RE: Sub 2:20 marathon guys - what was your training like?

A LOT OF MILES.... DUH!

I ran my 2:18:31 off 45 miles a week.

No recover runs

All runs were what most people would consider "tempos"

Worked for me

Then again, I ran 13:45 off 35 miles a week

Bump

Bigboypants wrote:

I ran my 2:18:31 off 45 miles a week.

Then again, I ran 13:45 off 35 miles a week

145*, 135*

Thats better.

Crossfit, zero miles

You don't have to identify yourself, but provide some more background (without giving out the school or the year if you don't want to) about yourself.

I can't believe a claim like this. Most people running 13:45 would do it in college, and I have a hard time seeing any college runner being given 35 mpw. Marc Davis is heretofore the most talented runner I have heard of in this respect. I believe he ran 13:39 in a debut at MtSAC and revealed 15 yrs later that he ran 60-70 mpw as a pro and often less in college in Arizona. He told stories about running into the woods like HS freshman and throwing rocks at cans, and then running out like they had run for an hour.

MY point is, I have heard of people running the times you mentioned off of 70-80 mpw, but never 35. Some HS kids in America used to run 35 mpw if their coach only gave them that much over five days M-F, but those times and distances are not HS times and distances.

Perhaps you are not from the US, but I still don't believe it. Even if you were terribly frail, you could handle more than 35 mpw.

Bigboypants went on a trolling spree a couple days ago. its not real

Funny post by the other Crossfit guy but I would like to offer some words of wisdom from myself, too.

You certainly need to do some running. My first Marathon I ran in about 4h with hardly any running - only the standard crossfit running. Still it got me to the finish strong and with great form not like some of the other scrawny runners.

Anyway, for me 2nd attempt I upped the crossfit part and in terms of running only added one long run per week - up to 15 miles (more is not required according to my coach - destroys the knees etc). Anyway, HUGE PR 3:22 almost BQ.

This should apply to faster running in a similar way - don't neglect the strength training. Up your protein intake. Good luck.

I was a ways away from 2:20 but have three friends who went under and none did any sort of "integral" workouts.

One did 2:19:58 and dd about 100 mpw usually running a 20 on Sunday and 12 after work each day with a pre-work 8 mile on Wednesday. This was all done at a pretty good clip, usually sub 6:00.

One did 2:18 something on a Sunday 20, often with the previous guy, and a couple 6-8 mile runs each day at about 6:00-6:30.

The third did 2:16:54 on 60-70 mpw with a 20 at 6:00 pace or so and a couple 10s each week at a bit under marathon pace, usually 52:00-55:00. Many years later he got to 2:15 plus at age 37 on about 120 mpw at altitude, usually doing three 20 mile runs in a week and a lot of 10s and 5s the rest of the time.

On rare occasions these guys would feel like they should do some track work and would maybe do a session of mile reps but that never happened too often or lasted very long. But they all raced a lot more frequently than most people do now.

120 mpw average for about 10 weeks.

20 mile long runs about once every 10 days almost all sub 2hrs, negative split.

lots of longer tempo/threshold workouts at half marathon to goal marathon pace (5:15) like 2 and 3 mile repeats.

a couple faster, more "turn over" workouts at about 10k pace like mile repeats on the track.

I'd suggest also doing 22-24 mile long runs (I didn't, but I probably should have) and they can be pretty easy pace wise (i.e. 7:00 pace) as you just want to put some time on your feet, burn some fat.

Also would probably be nice to tune-up with a half marathon race or long tempo at marathon goal pace (ie. 13.1 to 15 miles). and maybe some other 12 mile or so tempo runs where you practice dipping under marathon pace after starting a little slower.

Sage,

Do you do the 20-miler every 10 days because it is stressful? Or because you are already running about 20 miles per day every day anyway? Or because you are all working only part-time and the idea of a Saturday or Sunday LR just doesn't matter?

Also, do you hold to a strict hard/easy plan making the once-every-seven day long run hard to fit in within a seven-day cycle?

I am fairly familiar with the Hansons plan (I knew Keith in college), and wonder do you do something "hard" at 10k-marathon pace every other day or do you do take two-three easy days in a row sometimes?

What kind of pace do you and your teammates (I believe you have a 2:14 PR) run for your aerobic runs? It seems to me that the Hansons crew runs a ton at ~6:00 pace and then a prodigious amount of threshold-type training at 5:00-5:15 pace. But I don't know for sure.

Do you reveal much of what a "normal" week is like in your book? I just reminded myself that I need to buy it.

funny but true

Bigboypants wrote:

I ran my 2:18:31 off 45 miles a week.

No recover runs

All runs were what most people would consider "tempos"

Worked for me

Then again, I ran 13:45 off 35 miles a week

JASON REXING IS BACK BABY!!!!!

16-20 week cycle

Long run 18-22 miles at 5:45-6:15 pace every 9 days

MP (5:15 pace) session consisting of 2 mile, 3 mile, 4 mile intervals every 9 days

10k pace intervals. 800's, 1k's, Miles with short rest or Tempo runs alternating every mile between MP and 10k-HM pace every 9 days.

Mileage building up to 120-140. 5-6 weeks at peak mileage

Gym work every 3 days. Light weight. The day after workouts/long runs

Flat fast course

Pray for good weather

2:19 guy.

Staple week -

Monday: double (100 minutes total)

Tuesday: 90 to 2 hours

Wednesday: double (90 minutes total)

Thursday: long session 10 to 13 miles at MP

Friday: easy single

Saturday: 90

Sunday: 20 miles at sub 6, getting down to MP for the last 5 to 10kms

Sure, high mileage matters. But what really got me under 2:20 for the first time was lot's of 5 x 18 long runs. Fit as many of those into your training block and come race day you'll feel like you're doping!

Work Commute Track Club wrote:

2:19 guy.

Staple week -

Monday: double (100 minutes total)

Tuesday: 90 to 2 hours

Wednesday: double (90 minutes total)

Thursday: long session 10 to 13 miles at MP

Friday: easy single

Saturday: 90

Sunday: 20 miles at sub 6, getting down to MP for the last 5 to 10kms

Was MP the fastest you ran? Any other workouts?

FL863 wrote:

16-20 week cycle

Long run 18-22 miles at 5:45-6:15 pace every 9 days

MP (5:15 pace) session consisting of 2 mile, 3 mile, 4 mile intervals every 9 days

10k pace intervals. 800's, 1k's, Miles with short rest or Tempo runs alternating every mile between MP and 10k-HM pace every 9 days.

Mileage building up to 120-140. 5-6 weeks at peak mileage

Gym work every 3 days. Light weight. The day after workouts/long runs

Flat fast course

Pray for good weather

This is really cool! What kind of pace did you aim for on your runs? Or did you just run by feel?

Work Commute Track Club wrote:

2:19 guy.

Staple week -

Monday: double (100 minutes total)

Tuesday: 90 to 2 hours

Wednesday: double (90 minutes total)

Thursday: long session 10 to 13 miles at MP

Friday: easy single

Saturday: 90

Sunday: 20 miles at sub 6, getting down to MP for the last 5 to 10kms