Midweek runs?

XFR Bear

Hi!

Just wondered what you guys did midweek. I've tended to do a mid length run at slightly faster than long run pace,at the moment this means 18 miles or so on Sunday and about 10 on a Wednesday. This will build up to 13 and 22. This gets a fair chunk of my weekly mileage out of the way in two sessions.

My question is really whether this is good or not. Is it "dead" mileage - neither a *long* long run or a speed session, or is it better than two sixes - which would be the alternative which would be at a faster pace. I normally chuck in one of these anyway, and then do speed stuff in my fourth session.

Thanks in anticipation, Iain

[Deleted User]

Hi Iain
My routine this month is
Sunday:- long run (10 to 20)
Monday :- rest
Tuesday:-6 miles fartlek
wednesday:-8 miles fast run
Thursday:- 4 or 6 easy run
Fri/sat:- rest days.
I will increase the wednesday run to about 10 or 12 miles,and push the Sunday run up to about 20miles max over the next 6 weeks.
Hope this helps
all the best
FBS

[Deleted User]

My current weekly schedule is :

Mon : 4 - 6 mile easy run
tues : 1 hour minimum up and down hills
wed : rest or swimming, spinning or cycling depending on how I feel
thurs : 60 - 90 min steady - fast pace.
fri : rest
sat : long run building up to final long run of 22 - 24m

This weekly runs will build up as time goes on. I'm having to miss this week because of a problem with my hip so I'll have to fit in a couple of extra sessions at some point too.

XFR Bear

Out of interest could I also ask for your target times at FLM.

So far I'm thinking I should be running my midweek run faster, but I'll see what the others say!

Thanks again!

[Deleted User]

I'm aiming for sub 4.30. So far, I seem to consistently run at 9.5 - 10 min miles, regardless of distance so allowing for being slow at the start and getting tired towards the end, I think 4.30 will be a good target. I'd love to do sub 4 but if I aim for 4.30 and finish in 4.10 I'll be pleased whereas if I aimed for sub 4 and finished in 4.02 I'd be disappointed. This is my first FLM so my biggest target is to enjoy the experience and know that I gave it a good go. Times are of secondary importance to me.

[Deleted User]

I am training for the sub 4.30, but will be way happy if I can get in between 4.30 & 4.45
Mon - 6 miles
Tues - speed training in gym 3-5 miles
Wed - 6 miles
Thurs - rest
Fri - 3-5 miles
Sat - 10 miles at moment, building up a mile or so each week

[Deleted User]

Iain - regarding your original question, I think a longer mid-week run can be a really useful session. Run at marathon pace they get you used to what you have to do on the day. Run at half-marathon pace (or faster) they provide a great tempo run - which will consolidate your pace training and let you sustain the fast pace for much longer. I agree that a mid-week run at slow pace isn't optimal training.

The RW magazine schedules seem to follow the pattern of alternating weeks between these 2 speeds. Personally I tend to favour the tempo run as these seem to really help my performance.

[Deleted User]

I am aiming at sub 4hrs, 70mins faster than last year.
Check out my training plan on www.fozziesrunning.co.uk

Gavo

Aiming for 4hrs-ish. At the moment, my Sunday runs are all races for the next few weeks (varying between 10 & 20) and I'll be aiming to do a couple of 7-8m runs in the week. No speedwork or fartlek or tempo or whatever. Just distance and hillwork for me (and the benefit of running over some of the course whenever I want to).

[Deleted User]

Typical week would be

Mon - 4 miles slow
Tues - Speed Session of some sort
Wed - Run that is half the length of my intended long run, slower than race pace but faster than long run pace
Thur - 8 miles on or around marathon race pace
Fri - 4 miles slow or rest
Sat - 8 miles
sun - long run currently circa 18 miles

Target time is sub 3hr. Last year I did 3:04 so this year I'm working a bit harder at speed work and adding a few more 20 + miles runs (only did 3 last year)

[Deleted User]

rmc
Much the same, aiming for sub 3 also. what pace / do you run at? i'd like to know whether i can do sub 3. did 18 in 1.56 and felt good.
My week caries according to the training program, roughly like this
MONDAY; run to the gym (5mile)weights and hill session or short speed reps
TUESDAY: speed session (5.30 - 5.45 per mile) 6-8 x 1 mile with 3 min recovery
WEDNESDAY: 10 - 12 either fast or gentle
THURSDAY; Weights
FRIDAY: fast 6 - 8 (at 10k pace)
SATURDAY: REST
SUNDAY: 18+ (at 1/2marathon pace)

[Deleted User]

The Yeo

Long runs I do @ approx 7:15 - 7:30 miling. On Sunday I took 2hr 15min for 18 miles. I look to make sure that I have run the whole distance consistently.

Speed sessions are usually 5 - 7 x 1 mile with 3min recovery at approx 6 min miling

I would have thought off the times you have posted that you should make sub 3 fairly easily.

Hilly

I'm aiming for sub 3.30 and my week goes like this:
Monday-circuit training
Tuesday-7 miles including quality running (hills, tempo)
Wednesday-10 miles marathon pace, will build this one up to 15 miles
Thursday-rest or swim
Friday-10 miles incl speed session 2 mile reps or 800's. Swim club in evening
Sat-rest
Sun-long run 18-20 at the moment building up to 23.

[Deleted User]

I'm aiming for sub 4.00 and my training follows a very similar patttern to most of you lot. Days change every week and sometimes have to miss one harder session to avoid doing them back to back and injuring myself. Rough outline can be:

Mon - 5m recovery run
Tues - 7 - 8m quality running, efforts, fartleks, reps with club.
Wed - Rest
Thurs - 8m 1/2m paced run, will increase to 12
Fri - Slow 6m run or gym.
Sat - Rest
Sunday - Long run 14m at present increasing to 22

Sat & Sun are interchangeable & sometimes I'll run on both particularly later in the programme. Fitting it all in around work is the problem and I guess I'm not the only one.

XFR Bear

Interesting, particularly Hilly's as she's closest to my target. Two speed sessions a week.

How tough is the circuit sesh Hilly - can't say I fancy anything too hard inbetween a long run and a quality session?

Hilly

The circuit session is tough Iain and I find that while marathon training sometimes I have to drop it. I try to keep it going as long as possible, but if I need to ease off it's the first thing to go.

I'm going to do some of my long runs on the Saturday this time so hopefully will still fit in circuits most weeks.

Hilly

Forgot to say this is the first time I've introduce two speed sessions a week. So far it's ok, but again if I feel it's too much I'll back off, especially as the mileage creeps up. We'll see!

XFR Bear

Interesting though Hilly - you do your midweek run at marathon pace - my original worry was that I ought to be doing my midweek 10-13 miler considerably faster than marathon/long run pace. As always I guess it's experiment and find what suits me, but useful to hear what others do.

Guess the only thing about sticking the long run on the Saturday is that it would be straight after the Friday speed session.

I'm off to experiment :-)

[Deleted User]

Midweek 10-13 miler?
ill get me coat

XFR Bear

Get your trainers as well Benz! :-)

[Deleted User]

Bugger
Wheres the beginners thread?
I may have done one marathon, but I couldnt do what you lot are doing

Hilly

Benz-you make me laugh! Please don't leave to the beginners thread, you're not a beginner, just running a different pace, but aren't we all!

Iain-At the moment my own pacing is causing me a few queries. My 10 mile mid week run, which I plan to build to 15 I'm running at about 7.30-7.40 pace, which I have to admit is faster than marathon pace, but a good 20+ secs slower than 1/2m pace. Then my long run so far as been at 7.40-7-55 pace, which really is supposed to be my marathon pace. So I could be running both runs too fast, but I'm recovering fine and don't feel like I'm running too fast.

My other 2 runs of the week is where I really feel like I'm running hard!

My times are improving every race at the moment so I suppose I'll just have to keep going with how I feel and just make sure my long runs are done at a pace that I feel I could carry on for longer.

This running business is one big experiment! Sometimes I wish I was good enough to warrant a coach, no such luck!!

Lars

I am aiming for a 4:15 - 4:30, I dream of a sub 4.

Monday: - Rest (or gym)
Tuesday: - Gym (or rest)
Wednesday: "Fast" run (at least marathon pace (9 min/mile) for longer runs,for shorter runs faster (8 min / mile)) between 7.2 and 14.4 miles.
Thursday: Tracksession
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7.2 miles in easy pace (8.30 to 9 min/mile)
Sunday: Long run, at the moment 15 miles.

Hilly

Lars-it's quite possible to run sub 4 looking at your pace. Have you done any marathons/other races?

[Deleted User]

Well I'm scared after reading this thread! All this talk of 'marathon pace' or 'easy pace'!

I only have one pace, and that's slow!! - aiming at 4.30 - 5.00.

Mon - Tennis 2 hours
Tues - 6 miles
Wed - rest
Thurs- 6 miles (tennis every other week if tennis,6 miles fri instead)
fri - rest( or see above)
Sat - 9 - 12 mile long run (depends on how I feel)
Sun - rest

Increasing long run by 10% per week.

Any comments from the more experienced appreciated.*gulp*

Hilly

Steve-you seem to be doing just fine and obviously already have a good fitness level from your tennis. Following the 10% rule is a sensible way to go about increasing your distance.

I don't think you'll have a problem achieving your marathon goal.

Good luck and happy running!

[Deleted User]

Am I glad to read your thread Steve, was beginning to panic big time. Though I think I may have to increase midweek runs a bit.

Mon - 1 hour body conditioning
Tues - 4 miles
Wed - rest
Thurs - 4 miles then 50 lengths swim
Fri - rest
Sat - 7 miles
Sun - long run, currently 12 miles and gradually increasing according to Hal Higdon schedule
Does this sound about right so far?

XFR Bear

I feel somewhat hypocritical posting this, as one of my main aims was comparison with other runners, but please let's sdtop comparing with each other - we each have out own goals, and there's little point a first timer comparing themselves to someone who's done several marathons - just set your own goals and try to achieve those.

Having said that I think it is useful to see what others in a simialr position are doing, which was the aim of my initial post.

The mental aspect of a marathon is almost worse than the physical - the though of getting up in five hours after a night at the club dinner/dance to run 19 miles is scarey! My own fault I know, but it was a fun night and I owuldn't want to have missed it.

Lars

hilly, I havn`t done a marathon. My longest race so far was a 10 miler (today) in 1:26:11, so it is about 8:37 min /mile. The 9 min/mile I mentioned is a wish pace. On my normal runs, it is an easy pace, but I don`t know, how easy this will be for 26.2 miles. I will do the Watford and Reading halfmarathons, and thereafter I really have some hints for my final target time.

[Deleted User]

Right, I'll just get myself back to the beginners thread then.

[Deleted User]

wait for meeeeeeeeeeee