re: Official Running Log/Marathon Training Thread

Jan 14-20

Mon-Strength Train

Tue-6 miles. First 2 miles @ 7:30, last 4 miles @ 6:40

Wed- 6 mile comfortable. 6 x 100yd hill sprints

Thu- Strength Train

Fri- 1 mile jog warm-up; 4 x 1 mile @ 6:20 w/3:30 jog between; ½ mile jog recovery.

Sat- 6 miles @ 8:00; 6 x 100yd strides. Strength Training

Sun- 14 miles @ 7:30—8:00

You’d be surprised how much tapering can improve your performance for race day. What percentage of your weekly totals have your long runs been? That’s more indicative of your marathon performance than your long run performance.

It’s my biggest gripe with the Higdon plans and why I’m using a totally different strategy this year. I peaked marathon training at 42 miles with a 20 mile long run. That’s almost 50% of my weekly total, which meant I killed myself on one run and spent the rest of the week running essentially non-marathon quality workouts.

I’ve been reading up on the Lydiard method (essentially the godfather of modern long distance running) and how important it is to have a huge aerobic base. He advocates for averaging 100 mile weeks (or about 12 hours of running depending on your pace times - he was training elite athletes) before even starting a marathon-specific training plan. Some modern methods that feature Lydiard-based thinking cap off the long run at 16-18 miles. This is because the long run is meant to help build your aerobic base and after 2.5-3 hours, you’re not getting much more benefit. So a method such as Hanson’s pushes you to do more during the week and more often (6-7 days of running) and then taper so that your aerobic base can carry you at race pace through the 26.2 miles. And those long runs should be at easy effort - if you’re dying out before the end or at the end, you’re running too fast. Even if it seems counterintuitive, super slow on the long run at ~140-150 heart rate is better than nailing that pace you want. It might even be detrimental to your overall training to finish a long run hard as it’s the midweek workouts (notably tempo runs or hills) that help you the most in terms of building strength and efficiency for racing.

There’s so much to learn about long distance running. Seems like I’m discovering something new about it almost every week.

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Uhhh, no. I know many do it, but damn that's one hell of a time suck. Ain't no way.

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Oh I agree. I think the main point though is that too many people training fail to reach their potential and find the marathon distance grueling because they don’t build a proper base. I mean, he said he’s hoping to average 10:18/mile because he ran 1100 miles last year. That’s ~21 miles/week.

I did about the same thing and found that the last 8 miles of the marathon were excruciating. Yet there are plenty who can have a negative split and finish strong, so those hours put into running really are important on a weekly basis.

I’m mostly trying to convince myself here. I think some are more efficient runners than me and I really need more fuel in the tank than I’ve had in the past.

Just follow my plan lol

Congrats 4444. What's on the schedule for 2019?

right now for me just Texas 70.3.

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Start 29 degrees with 15mph winds. Warming up to low 40's. I don't mind running in cold but below 32 sucks.

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Same here for the La. Headwind is gonna be on the back half also (of the Half, which is what I'm doing), which sucks. Would prefer the other way around.

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What did your weekly mileage look like during your training on avg?

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About 30 for most of the marathon plan. Peak of 42. Wasn’t enough for me.

I’m shooting for 50 at the least for a base then I’ll pick a plan to start in June. I’d like to run 50 mile weeks for at least 6 weeks before jumping into a marathon-specific plan.

Edit - should note that I’m running 32 this week with a long run of 11.

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Got the Louisiana 5k this weekend

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Yeah, looks like it'll be a wet one.

The 29th, I’ll be starting my “free” Strava half marathon plan.

I’m in the more miles camp. You guys know that though because of how I was freaked out by some of you folks running half you miles in one day. Lol.

We swapped. Today was rough. Couldn’t get a tail wind and my legs were trashed. Saw your run, very impressive.