ATTENTION RUNNERS...

mumof5

Just wondering if i could get a little help here, only 4 weeks left until i do a 20km leg in a triathalon team. I've been training for a while but panic just set in....

so here's the plan, up my cals, to about 2000, eat all exercise cals, stick to 50%carb, 30%protein and 20 fat.

Monday - weights followed by 30minutes of running in the stinking heat, followed by a dip in the pool.
Tuesday - 1hr easy run, 1hr HIIT
Wednesday - full body weights
Thursday - 1 hr sprint runs, 1hr fitball class
Friday - weights followed by 30minutes of running in the stinking heat.
Saturday - 20km/2hr run
Sunday - 30min walk, 30min yoga

the week before the race i will cut out the weights, and one of the sessions on 2 workout days, on the saturday i will walk the run circuit, on the sunday i will do the race. I will also carb load in the week leading up to the race.

how does that sound?? I have been running for a few years but only for about an hour at a time. over an hour i usually cover 12 - 13km, It takes me 2hrs to do 20km. whats a good pace to set? This is new to me, i am not into endurance and after this, i may never do it again...we'll see...

any thoughts, help, ideas would be greatly appreciated

Mamapengu

Well- it is typical to taper for the 2 weeks prior to the race. Two weeks prior cut back by 30%, then the week before by about half. This gives your body time to store all that energy, repair those muscles and, be mentally and physically to go... I also tend to cut the strength and speed work for the 2 weeks before. It won't help and could injure- just keep moving easy. I completely understand the nerves! I was there just a couple months ago. It's easy to over think and not trust your training.

bstamps12

Yep, I would say maybe cut out one of the weight sessions 2 weeks before and one of the runs 2 weeks before, then stick with your plan for the week before, and you should be tapered pretty well. Just remember not to push yourself hard within a week of the race. You'll need your energy. Your pace is personal--you can usually expect 15-30 seconds per mile faster in a race compared to that distance in training if you have tapered properly. (I don't know the conversion to KM, sorry!).

michellekicks

You need to ramp up distance in 2 1/2 weeks. Make your last long run at least 10 days out from the race.

I say do your long runs on time... do 3 more long runs before the race: 1:15 hr, 1:30 hr and 1:45 hr. Do a weekly 10k tempo run at your race pace. Get in another 1 hour easy run once each week and a shorter, recovery run after tempo or long run. You can do this without running more than 4 days a week.

In the last week, make it all easy pace runs and not over an hour. And eat the food... I like to eat at TDEE for a week before a race. I get chubby with about 4-5 lbs extra, but then I pass everyone after about 17km :bigsmile:

Check out this site and play with it: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

es2189

You need to ramp up distance in 2 1/2 weeks. Make your last long run at least 10 days out from the race.

I say do your long runs on time... do 3 more long runs before the race: 1:15 hr, 1:30 hr and 1:45 hr. Do a weekly 10k tempo run at your race pace. Get in another 1 hour easy run once each week and a shorter, recovery run after tempo or long run. You can do this without running more than 4 days a week.

In the last week, make it all easy pace runs and not over an hour. And eat the food... I like to eat at TDEE for a week before a race. I get chubby with about 4-5 lbs extra, but then I pass everyone after about 17km :bigsmile:

Check out this site and play with it: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

I'm confused. If you're eating at your TDEE, you shouldn't be gaining weight.

michellekicks

You need to ramp up distance in 2 1/2 weeks. Make your last long run at least 10 days out from the race.

I say do your long runs on time... do 3 more long runs before the race: 1:15 hr, 1:30 hr and 1:45 hr. Do a weekly 10k tempo run at your race pace. Get in another 1 hour easy run once each week and a shorter, recovery run after tempo or long run. You can do this without running more than 4 days a week.

In the last week, make it all easy pace runs and not over an hour. And eat the food... I like to eat at TDEE for a week before a race. I get chubby with about 4-5 lbs extra, but then I pass everyone after about 17km :bigsmile:

Check out this site and play with it: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

I'm confused. If you're eating at your TDEE, you shouldn't be gaining weight.

It's temporary... When you go from a deficit to eating at TDEE your body will restore glycogen and water to normal levels, which will put on those few extra lbs that usually come off in week 1 of a new diet/cut. So when I go to eat at TDEE I'll gain about 4-5 lbs, but then if I keep eating at that amount I won't gain more... people often have a hard time maintaining a weight loss because they mistake those few lbs as a real gain and freak out and go back to cutting. Then they cut to their goal weight, eat a TDEE and gain again... cycle. I'm on a tangent now, but you have to cut to a couple of lbs below the goal you want to maintain so that you can maintain with nice full healthy glycogen/water stores.

es2189

You need to ramp up distance in 2 1/2 weeks. Make your last long run at least 10 days out from the race.

I say do your long runs on time... do 3 more long runs before the race: 1:15 hr, 1:30 hr and 1:45 hr. Do a weekly 10k tempo run at your race pace. Get in another 1 hour easy run once each week and a shorter, recovery run after tempo or long run. You can do this without running more than 4 days a week.

In the last week, make it all easy pace runs and not over an hour. And eat the food... I like to eat at TDEE for a week before a race. I get chubby with about 4-5 lbs extra, but then I pass everyone after about 17km :bigsmile:

Check out this site and play with it: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

I'm confused. If you're eating at your TDEE, you shouldn't be gaining weight.

It's temporary... When you go from a deficit to eating at TDEE your body will restore glycogen and water to normal levels, which will put on those few extra lbs that usually come off in week 1 of a new diet/cut. So when I go to eat at TDEE I'll gain about 4-5 lbs, but then if I keep eating at that amount I won't gain more... people often have a hard time maintaining a weight loss because they mistake those few lbs as a real gain and freak out and go back to cutting. Then they cut to their goal weight, eat a TDEE and gain again... cycle. I'm on a tangent now, but you have to cut to a couple of lbs below the goal you want to maintain so that you can maintain with nice full healthy glycogen/water stores.

Ah ok, makes sense. I guess I got thrown off by the word "chubby" because the weight that I gain when I up my calories to TDEE doesn't actually seem to change the way I look.

michellekicks

Ah ok, makes sense. I guess I got thrown off by the word "chubby" because the weight that I gain when I up my calories to TDEE doesn't actually seem to change the way I look.

I think chubby just refers mostly to how I feel up 4-5 lbs :laugh: It's not anything anyone else can see.

rybo

I would scrap the HIIT & sprint runs for regular runs or a tempo run. I would cut the weights 2 weeks out but as far as tapering runs, I would just go easy the week leading up to your race. A 20k isn't like tapering for a marathon.