Marathon Training Thread - Week Ending 1/23

Goal Race: Boston

Goal Time: 2:33

M- 10 (7:26 - miserable weather)

T- 10 (7:36 - even worse weather than yesterday)

W- 11.5 (7:17)

Th- 12.5 (6:41 - 6x 4:00 on/ 3:00 off - went well, pace/mi for each= 5:47, 5:37, 5:35, 5:33, 5:35, 5:30)

F- 10 (7:30)

Sa- 20 (6:51)

Su- 7 (7:24 - I can't believe how good my legs felt after yesterday)

Tot- 81

At last, a week of training that I am content with. Now the goal is to keep this up while adding more intensity. I can't believe we are 12 weeks away from Boston.

Goal Race: Boston

Goal Time: 2:47-2:49

I hope treadmill running is just as good as outside running because I've been doing an awful lot of TM running these past few weeks. I don't run when its 0F out. Don't see the point, especially when I have a quality workout scheduled.

My week:

M: Off

T: 8.3 @ 8:00 (TM)

W: 13.00 @ 7:01 (TM) (3 x 3mi with 4min rest). First 2 3 milers @ 6:18/mile. Last one @ 6:14/mile. Rest @ 6.3mph.

R: 7.29 @ 8:21 (Outside actually)

F: 11.5 @ 7:34 (TM) (Boston simulation)

S: 9.00 @ 7:55 (TM)

S: 14.00 @ 6:48 (TM). 2 mile wup in 16:57. Then 12 @ MP (6:31/mi). 4 @ 9.1 (6:35), 4 @ 9.2 (6:31), 4 @ 9.3 (6:27)

Tot: 63.1

So I basically ran a 1:27:xx half marathon on the TM today. Maybe by mid-March I'll run outside again.

Another wrote:

Maybe by mid-March I'll run outside again.

Ick. Going to do 10 mi on the treadmill. O F.

Does anyone know if treadmill running can cause back tightness, or is this just increasing mileage/increasing speedwork requiring more recovery?

You had an awesome Disney Race!

Your time at Disney translates to your Chicago predicted time.

Disney has a lot of tight turns through the theme parks where you have to slow down.Disney has a bad habit of watering down(cleaning) the course surface thru the first 5 miles in Epcot.In Chicago you won't be running in the dark for the first hour.The Chicago course is flat and fast.This is road racing with long straight streets and the massive crowds will cheer you on.Just get away from the start clean because Chicago has become a cattle drive.My PR was on that course in 2:41:07........Congrats on Disney! AWESOME!

Good Luck at Buck Showalter Field and see you at Gasparilla!

Wow some one on this board ACTUALLY RUNS!!!

Shocker!

GoalRace Cleveland GoalTime 3:2x

m 6 w/ 6 striders

t 4 Catching cold.

w 4 Yep, caught cold.

r 6 Whole fam damly has it. 12x200 at 45-47s

f 4 Starting to feel better

s 6 Nope, still sick

s 10 with last 4 @7:20 (MP-15s), getting better, but exhausted

total 40 miles

OK week running, but cold really made is seem bad. Had a nice run today on the treadmill. Other than it being on the treadmill.

Aim: Boston 2:44

Mon.—10mi.

Tues.—morn. 4mi./ eve. 14mi.

Wed.—morn. 9mi./ eve. 9mi.

Thurs.—10mi.

Fri.—9mi.

Sat.—10mi.: 2mi. up; 8km tempo in 30:19; 3mi. down.

Sun.—20mi.

Week: 95 miles with an encouraging tempo run. Here the first mile was slow (6:15) and the rest near 6:00 – that’s in part due to it being early in the morning. I’d be curious to learn whether others find that they do better quality work in the morning or later in the day. The weather has been cooperating as I try to increase mileage throughout the winter. Thanks to Cadillac for his helpful response to last week’s question about how to approach multiple long runs throughout the week. I hadn’t given much thought to what and when I eat, but it makes sense that this would make a big difference

Goals: NYC Marathon (TBD)

NYC Half (1:15 - 3/20)

4:00 (1500), 15:30, 33:00

Mon: off

Tue: 9 (6 x 45" of between 800 and mile pace w/ 2' jog rest)

Wed: 8 (60:00 easy)

Thu: 8.5 (AM - 2.5 quick shakeout, PM - 6 / 2.5 w.u, 4:10 1500, 2.5 w.d.)

Fri: 4 (Tendonitis...ouch!)

Sat: 6 (Tendonitis still)

Sun: off

Total: 35.5 miles

Wow really went down in mileage this week. Not bad though since last week was my highest week ever. The 1500 was a huge confidence booster. I didn't know a 10:31 2 mile translates to a 4:10 for the 1500! It felt great running at a fast pace. I feel like a true runner again. I do think 4:00 is possible now this year, but I promise I won't copy Eddy Lee's thread. The tendonitis is on the inside arch of my foot. I forget the name of the tendon. This has been an issue for years. It happens when my calves get real tight or sore, obviously from the race this time around. Puts a lot of tension on that tendon. Usually after about 20 minutes of running my calves loosen up, and the pain subsides, but it did not happen Friday or Saturday. I took today off to rest it and I'll be back at it tomorrow. I'll be the wierdo at work tomorrow constantly stretching my calves. Get ready for our weekly snow storm this Wednesday!

Goals: 15:15, 1:11, 2:30

Prs: 15:28, 1:13:15 (this morning!), 2:35

>>> Training

S: 17 (prog. long run, closed hard ~5:40 pace for three miles)

M: 5

T: 10 (6 x 1k at 3:09, with 2' jog rest)

W: 6

R: 14 (ran last two miles hard)

F: 5

S: 3

= 60 miles (taper week, down from 85 last week)

>>> Race Report

Raced a half marathon just this morning, 1:13:15 for 7th place (5:35 pace). Pretty good race: started out a bit fast (~5:32 pace for four miles), got smart and scaled effort back to about 5:45 pace for next three miles, then ramped it up again through the finish. Closed really well, ran mile 12 in 5:27 and 13 in 5:19, pulling away from two guys with me, and then passing three more!

Pretty happy with the result, but more so with the way I raced. I pulled back just before my body crossed the red line, and was able to pick it up again and actually race to the finish. I definitely want to run 1:11 this year, and 1:13 is a good step in that direction. This was a pr, but barely a minute faster than what I went through halfway of the marathon in 2010.

Felt good to race again. Gonna make this week pretty easy, and then get back it, prepping for some track and road races March-April.

Congrats on the pr silkyslim!

Goal Races: NYC half marathon (3/20)/ Colorado Colfax Marathon (5/15)

Goal Times: 74:30, sub 2:50?

My main focus is on a pr at the NYC half, and running the marathon is not a definite yet. The race is pretty low key and local. Judging from previous results, I have a shot at placing well. If I decide to run my main goals are to really just have fun with it, get more experience in the marathon, and try to keep it together for an entire marathon. Although, the altitude may make it interesting.

M: 9.25 easy

Tu: Am: 4 easy/PM: 10.25 total: 12x400 (400) – the dirt track I do my workouts on was a muddy mess. Alternate track wasn’t open. Ended up on the grass in the park just doing 80-85 sec reps with a single turn and jogging back to where I started. Probably ran more than 400m on them.

W: AM 4 easy/PM: 8.5 easy

Th: 10 easy

F: 11 total with 3x2mi tempo (2:00 jog); 6:13/6:01; 6:05/5:55; 5:57/5:53

Sa: 8 easy

Su: 16 easy

Weekly Total: 81

All miles at 5000+ feet

Great race, Silkyslim. Very encouraging that you were able to finish fast at that pace.

Goal race: Modesto Marathon, 3/20

Goal time: 2:35-40

I had probably my best week of training so far:

M: 4 am / 7 pm (last 2 fast)

T: 4 am / 10 pm (5 x mile in 5:20-25 each)

W: 4 am / 9 pm

Th: 4 am / 9 pm

F: 4 am / 10 pm (at 6:00/mi just about exactly)

Sa: 4 am

Su: 21 am (very hilly)

Total: 90

Beginning to think maybe I can get close to 2:30; both the 5 x mile workout and my tempo run on Friday felt very controlled.

SilkySlim - Awesome race man! Those last two miles are no joke. It is great to hear that you went out and raced hard. I feel as tho we are in very similar shape and like you, I racing hard lately. It would be fun to battle it out with ya. Congrats on the great PR.

pablo [ /b] - Thanks for the shout out. Good to hear the aches/soreness is clearing up. You will be fit and running fast in no time. Just like after TC. Can't wait.

Goal Race(s): Matanazas5000 (done), FSU UF UNF 5000m spring, Gate River Run

Goal Time(s): Sub 15:20, 50:30ish

Mo - 10am (7:30s)

Tu - 11pm (6:23s) did not want to run, so I hammered

We - 10am (7:02s) / 9.5pm w/ 3.5 mile tempo (18:33.. 5:31, 5:21, 5:09) + 3 by 300m at 52.1, 52.2, 49.3

Th - 8am (7:09s) / 6.5pm (7:23s) feeling sick/common cold

Fr - 6am (7:30s) / 5pm (7:01s) feeling sick/common cold

Sa - 12am including 15:37 5k for 5th / 8pm (7:09s)

Su - 5am (7:30s) hungover! / 9pm (7:20s) sooooo sick

Total Mileage - 100

So much for a down week! Oh well, maybe this week I dunno. I got a common cold after my tempo in the cold wednesday night. It stuck with me through the race, but I wasn't going to let it effect me. Made a dumb move and went out to celebrate last night. I am now VERY sick and will be taking tomorrow off work. Recovery mode.

Race Report:

Here are the splits. spare yourself the long race report.

4:56, 5:05, 5:06

I have this awesome new race mentality now and I don't know where it came from. Probably somewhere on the roads running 100+ weeks... The mentality is, I don't care who the person is or how bad I feel, if someone makes a move I AM going with them. No one is leaving me. And that is exactly what happened in this race.

I went out in a nice group, tucked in right behind the pablo's FTC boys. Thru the mile we had a solid pack of 7-8, maybe more. Pablo's friend who got 3rd at jax bank in 2:31 comes around the group right after the mile. Nope, not going anywhere. I hop on and we drop a few. He leads most of the second mile then fades, which was windy as hell! Sure enough, some other dude comes around me at 2point-something (still soo windy!). Nope, not going anywhere. We battle out the last mile which really helped pull me along to a fast time. With about 600meters to go I decide to see what he's got left and put in a surge. He didn't come and at that point I knew I had my place locked down. If he had had some more juice left it would have been fun to see what I could have run. Either way, I ran a 10 second PR and got 5th in a very competitive 5k. Pretty stoked. I plan on running much faster this year tho. Bring on the track!

UGHHHH sooo sorry for the all bold post. damnit

Nice race NoleRunner!

My week was relatively low at 100. I've been feeling a bit sick lately and ended up with a day off. I also entered a couple of track races and ran in them, but didn't exactly do well.

I think my plan until the middle of March is going to be mostly easy runs, and a workout if I really feel like it on a particular day, with mileage also being whatever I feel like on a particular day. I'm going to have a thesis defense in early March, with the actual thesis due a couple weeks later. I figure if I can keep up a good base through then without mentally stressing about workouts, etc., I'll be in a nice place to put in some heavy stuff before VCM in May. I figure this thesis thing is kind of a big deal, so I should give it somewhat of a priority.

Goal Race: Pittsburgh, 5/15/2011

Goal time: 2:42

Monday: 0/ took the day off, mental and physical break

Tuesday: 10

Wed: 12

Thursday: 10

Friday: 10

Saturday: AM- 9 miles total including a 10k race in 34:50

PM- 5 miles

Sunday: 15 miles

Total: 71 miles in 7 Runs

A bit of a down week, but finished off strong with a race on Saturday and a good longer run on Sunday. 10k was more of a tempo effort. I got to the race about 15 minutes before the gun due to some freak traffic, so by the time I picked up my packet and switched to my flats I really did not have any time for a formal warmup. 27 degrees at the start, a super hilly first 2 miles, and a wire to wire win with no real pack to run with wasn't exactly a recipe for a PR. Nevertheless, still satisfied to start getting the racing legs back and hold 5:40's with pretty minimal effort.

Marathon: Austin 2/20/11

Goal: 2:33

M - 12mi - a.m. (84:31, snow)/3mi - p.m. (21:10)

T - 3miLT (5:10/5:05/5:01) - 15:16 indoor 200m track - 13mi total

W - 11mi - p.m. (79:05)

Th- 8mi - a.m. (64:23), snow/6mi - p.m. (50:08), snow

F - 10mi - p.m. (72:43)

S - 6mi - a.m. (45:09)/1mi race indoors (4:29.5) - 13mi total

Su- 18mi - a.m. (128:00)

Total - 94mi, 1 workout, 1 ‘race’

Great job, SilkySlim. Stay healthy and dream big!

I just saw about SilkySlim's PR. Congrats on that, I didn't leave you out of my other post maliciously, just unattentively.

Marathon: Country Music

Goal: 2:35

Mon: Easy 3.5 and 7 mile runs

Tues: Very easy 7 miles; 3.5 miles easy

Wed: Easy 5 miles; 9 mile medium progression increasing speed every three miles (19:44, 18:35, 17:10). Expected this to be easy, but struggled more than I would have liked.

Thurs: Easy 7 and 3 mile runs

Fri: 6 miles easy with 4x45s pick-up with 3:00 rest

Sat: 7.5 miles with 5k race in 15:51. I was hoping to break 15:30 and really push here, but the course was pretty insane and it was run through a zoo. There were tons and tons of sharp turns and it was on wet pavement. From about 1.5-2.5 miles, you literally never ran more than 50 meters before having a sharp turn. To make things worse, my shoe came untied with 800m to go, so I just bagged it in. Won by about 2:00, so hopefully I'll be able to hammer pretty hard in my 5k in three weeks because there will be some good competition.

Sun: 18 miles easy/medium

Week Total=86.5 miles

Great races Nole and Silky!

Goal Race: Boston

Goal Time: 2:40:00

First off, great racing guys! silky slim, those last 2 miles are insane! and nolerunner, great 5k considering the wind and it being on the roads!

mon - AM: 8 easy; PM: 3 w/u, 8x100m strides, 20x400 75 avg on a 2:20 cycle, last 4 going 74 73 72 67, 2 1/2 c/d

tues - AM: 6 slow 49:45; PM: 8 slow 64:37, 8x100m strides

wed - AM: 12.3 easy to moderate 1:28:49; PM: 5.2 easy

thurs - AM: 8 real easy; PM: 2 w/u, 8x200m strides, 4 mile tempo 23:54 (6:08, 5:52, 5:56, 5:58) felt terrible and bagged it after this

fri - AM: 8 easy 63:31, 8x100m strides; PM: 4 easy

sat - 13 in 1:37:44. felt like trash

sun - AM: 6 easy; PM: 8 hard 48:40. 1st mile 6:30, last mile 5:50, 8x100m strides

total: 106 miles

This was the most mileage I've ever put in for a week. My previous high was a 101 mile week in college. I definitely had my ups and downs based on how I felt throughout the week. Monday was a bit much at the end of the workout as I was really tired Tuesday. Thursday's workout completely sucked. I had planned 2 x 4 miles with a 3 min jog inbetween at 6:00 pace, but I could barely run that pace for 4 miles and it felt almost like a race effort. Friday and Saturday I felt like crap, but I felt pretty good tonight though so that's encouraging.