Women's training thread - week of 10/19/08

Doing some of that faster stuff and making a good strong run at the 5k will probably do good things for your 50 miler training (and race). If you really don't want to do another workout each week, I'd suggest you try to incorporate 5-10 x 100m strides 2-3 days a week in your other runs. Just strong and relaxed, not straining or trying to impress anyone. You should find they become more relaxed (and yet faster) over 4-5 weeks before the race, and this will benefit your racing without being a taxing workload. If you do them right, they shouldn't really feel like work at all, but will get you warmed up for your regular run quite nicely, feeling invigorated but not tired.

no longer stressed wrote:

oops. an error message caused me to retry; my bad.

Hey, it was such great advice that I was happy to read it twice! Thanks so much for the effort and thought that went into that post.

I think you're right about 3:20 being pretty close to my current capability. Steamtown wrecked my quads -- I did downhill training, but apparently not the right kind. I probably wouldn't run it again since it does require such specialized training. Come to think of it, it was pretty draining to run in full sun for the last six miles, so that may have also have contributed to the slowdown.

As for the next race, I'm targeting the Newport, OR marathon in late May, to kick off a vacation out there. Typical weather for that time of year falls into the "near perfect marathon conditions" category...plus it's a nearly pancake flat course and a small race. I also have close to seven months to prepare, which gives me lots of time to evaluate how my training is going and make adjustments as I go along.

Anyhoo. Once again, thanks for the feedback. It's valuable to get another perspective.

i was in newport once -- what a beautiful coastline! i always thought a bike ride from portland to the coast would be awesome, but never have made the opportunity. late may should alleviate the acclimatization issues, since you'll have had a chance to do warm weather pace training leading up to the marathon. however it goes, be sure to get a sports flush massage and take an ice bath following the race so that you can enjoy the next couple of days of your vacation.

not a chick, just last week (with my hamstring finally really under control) i started doing strides regularly, and they're feeling better each day. i do them on a short stretch of dirt road that punctuates my most common trail route. if nothing else, picking it up gets me more quickly out of range of the nasty dusting that results if a car happens by as i traverse the road. as for impressing anyone -- hah! -- no one out in those woods is very impressionable; i just hope my blaze-orange vest makes an adequate impression starting a few weeks from now when the last thing i'll want to seem like is a fleet-footed (or sluggish) doe.

Goodness nice thread this week with all the reports etc. NLS well done on a solid 5km this was a specialty event of mine and one I love to do when feeling fit and eager to go. I am consistently training now with most of the severe pain of the injury crapola behind me PHEW!.....It turns out scar tissue in the hip flxor area helped entrap the femoral nerve which would shut down my Rectus Femoris (main quad muscle) within 10 mins of every run causing a horrid burning pain.....Today was a lovely blustery 9 miler sub 8 which felt comfy and no pain so I am thanking God to be out of the woods.Back to your 5km NLS, you need good leg turn over, seems like your base and miles are a good platform to fine tune speed, but working on endurance and speed at the same time does not always bode well for the 5km.So 400s atleast 12-16 of them at race pace sub 90 is sub 6 min pace with a shortish rest is the way to go.Also fun pick up stuff, I get fit with 30sec 60sec and 90sec pick ups with the same rest, start with 4 reps in any given run and work up to about 10 keeping it at fast 5km leg turn over. You know how to reach me if you have any questions or thoughts you want to add.Have a great rest of the week ladies. Humbled always good to hear how you are doing :o)

Hi-

Humbled, thanks for the encouragement on my half goal. I sure hope I can get close to 1:30, although anything under 1:32:30 would be a PR (well, that 1:32 was extrapolated from a 12.6 mile "half" I ran in March). I did 4x1 mile at half pace with 1 minute recovery yesterday and my legs felt pretty dead. Hopefully that was just left-over tiredness from the 5K. It seemed like kind of a baby workout, and I hit the times, but goal half pace never feels like the jog I hope it will on the track.

PP - I think downhill marathons are brutal! The first time I did Boston I my quads were trashed at mile 13. I have never felt like that before. I think you are smart to do the flat one in Oregon. Did ou see that Pfitz is coming out with an updated "Advanced Marathoning"? Might be good winter reading!

NLS - really admire you with the trail running. I am such a clutz that the last trail race I did (only 20K) left me running in fear of poking my eye out on a root the whole time. I do enjoy running on our super-groomed wooded trail in town, though. If only I knew the route myself and didn't have to rely on my friends to drag me along. Maybe sometime I'll get it down.

Has anyone done the Martian Marathon in Michigan? I am thinking of it for my spring one but I am also looking at Green Bay, Bayshore, and Lincoln. I want flat, fast, a chance of good weather, and low race-day stress. I don't need big crowds or expo. I am sort of thinking of a May one now as opposed to early April because doing long marathon speedwork in the dark and ice for the past 2 years has really worn on me. It would be nice to have April be my monster month, but the Martian looks like a good race too.

I did notice the new edition of Advanced Marathoning coming out in December. Christmas is coming. :)

It's funny: My list of criteria for the races I'm willing to run is rapidly growing:

- No hot, humid races

- No downhill courses

- No huge crowds

- No combination marathon/half marathons on the same course

- No multiple loop courses

- No polar bears or oxen

...and the list goes on...

What about the cats wrote:

Has anyone done the Martian Marathon in Michigan? I am thinking of it for my spring one but I am also looking at Green Bay, Bayshore, and Lincoln. I want flat, fast, a chance of good weather, and low race-day stress. I don't need big crowds or expo. I am sort of thinking of a May one now as opposed to early April because doing long marathon speedwork in the dark and ice for the past 2 years has really worn on me. It would be nice to have April be my monster month, but the Martian looks like a good race too.

Well I'm not a gal but I do have a cat... and I have run Bayshore twice and... the Martian half twice. Plus Hines Drive (Martian course) is in my area and I do most of my long runs there.

Anyway both are good and low key but I think Bayshore is faster (set my PR there this year) and way more beautiful. The race is run well, the scenery along the bay is fantastic and the weather has been good both times I ran it.

The Martian course loops back and forth a bit which is not that much fun, Bayshore is straight out and back, flatter and the finish is one lap around a track which is nice. Your family can hang out in the bleachers and greet you at the finish.

If you can afford the extra travel and lodging cost you won't regret Bayshore. Traverse City is great to walk around in after or hang out at the beach if it is warm. Taking a cruise up the peninsula and checking out the wineries is a treat as well.

What about the cats wrote:

Has anyone done the Martian Marathon in Michigan? I am thinking of it for my spring one but I am also looking at Green Bay, Bayshore, and Lincoln. I want flat, fast, a chance of good weather, and low race-day stress. I don't need big crowds or expo. I am sort of thinking of a May one now as opposed to early April because doing long marathon speedwork in the dark and ice for the past 2 years has really worn on me. It would be nice to have April be my monster month, but the Martian looks like a good race too.

I'm not a woman and I don't have a cat but I have run the Martian Marathon. The weather was the worst conditions, for me, that I've ever run one in. Mixed rain and snow, mostly snow by the end. The course was scenic but as Kevin mentioned, tended to wind around. The race was small and well run. I think I'm still numb from the weather though.

Thanks for the info on the Martian and Bayshore marathons. I think I am going to pass on the Martian. When I think about it, early April in Dearborn sounds pretty miserable. Bayshore may be hard for travel, so I am now leaning towards Green Bay. A mid-May race sounds pretty good compared to early April!

I've been to Lincoln many times and run on the trails and in the parks. I have not run the marathon but can't imagine it having many hills.