Fall marathon training w/e 9/23

Race - Philadelphia on 11/18, Goal - 2:50-2:55

Mileage - 69 miles

Pretty good week for me. This upcoming weekend should be interesting,as I race an 8k on Saturday and try for 20 mile long run on Sunday. I think I'm in shape to do both. Hoping to break 29 in the 8k. We'll see.

M- 8.5 easy up the hills in Georgetown

T- 6 easy in the AM, 3.5 at moderate pace in the PM

W- Workout - 8 x 800 in 2:43. Felt very good. These could be considered slightly faster as we had to run out to lane 6 every lap to get around the high school football sled.

Th - 8 very easy with high school team I'm beginning to coach.

F- 6 temp at slightly faster than Marathon Pace

S-15.5 with my wife. I love these runs because they're all about her becoming a better runner and also getting ready for Philly. They don't usually count for me as long runs because we usually run them at 10min pace.

S - 14 with the last 6.5 at Marathon Pace.

17 September: 5 miles easy.

18 September: 10 miles moderate.

19 September: 11.5 miles. AM: 5 miles. PM: 6.5 miles.

20 September: 8 miles moderate. Started workout but legs were heavy so I put it off.

21 September: 10 miles. 1 mile warm-up. 5x 3/4 mile on field loop w/ 30 seconds rest. 4:18, 4:17, 4:19, 4:16, 4:13. Was pacing one of our athletes. 5+ miles cool down. Pleased with workout given my legs still felt a bit heavy from the half-marathon at the beginning. This pace on the field loop is decent, particularly with the short rest–30 seconds really flies by fast.

22 September: 8.5 miles easy.

23 September: 20 miles, cruising along comfortably. I’ve made it through my last long run and I’m feeling pretty strong. Stretched and used the foam roller to work out some tightness.

Total: 73 miles.

great week for me.

chicago 220-224

m - 10

t - 7.5 am 6.5 pm

wed - 6

thurs - 9.25 mi tempo run on rolling/flat terrain but with a lot traffic in 48:35 which is 5:15 pace and i felt great. tried to ease off but just felt too good. 13.5

frid - 9.5 am 6.5 pm

sa- 4.5 bc of some hammie soreness.

sun - ~18 first 11 in 5:45-5:50 with 5 miles in 27:00 then 1.5 down

82 miles, starting taper this week. feeling like 5:20s are definitely within reach in chicago. hopefully good weather.

Richmond Nov 10

Goal 3:35

Monday off

Tuesday 12 w/7mi in 55min

Wed 6

Thursday 12

Fri off

Sat 5

Sun 20

Total 55 miles

Felt good about weeks work with tempo Tuesday and decent effort for Thursday (Sunday 20 was slow 3:30) I'm running the Great Race 10k in Pittsburgh next Sunday and then the Army Ten Miler(ATM) in DC the following week. Any suggestions on how to juggle schedule so as to not miss the 17 milers I am supposed to do on those race day Sundays? I'll race the 10k next week and maybe add on ten easy after the race. Following week in DC, I'm leaning to just hammering the ATM and just bagging the 17 or else do an extra long run Tuesday or Wednesday after ATM.

Good luck

Goal: Rio Grande Marathon 10/29: sub 2:45

M. AM: 11 w/ 6 X 1000 PM: 3

T. AM: 15 PM: 3

W. AM: 10EZ PM: 3

H. AM: 12

F. AM: 8EZ PM: 3

S. 17 w/ 14 at MP

S. off

Total 85.

Solid week for me, saturdays run went really well.

Steamtown 10/7, 2:50

Monday - 4 miles + 4 miles a bit later to recover from my 22 the day before

Tuesday - impromptu MP run, 9.5 miles @ 6:30 with my fast friends

Wednesday - 6 easy miles

Thursday - 11.5 kind of quick miles with fast friend again

Friday - 2x 3miles @ Tempo. Wanted under 18:00 for each but I was tired and ran 18:20 and 18:19. Still a good workout and 9 total.

Saturday - 5 easy miles, legs felt dead

Sunday - hilly 14K race as a MP run, shooting for 6:30s; ended up with 6:14 pace overall but I was never even breathing real hard

Total: 60.4 I think, starting to taper, down from 80 last week

Chicago sub 2:33

M: 8 easy

T: 12 total, including 3x1000 in 3:24, 3:19, 3:18 and 3x1000 in 3:05, 3:03, 3:04

W: 10 recovery

R: 11 total including 2x3000 in 10:13, 10:14, full recovery jog of 1000 between

F: 8 easy/quick - beginning to feel legs responding to reduced mileage

S: 6 trudge in afternoon - 11 hour sleep and a slight cold; felt dead - so much for responding to taper!

S: Half marathon race at controlled, comfortable pace (perhaps a shade faster than MP, but not full-out half effort) for 15K, then pushing through hills over last 6K (I'm crap going up hill) - 1:13:40 - legs felt good after - would have been nice to be a minute quicker with same effort, but whatever - two weeks to convince myself I can do back-to-back 1:15's

Looking forward to results from next week's Waterfront marathon in T.O. to see how Ziak et.al. do. Good luck, lads!

Chicago

Goal: 2:21:59

M: 10

T: 11

W: 14 - 3 X 2 mile: 10:22, 10:20, 10:30 over some hills with traffic

T: 10 am, 7 pm

F: 5 am, 8 pm - 3 miles at 5:25 pace

S: 10

S: 18

Total 93

A little tired early in the week following a half marathon, but overall am feeling good. We'll see in 2 weeks.

Bay State 10/14, goal: 3:15 BQ

M - OFF

T - 1600 (5:55), 3 min, 3200 (11:47), 4 min, 1600 (5:29)

W - 6 mi

H - 11 mi

F - 5 mi

Sa - 8.5 mi tempo w/tempo section 6:15-6:25

Su - 20 mi, last 8 at MP or faster

Total - 65 mi

Now I begin cutting back, just need to feel good on race day. I think my goal is very conservative, so I just don't want to screw it up.

I'm running Toronto Waterfront Scotia Bank Marathon in 6 days. I'm starting to stress badly. I had the best build up to this race compared to my other marathons and feel strong and healthy during this taper. Last hard run was last Monday which was 15 miles at marathon pace (90 minutes) which went well. Shooting for sub 2:40. Hit lots of weeks in the 120-140K range which is good for me.

Mentally if I can keep it together this week and get some rest I am good to roll. I usually have trouble sleeping the night before the race stressing about how the race will unfold. Anyone else have problems with this? How do you get yourself to fall asleep the night before. I am my own worst enemy right now. I have put so much effort into this training cycle and I don't want to ruin it by mentally falling apart.

I hate tapering. It sucks. There is nothing you can do to make yourself better at this point but there is so much that can go wrong and when tapering you have lots of time to think about it all. Shit, I only ran 6K today and felt out of breath towards the end, how can I possibly run 42K at a faster pace? Christ, don't even get me started about the weather possibilities.

i think a lot of guys feel like shi# during taper, i know i do. i think spending set apart time visualizing the race and thinking positively about what you will do allows me to have a calm mind about it all...you can convince yourself you are ready so that the doubt get drowned out. b

Although this will be my first marathon, I'll take a shot here. I have been freaking out as the end of the meaningful training has been approaching, worrying about every workout that didn't go perfectly, etc. Now that I'm starting the taper, I went back and reviewed my training cycle and saw that it really went according to plan, as a whole. It's just a matter of execution now. That made me feel a lot better. What you do today or this week is not going to make any difference, unless you injure yourself or get sick. Hope that helps you...

BTW your speed workout indicates much better fitness than a 3:15. If your long runs went well you should be able to comfotrably hit your goal. The hard part for you will be to keep it slow enough in the early going. It's easy to get carried away in the beginning because the first few miles feel so easy. Nothing faster than 7 to 7:15 until you hit 15 miles, ok?

30th Sept Toronto Waterfront 2:18

Week 8 of 9 and well into the taper, which like most of you I hate with the reduced training making the legs feel like old rope.

M 40min + 30min

T 30min + 6x3min@5k pace

W REst

T 30min + 30min

F 50min

S 50min progressive

S 50min

One week to go !

Phreak: its normal to be a bit nervous, that means its important to you. You've put in the hard work so take this week nice and easy. The weather is going to be perfect.

A couple of things that can help to relax you: close your eyes and 'remember a time when you felt totally calm and confident'. Really get into that state of mind, get the feeling and just rehearse the race in your mind. Play it like a movie. To help get to sleep, count backwards from 300, nice and slowly : 300, 299, 298 ...

Have a good week everyone.

Adrian

Steamtown 10/7 3:30-

Well I did my 1000's with 400 rest and did them much more sensibly this time- started out with a 4:27/2:10 and then eased into 4:17, 4:10, 4:04, and the rest of the 10 sets right at 4 and a 2:03 rest. I actually felt pretty damned good and could have done more.

Then I finished up the week with a hilly 16 miler at average MP that included hill reps- I was "done" by the end of it but I feel decent now 2 days later so I know I am strong.

48 total for the week and into the taper.

A very good week for myself. A little over 100miles and had an excellent workout on Sat. Did the exact same workout 2 weekends before Ottawa but ran faster this time while feeling easier. Pretty held a conversation the whole way so I am ready to go. This week is an easy one and then I'll have a moderate week the week of Chicago. Have a great week. Matt

Mon: AM: 40mins

PM: ART + 60mins +4x40m uphill strength work

Tues: AM: 40mins

PM: 5miles tempo + 20x(100m fast,100m steady) +5x200m, jog 200m

Wed: AM: 40mins

PM: 60mins + 4x(4x40m) uphill, jog down

Thurs: AM: 40mins

PM: 4x2.4km, rest 1:1

Fri: REST

Sat: AM: 10miles, 4miles, 1mile, rest 3-4mins between at 4000 feet altitude: 51:30, 20:57, 4:51

Sun: AM: 20miles

that is a pretty sick workout on sat, HHH. what is your goal pace at chicago? you are going to rip it up, i'd say.

10/7 Cowtown (Sacramento) sub 2:22

Monday - 16 Easy

Tuesday - 4 Easy

Wednesday through Sunday OFF

Total of 20 miles. What started out as a virus was diagnosed yesterday at Pericarditis (sp?) which is an inflammation of the sack around the heart (not cardiac). So I haven't run in a week, don't think I will run for a few more days. I am on 800 mg. ibuprofen and it makes it feel better, but I have to get well first. So I would say I am on the questionable list for my Marathon.

PBF wrote:

that is a pretty sick workout on sat, HHH. what is your goal pace at chicago? you are going to rip it up, i'd say.

I'm going to head out in 68 again which is the same pace I headed out in Ottawa. If I come back in 70 then I will be happy. If I come back in 68 then I will be over the moon! I am ahead of my Ottawa training in almost every way and with an easier course I don't feel that 2:16 is out of the realm of possibility, but I'll be happy to get under 2:20 at the very least.