Marathon Training Thread - Week Ending 8/1

Pablo - that looks like a solid week to me. The tempo run on Saturday is quick!

Goal Race: Berlin

Goal Time: sub-2:30

Mon: 5 easy / 6 easy

Tue: 5 easy / 13 (incl. 2 x 5M @ ~marathon effort, 3 min recovery, 5:57m/m avg)

Wed: 5 easy / 15 (incl. 12.5M loop with 1000ft of climb, 6:53m/m avg)

Thu: 5 easy / 6 easy

Fri: 8 (incl. 4 x 1M, 3 min recoveries, 5:21, 5:14, 5:17, 5:14, 5:17m/m avg)

Sat: 8 easy (incl. 10 strides)

Sun: 21 progressive (starting @ ~7:15m/m, winding the pace up with last 4M in 6:05, 6:02, 5:55, 5:55)

Total: 97

Felt like a decent week. With 8 weeks until Berlin, plan is to work on the pace of the Tues session to try and close in on target marathon pace and add an extra mile repeat into the Friday session and aim to get the average down to sub-5:15m/m. Feels like I'm slightly ahead of where I was this time last year, so feeling reasonably optimistic at this point. Down week next week.

Hope everyone had a great week.

Good weeks u 2!

Race: Chicago (10/10/10)

Goal: 2:36

Mo - 6 AM, 8 PM easy. felt good

Tu - 9 AM w/ 20 min tempo, 6 PM easy

We- 8 AM felt bad

Th - 12.5 AM with 8 by 2min on/1 off fartlek, 6.5 PM

Fr - 7 AM, 4 PM easy

Sat - 8 PM easy

Sun - 20 AM (2 hours and 30 mins felt good)

Total - 95 miles

This was an ok week. wasn't too happy about it, mainly bc of my workouts... had planned a 30 min tempo, but stopped at 20. then on thursday wanted to 10 repeats, but only did 8. just wasn't feeling it on both of my workout days. also, missed a double or 2 so didn't hit 100+ miles but 95 is fine i guess... hopefully next week is better...

Goal race: Berlin

Goal time: 2:56:xx

I came into this down week off of 3 solid high 80's weeks feeling great! I'll echo pablo's sentiments: I felt horrible this week. Perhaps it was being out of the rhythm I was in or perhaps my body was really really due for some down time.

M - 6 recovery (8:25)

T - 7 recovery (8:15)

W - 9 incl 6x800 (2:56, 2:52, 2:54, 2:53, 2:52, 2:50) w/1:35 slow jog. Then 6x200 (40.4, 39.3, 38.6, 39.2, 37.3, 37.2)

R - OFF

F - 11.5 easy (7:50)

S - OFF

S - am 15 (8:02) / pm 3.5 shakeout

Week total - 52

It was all bad news except wednesday's session. That workout was a remnant from my pfitz schedule which has basically become irrelevent now. I'm actually following marmite's weeks with great interest because I like his tuesday and friday workouts - they make sense to me. So please keep posting your detailed weeks - some of us are actually reading it!

Sunday's morning "long run" was pathetic. Like pablo, I felt like crap for the first 10 miles - but ended it in the 7:20s. This marathon cycle I have not been getting much confidence from my long runs. The paces have been weak and I've been stopping for water 2 or 3 times (no choice!). Hopefully it will all come together anyway!

Mon 7/26/2010

Morning Normal Run 8 Mi 1:02:39 7:49/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 12 Mi 1:44:44 8:43/Mi

Tue 7/27/2010

Morning Normal Run 10 Mi 1:08:45 6:52/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 10 Mi 1:26:41 8:40/Mi

Wed 7/28/2010 Morning Normal Run 10 Mi 1:11:29 7:08/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 10 Mi 1:27:41 8:46/Mi

Thu 7/29/2010

Morning Normal Run 8 Mi 54:45 6:50/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 4 Mi 29:36 7:24/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 8 Mi 1:05:56 8:14/Mi

Fri 7/30/2010

Morning Normal Run 4 Mi 34:56 8:44/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 8 Mi 1:07:52 8:29/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 8 Mi 1:10:36 8:49/Mi

Sat 7/31/2010

Morning Normal Run 3 Mi 24:30 8:10/Mi

Morning Normal Run 3 Mi 17:57 5:59/Mi

Morning Normal Run 4 Mi 33:05 8:16/Mi

Afternoon Normal Run 5 Mi 45:22 9:04/Mi

Sun 8/1/2010

Morning Normal Run 1 Mi 5:42 5:42/Mi

Totals: 116.0 Mi 15:32:16 8:02/Mi

Didn't run as much as I should. Didn't get a long run in. Basically took today(sunday) off. Going to get back at it next week.

Did a 3 mile tempo at a 5k as a bandit, running with my running partner on Saturday. I was going easy, pacing him.

People say I'm running too much, and too slow for 10k training. I'll just see how it plays out haha.

Race: Chicago

Goal: sub-2:22

M - 15 miles w/ 8 tempo (5:18, 5:15, 5:24, 5:20, 5:19, 5:18, 5:15, 5:19 - 42:30 total)

T - 11 miles @ 6:30 pace

W - 13 miles easy

R - AM: 5 miles, PM: 13 miles w/ 2 x 3 mile, 1:30 rest (15:58, 15:30)

F - 11.5 miles easy

Sa - 27 miles easy

Su - 10 miles easy

Total: 105.5 miles

This was a really good week. This is actually the highest week I've ever had. I had a really solid tempo on Monday, though I really didn't feel all that good for it. My workout on Thursday, however, felt really good. I did another 3 hour long run on Saturday, and it was no problem. At this point, the distance just isn't that tough to cover. Anyway, I'm really pleased with where I'm at right now. I'm just hoping the heat and humidity start to subside at some point in the near future as it's really making it tough for me to recover after some of my runs.

Pablo - I know what you mean about those down weeks making you feel a little "out of it". You get into such a groove hitting all the miles that when you back off it feels weird. But I'll bet that you feel really good this week after backing off next week. Either way, you still had a really solid week with a couple of nice workouts.

We're really getting into the meat of the training now. Everybody keep it up.

M: 9/4

Tu: 13.5/ 5 --2x15min at LT with 1min recovery, avg. 5:35 pace

W: 10

Th: 12.3/ 4 --4xmile cruise reps avg. 5:22 with 1min rec jog and 4x75sec at 5k effort with 2min recovery jog

F: 8

Sa: 18 --30min up-tempo starting at 7 miles avg 5:40 pace. Rolled this run. Slowest mile over the last 13 was 6:11

Su: 12 --8x200 relaxed 35-36 sec.

Total: 96 miles

Spent the week in Bar Harbor with my family so all of my running was done on the carriage roads in Acadia National Park. Couldn't have asked for a better place to run each day and the cooler weather helped make this the best week of my build so far!

Nice work everyone, seems like a lot of solid mileage and workouts without going too nuts.

Goal Race: Chicago

Goal Time: Sub-2:20

M (15) - AM 8.5 easy in 62, felt like crap (trails)

PM 6.5 shakeout in 44, 20 minute weight routine

T (11.5) - AM 7.5 in 52 (trails) with 4 x 10 second hill sprints

PM 4 shakeout in 28, dragging, going to push workout back to Thursday

W (11) - AM 6.5 in 45

PM 4.5 shakeout (trails) in 31 with 4 x 100 barefoot strides, feeling better

Th (20.5) - AM In-and-Out Miles (bike path): 3.5 warmup with drills and strides, 11 miles in 60:13 (5:28 average) alternating between MP and MP+25-30, went 5:19 (5:44), 5:19 (5:43), 5:18 (5:34), 5:15 (5:40), 5:15 (5:44), 5:14. Felt really controlled aerobically, legs got tired the last couple miles (which is kind of the point). 1 mile cooldown.

PM 5 very easy shakeout in 37 (trails), iced in the Sound after

F (11.5) - AM 6 easy in 42 (trails)

PM 5.5 in 39 (trails) w/ 4 x 10 sec hill sprints, 20 minute weight routine

Sa (18) - AM 2:14 easy in the mountains, no calories before or during, no idea on the actual mileage. Effort was about what it would have been for 20 on normal terrain, so I’ll call it 18, but it really doesn’t matter.

Su (14) - AM 10 easy in 70 (trails)

PM 4 shakeout in 27

Week: 101.5

Third consecutive week over 100, starting a down week, hope it doesn't feel as crappy and sluggish as the down weeks have for a few of you.

Goal Race: Chicago (10 wks out)

Goal Time: 2:30

Looks like you guys keep nailing it (despite how you might feel...). 27miles! Did I read that right, mrb? SOLID. I will throw in a few longer runs but I only hit one 25miler last cycle. I think the 3hr run makes sense if you can avoid injury which I am always leery of. I LIKE the longer tempos, marmite and mrb. Pablo, I bet the heat and drop in mileage is giving you the blahs.

This week I missed a day (again) due to travel but I compensated with some pretty tough mileage for me, especially Tues covering 23 total w/ a 10.2 mile tempo bang on MP. Although I started to run out of gas toward the end. 102 miles in 6 days. Wed-Sat I kinda mailed it in, but the heat seems to be sapping me a bit. I went with water only for today's long run and was pleasantly surprised to feel fine.

M: OFF (Travel from Tucson)

T: 6 + 17 w/ 10.2 tempo @ 5:43 pace

W: 6 + 8

Th: 6 + 15 (6 x 1k on gravel w/ 60s jog rest @ 3:22 ave)

F: 12.5 easy

S: 10.2 easy

S: 21.5 @ 6:35 pace

102 for the week

TMNT, Bar Harbor! I am seriously jealous. My wife was in Hanover while I was in Phoenix. Man, did I pick the wrong city to run in.

Do you guys experience lower leg swelling when you are outside in the heat/standing up for a long time? I swear if I am out in the heat I get semi-cankles and running is really uncomfortable unless I put my feet up for a while.

Good weeks all... I still feel like I'm behind the curve, but Pablo you're right the next month is what is important, a down week next week and then hopefully the times will start coming down.

M: 3a/12p

T:11

W:6a/13p (3x what I will call a 5k? Probably somewhere along those lines, but the mile markers are really far off and don't even add up properly- 17:26, 16:23, 17:30)

T:3a/12p

F:11 (with ~9 miles of fartkek)

S:24 Easy

S:5

Goal: Rocket City Marathon, 2:37

Man, some great weeks here. No worries Pablo, you've had several back-to-back great weeks and still ran pretty well this week.

Monday: Planned day off

Tuesday: Easy 4.5 and 7.5 mile runs

Wednesday: 6 miles with 6x10s hill sprints; easy 4 miles

Thursday: Easy 9 miles

Friday: Easy 6 miles

Saturday: 8.5 miles with 4 mile race in 21:16. I wanted to break 21, so I wasn't too happy with the time, but I really had no one to run with. Was a good bit behind the top 2 and way ahead of 4th.

Sunday: Easy 6 and 4 mile runs

Week=55.5 miles. Since I'm having an 8 month buildup, I've built in several easy weeks, and this week was one of them. The party is over though because I start full-time teaching/coaching next week and aren't sure how much time I'll have to train. The plan is to boost up the mileage to 85-90ish for the next two months with a weekly long run, and a good bit of work at 5k-half marathon effort.

Wow, lotta guys kicking serious ass - keep it up!

Goal: 2:5x at NYCM, 7 Nov

Missed most of last two weeks (12 & 4 miles) with a soleus strain.

Mo: 4 // Portland, OR - testing calf ... feels OK

Tu: 6 // Olympia, WA

We: 7

Th: 6 // back in Brooklyn, no sleep on the red eye

Fr: 4 + 5

Sa: 15 // beach run: Far Rockaway to Brighton Beach

Su: 9 (12x 20" strides) + 6 (steady)

At least I picked the right time for my first injury in three years: NYCM is fourteen weeks out, I have six weeks of solid (for me) base training out of the last eight, I'm healed and extra rested. Time to get in gear with some tempos & MP runs. Low-key local 5k this Wed evening.

Goal Race: Maine Marathon (10/3)

Goal Time: 2:25

Impressive weeks all around. I'm still out in the Pac NW, having gone from Vancouver to Seattle to Eugene to Mt. Hood, with Portland still to come before heading back to NYC. It's definitely made the running easier this week being out here. As many of you have said, it's an important month coming up. I started to incorporate some light workouts this week, with the plan to really pick it up from here on out.

M: 8 easy

T: 8 easy

W: 13

Th: 11 with 2 x 10 minute segments at tempo effort

F: 7 easy

Sa: 4 x 1200 btwn 5 and 5:10 pace in trainers. 2 mi wu/2 mi cd.

Su: 17.5 -- 12 at ~7:30 with a group. Then 4 at ~6:10 pace along Pre's trail in Eugene. 1.5 cool down.

Total: 72.5

On iPhone, so will do best I can. Had a solid week. Not the mileage I wanted, but good anyway. Feel like I'm getting fit. PJ, nice tempo man!

Race: chicago

Goal: 2:37'sh

Mon- 5/ ran out of time and went at like 9:00 pm

Tue- 15/ am: 10, pm: 5

Wed- 11/ 3 up, 3 down. 2x800, 4x400, 6x200. 90 sec rest after 8s, 60 sec rest after everything else. 2:35s, 73s, 33s. I'm slow!

Thur- 15/ am: 10, pm: 5

Fri- 13/ am: 10, pm: 3

Sat- 10

Sun- 18-19 hard in San Diego (1:57) Unbelievable weather. Ran about 6:45 pace for 45 min then ran up Torry Pines (really really big hill) hard and kept on hammering. I would guess under 6 for the last 10-12 miles with some big hills.

Weekly total: 87 or 88

This week will take a day off and an easy 7 before Saturdays 5 MIler. Will probably just do the race and strides for workouts, but hope for 80 in 6. Then 2 big weeks before the next down week. Marathon work has begun!

Some great weeks out there...

Nole Runner - Don't worry too much about the workouts. I don't know what part of FL you're from, but where I'm at is absolutely brutal right now. I've lived in FL now for 20 years, and it seems like this is one of the hotter summer's we've ever had...doesn't bode well for hitting your workouts.

ian edwards - Jeez, you've got something like 260 miles in the past 2 weeks. Are you training for a marathon in the future or just training for 10k? Whatever the case, I'll be interested to see how it works out for you. If you are able to get the mileage in without injuring yourself, I'd say continue on.

CTA - I'm with you regarding long runs this cycle. My past 2 marathon cycles, I've really tried focusing on long runs by incorporating workouts within them...this time, I'm just running them nice and easy. I'm recovering much faster from each long run now, but I haven't done any long tempos or MP workouts to give me an indication on where I'm at. One of the drawbacks I suppose to the new coach I've got.

mrb - a 27 miler! Nice!

Pittsburgh Joe - You're absolutely nailing your workouts right now! Keep it up! BTW, yes, I do notice a little swelling in my lower legs after being on my feet in the sun all day. In fact, that's probably one reason I felt like crap this week was because I was out in the field (on my feet in the FL sun) for the majority of last week at work. Personally, I like to ice my feet after a day like that (read: submerge in ice water), but some people think I'm a little weird for doing that.

blazn bison - Very solid 4-miler! You've still got a long way for your fitness to come around...paitence my friend.

3TM - Excellent long run!

Race: Wineglass 10/3, NYC 11/7

Goal: Not to suck...

My week of slowness...

My week:

M am: 6.12 @ 8:27

M pm: 1.80 @ 8:18

pm: 3.15 @ 6:19

T am: 10 @ 7:52

T pm: 4 @ 8:39 (TM)

W: 14.99 @ 7:50

R am: 5.19 @ 8:34

R pm: 4.81 @ 8:36 (TM)

F: 14 @ 7:47

S: 10 @ 7:55

S: 20 @ 7:41

Tot: 94.1

Three straight building weeks (78, 83, 94). I'm getting slower, but hopefully getting stronger. Weather has been a little better, but it will be nice in about a month when the cool fallish morning come back. This week will be 100 miles, I hope I survive.

One encouraging thing is that I was equally sucky last summer during Chicago training but still managed to run a 2:55. Sub-2:50 is looking like a pipe-dream, right now.

I've also pretty much given up on my summer evening race series. I hate evening races and its pure suckage getting beat by people with marathon PRs 10+ minutes slow than yours... .

Hartford 10/9/10

Goal Time 2:55

Some great training and great times on this thread. Wonder if I'm the only woman occasionally posting?

Mon- AM-7.5 Roads, PM-9 trails-dead tired

Tues-AM-3 Stomach Upset, run cut short, PM-8 trails

Weds-AM-6 Miles, PM - blew off track because I wasn't feeling great - 8.5 Miles

Thurs-AM-Hill Run 6 Miles, PM-10 Miles

Fri-AM-5 Miles, Mostly Grass, PM 9.5 Miles-blew off postponed track workout - still feeling sluggish.

Sat-AM-9 Miles

Sun-AM 20 Miles-fell in the 1st 100ft, did manage to drop the pace down in the last 5 miles

100.5 Miles Total - time for a down week

BEM wrote:

Wonder if I'm the only woman occasionally posting?

Nah, there's another woman in the FARM duo...she posts as FARMette. This spring we had a woman (bostonchick) shooting for sub-3 in Boston, but she got a stress fracture and stopped posting after that. And of course you posted to this thread last year...getting that sub-3 at Bay State.

[quote]pablo wrote:

ian edwards - Jeez, you've got something like 260 miles in the past 2 weeks. Are you training for a marathon in the future or just training for 10k? Whatever the case, I'll be interested to see how it works out for you. If you are able to get the mileage in without injuring yourself, I'd say continue on.

quote]

Definately training for a FUTURE marathon. I don't know which one yet. I just need to find one relatively close to home, that doesn't interfere with cross country and outdoor track seasons.

And good job everyone. I feel like we're all on the same team! :)