February 2017 Running Challenge
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RespectTheKitty wrote: »Well, I finally did it. I set up an assessment with a personal trainer at my gym. I want to hear what he has to say about incorporating more strength training into my routine, and what I can do to drop the last 15 pounds I need to drop that won't seem to come off.
I have this horrible feeling adding strength training will mean I'll have to cut back on miles. But maybe not. I guess I'll have to see what the trainer recommends. All I know is that I've been seriously neglecting strength training in favor of running as much as I can. Maybe I can find a balance.
I have been trying to maintain my high mileage and still strength train. I had to slow my pace down a bit. If I do any speed or tempo work, I do it before I lift and on the same day.
As of right now, I do leg work on Tuesday and Saturday evening. I should be adding in Thursday evenings as well but have been reluctant because it may effect my Sat morning long run. I do add a small slow run Tuesday evening after my leg work out for my 2 double sessions for the week. But I don't care if that second run is slow and it loosens out any tightness caused from lifting. The same thing on Wednesday morning, a slow recovery run is scheduled and short on miles. My legs are sore today and when I started my run this morning, I had to start it very slow but as I got further into the first mile, I could feel my legs loosen up a bit.
Sundays are my day off from everything.0 -
@7lenny7 thanks0
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February Running Challenge:
2/1 10 miles
2/2 2.2 miles
2/3 Rest day
2/4 10 mile pace run
2/5 20 mile run
2/6 5 mile very slow run
2/7 2 mile run with Spotty
2/8 8 mile run: 1 w/u with Spotty, 6 pace, 1 c/d
2/9 4 mile run
2/10 2 mile walk with Spotty and Runner’s yoga
2/11 4 mile pace run
2/12 15 mile run
2/13 4.15 mile run
2/14: XT Day: 30 minutes stationary bike and 15 minutes stairmill
2/15: 6 mile pace run
2/16: 4 easy miles
2/17: Rest Day
2/18: Hot 4 mile run...84 F!
2/19: 8.5 mile run
2/20: 3 mile pace run
2/21: 3 mile easy run, 2 mile walk while the kiddo was at soccer practice, and yoga!
2/22: 4.2 miles
Goal: 117 of 135
Upcoming Races:
Cowtown Marathon (Full) Feb 26 (Registered)
XTERRA ATX Trail Run (21K) Apr 23 (Tentative)
XTERRA Rock Dallas Trail Run (HM at night) May 27 (Tentative)
XTERRA Jurassic Trail Run (HM at night) Jul 8 (Tentative)
La Sportiva Vail Half Marathon: Jul 22 (Tentative)
Well, that was my last run until my 2 mile shakeout run on Saturday! It was a hot one too!! 78 with full sun, no leaves on trees for shade and no sprinklers in sight!
Carb load starts tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to angel food cake for dessert! Saturday is the really good day with pancakes, froyo, and more Angel food cake.
While I was typing this, I just got my bib number and corral assignment!! I could not remember what time I put as my estimated finish time when I registered. Thankfully whatever I put has me in the corral with the pace team I want to run with. Yay! No more stress about that. I am so happy and relieved!
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Date :::: Miles :::: Feb MTD (goal = 70)
02/01/17 :::: 2.6 :::: 2.6
02/02/17 :::: 3.1 :::: 5.7
02/03/17 :::: 2.6 :::: 8.3
02/04/17 :::: 6.8 :::: 15.1
02/05/17 :::: 4.0 :::: 19.1
02/06/17 :::: 3.7 :::: 22.8
02/07/17 :::: 0.0 :::: 22.8
02/08/17 :::: 3.3 :::: 26.1
02/09/17 :::: 2.6 :::: 28.7
02/10/17 :::: 3.1 :::: 31.8
02/11/17 :::: 7.6 :::: 39.4
02/12/17 :::: 2.5 :::: 41.9
02/13/17 :::: 2.6 :::: 44.5
02/14/17 :::: 0.0 :::: 44.5
02/15/17 :::: 3.5 :::: 48.0
02/16/17 :::: 3.0 :::: 51.0
02/17/17 :::: 3.3 :::: 54.3
02/18/17 :::: 7.4 :::: 61.7
02/19/17 :::: 3.1 :::: 64.8
02/20/17 :::: 3.6 :::: 68.4
02/21/17 :::: 0.0 :::: 68.4
02/22/17 :::: 2.7 :::: 71.1
Running in short sleeves this afternoon! So nice to put on capris and a t-shirt and get out in the nearly 60 degree weather. I took Stella, my beast, out with me for the first time in a while. She was a bit draggy in the second half of the run. I think too tired from being at daycare all day yesterday. It wears a girl out. Either that or she's just not into running these days so we'll see how things go from here.
I signed up for a fall half marathon! The Wineglass Half in Corning, NY on Oct 1. A lot of people love this race and it is supposed to be a net downhill. And really beautiful. I hope I'll have time to visit the Museum of Glass too as I've always wanted to go there.
I will start my half marathon training program through the Y in May, and am doing regular running group workouts before that. I'm thinking about a couple of other races this year but haven't quite committed. There's a 19k race in May that I'm actually thinking about doing, even though it's before my planned major training. I also am considering a destination (warm) race either around my birthday in November or over the winter break. Probably some shorter races in there as well. I do have one 5k on the books and I'm sure more will come up.
Upcoming races:
4/6 5K run (convention fundraiser), Indianapolis, IN
5/13 Right to Run 19K, Seneca Falls, NY (maybe?)
10/1 Wineglass Half Marathon, Corning NY2 -
Tonight I'll be running in 60F temps.
Saturday I'll be running 12 to 18 inches of snow.
BRING IT ON!!!!7 -
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RespectTheKitty wrote: »Well, I finally did it. I set up an assessment with a personal trainer at my gym. I want to hear what he has to say about incorporating more strength training into my routine, and what I can do to drop the last 15 pounds I need to drop that won't seem to come off.
I have this horrible feeling adding strength training will mean I'll have to cut back on miles. But maybe not. I guess I'll have to see what the trainer recommends. All I know is that I've been seriously neglecting strength training in favor of running as much as I can. Maybe I can find a balance.
I have been trying to maintain my high mileage and still strength train. I had to slow my pace down a bit. If I do any speed or tempo work, I do it before I lift and on the same day.
As of right now, I do leg work on Tuesday and Saturday evening. I should be adding in Thursday evenings as well but have been reluctant because it may effect my Sat morning long run. I do add a small slow run Tuesday evening after my leg work out for my 2 double sessions for the week. But I don't care if that second run is slow and it loosens out any tightness caused from lifting. The same thing on Wednesday morning, a slow recovery run is scheduled and short on miles. My legs are sore today and when I started my run this morning, I had to start it very slow but as I got further into the first mile, I could feel my legs loosen up a bit.
Sundays are my day off from everything.
@RespectTheKitty @Stoshew71 - This discussion kind of prompts me into a digression about strength training.
I lifted weights before I was ever a runner. I lifted because I wanted functional strength, not for hypertrophy muscles or competitive lifting. I managed to improve my upper body strength from "bad joke" to "below average," and did somewhat better with lower body. I hate crunches, but found that I needed to do fewer of them if I did them with weights. Then I found kettlebells, and could eliminate crunches entirely because the core benefit of crunches is disguised in Turkish get-ups.
So when I started running, I didn't have any problems at all with my quads or hamstrings. They were strong. I had foot problems. First round of PT identified weak hip abductors, something I had never addressed with weight lifting. Got that corrected.
Had a problem with the tensor fascia latta after Boston 2016. 20-20 hindsight shows that I had let running squeeze out all the heavy lifts including the Romanian deadlifts that strengthen the hamstrings, and also most of the kettlebell hinge work (primarily swings and snatches, in my case) that also strengthens hamstrings, glutes, and erector spinae.
Had the Achilles tendinitis after Oak Tree Half and Rochester Marathon 2016. 20-20 hindsight tells me that I let the pressure of my last 2 months of employment squeeze out the weighted calf raises, which were one of the exercises the PT told me to do to come back from Achilles tendinitis.
So now I'm retired. And I don't lift to have the heaviest lift, or to be able to say I can deadlift 245 lbs. for 3 reps. (That was my max deadlift, back when; I gave up deadlifts after hearing the PT's opinion of what they do to her clients.) I don't do squats to say I can squat my body weight. (I did that at one point, probably couldn't now.) I lift to support my running habit. I don't need to lift heavy, I need to lift consistently.
In the consistency department, I had an AHA moment a few weeks ago. I was consistently doing my push-ups and pull-ups (vanity, plus some core benefit). I was consistently doing the swiss ball bridge work the PT gave me for the tensor fascia latta. I was consistently doing the monster walk the PT gave me for the Achilles tendinitis. I got back to consistently doing the weighted calf raises. But the kettlebell work was frequently, "Not today. I'm too beat up and not up to it."
The AHA realization was that I don't need to do the exercises with the weights I remember using. Instead of thinking I'm too beat up to do TGUs with a windmill at the top using a 35 lb. kettlebell, just frickin' do them with a 30 lb. kettlebell. Not as sexy or brag-worthy as using 35 lbs., but I can be consistent with 30 lbs. (At one time, I did TGUs with a 45 lb. kettlebell. I don't think that is going to happen again.) Similarly, instead of feeling I can't clean 85 lbs. of kettlebells to do squats, just use 75 lbs. It's not a sexy weight to squat, but it's enough to strenghten my quads and avoid running problems with the quads.
I hear people scratching their heads and wondering what is the benefit of doing squats with kettlebells. There is no particular physiological benefit. The kettlebells are in my living room, and they're more convenient than going to the basement to use an Olympic bar. Because they're more convenient, I will actually get the squats done.
Then when I found I couldn't face all those KB exercises on the same day, I split them. I alternate between TGU/windmill combos and squats one day, and swings and snatches the next. I give myself weekends off from KB work, because Saturday and Sunday mornings are always time crunched.
I've been pretty consistent with this for a few weeks now. And I haven't had to give up any running, or cut back miles, or anything stupid like that.
Personal philosophy, with no research to back it up: There are parallels between strength training and distance training. I don't do speed work every day, and I could train for distance without speed work at all. I don't lift heavy every day. In fact, I pretty much don't lift heavy at all any more. My strength training is somewhat analogous to streak running; I do it pretty much every day, but I don't do it so hard that I need to take days off. In contrast, I could never be a streak runner. I love my long runs and long tempo workouts too much, and I need rest days for that style of running.
Maybe I'm mistaken about general principles, but I think I've found something that works for me. There is no guarantee it will work for anyone else.2 -
February Running Totals (miles)
2/1 – 7.00 easy
2/2 – 2.63 easy shakedown run
2/3 – travel day, didn't get a run in
2/4 – 7.99 warm up on road + 8K cross country
2/5 – travel day, didn't get a run in
2/6 – travel day
2/7 – 9.26 warm up, speed work, cool down
2/8 – 7.02 group run
2/9 – 12.03 MP intervals
2/10 – rest day
2/11 – 18.63 paced run + solo miles
2/12 – 11.48 easy 90 minutes
2/13 – rest day
2/14 – 12.25 warm up, speed work, cool down
2/15 – 6.62 group run
2/16 – 10.05 easy with hills
2/17 – rest day
2/18 – 22.17 paced run + solo miles
2/19 – 12.97 easy 100 minutes with hills
2/20 – rest day
2/21 – 10.47 warm up, speed work, cool down
2/22 – 11.17 easy
February total to date – 161.74
Nominal Challenge Goal – 225 miles
Real Goals: Survive travel to and from Bend. Train well toward Boston. Avoid injury.
Today's notes – There is no long run in my training schedule this week. The assignment for Saturday is 2 miles easy, 2 miles MP, 2 miles easy. Instead, I will have a 4.4 mile race and a warmup. Because this is the last race in the Freezeroo series, hanging around for the series awards means it's unlikely I'll run after the race.
So the week's task is to get my 56 miles in on 5 days, including a Saturday that will be short. Today's assignment is simply "easy," and I get to choose how much of easy I run. I wanted at least 10 miles to reduce how much I need to run on Saturday while keeping a rest day on Friday. And we got great running weather today. The high was in the low 60s, and it was 57º F (14º C) when I got out to run. Garmin says 4 mph wind from the SSW; wind wasn't a factor.
I observed that the snow by the edge of my driveway had all melted, and reasoned that the Geneseee Riverway Trail should also be snow-free today. So I drove into the city to run part of the Rochester Marathon course. The major loop is about 10.5 miles, and maybe I could add some distance with the part of the course through the cemetery. Had one mishap with that; I took the wrong cemetery entrance, so of course nothing looked familiar. Figured it out after I got out of the cemetery then ran past the correct entrance. Oh, well. I didn't add as much distance as the real loop through the cemetery, but it was pretty.
Past the cemetery, the Riverway Trail has a long downhill. The thought is, this is practice for the first part of the Boston course. Since today was warm, I was running with the Vivofit on my right wrist to see HR; after Sunday's run, I wasn't shocked to see a HR in Zone 0 while my pace was 7:30 on the downhill. I did stop once on the boardwalk, because it looked like a pair of swans were close enough to get a decent picture:
Most of the run, I looked more at HR than at pace. Downhill, I tried to keep the HR in Zone 1. Uphill, I didn't worry about it. On the long, boring, flat to slightly up section of St. Paul Blvd, I tried to keep the HR high in Zone 1 or low in Zone 2. Had two brief stops for bladder relief and to tie a shoelace, without pausing the watch.
End result was 11.17 miles in 1:28:03, for an average pace of 7:53 per mile. The only mile splits above 8 minutes were the two with the stops. While trying to mostly run by HR on a route with 462 feet of elevation gain per Garmin (probably overstated, looks like Garmin thinks I went down to river level at the bridge by Seneca Park Zoo), that gave me an average HR of 125 and max of 144. Zone 3, 0:34; Zone 2, 22:20; Zone 1, 59:31; leaving 5:38 for Zone 0.
I'm happy with this. It puts my mileage for the week so far at 34.61. Tomorrow's workout is 14 miles, so I can take a rest day on Friday and only need a bit over 7 miles on Saturday. A warmup plus the 4.4 mile race should bring the week in right on target.
You know you're in marathon training when you can say that you have no long run this week, but will have 4 days with over 10 miles each.
2017 races:
January 1, 2017 Freezeroo #2 (Resolution Run 7.5 mile) (Mendon, NY) Finished in 50:45
January 7, 2017 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY) Finished in 1:32:40
January 14, 2017 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds Park 5 mile) (Spencerport, NY) Finished in 33:42
January 28, 2017 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY) short course, finished 4.88 miles in 32:50
February 4, 2017 USATF Cross Country National Championship Masters 8K (Bend, OR) Finished in 35:39, team won the 60+ Men's cross country championship
February 11, 2017 Freezeroo #5 (Valentines Run "In Memory of Tom Brannon" 8 Mile) (Greece, NY) sat out due to training schedule
February 25, 2017 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY)
March 11, 2017 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY)
March 18, 2017 USATF Masters 8K Championship (Virginia Beach, VA)
April 17, 2017 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)
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I've got a question for the experienced marathon brain trust here.
I'm halfway through week 6 of my 20 week training plan. So far, things have been awesome, and I have loved all the running. Just enough variety to keep it interesting while having the things I need to build mileage. Here's my issue: I started 2 weeks early, to account for any down time from injury, and in an "ideal" situation, I'll actually be done with the plan 2 weeks early. I obviously don't want to do that, so I need to fit in 2 weeks somewhere in there.
So, Because I like "planning" Things ahead, just so I don't have to think about it, and because I do better with a set plan than Any sort of trying to wing it..... My question is, at what point do I look at inserting those 2 weeks?0 -
MNLittleFinn wrote: »I've got a question for the experienced marathon brain trust here.
I'm halfway through week 6 of my 20 week training plan. So far, things have been awesome, and I have loved all the running. Just enough variety to keep it interesting while having the things I need to build mileage. Here's my issue: I started 2 weeks early, to account for any down time from injury, and in an "ideal" situation, I'll actually be done with the plan 2 weeks early. I obviously don't want to do that, so I need to fit in 2 weeks somewhere in there.
So, Because I like "planning" Things ahead, just so I don't have to think about it, and because I do better with a set plan than Any sort of trying to wing it..... My question is, at what point do I look at inserting those 2 weeks?
Suppose you don't get injured, life doesn't blow up on you, and the plan goes perfectly as written. I know, not a high probability, but what if it happens? I'd say take the last 2 weeks before your taper and repeat them, then do the taper as per your plan. That way, you're maintaining the pre-taper fitness level, you have the taper exactly where you need it, and the 2 extra weeks stay in the bank until you don't need to bank them any more.2 -
Suppose you don't get injured, life doesn't blow up on you, and the plan goes perfectly as written. I know, not a high probability, but what if it happens? I'd say take the last 2 weeks before your taper and repeat them, then do the taper as per your plan. That way, you're maintaining the pre-taper fitness level, you have the taper exactly where you need it, and the 2 extra weeks stay in the bank until you don't need to bank them any more.
Thanks. That's the kind of advice I was looking for. Simple easy to follow and just right for what I need.
I just looked at the plan and those 2 weeks both have 18 mile runs, so.... It would put decent time between my two 20 mile runs and the race, like 6 weeks....so maybe "if all goes according to plan" (ha ha, like that will happen) sneak another 20 miler in there if I'm still healthy? The only difference in mileage between the 18 mile LR weeks and the 20 mile LR weeks is the 2 miles of the LR, so it wouldn't change much.0 -
2/1: 2.2 miles walk, 6.3 miles bike
2/2: Rest/PT
2/3: 45 mins elliptical
2/4: 10 miles bike
2/5: 67 mins elliptical
2/6: 9 miles bike
2/7: 40 mins elliptical
2/8: Rest
2/9: 1.4 miles walk, 30 mins elliptical
2/10: PT, 9.8 miles bike
2/11: 1.9 miles walk/jog
2/12: Rest
2/13: 5.5 miles bike, 1.4 miles walk/jog
2/14: 60 mins elliptical
2/15: PT, 10 miles bike
2/16: Rest
2/17: 2.6 miles run/walk
2/18: 3.1 miles hike/walk
2/19: 2.5 miles run/walk
2/20: 10 miles bike
2/21: 2.8 miles run/walk
2/22: PT, 9.7 miles bike
TOTAL: 16/22 workout days
Regular light bike routine after my physical therapy appointment today. For the most part, the appointment went well and I'm progressing more with the various exercises. As I mentioned yesterday, I wasn't sure how things were going to be left going forward in regards to returning to running and continuing PT. So, I have a gait analysis set up for next week with someone else who specializes in that and that person will be able to go over my running symmetry (or lack thereof) and recommend some things to work on. I won't see my regular PT until 2 weeks after that and in the meantime, he wants me to work on those things and just stick to 5 minute intervals. I wasn't really expecting to hear that as each week I have been increasing running intervals, but I understand his reasoning. He wants to see how the gait analysis goes and have me work on the things the gait analysis physical therapist gives me before I start increasing my mileage too much. He said we'll start talking in terms of miles after that. I am registered for a 6.9 mile leg of a marathon relay in April (Illinois Marathon), which he thinks is a good target. I'll continue to see him, though less frequently, through the race and we'll go from there. At first I was a little disappointed at not being able to increase my intervals after 5 minutes for awhile, but I'm reminding myself that I did just start returning to running a week and a half ago and he also gave me some room for improving my runs while still sticking to the prescribed interval time (decreasing rest/walk time, increasing number of intervals within reason, etc.).1 -
@MNLittleFinn I don't know how your last few weeks look, nor am I an experienced marathoner, but here's my suggestion.
First, you want to keep those 2 weeks available to "cash in" as long as possible, as @MobyCarp suggests. Instead of repeating the last two weeks before the taper, however, consider inserting two cut-back weeks. Instead of this:- Week 16 - Big Miles
- Week 17 - Big Miles
- Week 18 - Big Miles
- Week 19 - Taper
- Week 20 - Taper to race
consider this:- Week 16 - Big Miles
- Inserted Week - Cutback week by 10 to 15 percent
- Week 17 - Big Miles
- Inserted Week - Cutback week by 10 to 15 percent
- Week 18 - Big Miles
- Week 19 - Taper
- Week 20 - Taper to race
Doing this, you are not going to lose a bit of fitness and you'll allow your body a better chance to recover from all the hard miles you've been putting in. I think you'll reap a greater reward by the extra recovery than you would from the extra miles, and at a lower risk. For my ultra training I have every other week as a cutback week, other than some exceptions for scheduling reasons.
If nothing else, ask your coach.
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MNLittleFinn wrote: »Suppose you don't get injured, life doesn't blow up on you, and the plan goes perfectly as written. I know, not a high probability, but what if it happens? I'd say take the last 2 weeks before your taper and repeat them, then do the taper as per your plan. That way, you're maintaining the pre-taper fitness level, you have the taper exactly where you need it, and the 2 extra weeks stay in the bank until you don't need to bank them any more.
Thanks. That's the kind of advice I was looking for. Simple easy to follow and just right for what I need.
I just looked at the plan and those 2 weeks both have 18 mile runs, so.... It would put decent time between my two 20 mile runs and the race, like 6 weeks....so maybe "if all goes according to plan" (ha ha, like that will happen) sneak another 20 miler in there if I'm still healthy? The only difference in mileage between the 18 mile LR weeks and the 20 mile LR weeks is the 2 miles of the LR, so it wouldn't change much.
On the theory that your plan doesn't have a 20 miler in the last 4 weeks for a reason, I'd put the last 20 miler on the week before you start repeating, then repeat with 18 milers. Probably not a huge impact either way, but you said you don't want to wing it.
Edit to add: Posts at the same time. @7lenny7 has a better conceived adjustment.
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Thanks @7lenny7 That's another great thing to think about.
About asking the coach....yeah, I could, since I shelled out money for the plan. I've actually been coming up with a list of questions to ask him, then shell out some more cash (my wife's gonna kill me) and do a conference call about strategy for running, how to modify my schedule, and some other things..... Got some time to think about that though. I figure week 15 or so, I'll need to know for whether or not I'm gonna throw some more money out there. The plan has been worth it so far, so I'm not opposed to spending more, just don't like to on principle.0 -
Date Miles MTD ------ ----- ------- Feb 01 6.5T 6.5 Feb 02 4.7T 11.2 Feb 04 5.6 16.8 Feb 05 6.5 23.3 Feb 06 5.1 28.4 Feb 09 5.6 34.0 Feb 11 6.8T 40.8 Feb 12 6.8T 47.6 Feb 13 4.6T 52.2 Feb 18 11.3 63.5 Feb 19 6.2 69.7 Feb 20 5.1 74.8 Feb 22 6.9 81.7
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I hope everyone who is sick with all the sinus/cold/respiratory/flu crud feels better soon! We've had a lot of illness going around work and I'm trying my best to avoid it.
@MNLittleFinn Great tempo/speed run!
@lporter229 @Elise4270 Hawaii would be so fun! I watched a documentary on Netflix recently called Fat to Fit (if I'm remembering correctly). It's about an online weight loss group whose members started running to aid their weight loss. They're from all over the US and they decided to meet up and run a Ragnar race as a team. Most of them lost 50-100 pounds or even more and the documentary touches a little bit on each of their running and weight loss journeys. Pretty neat watch!lporter229 wrote: »@Elise4270- Did you say MFP MRC destination race??? I'm in! Can you imagine everyone here showing up for a race together? That would be awesome. And if it's Hawaii, then hell yeah!
@Stoshew71 Who would do something like that?? Glad nobody else was hurt before they closed off the trail
@RespectTheKitty Awesome! Even if it may mean cutting your miles a little bit, I bet you'll see improvement in your running as you get stronger and lose the last of the weight.RespectTheKitty wrote: »Well, I finally did it. I set up an assessment with a personal trainer at my gym. I want to hear what he has to say about incorporating more strength training into my routine, and what I can do to drop the last 15 pounds I need to drop that won't seem to come off.
I have this horrible feeling adding strength training will mean I'll have to cut back on miles. But maybe not. I guess I'll have to see what the trainer recommends. All I know is that I've been seriously neglecting strength training in favor of running as much as I can. Maybe I can find a balance.
@BeeerRunner Exciting!! I think I may have asked you this before, but what's your goal time (what pace team are you trying so stay with)?
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@MNLittleFinn I don't know how your last few weeks look, nor am I an experienced marathoner, but here's my suggestion.
First, you want to keep those 2 weeks available to "cash in" as long as possible, as @MobyCarp suggests. Instead of repeating the last two weeks before the taper, however, consider inserting two cut-back weeks. Instead of this:- Week 16 - Big Miles
- Week 17 - Big Miles
- Week 18 - Big Miles
- Week 19 - Taper
- Week 20 - Taper to race
consider this:- Week 16 - Big Miles
- Inserted Week - Cutback week by 10 to 15 percent
- Week 17 - Big Miles
- Inserted Week - Cutback week by 10 to 15 percent
- Week 18 - Big Miles
- Week 19 - Taper
- Week 20 - Taper to race
Doing this, you are not going to lose a bit of fitness and you'll allow your body a better chance to recover from all the hard miles you've been putting in. I think you'll reap a greater reward by the extra recovery than you would from the extra miles, and at a lower risk. For my ultra training I have every other week as a cutback week, other than some exceptions for scheduling reasons.
If nothing else, ask your coach.
Now That I've looked at how that would make my training plan look. Here's what it would look like, mileagewise with your suggestion (I made up mileage for the inserted weeks
Week 16- 52 miles 20 mile long run
Inserted week (17) 45 miles (15 mile long run)
Week 17 (18) 50 miles (18 mile long run)
Inserted week (19) 45 miles (16 mile long run)
Week 18 (20) 50 miles (18 mile long run)
Taper week 27 miles (9 mile LR)
Taper week 38 including 26.2 marathon
How does that look?0 -
MNLittleFinn wrote: »Now That I've looked at how that would make my training plan look. Here's what it would look like, mileagewise with your suggestion (I made up mileage for the inserted weeks
Week 16- 52 miles 20 mile long run
Inserted week (17) 45 miles (15 mile long run)
Week 17 (18) 50 miles (18 mile long run)
Inserted week (19) 45 miles (16 mile long run)
Week 18 (20) 50 miles (18 mile long run)
Taper week 27 miles (9 mile LR)
Taper week 38 including 26.2 marathon
How does that look?
I think that looks great! If you're concerned about how much time is between your last 20 mile run and your marathon, I think you could safely change the Week 17 (18) long run to 20 miles since you've got cutback weeks before and after.
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Thanks @7lenny7 I was actually thinking about that. It would bring my total number of 20 milers up to 3 (week 15 is a 20 mile also, all weeks except cutbacks are pairs of the same thing), but it would also mean, if I get that far without having to change things, I could make week 15 another 18 miler and just have my 2 20 milers in weeks 16 and (18)...I'm too much of a numbers geek...Having fun thinking about the possibilities.1
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