835 replies to this topic

[billa]

I too have been remiss about posting training. Too busy doing it I guess. This thread has a more generic title, since marathon training is not seasonal but on-going, and there will always be folks doing it, so maybe the thread will stay more alive. After my near misses at CIM (2:40:02) and Houston (2:40:44), I entered Chicago, and have been training for it for at least 20 weeks. Goal? 2:39:59 or better, of course. Training? More volume than last time.

I'll try to post more, but summary is: rest after Houston, non-focused, slight bought of non-marathon-related injury, then 50, 60, 70s for a handful of weeks, then 5 x 80 mpw prior to Flat Half (75:27/5:45). 3 days off after Flat Half, since then haven't missed a day and have done 80 to 100 mpw ever since (I've averaged 91 mpw for the past 9 wks, all on single runs - I only run in the AM, no doubles - although I bike commute most days so I "get" to stretch out the old legs in the PM as well, lucky me). Peak was late July/early Aug with 200 miles in exactly 14 days, no doubles, which looked like this:

M - 12
T - 10
W - 18 (5 am medium long run @ 6:30/mi)
T - 10
F - 10
S - 28 (6:41/mi)
S - 12

M - 14
T - 11
W - 18 (5 am medium long run @ 6:46/mi)
T - 10
F - 11
S - 25 (6:39/mi)
S - 11

Due to my endurance problems and trouble the final 5 to 12K of marathons, I've now done two 28 milers in 3:07 (6:42/mi) both with early miles thru 19 around 6:50 pace, then 6:05-6:25s to the end. Finished one of them with a 5:46 on Lincoln track. I did a 5 mile warmup and 16 mile "cooldown" for pints to pasta yesterday, making that a 27 mile day. So a total of three overdistance runs this training block, and literally dozens of 15-24 milers (13 weeks straight of 15-18 mi Wed AM long runs, same with weekend 18-24 milers). Have done some tempos like 5:50 pace for 6, as well as a couple 10K races. Also some workouts like 2 x 2 at 5:45 pace, and 2 x 3 at marathon pace. But mostly I've just been doing the volume, along with some fast-finish or tempo pace during long runs, hoping it makes 6:05s feel that much easier come raceday (Oct. 7). Taper is in sight, definitely plenty of rest and easy running the final couple weeks before the race, I figure that's where I'll gain the most from the 4 months of heavy-ish training.

Training like this is nuts. I've been a runner for 30 years, and have never put in anything close to this kind of volume. The way I've been feeling on long runs, the 26.2 distance really doesn't scare me anymore. At all. But holding goal pace over that distance? It still horrifies me, in fact now more than ever, given my recent years' obsession with sub-2:40.

[lmtortor]

Wow. You are a beast! That is one burly schedule. You will be ready to go on Oct 7.

I'm also racing on Oct 7th, just a few hours away, at the Milwaukee Lakefront marathon. Looking forward to racing in my hometown along with my sisters and mom.

This block has gone really well. I had a little set-back in June May when I was fighting Lyme disease, but I came back with a vengeance. That is no lie. I was so peeved about missing 3 weeks, that I came back hard. Then I had this wedding and honeymoon thing to do. I took the first two weeks of the HM off, and the last week I ran hard. We were in the Alps, so that was not a problem. We also hiked and biked a ton, and I actually came back a few pounds thinner. Who does that?

Anywho- for me training has been lots of miles (80-95 mile weeks), with the vast majority at MP or MP + 30s. It seems to be working. I ran a half marathon TT last weekend-- with just a bike pacer-- in 1:25:5x. Holy crap, that was mentally hard. Trying to stay in race mode when you are running solo on boring, flat stretches of road is NOT easy. This half m. time, taken just as-is, tells me I am very close but not quite at a sub-3. However, I still have some key workouts in the next two weeks and also did this TT without a taper coming off of a few heavy weeks. We shall see!

Thanks for posting, Bill. I definitely think we should revive this thread for year-round training as well.

[Melissa83]

Wow, can't wait to see what both of you do on October 7th!

[Tim]

Bill, you're sick. And if you don't break 2:40 this go-round, you may as well just give up running.

Here's an idea. Instead of focusing so heavily on the 2:40 barrier, how about "acting" like you've done it already and set your sights on 2:35, mentally at least. Kinda trick yourself into going under your goal.

Anyway, good luck man. I know you have it in you!

[Tim]

LT, wow, your very own bike pacer! Just like Meb has.

I wish I'd been around last weekend. I would have loved to pace you through most, if not all of that time trial with you. Good luck in MilwauKEE. You have that sub 3:00 in you. GO GET IT.

[andicamp]

Can't wait to see what you guys do on October 7th.

And I'm glad to see a marathon training thread popping up again. I love to geek out about training stuff, so I hope you keep posting what you're doing.

My next marathon will (barring catastrophe) be Boston. I was planning to run MCM this year, but due to a late spring injury, and a couple of years of not ever really getting completely back to fitness, I decided there was no point in forcing a fall marathon. Instead, I am using the fall to just train and do a few shorter races. I feel like it's been so long since I've had real race fitness that I need an entire training cycle safely completed before I can even start to train for a marathon. So that's what this fall is for me.

And I'm pretty excited about it, to tell you the truth. I'm excited to finally try out my own training ideas, based on what I've learned over the past few years will work for me. I'm planning to keep my mileage in the 60s and just be consistent. That used to be a given, for me, the consistency, so it's kind of odd to have that as my major goal, but that's where I am. And I'm planning to RACE!! Remember racing?? I vaguely remember racing. It's like some part of a past life that is now just fuzzy memories.

Anyway, I'm excited.

[Melissa83]

I'm happy to see this back too, just in time to capture my first go at actually training for a marathon (gasp!). The whole, running "however far and however fast as I felt like" method has worked fairly okay so far, but just really isnt going to cut it, so I finally got myself a coach and a plan. Originally I thought MCM would be my big race to try and break 3 hours, but motivations were low and aches and pains were high at the beginning of the summer, so it's pushed back in favor of some redemption at CIM.

Looking forward to reading others training and race reports and may be requesting some company on marathon pace or faster runs as the fall goes on...

[andicamp]

Who's your coach?

[Melissa83]

Who's your coach?

Randy Accetta and his wife, Tia out of Phoenix. He was actually the instructor for my RRCA Coaching Cert. class (don't be frightened, I have no intention of pretending to be a coach) and has a pretty extensive running resume. His wife was one of the many women who went for the sub 2:46 in CIM and, unless the standards drop significantly, she's still in hunt of that goal. Nothing about their training plan is earth shattering, but I really need to be accountable to someone and trying to make friends keep me accountable doesn't work well for me.

[Fidel]

And I'm planning to RACE!! Remember racing?? I vaguely remember racing. It's like some part of a past life that is now just fuzzy memories.

Anyway, I'm excited.

Okay, then. So, I'll expect to see you on 10/13 in Springfield.

[Dreed]

Bill-

Thanks for reviving the thread. Your training is hardcore and awesome- I am ramping back up into the 70-85 mile weeks from 45-50 for the last couple races hoping to increase my endurance as well. 26.2 still seems daunting, especially at race pace, but at least I am getting back to where the 20-22 runs don't scare

LT- your training looks great too, I am sure you are going to have a great fall marathon.

I don't have any races on the calendar other than pacing PDX and maybe CIM if I feel I am ready for it, but this thread should keep me motivated.

[Tim]

Looking forward to reading others training and race reports and may be requesting some company on marathon pace or faster runs as the fall goes on...

You know you can count on me to help you out with your workouts. Just let me know where and when.

[BrianD]

Melissa-

Ditto on this end as well. Need something to keep me honest until December! :-)

[TDG]

I need to start ramping up for SilverFalls in November. I'm currently recovering from the Aluminum Man Tri that I spent all summer tapering for.

[lmtortor]

Three weeks until "go-time." This week was exactly what I needed to get my confidence up. One of the hardest things is believing in a goal and truly seeing it happen before the result is there. I have been focusing hard on believing in my goal (sub-3, in case you have been living under a rock or avoiding my annoying, overly verbose posts for the last year) and pushing negative thoughts out. Zoiks, that is not easy. That is part of the reason I did not even want to think about Boston or registering for another spring marathon ("what if I don't..."). No room for that now.

Anywho, I thankfully had a really good week. The kind of week you want to bottle up and chug down on race day. My body and brain were in proper cooperation mode. I took four easy-ish days after that half TT kicked my booty, and then it was on. It went a little somethin like this...

Mon- 9 miles easy- 7:41 pace

Tues- 11 hilly miles- 7:26. Felt like a superstar

Wed- am 9.8 miles easy- 7:26 pace
pm 4.5 easy- 7:33

Thurs- 14 miles w 2 mi w/u-- then 2 mi at MP -10sec, 2 miles at MP + 20sec. Ran faster than planned. Fast segments- ave 6:39, slower at 7:03. Pace for 14 miles- 6:58

Fri- 7.2 miles recovery- 8:31 pace

Sat- am 9.5 easy miles- 7:41 pace. meh, did not want to run at all
pm 4 easy miles- 7:35 pace

Sun- 20 miles. 2 mi w/u w 18 at MP. First two at 7:40, 7:18, then 6:43, 6:47, 6:50, 6:50, 6:46, 6:53, 6:52, 6:42, 6:50, 6:48, 6:47, 6:44, 6:44, 6:46, [let's get this bitch done] 6:42, 6:42, 6:39, 6:44
overall pace 6:50

say what? I finished that one and said out loud, "Did that just happen? What the... My Garmin must be jacked. But wait, there are mile markers. Indeed, that did just happen."

So ~ 90 miles for the week. Feeling like I have it in me. I just need to keep pushing out those negative thoughts!

Looking forward to seeing you CIMers posting-- Melissa, Brian, Tiffany. The Boston peeps will be ramping it up soon I'm sure too. TDG, time for you to start posting too. Bill, hopefully you had a good week too. Anyone else?