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Hilly
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make your own. I tend to look at different schedules available, then adapt them to meet my own training. I've yet to come across a 'Plan' that I do not need to adapt.
My running is over 4 days not 5 as I cross train on 2 days and have at least 1 day of total rest.
Also, I find all of the training schedules available too easy in the first few weeks, which is why on an 18 week schedule I wouldn't enter it until 12 weeks to go.
What do others' do?
My running is over 4 days not 5 as I cross train on 2 days and have at least 1 day of total rest.
Also, I find all of the training schedules available too easy in the first few weeks, which is why on an 18 week schedule I wouldn't enter it until 12 weeks to go.
What do others' do?
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I make up my own as I've never come across a plan that uses 3 days running, 2 days cross-training and 2 days rest which after 8 years running and 8 marathons is definitely the schedule that works best for me.
MM, what kind of distance do you build up to? On my last marathon I built up to about 56 miles for just one week. I'm looking to maybe try and reach 60 this time as I think this would help me reach my target time.
I realy need to come up with a plan this year.. last year I was just happy to finish, but this year I want to do it properly.....
Any suggestions for decent plans and ting?
They're all similar but not the same. Find the 3 key sessions and make sure you do those. Fill in the other days as you feel making sure that you don't do 2 hard days on the trot.
What did you get last year and what time are you hoping for this year?
Same as you Hilly, in the last weeks I got up to 60 miles. I'll probably do that again this year. The only things I think I'll change is maybe to do the distance a couple of times at a realy slow pace and not race the twenty milers that are around preceding the FLM
I know a few of the forumnites followed the Hal Hidgen schedule for Dublin. That might be worth a try.
Have you got a time goal Barkles?
Pizza man, what time are you striving for?
When you say you are going to do the distance a couple of times, do you mean the full marathon distance? The most I did before the marathon was 23miles, I've thought of doing 26, but feel a little unsure.
Tome goal is nominally 5 hrs. ( titter)
How is your back now?
Good luck with your training!
The most I did in training last year was also 22/23 miles. I feel I put a lot of effort into long races when realy I would have been better off taking it realy easy on the long runs and actualy doing the 26.2 or even a little further. I actually saw a training programe with it in once. I think it makes sense realy, as it's those 2 miles where it all seems to happen ... or not.
Isn't there a saying about not doing the best runs in the training.
For my first one I didn't do speed sessions such as intervals as I found getting my weekly mileage up, and doing long runs took too much out of me, just stuck to medium/long runs and tempo running. I tried using the RW schedules but found them too demanding pace wise even for my target time (4 hrs).
Next time, because I want to improve my time (don't we all!) I 've already started doing a medium mid week run (road, reasonably flat) at my target marathon pace . The idea is is by the time I'm into the training period proper that'll be a 8-10 mile mid week run, which will hopefully ingrain the feeling of the right pace in my legs!
For my long runs I am going to plan them in stone, same as last time, but I'm wondering about making at least 1 or 2 at race pace. I'm quite comfortable about my basic endurance as I do regular long off road runs, so 'time on my feet' is partly taken care of, but it's the long road runs at a disciplined sort of pace which present the biggest challenge for me.
I guess the important thing is having realistic expectations and then training consistently, taking care to avoid injury, sadly lots of people do seem to pick up injuries when marathon training.
My times so far have gone backwards, 3.36...,3.37...and 3.38....so I really need to look at where I'm going wrong. A sub 3.30 is in there, but it's getting it right.
Laura, like you I'm not worried about endurance as I too do regular long runs up to about 15 miles. So the base is there, but I do need to run more consistently at the pace I want to do the marathon in. I'm going to most probably use my mid-week 'long' run to do this and take the main Sunday long run slower.
The injury/illness factor is basically down to luck and making sure to rest/eat/sleep properly.
Let's hope we all get there in one piece and SMASH our targets. Nice thought!
I generally max out at about 45 miles per week (spread across 3 runs with 2 cross training sessions).
Laura L,
I for one, definitely find doing a couple of long runs at goal marathon pace to be enormously beneficial
I'm still trying to build up distance after my summer sojourn at the spinal unit!!!!
4-5 miles is comfortable, have been up to 8 when inspired, but I need to convinced myself that I can go beyond this... but don't want to injure myself - I'm a fragile litle flower really.
Talk of three hours odd- total pie i the sky for me.
4.59.59 will be fine.
Seriously after your accident you don't want to put yourself out of action again by building up too much too soon.
Try to use your inspiration on your weekend run and just build that one run up gradually by adding an extra mile every other week for now until you are up to 10.
When you are comfortable doing that we'll inspire you to move on. Keep the rest of your runs the same for now.
Keep us posted regularly how you're doing, ok?
Maybe MM is onto something - 3 runs a week, but he makes them count! (I've read your fartlek descriptions on the Training thread).
With the two main runs totalling 35, it was easy to get up to 40-45 mpw (well - okay - I still had to do the long runs, but the rest of it was simple without going up to 5 plus sessions per week.
I only have to build about an extra 15-18 miles onto my normal weekly mileage to reach my marathon max. Mind it still needs a gradual increase doesn't it to stay injury free! Next year I'm thinking of trying something a little different. I've got the general schedule worked out, it just needs tweeking here and there.
I agree the consistency of running is most important to running a good marathon, unless you're a lucky person!
If any of you have got the book, take a look at the schedules. I like the fact they have an edurance building period for 6 weeks, which quite a few of us would be able to miss or pick up further into that building phase, followed by strengthening phase, then sharpening phase and finally the tapering phase.
Anyone followed one of these schedules with/without success?
Made decision this weekend not to get worked up about whether i get into the flm, and identify definite substitute, possibly Shakespeare which some people have recommended. If I do get a place in London, it'll be a bonus. Better than being Disgusted of Forum for another month, if you get my drift.
The Competitive Runner's Handbook is excellent - as a newcomer to marathons I found it great, although I followed it more in spirit than fact!
Work, the odd injury / race problem meant I generally did 45 miles one week, then 25 the next in a cycle. But I did a long run every 2 weeks (last 3 were 21 - 22 miles), plus speedwork and hills each week so I guess the quality side was there and the (enforced) rest may have even helped. For me that worked, and the race itself felt surprisingly comfortable.
my 3 runs per week are usually:
Tuesday - 9 to 10 mile fartlek with club.
During the summer months we have a cross country route which includes 6 hard efforts (400 - 1000 metres, usually uphill). The winter route has just been modified and now includes 3 longish efforts (~ 1.5 - 1.75 mile)
Thursday - 6 to 12 miles, Track/Tempo Run.
During the summer months when we're doing the fartlek on Tuesday with the shorter efforts I tend to do something like 4 x 1 mile or 3 x 2 mile on the track. But once we switch to the longer efforts on Tuesday I usually do something like 5 miles at 10M to 1/2M race pace or 8 miles at marathon pace. I try and stretch this one out as I head towards a marathon.
Saturday/Sunday - 15 to 22 miles long run.
As the long run increases in duration I tend to switch it to Saturday, so I've had a days rest on Friday. I also like(?) to do a couple of Marathon Pace long runs during the build-up (as Laura suggests) something like 20K, 25K, 30K at 3 months, 2 months and 1 month, respectively, prior to the marathon.
That's it! Just do a couple of bike rides (summer) or a couple of gym sessions (winter) in place of a recovery run on Wednesday and Saturday/Sunday.
great!
I too have the Basic Handbook, but moved to the competive runners one a couple of years after I started running. It is worth buying!
Thanks Mr C for your thoughts on using the marathon schedules. I've used other aspects of the book, but think I might adapt the advanced schedule slightly or maybe a lot!
MM, I like the sound of your training. It's all quality running and still lots of time for recovery. I sometimes wonder why we do the extra sessions that are 'recovery' runs, which just may add to already tired muscles.
On my three marathons I've based my running over 4 runs. One tempo, one speed, one mid-week marathon paced 'long' run building up to 15 miles and a weekend long run building up to 23 miles. I also did circuits on another day with 2 days rest. I suppose this did work as my times were all very close. I think this time I'm looking to just try and push past that pace and to be honest I'm really not sure how to go about it.
I know I can run the marathon and even if I went out tomorrow I could most probably run it there and then, but how do I move up to the next level?