathon back in may, I put in 27. This was not intentional. On saturday I helped my brother tear shingles off his house and it put such a physical beat down on me, I simply could not run yesterday (wanted 13 miles) 
However, with that said I went out this morning and did 8. probably the strongest I have felt in a month, average pace was 9:00 flat. it is only one run, but I might have accidentally thrown in a rest week at the perfect time. we will see how it goes teh reaminder of this week. 
I am starting to introduce doubles into my running, did my first one last friday 
8am/2.5 at lunch time. 
want to try it again tonight and go 3-4. 
I forgot to mention, not only am I training for TC in october, but I am part of a team training for a Ragnar Relay. 12 people, 198 miles from LaCrosse, WI to St. Paul 8/24-8/25. 
each of the 12 people does 3 legs. I go 7.9, 5.3 and 4.5 for just under 18 miles total. this is why I am introducing doubles into my training. 
crazy race, cannot believe I said yes to it.

joplus · Jul 30, 2007

cool, thanks! 
10 weeks out from twin cities, it's: 
M: AM 7.25mi (8:58 ), PM 4mi (9:00) 
T: AM 7.25mi incl 1xmile (6:11), 2x800 (2:59), 2x400 (87s); 400 rest for mile/800s, 200 rest between 400s. PM 3.25 (9:19), guess who's tired 
W: 8mi (9:22) 
R: AM 10mi (8:19) incl [email protected]:47. PM 3.6 untimed but slow w/xc girls 
F: AM 11.5mi (8:56) w/friends on a disused bridge; slow start, fast 
finish, nice little quarter-mile hills. PM 3.5mi (9:10) 
Sa: 7mi (8:33) 
Su: 15mi (7:37) w/Sunday-run crew, hot & humid. 1st 10mi @7:25 and then a 5-mile slog. 
total: 80.3 miles

theia · Jul 30, 2007

I want to play but I am so intimidated by the rest of you that I'll just sit in the corner by myself. <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif">

coacht · Jul 30, 2007

Well, week #2 of the Daniels Elite plan is in the books. Overall it wasn’t that bad, but my schedule is still pretty screwed up in terms of my quality run scheduling. Eventually I’ll get everything back on track. The week looked something like this (going from memory here): 
Su: 7 miles @ 8:10 
M: 12 miles @ 8:00 
T: 10 miles @ 8:05 
W: 9 miles @ 8:10 
R: 8.5 miles - 3.9 miles @ 8:00 + (5 x 1000m @ 3:40 and 6 x 400m @ 85) 
F: 9 miles @ 8:10 
Sa: 17.5 miles – multi-paced ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]) – average pace of 7:38. 
Total: 73 miles 
Ok, for VRAA purposes I tried to squeeze in a mileage win by skipping my rest day this week, so I’ve further screwed up the entire weekly cycle. I think I need to stop being so competitive. Congratulations to JoPlus who managed to win the whole thing this time. 
What I need to do is get my long run to Sunday mornings, so I’m moving it up to Tuesday this week and then, hopefully to Sunday next week. I also screwed up this week by putting my quality runs too close together and by running the 1000m repeats a bit too fast (should’ve been 3:46ish). Overall, however, I feel good. Only 56 miles this week, so I should be able to get my schedule back on track without too much trouble. 
Anybody else find it amusing that PTom and Baggs ran exactly the same amount of miles this week and PTom is psyched about a new mileage PR while Baggs is lamenting his lack of productivity? Ok, maybe it’s just me… Theia – Scared? Miss "I-Place-In-My-Age-Group-In-Every-Race-I-Run" couldn't possibly be scared. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> There are no speed or mileage requirements here. 
Welcome Kruss and JoPlus. Feel free to jump right in and tell us how we might improve our plans. Part of what this thread is all about is an exchange of ideas. 
16 more weeks until Philadelphia. 
Trevor

Nettie · Jul 30, 2007

T-Rev, so 5 hour marathoners with injuries can post here, too?

theia · Jul 31, 2007

Perhaps not, but I'm not training for a full.... just a half (but then again, so is Tom). OK to play? I'll feel so lame compared to the rest of you, but I'd love your input. Goal race = Half Marathon at the Philly Marathon, November 18 Goal time = 1:59:59, which would be about a 10 minute PR Background = I had to reduce my training mileage in April, so I'm currently working on rebuilding my base for another few weeks. I hope to be able to run 4x per week for the 12 weeks leading up to race day, but in all likelihood it might be 3x per week plus lots of crosstraining. I also have a triathlon scheduled at the end of Week 6 of my official training. 
My coach is hopefully finalizing my training plan for me tonight or tomorrow.

coacht · Jul 31, 2007

Ok, piece of advice #1 - find a new coach. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

theia · Jul 31, 2007

Ummm, why? <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> 'Cause he hasn't finalized a training plan for me yet or 'cause I shouldn't live w/ my coach?

phillytom · Jul 31, 2007

Theia - I'll be interested to see what your coach comes up with. If he gets angry with you, does he run you into the ground? If you're nice to him, does he cut back on hte intervals... Hmmm... CoachT - Unless I read that wrong, baggs is being lazy some 17 miles ahead of me in spite of his weekend off. 
Here's a question for everybody. Cutback weeks. Do you do em? How much do you cut back? What's the fastest you run that week? 
For me, I'm building up 3 or 4 weeks, then cutting back about 35% in miles and running nothing faster than a short (maybe 20 min) tempo.

coacht · Jul 31, 2007

Oops - didn't give him credit for all of his PM miles. I think that actually makes it funnier in my book. 
Cut back weeks - Daniels cuts back mileage every 3-4 weeks during the training plan, but the intensity - not as much - or at least I don't notice it. I do take easier weeks as I feel I need them when I'm building my base. They certainly aren't planned, however.

toe jam on crusty feet · Aug 1, 2007

On the plan we are using, we build for 5 weeks, then cut back, then we hop up and down---one week high, one week low, one week higher, one week lower, etc. Then we taper.... 
This week is messed up for me because I have to do a Big Kickboxing thingy this weekend...So I have been practicing like mad this week. I skipped my 5 easy this morning due to soreness and thinking that it was more important to hit the quality runs on T,Th, and Sun... I hope it doesn't effect everything too much. But, it is only week 4. 
Tues I did a hard speed workout and tomorrow is Tempo run. Then friday is 5 easy and Sun I will do 17 ( which is 3 more than last week's long run). After this week, we will be caught up with the schedule we are following and on track!

PacerChris · Aug 1, 2007

Color me quasi-recovered from San Francisco. I'm still planning to take 'er easy this week - I ran harder than I should have yesterday trying to catch up to my lunchtime running buddies. I plan to hit the bike a few times this week and make sure my legs are flushed out. 
NYC training officially starts on Aug 13. I did see an article in Jogger's World with some good tips and I plan to check out the core (ab, hips) workouts that Matt Tegenkamp does. I think they will help me keep form late in the race as I tire out.

equinox marathon 43 · Aug 2, 2007

I'm training for the <a href="http://www.equinoxmarathon.org" target="_blank">Equinox Marathon</a> in Fairbanks, Alaska on September 15th, 2007. 
I am following (very closely anyway) the Pfitzinger/Douglas 18-week, up to 70 miles per week plan. 
It's been intense, but so far I've gotten through it. When I started the program I built in 2 "mulligan" weeks in case something went wrong, I could repeat a week if I had to. As I look at it now, I think there is a very serious chance I'm going to have to find something to do with those 2 weeks. Maybe a recovery week and a repeat of the last week of race preparation before starting the taper. 
Oh yeah, goals. My best Equinox was in 2004 when I ran a 4:24:26. I am hoping for a 4:20 this year. A 4:15 would be an absolute miracle.

Training Thread - Marathoners

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