re: Official Running Log/Marathon Training Thread

That’s the tentative idea. They would each be about 6 months apart

Last run in Oregon this morning. 10 miles and 800 feet of elevation gain, 7:55 average.

Back to the hot, humid runs tomorrow. 11 weeks til race.

Waiting til 11am to run today was a bad choice. Tried like hell to slow down to above a 9:00/mi pace but every time I’d peep down at my watch I’d have creeped back into the 8:30ish range. I’m not a fast runner but maybe I could be if I could get better at slowing down for training runs. I blame my bitchin playlist on Spotify.

Why is 9:00 the magic number if you mind me asking? If you can do it quicker without losing your form during and the next day, why not run it faster?

I’m not trolling, I’m genuinely curious. I think sometimes this board gets so hellbent on running heart rate that they forget that the form is the most important component to injury prevention. Now yes, if you’re maxing out on every run, your form will take the hit and because heart is a factor on freshness there is correlation but it’s not the only factor especially when it’s hot.

I see a lot of heart rate runners plateau at around the 8-9 min zone and never get better after that because there’s no new stimulus past the beginning base phase due to throttling based on HR.

Again, I understand there is different goals for different folks, but a lot of you cats seem to want to run faster and there’s only one way to do that…

I’ve started reading Mafetone, and the more I read about MAF, the more perplexed I become.

Sorry by the way, I wasn’t pointing you out in particular. I just know that this board’s advice is typically run slower in zone 2 as a catch all remedy to any struggles they perceive which isn’t always great advice.

I’ve been running not much longer than you as an adult by the way so a three year base is pretty solid IMO I’ll be at 4 in December.

You should be running a majority of your runs at conversation pace for sure, but I think you may be off on what you think race pace is. Race pace depending on the distance feels uncomfortable to unsustainable to even down right agonizing. Ideally to figure out what race pace is, you’d do a time trial and then set your workouts (short term) based on that trial, you’d then improve and adjust based on the results your getting in the following weeks. No different than any other training, you have to have a stimulus to induce improvement.

The thing I don’t get is cats that are self throttling based on heart rate. There is one common tread I’ve found so far as a selling point for MAF and it’s “if you don’t like doing workouts…”. So far, from what I’ve read (and I plan on continuing), that I can deduce that a very large majority of the MAF followers are beginner to novices still new to running and any consistent running would improve their abilities. This produces a red herring that it’s the heart rate training not the consistency.

I do see the advantage from a coaching standpoint. As a coach, I don’t need spend any time on form or teach you what you need to know about form breakdown if I never take you to a place where those things are possible. If you are injured all the time, I’d bet it’s your form, shoes or a combination of the 2. As a MAF coach I’d also only have to throw a fartlek or two in there once the progress starts to stagnate.

I’m not specifically trying to hurt feelings, but I’ve never met a fast runner training MAF, ever. Again, different goals and all…

Edit: forgot to mention that as acclimation to the environment and the added stimulus, the heart rate will naturally go down. That’s how getting into “shape” works.

Hello all.

I have agreed to run a marathon in mid-January 2022. I would appreciate recommendations for a marathon training program.

To give you a bit of my background, as some of you know, I have some experience running. I have been running for approximately two years now. Since I began in the fall of 2019, I have run two half marathons (one in 2020 and the other in April 2021). My most recent half marathon time was 1:52:XX (8:37/mi pace). Since the half marathon a few months ago, I have been biking consistently. My time goal for the marathon is to finish in under 4 hours.

The way I see it, I'll have until mid-September to begin training. That way I will have 16 - 18 weeks to devote solely to marathon training. From now until mid-September, I am going to continue biking (three mid-week 15-mile rides, a long ride on Saturdays (35 - 75 miles), and a slow 15-miles on Sunday for recovery). I am not opposed to working some running in there just so I can hit the ground running come mid-September, pun intended.

I am familiar with Hal Higdon's plans. I also have a Pete Pfitzinger book ("Advanced Marathoning"). However, I think the plans in the Pfitz book will be too advanced for me right now. If possible, I am looking for simplicity. I will not mind doing some speed or zone 2 work though.

Thanks in advance

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Depends, are you going to listen this time, or are you going to produce the same weekly plan for approval without adjusting it after we weigh in, then running it at your race pace regardless like last year?

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Naw, not this time.

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IMO Pfitz > Higdon

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I think the longest (time) and least mpw Pfitz plan was 18 weeks peaking at 55 mpw. I also believe it starts at 33 mpw. I am not sure I can get there in time having not run and only biked recently. Is there any plan you're aware of that "straddles" the simplicity of Higdon and higher mileage of Pfitz?

You're right about starting running again. I think I am going to have to start biking less, as much as I hate to do that right now as I've been having a lot of fun lately.

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Race pace depending on the distance feels uncomfortable to unsustainable to even down right agonizing.

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This is so true. Signed, my last 1/2.

2043 so far. I don’t have a mileage goal.