LSD Practitioners: Advice Needed

For the base period: First, slow your runs down to 7:30 on average. Second, increase your mileage over the course of two weeks to about 70-75 miles a week. Third, increase your long run to 18 miles, with the first five miles at 7:40 pace, the middle eight at 7:30, and the last five at 7:15. Fourth, twice a week after runs add something like 6-8x150 fast strides. Fifth, if you are going to run a marathon rather than a half, gradually increase the long run to 22 miles. So a sample week might look like this.

Saturday 7 miles

Sunday 18 miles

Monday 4 miles

Tuesday 12 miles

Wednesday 8 miles; 6x150 with 150 jog; 1 mile cooldown (8:30)

Thursday 10 miles

Friday 8 miles; 6x150 with 150 jog; 1 mile cooldown (8:30)

Good luck

Thanks -- this is exactly what I was looking for. I started this LSD last week, and my "slow" runs have been averaging around 7:30. I wasn't sure if that was slow enough, but I'm glad to hear that I'm in the right place.

I'm up to 60 mpw now, but I figured I'll need to get up to 70+. I may give myself a few weeks to get there -- I'm in no hurry, and it's really warm + humid down here now.

Don't take the blue pills! They're bad news! The pink LSD is the way to go.

Regulae's advice doesn't look bad however, you mentioned 'full marathon training'. Does this mean you ARE running the marathon?

If so, as you well know, a marathon is 26.2 miles not 18. You need to have long runs over 20 miles in distance ...if you can get your base mileage well over 70, then your long runs should be over 20 too. Some would suggest over-distance ie; 28 - 30 miles...a few of those anyway.

>>pure LSD<<

Some people use this method to stave off chronic injury, which is advisable for someone in this position however, if you are injury free and not injury prone then LSD in it's proper definition may be too slow if you want to run a marathon well.

...or just change what the acronym means, to Long Steady Distance...'slow' running, unless you are recovering from a hard workout is only going to help you run slow.

Run as many miles as you can fit into your life, at the best possible pace, for as long as possible.

So that means if you are too busy, then fair enough, but as many miles as possible is the aim during the base period. The best possible pace does not mean sprinting or racing, but the top of your aerobic limit as much as possible. So yes some days may be a little slower than others. For as long as possible means as many years or months as possible.

When you plan your key marathon race, count back 12 weeks and transition into faster running, starting with more hill work....more on that some other time.

Watch your quality during the base phase. If you go super fast and get super out of breath (anaerobic) you spoil the aerobic condition you are trying to build.

So faster running as speed work is ok, but don't go so hard that you need to stop and recover....

Correction:

Regulae's advice looks excellent, except the 18 miler if you are doing a marathon. If no marathon then Regulae's advice is spot on.

And the over distance thing...some people feel if your weekly mileage is not high enough, then your long run shouldn't take up to high a percentage of your total weekly mileage.

This makes sense. So perhaps you want to average no less than 70 miles and run no less than 70 miles if you can help it...

Regulae's advice includes a proviso: increase the long run from 18 to 22 if you're running a full marathon.

Which is to say, Regulae's advice is spot on.

Years and years ago I ran 2:38 off basically that training with these differences. I'd run an additional 30 minutes at 7:45 pace three or four mornings a week; ten weeks out from a marathon I'd gradually increase the speed of all my runs except the long one over the course of six weeks, and then in the last four weeks I'd start slowing down again; also, I'd replace the days with the strides with one tempo run of 7-9 miles and a workout of 4x1,320 (yards) at 10K pace, five minute rest, 7-8 miles at 7:00 pace, except the last mile and a half I'd try to run pretty fast, followed by 12x110 (yards), one mile cooldown. Usually this workout would leave me pretty tired the next day, in which case I'd cut that next day's run to four miles. I would end these two workouts two weeks out from the race. Also, for whatever it's worth, I'd take off a day two days out from the race but also run 4-5 miles the day before the race.

LVD wrote:

Thanks -- this is exactly what I was looking for. I started this LSD last week, and my "slow" runs have been averaging around 7:30. I wasn't sure if that was slow enough, but I'm glad to hear that I'm in the right place.

I'm up to 60 mpw now, but I figured I'll need to get up to 70+. I may give myself a few weeks to get there -- I'm in no hurry, and it's really warm + humid down here now.

I think I was distracted when I read regulae's advice....bah! Yes 22 miles...the marathon...

At first, I thought you were asking for drug advice.

LVD wrote:

Background: During the last 3 or 4 months, I've steadily run 50 to 57 miles per week, at a 7:10 average or so, with 2 quality workouts (speed & tempo) and a long run (14 to 16). My 5k time was 17:45.

What was your 5k time before you did this phase(i assume 3-4 months ago)?

wetcoast wrote:

This makes sense. So perhaps you want to average no less than 70 miles and run no less than 70 miles if you can help it...

Agree with it all, except mathematically, the only way that a runner can average 70 mpw without running less than 70 mpw is to run exactly 70 mpw, every week.

This is hilarious! Actually, in reflection on the day, I was also tired...I have my excuses!!!

And that's what they are.

Yes I think what I wanted to write, but failed to was average at least 70 miles per week, or try to not go below that threshold of 70...consistancy is highly important.

Of course if you never go under 70, you will average higher too...duh! I am now semi-coherent.

If you're over fifty, can run sub-8's after leg surgery and still want to compete in your age bracket, what should your LSD pace be?

9-9:30?

Thanks everybody. I'm actually just looking to do LSD, Long Steady Running, base, etc. etc. during the summer -- no races on the immediate horizon. I will run a half before the end of the year and then a full in the spring. So no real rush on the marathon stuff, though I do want to get up to a weekly 17 or 18 mile run before I dive into that.

Before I ran the 17:45 I wasn't really in 5k shape. I ran a 38:30 10k in the fall, then a 1:26 flat half-marathon 4 months ago. But neither of those races were on the kind of mileage I was doing for the 5k. (I think my three highest weeks before the half were 57, 51 & 51, whereas my three highest weeks before the 5k were 60, 56, 56 with a bunch of other 50+ runs in there).

So basically I used the 5k to get back in really good shape, and now I want to hold that shape through the summer so I can run a 1:24:xx at the end of the year and a sub-3 marathon in the spring....

Interesting as I haven't quite broke into 17s, but I have run many 37s and recently an 83....similar times.

I like talent, but certainly have the understanding...if my life was a poker game, my hand would be a single pair ha ha!

wetcoast wrote:

Interesting as I haven't quite broke into 17s, but I have run many 37s and recently an 83....similar times.

I like talent, but certainly have the understanding...if my life was a poker game, my hand would be a single pair ha ha!

The training was definitely quite different -- stuff you'd only really need or want to do if you wanted to PR in the 5k. 16 x 400, 20 x 200, plus really fast miles and time trials. Safe to say that I'm enjoying a base period after all that crap!

But it did move me several notches up the VDOT scale, which I hope to translate into faster times across the board.

LVD

how old are you?

cool dude wrote:

LVD

how old are you?

The LVD is 34.

perhaps you've already been doing LSD for a half marathon. I mean, a 14-16 mile long run is way long for 5k training. sounds like you've improved too. Maybe the only thing you should change is the kind of interval workouts you do.