Marathon Training Thread - Week Ending 1/2

Happy New Year everyone.

Pablo - very best of luck at Disney next Sunday. Really hope you get perfect conditions and destroy your PB. Looking forward to the report.

4th week post-injury looked as follows:

M - 5M @ 7:38m/m avg

T - 5M @ 7:45m/m avg

W - 45 mins bike

T - 5M @ 7:12m/m avg

F - 5M @ 6:53m/m avg, 7:24, 7:06, 6:46, 6:39, 6:25

S - 5M easy, hungover

S - 10M @ 7:38m/m avg

Total: 35M

Nice to get my first double-digit run done since September. Still feel very unfit, but not as bad as first couple of weeks back.

Ended up with 3139M for 2010 which I was suprised about given the 10 week hiatus.

Here's to us all nailing down some PBs in 2011.

pablo - How'd you feel on that down week? I bet next week you will feel AMAZING. Nice 2010 Mileage. Puts me to shame. That will be my goal next year. Can't wait to see cadillacs

Thanks for the shout out.

Goal Race(s): Matanza's 5k, FSU UNF UF Track 5ks, Gate River Run 15k

Goal Time(s): Sub 15:30, 50:30ish

Mo- 10am (7:12s) / 8pm (7:08s)

Tu - 6am (7:25s) / 10pm with 8 by 90s hills HAMMERED

We - 6am (8:17s) / 9pm (7:40s)

Th - 8am (7:17s)

Fr - 12am with 5k race/ 5pm with Beer Mile race. report below

Sa - 8am (7:11s)

Su - 18am (7:00s)

Total Mileage - 100

Total Mileage in 2010 - 3,496

Look at those paces mid week, 8:17 pace! Sooo motivated this week haha. Raced the Gator Bowl 5k at 10am on Friday. Ran 15:52 for 2nd place. The course had 2 bridges in it. One at the very end of the first mile and the second was at about 2.5. I went splits were 4:53, 5:00, 5:17 (bridge kicked my ass). 9:53 thru 2 is the fastest I have come through in a 5k ever. I felt pretty decent too, but the dude I was running with put in a huge surge that I could not match. Then, he pulled away on the bridge a little bit more and I was done. I knew I was in sub 16min pace. With a flat course and good competition I think I can go 15:3X, maybe even sub 15:30. Looking forward to Matanza's on Jan 22nd.

Now for the Beer Mile report. I drank Bud-Heavy from cans. Chilled but not too cold. I ran a 5:58 !! but got second to my roommate's 5:56. 3rd and 4th place were 6:21 and 6:25. My previous PR was 6:58, but I have run a 7:30 5 lapper. So I knew I was capable of a much better time. I seriously think this is my most impressive PR. HAHA, we an awesome NYE party afterwards.

Hope everyone had a great week.

Goal Race: Boston

Goal Time: 2:47-2:49

pablo - hope you have an uneventful week and good weather next Sunday. I'd like to see your opinions on this race as it "might" be on my horizon in 2013.

marmite - 3400 with a 10 week layoff. Makes me feel like a sloth.

Nole - what is Bud-Heavy? Is that just regular Bud? And I agree that might be your best PR.

I had a relatively good week. Though I'm still struggling with my weight. (Isn't everyone). I still want to lose 10+ lbs. I was 171.2 last Sunday. Today I was 168.8. Still way too heavy.

This was my first official week of training for Boston. 2 7-week cycles...

I also got hammered by the blizzard. M-W were inside. I shoveled for 3 hrs on Monday and wasn't even 30-40% done. I paid someone $50 with a bulldozed and a snowblower to finish. I'm too old for this crap.

M: 8 @ 7:59 AHR 127 (TM)

T: 7.19 @ 7:49 AHR 129 (TM)

W: 12.0 @ 7:27 AHR 141 (TM)

Power Workout: 10 x 1/2 mile with 90 second rest (2 @ 9.9, 2 @ 10.0, 2 @ 10.1, 2 @ 10.2, 2 @ 10.3), rest @ 6.3

R: off

F: 14.41 @ 7:44 AHR 147 (Hilly, steep ups and downs, 900+ ft elevation gain)

S: 6.13 @ 8:25 AHR 129

S: 20.02 @ 7:15 AHR 151

Endurance Workout: 20 @ 90-95% MP. MP = 6:32-6:40 this cycle. After 1st two miles of 8:27, 7:20. Averaged 7:11 for last 18, with last mile of 6:55

Tot: 67.7

Today's long run was definitely a confidence builder. It's my fastest 20 without any MP in it ever. Felt fast but never felt like I was pushing (except for a big hill in mile 20). I was nervous since this was my first non-marathon 20 since Sept 12th, and the longest I had run since New York was 15.

So basically I have three key runs a week. Power Workouts on Wednesday, slow hilly MLR on Friday and long Endurance workouts on Sunday. The rest is Recovery/GA miles. Not going to go uber-mileage this first cycle. Maybe a week or two around 80ish. Next cycle I'll try to me more in the 80-100 range.

Wonder how fast I'll be when I get back to normal weight...

Nolerunner - I'd call that a pretty impressive day. Way to go.

Pablo - Best of luck this weekend!

Another - Isn't 6:25 more like the MP for 2:48ish? Are you just using the 6:32-40 for training purposes? Just curious seeing as how I'm looking at about the same goal.

Goal: 2:48

Race: Gansett

Mon - off

Tues - 10 (7:25's Hill run plus some extra)

Wed - 4 (7:45 Easy)

Thurs - 6 (6:55's)

Fri - 6.5 (6:48. Easy with some surges for the 1st 2. Easy in the middle. Felt like I needed a test to see where I'm at so ran the last two hard in 12:18)

Sat - 10 (7:45 Hilly group New Years morning run)

Sun - 13 (7:45 Lot of slipping sliding and mud due to 50 degree temps!)

49.5 for the week

2507 for 2010 - A slacker among most of the rest here, but a personal high by about 170.

Goals:

5k: 15:15, 1/2: 1:12, Full: 2:30

S: 7

M: 4

T: 10 (w/ 10 x 90" hills)

W: 8

R: 4

F: 11 (w/ 4 x mile at 5:25)

S: 9

= 53 Miles

Another pretty lame weak while on vacation. But on the flip side, at least I ran everyday and got in two mini workouts. Starting to worry about the half marathon I have in three weeks. Definitely not going to be in my best shape ever, but will probably be in my best January shape ever.

Keep telling myself consistency is key. Ran every day in December, and broke 3000 miles on the year (two previous years were 2400 then 2800). Just gotta keep at it.

Happy New Year to all, glad to be on the thread.

VF Runner wrote:

Another - Isn't 6:25 more like the MP for 2:48ish? Are you just using the 6:32-40 for training purposes? Just curious seeing as how I'm looking at about the same goal.

VF for these first 7 weeks of the first cycle. I'm using 6:32-6:40. For the next 7 weeks I'll use 6:24-6:32. 6:24 pace is 2:47. I'm not going to use 6:2x right now since I'm not in that shape right now.

Another wrote:

I'm not going to use 6:2x right now since I'm not in that shape right now.

I chuckled reading that since I was thinking the exact same thing as I was penciling my training plan into my calendar for the next few months. My first official long run calls for 17 w/ 8 @MP. This will be my first go at Pfitz 70-85. Previously I have maxed out at about 70. My 12 weeks doesn't start until Jan 24, so luckily I've got some time to get ready - "training for my training" I guess.

Walt disney world marathon

Sub 2:22

Monday- 10 miles

Tuesday- 10 miles

Wednesday- 15 miles Medium long run

Thursday- 11.8 miles

Friday- 2wu-2 x 4-2mi cd (21:05/21:15)

Saturday-10 miles

Sunday- 12 miles

80.8 miles for the week, solid week and a great totally/comfortable workout on friday.

Goal Race: Arizona (1/16)

Goal Time: 2:35

M: 10 easy AM 4 easy PM Both runs at 7500 ft. Also did the inlcine in the afternoon, it's a mile trail in Colorado that climbs 2000 ft. Did it in 25 mins, was working hard.

T: 10 moderate at 7500 ft. with lots of hills

W: 10 hard at 7500 ft.

T: 9 very easy in Denver (5200 ft.)

F: 10 easy AM 8 easy PM Back to sea level :(

S: 5 easy, hungover

S: 18 moderate progression (7:10 down to 6:00 pace)

Total: 84 miles for the week, I'm ready to get back in the routine of work. Sounds wierd to say but I feel better running when I'm doubling around my work schedule. Was too busy with family stuff or travel to double Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

]B]pablo, good luck this week! Rock it, your training has looked solid, I'm sure you can hit your goal.

NoleRunner26, that is one hell of a beer mile! I still have never put a good one together, PR of 7:50 for me.

Target: London Marathon in 2:35

Monday: 9 miles easy

Tuesday: 4 x 1 mile up hill with long recoveries 3 mile warm down, 11 in total

Wednesday: 14 miles, 90 mins

Thursday: 3k-1k-800-600-800-1k (9:47,3:10,2:32,1:56,2:30,3:10), extended run home, 15 miles for the day

Friday: 8 miles easy

Saturday: Cannon Hill 5k 16:25 1st position, long warm down 12 miles total

Sunday: 21 miles conversational pace

Week total: 90 miles

2010 total: 2397 miles

Guys, it's really interesting to see what your training is like and to get ideas. Most of you seem to do much higher mileage than me - am going to experiment with this this year. Looking forward to sharing my training here in 2011!

Race: Boston

Goal: 2:45

M: 6

Tu: 10

W: 14 w/ 3 x mile in 5:37,5:29,5:23(2 mins rest)

Th: 6

F: 12

Sa: 10

Su: 12

Total: 70

Goal Race: London 4/17

Goal time: 2:56?

Good to see marmite back in the swing of things. I'd like to see him ready for a fall marathon for a crack at sub-2:30. In the meantime, we will be watching pablo next week get a well-deserved sub-2:30.

M: 4 @ 8:25 / 6 @ 8:02

T: 9 inc 3x3K in 12:20, 12:11, 11:54 (6:37, 6:32, 6:23) with 2:00 rest

W: 4 @ 8:25 / 9 @ 7:52

R: 9 @ 8:00

F: 7

S: 8 @ 8:18

S: 4 @ 8:15 / 10 @ 7:37 (7:55-->7:15)

Week total: 70

Total for 2010: 2770 miles

I'm still putting out random weeks here with no real structure. Starting next Sunday i will try to impose some structure: One tempo or intervals workout; one longish midweek steady run; and a long run with alternating weeks of hard and easy. The rest of the time i will just get in runs when i can. I'm going to try to take it easier this cycle and not put so much pressure on myself and just let the chips fall where they fall.

All easy miles for me again this week.

Goal race: VCM, PR

M - 20

T - 8

W - 20

Th - 20

F - 15

S - 10

Su - 20

Tot: 113

My year's total for 2010 came to 7,005 according to my log. I took New Year's Day off last year, so I'm already off to a better start! Most of it came in the summer with a high month of 935 in August (high week of 229). Low month was May with 360 (low week was 50). High day was 114, low was 0.

I want to try to keep up this kind of training for a while, and maybe replicate the summer of 2010 but use it for a marathon this time. I'm not sure what the best way to train is (is anyone?) but I do know that this has worked well for me, as lucky as I am to have never been injured. I'm not sure about for VCM, as I need to finish and defend a thesis, but I'll not rule it out.

Good luck to everyone racing this week! I'm excited to see what everyone does this year.

NoleRunner - That is a very impressive time for a beer mile. As someone who has trouble breaking 60 for a 400, I am in awe.

Holy cow. Please tell me that the "high day of 114" is a typo.

Unfortunately not. It was a 24 hour race in which I screwed up big time on the nutritional side of things.

High DAY of 114! Wow. I think my high WEEK was 105.

Didn't post for last week... so will include that here. In LA now... and its SNOWING. Ridiculous.

Week of Dec 20th:

Mon- 8

Tue- 13/ 8 (ran uphills hard in Central park) &5

Wed- 14/ 7&7

Thur- 9 (last 2 miles uptempo)

Fri-10

Sat- 0/ Couldn't get out during Christmas

Sun- 0/ Massive snowstorm. 20 inches and major wind

Week of Dec 27-

Mon- 9

Tue- 10 easy

Wed- 11 easy

Thur- 10 easy

Fri- 9 easy

Sat- 10 with 20 minutes hard in the middle. This after a looong day of travel to LA. Was shocked to see that the 10 was at 6:07 pace. This is over majorly hilly terrain, and I thought other then the 20 minutes, I was running 7:00 pace. Either my 20 minutes was REALLY fast, or I ran the whole run faster then i anticipated.

Sun- Wanted to run 15-16 so I could get in 75 on the week, but the wind and snow was so bad in LA, I stopped after 1:20:00. Had enough.

Quads really sore from yesterday (seriously, no flat at all. Great Boston training because of lots of downhills). Haven't done any real workouts and nothing longer then 13 miles since Chicago, and don't feel race fit at all, but having said that, I feel fit enough to get after marathon training at any time. Last 3 weeks have been good other then the 2 days off last week. If it weren't for that, would have 3 consistent weeks of 70+. Think I'm about 4-6 weeks of mileage until I'm in very good base shape. Conveniently, that's when I'll start marathon workouts, so I think I'm in a good place right now. I was ready for Boston too early last year, and this I year feel confident about timing it right.

Hopefully I can get in about 80 this week while in LA, and then bump things up to 90 and 100 when I'm back from vacation. Figure 80, 90, 100, 100, 100, 85, then start workouts.

Oh, Pablo, good luck man! Nole, great races. Marmite... awesome that you're coming back.