Mara training - final 4 weeks
SteveTries
Posts: 723 Member
Yes, it's another "I screwed up my training" thread........
Actually it's not that bad, but I do want to poll some experienced opinions on how to tweak my next couple of weeks.
QUICK BACKGROUND
- 1st mara on Oct 26
- running for 3.5+ years now
- this is week 16 of a 19 week plan
- weekly mileage 35-40
- 2 x 20mile runs completed
Week 1 thru 10 I stuck pretty rigorously to my plan. Ran 6 days, light cycling on the 7th
Week 11 I mostly rested whilst on vacation
Week 14 I got sick midweek and missed by 2nd scheduled 20 miler
Week 15 still sick, lasted all week, managed just 1 slow 6km on Saturday.
Week 16 began yesterday. Having missed my second 20 miler, I did it here instead. Went ok. Tough twd the end.
PLAN AMENDMENTS
I would like to squeeze as much benefit out of the 4 weeks I have remaining as I can.
I know that the last two weeks just need to be taken very easy, so I won't touch those.
I had planned on beginning the taper 3 weeks out. I am now wondering if I can push a bit harder than planned that week. Any advice welcome.
That leaves this coming week (4 weeks out). I currently have planned:
Today - 5km easy
Tue - 19km @ race pace
Wed - 5km easy
Thu - intervals (6 x 600 @ 1500 pace. 120secs recovery)
Fri - rest
Sat - 6km easy
Sun - 32km (20mile)
Given I just ran 20miles (32km) yesterday, I am doubting the wisdom of doing it again this coming Sunday - though I am very, very tempted to do so. It will be a big confidence boost to have 3 x 20milers behind me. Conversely if I fail it will be a confidence dent.
Also the Tuesday 19km @ mara pace was NOT meant to be 2 days after a 20 miler.
Next week (3 weeks out) is the start of taper. Will I gain more from making this a more intense week or will it be counterproductive?
Mon - easy 6k
Tue - easy 9k
Wed - easy 8k
Thu - interval (5 x 400m @ 3km pace. 45s recov)
Fri - rest
Sat - easy 6k
Sun - long run 19k
Any thoughts and advice on how to play these next 2 weeks for maximum benefit would be very welcome.
THANKS!
Actually it's not that bad, but I do want to poll some experienced opinions on how to tweak my next couple of weeks.
QUICK BACKGROUND
- 1st mara on Oct 26
- running for 3.5+ years now
- this is week 16 of a 19 week plan
- weekly mileage 35-40
- 2 x 20mile runs completed
Week 1 thru 10 I stuck pretty rigorously to my plan. Ran 6 days, light cycling on the 7th
Week 11 I mostly rested whilst on vacation
Week 14 I got sick midweek and missed by 2nd scheduled 20 miler
Week 15 still sick, lasted all week, managed just 1 slow 6km on Saturday.
Week 16 began yesterday. Having missed my second 20 miler, I did it here instead. Went ok. Tough twd the end.
PLAN AMENDMENTS
I would like to squeeze as much benefit out of the 4 weeks I have remaining as I can.
I know that the last two weeks just need to be taken very easy, so I won't touch those.
I had planned on beginning the taper 3 weeks out. I am now wondering if I can push a bit harder than planned that week. Any advice welcome.
That leaves this coming week (4 weeks out). I currently have planned:
Today - 5km easy
Tue - 19km @ race pace
Wed - 5km easy
Thu - intervals (6 x 600 @ 1500 pace. 120secs recovery)
Fri - rest
Sat - 6km easy
Sun - 32km (20mile)
Given I just ran 20miles (32km) yesterday, I am doubting the wisdom of doing it again this coming Sunday - though I am very, very tempted to do so. It will be a big confidence boost to have 3 x 20milers behind me. Conversely if I fail it will be a confidence dent.
Also the Tuesday 19km @ mara pace was NOT meant to be 2 days after a 20 miler.
Next week (3 weeks out) is the start of taper. Will I gain more from making this a more intense week or will it be counterproductive?
Mon - easy 6k
Tue - easy 9k
Wed - easy 8k
Thu - interval (5 x 400m @ 3km pace. 45s recov)
Fri - rest
Sat - easy 6k
Sun - long run 19k
Any thoughts and advice on how to play these next 2 weeks for maximum benefit would be very welcome.
THANKS!
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Replies
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19km (nearly 12 miles) at marathon pace is quite a hard session. I'd want a good warm-up for it, so I'd suggest moving it to Sunday and doing 5k warm-up, 19k MP, 2k cool-down for a total of 26km which is about 16 miles, and leaving out the 20-miler (maybe do a medium-length easy run on Tues). Managing 19km at marathon pace ought to be more of a confidence boost; I personally would find a 20-miler at long run pace much easier to complete.
Then just leave the taper alone. It's the accumulated mileage from the last few months that's given you the race fitness, not what you can cram into the last week of training.0 -
thank you @litsy, I appreciate the input.
I think you are right, give the body some more time to recover from the 20 miler and if I can go out at the weekend and do a long run at race pace, after a full week of regular training then that (as you said) is more of a confidence boost than another 20 mile slow.
I will be leaving the next 3 weeks alone and sticking to the taper as per plan.0 -
I have no advice because you've already done more/better training than I did for my first. Honestly, I imagine you don't need to build endurance much more than you've got right now, now you just need to maintain it. I only did one 20 mile run before my first and that was 3 weeks prior. The taper was hell on me (so stressed I would lose fitness in 2 weeks), but boy oh boy did it work! I was in tip top shape on race day (despite some allergies). You've so got this in the bag.0
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Thanks @jesspurr - that's very encouraging. I am also nervous about the taper and the more I read others say how successful it was for them the better I feel about it.
I just need to be sensible npw about my eating over the next 3 weeks so I don't gain a bunch of weight. I am particularly bad at that....0
