Fall Marathon Training- Week ending 9/13

Lohalloran, hope you continue to get better and that the MRI gives good news

Goal Race: Twin Cities

Goal Time: 2:30

3 weeks to go

I battled an injured right calf and hamstring all week, so I didn’t hit the workouts too hard. The injury seems to get better the longer I run (and the looser the muscles are), but as soon as I stop, they tighten back up and I’m left limping.

M- off, limping all day just walking

T- 2 warm, 10x800 w/ 2min jog recovery (2:36.1 avg) 4 cool, calf pretty tight but manageable as long as my recovery wasn’t too slow (15 total)

W- 12 (6:37 avg) feeling surprisingly good as soon as my leg loosened up (32 min in)

TH- 7 easy (7:02 avg) then 9 miles of cutdowns (6:14 to 5:36, 6:04 avg) (16 total)

F- 10 (6:35 avg) leg loosened up by 16 min

S- 6 (7:05 avg) leg loosened up at 14 min, slept through PM run

S- half marathon 1:12:38 2nd place, 4min + PR (and a 10m PR enroute -55:22- which washes away the taste of my 56:40 four weeks ago)

2 warm, 4 cool, leg held up throughout (picked up a pair of tall socks yesterday and that helped keep my calf warm I think). The race went well, I ran controlled and, as one poster on another thread put it, I kept my head in the game but didn’t grit my teeth. Felt relaxed through 10 and then just kept my stride open for the rest. Good confidence boost.

Total for week, 78

Overall I’m pretty pleased with how this week went. The mileage was lower than would have been ideal, but with a day off and sleeping through Saturday’s second run, I can’t complain. I have one more week of medium intensity/mileage before the taper, so hopefully I get all of these muscular issues taken care of.

Hope everyone else’s hard training in wrapping up nicely. Chicago guys, you are almost done with the hard work.

Goal Race: Philadelphia

Goal Time: 2:50-55ish? (first marathon)

M- 5 easy (7/mi) AM, 8 medium (6:33/mi) PM. afternoon run quicker than expected on the roads after a couple weeks of trails only.

T- 9 easy

W- 2.5 warm up, 4 x 2 mile (11:40, 11:38, 11:38, 11:28), 3.5 cool down

T- 6.5 Recovery - Dead legs after yesterday's workout

F- 10.5 fairly hard (6:24/mi) - still tired from workout

S- 8.5 easy (6:50/mi)

S- 18.5 easy (7/mi)

Total for week: 80

Pretty good week overall as I finally hit the mileage I'm looking for. Workout on Wednesday did not seem all that difficult but I did feel it the next couple days. Easy long run today was also less of an effort than expected. Next long run will be fast finish and I may start trying out gels to see what will work for race day.

Here's one for the regular guys before you animals scare everyone off with your insane repeats and long runs at sub 6 pace.

Goal: < 3:10 BQ

Race: Rock and Roll San Antonio 9 weeks

Monday: 7.5- 5 at 6:45 + warm and cool

Tuesday: 3.1 Easy

Wednesday: 9.2- 6.2 at 7:00 + warm and cool

Thursday: 6.5 Easy

Friday: 5 Easy with 15 sec strides and 1/2 miles at about 6:30 mixed in.

Saturday: 17.65 Progression started (first 3) at just under 9:00 finished (last 3) at just under 8:00. Avg 8:27.

Sunday: 7 Easy

4.5 Very easy with a girl.

Total: 60.45

Warm and very humid (80+%)this week. Hoping less humidity means faster running this fall. I know I'm a puss because I didn't double because of rain, but plan on doing an extra easy run sevral days a week for the next 2 months.

Give me some pointers.

Goal Marathon: 1/09/10 (I know it's not fall)

0

10

4

10

8,10

8,3

10

63 miles.

Goal marathon: December

2:59:59

Just getting back into the swing of things after two weeks off.

M: off

T: off

W: 4 easy 7:25

Th: 3 easy 8:00

F: off

Sat: 3 easy 7:15

Sun: 3 easy 7:30

So nice to be running again. Just found a little ago that I won't be running for my college so I've decided to do a marathon. My PR's are 10:20, 17:10 XC, 1:24:02 half marathon (sophomore year of high school), and a 29:45 5 mile tempo earlier this summer. Highest mileage sustained was this summer with 15 week average of 62 miles with 3 weeks at 73. Anyone thing my marathon goal (sub 3) is a reasonable one to set?

bump

Great news about the hip lohalloran, hope the MRI shows you can get back at it for one final push.

A scheduled down week for me (after 3 weeks of 100+ miles), my body REALLY needed this one.

Goal Race: Chicago (10/11)

Goal Time: 2:30

M – AM: 10 miles easy (6:50 pace) / PM: 4 miles recovery

Tu – OFF

W – AM: 4 miles recovery / PM: 10 miles w/ 4 miles in the middle at 22:26 (5:36 pace). This run was done in the heat of the day…not a workout, just something to prevent the legs from going stale.

Th – 10 miles easy (7:00 pace)

F – AM: 8 miles easy (7:05 pace) / PM: 4 miles easy

Sa – Originally had a workout planned, but after a warmup, I decided I didn’t want to do one and just did an easy 15. Ran down some peaceful country roads I hadn’t run down in 5-6 years. Towards the end of the run I was clicking off 6:20’s thinking I was still running 7:00 pace.

Su – 8 miles easy (7:00 pace)

Weekly Total – 73 miles

An okay week for me, but my body needed the recovery, so I’m glad that I took this down week. Only 1.5 to 2 more weeks of high mileage and intensity.

Goal Chicago A: Sub 2:30 B: 2:32

Loh - glad to hear your pain free.

Ryan - Congrats on the PR!!!

M - New Haven 20K - Not perfect but very pleased. 1:08:02 with the hills killing me late but closed the last two miles that were flat in 5:37/5:27. Oh, and I got my whole race flotracked! The top three women ran with me.

T - AM: 4 miles easy PM: 10 miles steady

W - AM: 4 miles easy PM: 12 miles easy

TH- AM: 7 miles easy PM: 9 miles steady

F - AM: Slept in PM: 12 miles easy

S - AM: 7 miles easy

S - AM: 22 miles steady/easy PM: 6 miles easy

Total: 108 miles - as you can see I just got through the miles because I have an issue of getting sick after hard races and travelling, so I scheduled a lite week (effort-wise, not mileage). I didn't feel terrible yesterday, but there is a little something there in the way of a bug. I'll be good to go with a few more days rest.

Also, my weight hit 152.8, so I'm getting close.

Keep it up everyone beacause we're almost there!

By the way Ryan, very impressive half. If I recall from last week you were saying that one was supposed to be "just under" goal pace. You were significantly under goal pace and sounds like it wasn't that difficult...good luck, you sound like you're set!

Nice solid week here, with 90 miles, the highest all summer, and included an important fitness test for this weekend's half that went really well. Goal sub-2:40, signed up for Philly. Have to see how my work schedule settles out to know if that will be a reality. Hope so - both me and my wife seem to be rolling toward good ones if we can stay healthy.

Wednesday I ran 8 x 2000 w/200j (80-85s) and averaged 6:52, starting with some 6:55s and a 6:51, then gradually picking it up in the last 4 with 6:53, 51, 48 and closing with a 6:41.

I ran the same session last spring before my PB HM and hit the same average time, but this session felt much more comfortable. I could have done a couple more for sure, provided I kept them around 6:50.

Friday I ran 8 miles "easy tempo" in the middle of a 10 miler, averaging ~ 6:20-25ish. Saturday and Sunday were ~ 13 and 12 miles apiece, all easy.

I'm feeling pretty good about this Sunday's half, and then plan to change gears to focus specifically on Philly starting next Friday-ish.

Have a great week, everyone!

Not a good week.

Race: NYC Marathon

Goal: 2:40-2:45

Mon- 6

Tue- AM 8.5 PM 3

Wed- 1.5 wu, 3 cd

500.0M : 01:33 00:45 rec

500.0M : 01:32 00:45 rec

500.0M : 01:34 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:16 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:11 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:14 4:00 rec

400.0M : 01:14 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:11 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:16 00:45 rec

400.0M : 01:16

Thur- 8.5

Fri- 9

Sat- 9

Sun- 12 with about 5 miles at 6:00 pace.

Sun was supposed to be a 20 miler with middle 10 at MP, but my hip went on me, which then put stress on my hip flexor, which caused me to limp and work much harder then I should have been. Eventually the pain got so bad I decided to call it a day and walked/jogged home. See you 8 miles. Also didn't do a morning run on Friday and wanted to... see you another 5 miles. Finally, Wednesdays workout was a lot harder then I thought it was going to be (it was supposed to be 3 sets of 6x500 a few seconds faster then 5k race pace with 45 sec between reps and 4-5 min between sets), and I ended up calling it early. See you later 3 more miles.

So I ran 64 miles rather then the 80 I had planned, my workouts were not good, my hip flexor hurts, and I got in no long runs. Not pleased, but I guess you can only do what you can do.

Way to go Cutter, I don't think sub-2:30 will be a problem for you(barring the unpredictables). Loh, good news about the hip.

Goal Marathon: Bay State 10/18

Goal Time: sub-2:30

Another big Sunday set me up for this week, this time it was the "17.5 mile" trail race I did down in the Monadnock region. I had some killer DOMS going on until about Thursday of this week.

Mon: 4.5 a.m., 8 p.m., 6 x 100m bf strides

Tue: 6: a.m. easy, workout p.m. [5 x 800m w/ 1 lap rec] 8.5 mi, 14.5 total. 800s were smooth, all between 2:26-2:30, with my team who is racing Ollie this week (schedule conflict for me)

Wed: 12 a.m., 4 easy p.m.

Thu: 8.5 a.m. 5.5 p.m. both easy

Fri: 7.5 a.m. w/ 16 x 100m bf strides, 4.5 p.m. easy

Sat: Long 18, avg pace 6:28, closed low 6:00 last couple miles

Sun: 8 easy

Total: 97 miles. Could have been more like 105 pretty easily except for the weekend - crazy work schedule both days at long gigs. Long run finished in the dark on the track, next day was during a break at work and I had no more time to run, and no opportunity to go again later. Oh well.

Nice job everyone, sound like most folks here have the big race coming up sooner than I do. Rest up, but keep it rolling too!

Goal Race: Chicago

Goal Time: 2:54:59

I had a little bit of a cutback week. Didn't run any doubles, but still got in almost 70. Unfortunately the humidity came back towards the end of the week. Not fun being soaked when finishing runs.

M: 5.23 @ 8:33 AHR 122

T: 9.68 @ 8:03 AHR 134 (5 x 600m @ 5k w 300m rest - 5:42-5:48/mile)

W: 15.07 @ 7:39 AHR 140

R: 6.99 @ 8:21 AHR 129

F: 6.13 @ 8:14 AHR 130

S: Wup: 2800m @ 8:12 AHR 133

8k Solo Track Time Trial: 30:18 6:05/mile, AHR 171, 1600 splits: 5:57.8, 5:59.4, 6:06.6, 6:10.5, 6:03.8

Cdn: 2000m @ 8:39 AHR 135

S: 18.09 @ 7:57 AHR 131

Tot: 69.1

Legs were tired on yesterday's long run. So kept it real easy and real slow. The 8k projects to a high 2:56. So 2:55ish (maybe 2:54:59) looks reasonable if everything holds together. This week I'd like to hit 80, with a 20 on Sunday. Next week 65-70 with a 10k race on the 26th (Cow Harbor). Then shut it down for a two week taper (40-45, then 20ish).

Way to go runners!

Goal Race -Kiawah Dec 12

Goal Time -3:20...(BQ)

Phitzinger/Douglass 18/55 plan:

Monday - 9 miles with 5 at LT pace. I held 6:58!

Tues - 5 easy (8:45 pace)

Wednesday -10 general aerobic, avg was 8:21

Thursday -5 easy (8:35 pace)

Friday - off

Saturday -16 total with final 10 at goal pace. I was shooting for 7:35, I averaged 7:28 (though it was slightly net downhill).

45 miles total, highest ever for me. On to a recovery week this week.

Race: Chicago

Time Goal: Sub-2:55, though I'm considering bumping this to 2:53 low in light of the training.

M: 10 mile race -- 1:04:57 (on my watch, it was chipless), 1.5 wu/cd. The race was at 5300 feet, so it converts to a 1:02:20 or so at sea level, which is the equivalent of a 2:53 high marathon.

Tu: 7.5 recovery

W: 12.5 medium-lomg @ 6:52 pace

Th: 8.5 recovery

Fr: 2 x 2.6 @ 6:35 pace, 2.0 wu/cd

Sa: 21.5 @ 7:10 pace, last 6 @ sub-7:00 pace

Sun: 6.0 shakeout

Total: 74.7. All of it at 5300-5400 feet.

Great week. The race was on a modestly hilly course, and I trained through (i.e., long run a couple of days before), so I'm very pleased with the effort. So much so that I'm thinking of a little faster time goal. I could definitely feel the effects of the race on training through about Friday, which was a bit slower than normal (the medium-long workout was a little slow, too). But then the long run on Saturday was great. The whole thing was at 7:10 pace (which is about 6:50 at sea level), and the last 6 was sub-7:00 -- which is faster than MP when adjusted for altitude. And today's tempo was FAST. Seems like everything is coming together. The real test will be this weekend when we visit family at sea level -- I'm planning on doing 23-24, with a big chunk (at least 10, maybe as many as 13) at sea level MP.

Question: Two week or three week taper? I usually go with the latter, but that would only give me three 20+ milers -- though the quality is good, and I've got another 18 and 19 under my belt.

Denver,

Just one man's opinion, but I say be flexible about the week in question (three weeks out) - in my experience those 23-24 mile long runs can be kind of unpredictable in terms of how your body recovers. I'm assuming you'll run a fairly flat course for specificity reasons, if you take care of the post-run recovery maybe you'll bounce back well enough to still log some volume and quality with 3 weeks to go. But man, if you end up shot afterwards, don't push it, back off and get fresh for Chicago.

Curious about the ladies that posted a couple weeks ago, in the 2:45-3:00 range... how is the progress?

Not sure yet but I am probably going to bail on Chicago. My training has just gone too poorly.

I've just taken 3 days off to allow my stiff and sore left ankle to heal a little. It was affecting my form and cause me to cut runs short. It's a lot better but with this plus the numerous sub-par training weeks I've had so far I don't anticipate a good Chicago.

Good luck everyone.

But man, if you end up shot afterwards, don't push it, back off and get fresh for Chicago.

Thanks. I'm also considering cutting mileage but still trying to get in a last 20 miler two weeks out. Cut the tempo from 10 to 7, eliminate the medium-long, do a couple of shorter track workouts (400s and 800s). Classic anaerobic sharpening, in other words.

Hi everyone

Good job on the training this week guys, looks good. Here is how my training week went:

Monday - PM: 45:13 easy

Tuesday - AM: 42:16 easy / PM: 20:00 mins w/up +

6X4:00 fast/4:00 easy + 6X2:00 fast/2:00 easy + 6X1:00 fast/1:00 easy + 10:00 c/d

Wednesday - AM: 45:17 easy / PM: 1:21:35 easy

Thursday - AM: 53:44 easy / PM: 1:19:00 easy + 5 strides

Friday - AM: 1:04:20 easy / PM: 1:04:45 easy + 5 strides

Saturday - A.M - Fitness, Body & Mind 4 Miles race - 25:39

Sunday - A.M 2:18:01