Marathon Training Thread -- Week Ending 12/26

Walt Disney World Marathon

Sub 2:22

Monday- 12

Tuesday- 5, 10(3x1mile +12 x 400)(4:56,4:56,4:52,Avg 68)

Wednesday- 5, 12

Thursday- 12

Friday- 5, 12 (3mile tempo- 5:10,5:18,5:22-15:50)

Saturday- 10

Sunday- 10 (6 x 400 Hill Repeats)

Total: 93 miles

Good Week, was going to do 3 x 3 mile on friday, then pushed it back to sunday, but because of snow, and terribly windy conditions i had to push it back to next week, so i was still able to do two mini workouts and a nice workout on tuesday!

Hope everyone had a great week and a Merry Christmas!

Goals: 5k (15:15), Half (1:11), Full (2:30)

Su - 6

M - 6

T - 10

W - 5 / 10 (with 12 x 1' hills)

R - 13

F - 11

Sa - 10 (with 4 x 5' hard)

= 71 miles (slightly down from 75 last week)

Normally I'd grade this week as about a C-, but considering that I am visiting family (and drinking plenty of beers), I am going to be lenient and give myself a B-.

Pablo: Thanks for assessing my goals times last week. I am knowingly being conservative with my half estimate, being that I have actually never raced a road half. My last four marathon buildups have coincided with varying trail races (half, 25km, half hill climb).

Goal Race: Disney (2 weeks to go)

Goal Time: 2:28ish

NoleRunner - Thanks for starting us off today! Down weeks are always strange for me, most of the time, I feel like shit during them and feel great during the next big week....I don't know. BTW, this Monday's run for me was SLOW, the Jax half didn't seem to affect you too much for that run.

Summit - Nice week, I also bailed on a workout due to high winds, though, unlike you, I'm not planning on making it up. I don't think it would be advantageous to me now that I'm tapering.

Silky - Don't worry about the week, most people struggle to find time to run during the holidays. I'm lucky enough to have a family that understands my running and is very encouraging, so it makes it much easier for me to get in the miles.

M: am - 10 easy (7:39) / pm - 4 easy (7:15)

Tu: am - 10 easy w/ random fartlek (6:49) / pm - 4 easy (7:22)

W: 8 easy (7:24)

Th: am - 14 total w/ 2 w/u, 4mile @ 5:29, 4:00 rest, 3mile @ 5:28, 3:00 rest, 2mile @ 5:24, 2:00 rest, 1mile @ 5:20, 2 c/d. / pm - 4 easy (7:11)

F: am - 10 easy (6:58) / pm - 4 easy (7:16)

Sa: am - 8 easy (7:13) / pm - 4 easy (7:20)

Su: 20 moderate (6:42)

Weekly Total - 100 miles

YTD - 4,200 miles

Wanted to have a fast finish to my 20 miler today, but steady winds @ 30mph gusting up to 50 made it difficult to even maintain the pace I did run. The second half of the run was around 6:20 pace, but honestly felt like 5:20 pace....whatever that is worth. Oh well, on the whole I don't think this failed workout means anything for Disney in 2 weeks. Time to taper now.

Goal Race: Boston

Goal Time: 2:40

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a safe holiday.

Monday - AM: 6 easy, PM: 8 moderate, 8 x 100m strides

Tuesday - PM: 11.25 easy

Wednesday - AM: 6 easy, PM: 8 easy, 8x100m strides

Thursday - AM: 5 easy, PM: 3 w/u, 8x100m strides, 400m - 72, 2:00 rest, 600m - 1:45

Friday - AM: 6 slow, PM: 8 slow, 8x100m strides

Saturday - PM: 13.1 hard 1:24:22, 6:02 last mile

Sunday - PM: 10 easy, 8x100m strides

Total: ~87.5 miles

This week was an interesting week for me. I threw the towel in on Thursday's workout because I felt horrible, and Saturday's hard run was unplanned. I didn't head out the door until after dark and my stomach felt cramped the entire run from eating way too much crap all day. It started raining fairly hard halfway into the run too which made things interesting.

I'm running a half marathon on January 8th to get a New York qualifier out of the way, so Saturday's run gives me confidence that I can run well under 1:23 right now, and hopefully break 1:20.

Goal: 1:14 @ Disney 1/8

M - 10

T - 6A/10P w/ 2x3mi @ 16:30 in the dark and cold

W - 10

T - 8

F - 6A/12P w/ 8x800 @ 2:30 8x400 @73/74 with the last one 71

S - 10

S - 19

Total 90

A good week, last long run today. Getting on a track in the daylight and in shorts and a t-shirt for the first time in a while felt really good and sped things up considerably.

Another down week for me. I'm taking it pretty easy at home/on break.

M 9 easy

T 20 easy

W 9 easy

Th 20 easy

F 20 easy

S off; certainly had time to run, but didn't really feel like it

Su 20 fast

Tot: 98

YTD: I'll let you in on it next week, but right now I'm 78 miles away from the next 1,000 mark, so I'll try to work through the upcoming snow in the area and get that. Once I get back to school and have track access, I'll add in speed work again.

Race: Boston

Goal: 2:45

M: 5

Tu: 13 w/ hill repeats

W: 6

Th: 8

F: 10:

Sa: Off, lots of commuting and nonsense

Su: 20 at 7:30 pace

Total: 62 miles. An off week. Didn't get my mile repeat workout in and did not get a lot of sleep.

Goal Race: Arizona (1/16)

Goal Time: 2:35

M: 6 easy AM 10 easy PM

T: 6 easy AM 10 moderate PM

W: 6 easy AM 10 easy PM

T: 16 w/ 14 fast (5:45-6:00 pace for fast portion)

F: 12 moderate (Done at 7500 ft, Colorado for the holidays!)

S: 8 very easy, still at 7500 ft

S: 16 progression on very hilly terrain at 7500 ft

Total: 100 miles for the week

Very solid week, running at altitude has been tough but a lot of fun. Very scenic. Get four more days of it this week so that will be awesome. Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Goal Races: Davis Stampede Half 2/6

Goal Time: 69:29

M: 9 easy (6:48)

Tu - 8 progression on rolling terrain (3 miles avg 7:00 then 4.5 avg 6:05 then cooldown)

We - am 7 easy (6:46) / pm 3 (7:09 w/ strides)

Th - 9 easy (6:36)

Fr - 9 tired (6:41)

Sa - 8.15 relaxed (6:58) windy and pouring

Su - 14 easy (6:34)

Total Mileage - 67.15 miles.

M-W were rough getting out the door but Thursday was a real motivator. Sunday felt remarkably relaxed. Starting to feel fit. I am training very generally, even though the race is 6 weeks away. Probably going to drop down a little next week and then bump up.

Goal Race: London

Goal time: 2:56

I'm guessing that cadillac is going to hit the 6000 mile mark.

I suspect that 5000 is too obvious a number. Either way, wow!

Pablo, too, is hitting a big number for the year. I'm at 2718 YTD which is a PR for me.

M: 6 @ 7:58

T: 7 @ 8:25 / 9 total; 5x1M (6:23 average) with 75 seconds rest (6:36, 6:31, 6:22, 6:20, 6:06), 2 up and 2 down

W: 4 @ 9:02 / 11 @ 7:57 with last 4 @ 7:34, 7:24, 7:18, 6:48

R: 4 @ 9:07 / 8 @ 8:26

F: 8 @ 8:10

S: 8 @ 8:00

S: 12 @ 7:55

Week total= 77 miles

Another week of just doing whatever i felt like. Two informal workouts this week went nicely. Tuesday i did 5x1M but i intentionally started out at a MP feel and wanted to cut down each successive mile. Boy does that feel great!! Feels much better and more fun that running each mile at the same pace! I think i will do this workout more often.

Wednesday was supposed to be an easy run but i felt good and decided to just run the last 4 miles as a progression. Felt great. Sunday was the first day i felt tired and my legs really didn't want to run 15 miles so i decided to cut it at 12. Was not a good run but it was a decent week.

Marathon training should start soon. Probably i will want to average 80 miles for 3 out of a 4 week cycle with a 50ish mile down week. Will try to do 2 workouts a week, preferably with one of them within the long run.

CTA - I got my money on 6,000 for cadillac as well. If so, that's ridiculous(ly awesome).

Summit - BadA workout on Tuesday. Keep it rollin

SilkySlim - It's good you're being lenient on yourself during the Holidays. I bet we are all drinking a lot of beers, except for the Disney Guys.

pablo - Yea, I probably should have taken Monday a little easier, but like I said just unmotivated this week. Hopefully, this week is different

You had a killer workout Thursday man. 4, 3, 2, 1! Boom

mlbfan24 - great week. 1:23 should be a walk in the park for you.

rhrunner - Looks like you're gaining a lot of fitness over there in CO. I'm super jealous. Enjoy!

Vancy Pants - I'm impressed with your time goal for Davis Stampede Half considering your mileage. Have you always been more of a quality runner?

My guess is 7,000 for cadillac. If I remember correctly he said he had a stretch of 200 mile weeks!! That adds up real fast! And, he does 98 like normal folk do 50...

I was on pace for 3,000 this year before my achilles injury and I thought that was crazy high 2 years ago! LOL

Goal: 2:48

Gansett

This talk of YTD mileage is both humbling and inspiring me. I kind of hope Cadillac is hinting at 5000 because then my new yearly high makes it to at least half of what he did. With my heel almost back to normal I should get over 2500 despite the snow here in the Notheast. Seeing what you guys do and how fast you are able to run gives me daily motivation to do more and (hopefully) get faster myself.

NoleRunner - I know what you mean about down weeks/easy days and going too fast. The mindset kind of becomes "Lemme just get this done" and you go faster than you should.

Pablo - Nice week with a great workout.

Everyone - Glad the holidays seemed to have treated you all well.

Mon - 6 (7:40's easy)

Tues - 3am 8pm (am very easy 8?, pm hill run - pushed hills for first time in a month)

Wed - 5 (7:30's easy - did some strides at the end and they felt awkward)

Thurs - 5 (6:50's)

Fri - 6 (6:44's Started easy and slowly picked it up)

Sat - Off (No way I could run after the GIGANTIC X-Mas brunch at my in-laws!)

Sun - 14.5 (7:15's included some big hills and some trails. Felt good even at the end.)

Total - 47.5

Hey guys, new to this thread. It's great motivation to see what everyone else is doing. Some very impressive training all around. Here's my last week:

M: 8.5 am / 5 pm

T: 10.5 am (3 x 1.4 mile loop at about 5:45/mi pace, not too hard)

W: 8.5 am / 5.5 pm

Th: 10 am (finished fast) / 4 pm (4 x 200m on the track, since I found myself nearby)

F: 8.5 am / 5.5 pm

Sa: 11.5 am

Su: 21 am (tired last few miles)

Total: 98.5

Goal race: March 20

Training for my first marathon after a long layoff from competitive running. I think I've been adapting to the mileage pretty well, now I just have to start getting that threshold down and start doing some more tempo work. Aiming for sub-2:40 or thereabouts.

Have fun out there in the snow, east coasters!

NoleRunner,

My overall low mileage throughout my career (wkly high mid 80s) has been something I have wished to change, but am doing so slowly. I could be grossly overambitious with the goal time, but want to go out there and run the 2:18:58 marathon pace for as long as I can. PRs of high 24 in the 8k and high 31 in the 10k. In two weeks, I feel I will have a better idea of how the half may go. It will be my debut.

Road Racer - No way! 7000 is 134.6 weekly average or 19 a day. I know 200 mile weeks add up fast and this has no doubt been done before, but I dunno.

Of course, I could be wrong. Looking fwd to cadillac's post next week.

VF Runner - That is EXACTLY how I felt last week. Let's get this over with.

Lawyer Dude - Welcome back to training. How long were you removed from running/training? From looks of your training now, it couldn't have been that long.

Vancy Pants - I see. So, long-term goal is OTQ then. Nice to see another one on the thread. With those PRs, it's certainly w/in reason. Best of luck boosting mileage.

Race: Boston

Aim 2:44

Mon.: 12mi.

Tues.: morn. 10; eve. 4mi.

Wed.: 0mi.

Thurs: 12mi.

Fri.: morn. 10mi.; night 10mi.

Sat.: 12mi.

Sun.: 14mi. all on ice after dark.

Week: 84 miles. The piriformis flared up again this week and, along with the ice, keeps me from doing any quality work. I'm impressed to see so many on the thread in the 2:30/2:40 range running fairly high (90+) mileage. That's what it takes -- for me anyway.

Yeah, I'm guessing that cadillac is creeping up on 6,000 miles...5,000 just seems too low for the type of mileage he was/is doing. I kinda doubt 7,000....though I have heard of people putting up that kind of mileage for a year.

Vancy - As long as you aren't too far removed from that 31:high 10k PR, running a 69:29 should be doable for you....even if it is your first one. My 10k PR is 31:47 from 2007, but when I ran my 1:09:28, I'd wager I was at least in shape to run sub-32 for the 10k, maybe even 31:30.

@Nole Runner: Thanks, man. I've been away from racing since my early college years (early 2000s), but I've been training at low mileage just for fun off and on for the last 3 years. I'm surprised by how well I've been adapting to the high mileage involved in marathon training, it's been fun so far. Hopefully I'll be training like you in a little while, you're kicking some ass!Anyone on here in the Bay Area (CA), by the way?

NoleRunner26 wrote:

Road Racer - No way! 7000 is 134.6 weekly average or 19 a day. I know 200 mile weeks add up fast and this has no doubt been done before, but I dunno.

Of course, I could be wrong. Looking fwd to cadillac's post next week.

VF Runner - That is EXACTLY how I felt last week. Let's get this over with.

Lawyer Dude - Welcome back to training. How long were you removed from running/training? From looks of your training now, it couldn't have been that long.

Vancy Pants - I see. So, long-term goal is OTQ then. Nice to see another one on the thread. With those PRs, it's certainly w/in reason. Best of luck boosting mileage.