First time Marathon Goals?

I actually ended up buying the mentioned "Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning" from amazon for a couple bucks and have been reading it when lectures get slow and I have no homework

Yesterday was a warmup with 4 mile repeats with 1:30 jogging rest in between.

I was perscribed the workout:

2 sets:

-Run 1mi in 6:51

-Jog for 1:30

Run 30:00 @ 8:27/mi

2 sets:

-Run 1mi in 6:51

-Jog for 1:30

Instead, I had split the day into doubles for personal preference and for the second run that day did a warm up, 4x1 Miles (7:09, 6:47, 6:43, 6:58) and then jogged back to my dorm. This totaled to exactly a 10km run (I had not timed the jog on my garmin). The day was a little over 15 miles, and actually the first time in a long time I've done a stamina/speed workout not on the treadmill.

I'm interested as to what this means since I had not taken the Easy Run for 30:00 in between the two sets, I think overall I'm quite pleased with this and excited for this weeks long run. Last week was 17, originally I've planned on following Hansons, but I've found some of the tempo run workouts for the medium run beneficial for me inside the long run instead of doing the long run only slow. My body doesn't react well to one medium run with speed and a long run at a slow pace. I've noticed that I end up not being able to eat or focus in class if I do that, but since I do the long run on the weekend and typically recover well enough after Monday where I have no classes that this isn't a problem.

I've read too much on LetsRun and talked too much to people who have followed very strong and structured plans. It is humbling for me to write and reflect on learning what my body can handle on trying to follow one of these plans myself, but realizing that I'm new enough to running that I can only handle for some reason to harder efforts. I hope looking back on this after this first marathon and in the future I can see some progress in how my body can handle these efforts.

1 month and 9 days still going strong

Today I decided to test my HM time using only MAF Heartrate, I know people argue this is an arbitrary number and I should have my real data for training based off of test done in a lab or do my own test by running up hills, but I've found MAF to be a decent number to work with and that aslong as I get results from using low HR training then it is worth it.

I ran a HM with about a month out from my goal race, averaging 155 HR which is around my MAF (I'm 23 so I could have pushed the pace even more since it would actually be 157) and finished in 1:40:47. This is suprising to me because this is actually a HM PR for me and the last time I ever tried to go hard in a HM my heart rate was in the 160s-170s and I had gotten a 1:49 (about a year ago or so). I felt amazing this morning while running in the 60 F weather and slight wind all around unexplored parts of Columbus. Doing it only on a cup of coffee and a gel.

I know people typically race with a much higher HR, up into the 160s and 170s and take gels or nutrition every 35-40 minutes. This wasn't my case today and I'll be experimenting with this more next week on my long run. All race prediction calculators have this time predicting I'll complete over 3:30, I'm hoping with working a bit smarter and going over the 157 HR I can actually break this.

1 month and 5 days out.

splits for the HM are as follows:

7:44

7:48

7:36

7:56

7:44

7:42

7:42

7:44

7:38

7:27

7:46

7:36

7:40

38s

*note to self, make sure you double knot your shoes and not trip on them*

Workouts this week have been a MAF test on Tuesday in the evening averaging 7:39 pace with an elevation gain of 92 feet for 5 miles. My heart rate was consistently kept at 157. I hope to continue conducting a test every month on that exact date, this will be done with less than a week out from my target marathon next month. I'm hoping to run it at an average HR of 160s or so for the second half, but again my main goal is just to complete it and beat 3:30. However, if I can and feel confident enough in the following weeks that I can do a slightly faster pace I may.

Today was a threshold workout where I was supposed to do 4x1.25 miles at 7:10 pace, I ended up crushing that this afternoon with 4x1.25 at the splits of: 8:49 (7:04 per mile), 8:27 (6:48 per mile), 8:31 (6:50 per mile), and 8:26 (6:48 per mile) with the same amount of rest. Following with a cooldown jog back to my apartment.

I'm anxious on attempting my 18 miler on Saturday during the OSU vs. Miami game, I'll be doing this on our office's treadmill due to the sheer amount of people coming into the city and my lack of motivation and exhaustion since I'll be working and waking up at 5:00 am that morning. I'm glad that the treadmill is maintained weekly and measured for accuracy in pace and power. I know if I can force myself to do whatever I need distance or speed wise there, I can do it outside.

Woke up this morning at 5:00 am for work and weighed about 132, a little bloated but expected from some spicier foods and drinking lots in anticipation of a humid/hot long run.

Completed a progressive long run, starting at 8:00 pace and working up to 7:30 for every 2 miles, and then back down every single mile or so. Finishing the last mile at a 8:03 pace and a long run of 18 miles on the treadmill at 2:20:08. I took no fluids or gels, a small handful of whatever quick crackers I had brought in my bag.

My goal was to not drink or eat much to see where I would be after changing shirts, sweating, and seeing what I could do with my HR being less than MAF the whole time. Average HR was 147 but it did peak into the low/mid 150s. Stomach cramping around mile 14, I contribute that to maybe the larger apples i ate for breakfast at around 9:00 am passing through. I could feel the salt and stickiness after the run and weighed around 125, which lets me know I sweat an obscene amount. nearly 7 pounds in 2.5 hours, nearly 3lbs an hour.

its a month out from goal race, I'm feeling more confident in being able to complete a 3:30. Not fast by lets run standards but for me and my first, I can take that.

Two days ago was supposed to do 7:36 pace for 8 miles, I did slightly faster than that on the treadmill and a .5% grade because I had to do it between classes, last night I also ended up doing something similar and ran 8 in the evening at a 7:29 average. 7:48 for the first mile but sustaining 7:22 and 7:11s for the rest, was able to chat with another student the entire time (difficult to talk but not huffing and puffing). She was doing a cool down run and talked with me about her engineering classes and how she is trying to break 4:50 for her mile, trying to get on the university's track team as an 800m sprinter.

It seems wearing different shoes, underestimating myself, and not running fasted have held me back in regards to speed. I was able to maintain a sub MAF HR the entire time but went much faster than almost all over runs of the same effort. I need to keep this in mind when running more often.

This Saturday I'll attempt a 19 miler or 20, it will have been the longest one so far, and since OSU doesn't play until the night, I can play it by how I feel effort and energy wise on if I want to force myself on the treadmill or enjoy outside.

The saturday and these last few days did not go as planned because of the insane heat, I haven't been able to hit my needed paces or distances for the last couple of days. I''ll reattempt on saturday when it is supposed to be much much cooler.

Some things to not overlook:

- Don't overrun the first semi: you will feel great, even if you don't think you are running fast, you are spending a lot of energy and you will miss it at the end of the race.

The last 10 kms can be extremely slow and painful once you have hit the wall = spending all of your cabs reserve.

- Don't forget to drink and if you are running more than 3 hours, some nutritive gel.

- The sun can be quite agressive at the end of the race if you run in the heat. Wear a cap.

thats been my biggest problem is forgetting to drink or not drinking enough, these temps I'll weigh in at 59.5 kg before using the restroom and coffee, but then weighing around 57 afterwards within a short 1 hour run.

I'm hoping this Saturday since I'll be visiting home and doing the same the following week for fall break that I can have a route and loop to practice getting hydration in. I'm not fond of leaving things around Columbus since I've typically had it stolen or don't know the areas well enough for my longest runs. I've taken a gel for long runs about every hour or 7 miles, and have noticed my form starts to seriously break around the 17-18 mile mark.

I've also noticed recently that my pair of shoes, Nike Zoom Structures, have been feeling awkward and I just can't seem to run much faster than a 7:50-7:40 pace in them, but when I wear another shoe such as my old wornout Adizero Tempos or my very very beat up hoka's I'm able to go 7:15-6:40s. Is it too late to switch shoes and break another pair in before the 20th or should I stick to what I got and its all in my head?

You can switch shoes, just check if it's a good fit.

Marathon is a race where you really can lose your steam without any notice. You will feel great until you ran out of energy (the famous wall for people racing 3-4 hours) Be sure to eat and charge yourself in carbs before your marathon. Not overspending in the first half is the key, running a negative split in the first marathon is almost impossible but that's the mind you should have.

My first 20 Miler was yesterday after a long day, a broken down car, avoiding the rain, and being backed up/slightly sick the entire day.

I completed it in 2:47:25 with an average Hr of 143-144, eating belvita breakfast biscuits for miles 10 and 15 (just one pack because it was all I had).

I'm not sure what this means, with that pace and HR data except that

1. I really had to use the restroom at mile 17

2. Crackers go down very easily and don't leave me nauseous like gels do

13 days out until the marathon, lets hope for the best now.

Your insights are spot on. From your pace and heart rate data, I could also deduce that you really needed to poop at mile 17. Good work bugler!

Thanks F.G. , the poop was good but I'm a bit worried about my pacing and pooping strategy during the marathon. If I need to at mile 17, but mile 17 isn't in the middle of an empty portion of Ohio-To-Erie trail, how am I supposed to pull off to the side of the road and avoid all the other runners and feel less self-conscious about what I must do to win?

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I'd just gotten in a severe car crash yesterday evening, I'm still able to run but I've decided to keep it all on soft surfaces and the treadmill until the marathon on the 20th.

Praying I can still finish and complete under 3:30.

Finished my first marathon, the results were much better than expected. The next question is. . . where to go from here?

Finish 3:17:23 10:48:19 7:20

20M 2:31:56 10:02:52 7:40

16M 2:01:18 9:32:13 7:33

13.1 1:39:25 9:10:20 7:34

15K 1:10:50 8:41:46 7:48

7K 32:02 8:02:58 7:23

ChipStart 0:37 7:30:56

GunStart 00:00 7:30:20

I did negative split, I'll try and find the mile splits and post tomorrow. Class in the morning has my crashing hard early tonight.

-Average

1:39:25/1:37:58. Excellent work.

Where to go from here? Try training for some shorter events before coming back to the marathon. Run mile races, or get serious about your 5K, or something similar. After that you'll have all summer for a serious fall race of whatever distance you choose.

I'll definitely try and improve my 5k time, but I'm not to sure about mile races. I've just found focusing on something longer to be more personally rewarding and fills my time. Would you recommend trying to find a structured program online or just through one of Daniel's books? I'm hoping I could join some more local clubs, but lately it has been hard because classes always run later than their meeting times.