Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Shades Marathon Training
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
TR, thanks for the heads up on the endorphins. In the end my sister just bought me some from runners need UK when they were in stock as she won’t be visiting anytime soon. Yet to try them as they came last week but the colour scheme is atrocious. It’s the black one with fluorescent bits all over the place. Looks like I should be going raving!
Yes, the news from MK isn't encouraging for Richmond. However, if Richmond council had the same concerns as MK about spectators surely they would have said so by now. I do hope it goes ahead as you're long overdue a bit of good luck re races.
That's really funny about the Endorphins. All presents should have an element of surprise and yours was the colour.
More hills today, my 8 mile town route. Very cold, 'feels like' -3 but there was no wind so wasn't too bad for running. I always check the forecast before I run, actually 1 check 2 different forecasts as some aren't updated. One forecast said 60% chance of snow 🥶 which I laughed at but at the top of my 2nd hilly lap it did indeed start to snow, but not enough to lie on the ground.
TR, thanks for the info about your session....
....speaking of which, I went out and did 17.5 miles today, with 13 at what may loosely be called MP. Basically, of that 13-miles, 1-10 were at 8min/miles, and then I picked up the pace for 11-13 (7:26, 7:22, 6:55) for a faster finish. Not the most inspiring of routes up and down the seafront for the 13-miles but it means no road crossings etc, so I'm quite pleased. Not really sure if I've learned too much about what MP may be, but when I come to giving one a bit of effort, I may go for 8min/miles and just see how I get on. You can see the 10 at 8min/miles were all very consistent and I felt really good on those. So overall it was 1-mile warm up, the 13-mile session and then 3.5 cool down.
Been having a bit of a nightmare with my Dad over the weekend. He's diabetic but has been complaining of foot/lower leg issues, which can become a big problem for diabetics. Both me and his partner have been trying to get him to the GP or A&E but he refused (believe it or not, his main excuse was that he hadn't had a shower. It's impossible to get him to change his mind once it's made up). In the end I called 111 (his leg is swollen up the the knee, and I'm no expert but it looks infected to me) and an ambulance went around in the early hours, and he's in hospital now. Not sure what may happen now, but I need to call at around midday for an update.
I suppose we'll be as stubborn when we're that age.
That's a great run you did today, can't believe you did that up and down the seafront
Yes, it was the right thing to do regarding Dad, but he's not happy
If it's any use at all, when I did my 5K effort a couple of weeks ago, these are the 1K splits with HR and HR range.
1. 3:46, 156 (94-172)
2. 3:54, 171 (169-174)
3. 3:55, 174 (172-176)
5. 3:54, 178 (175-182)
Very good stats, my immediate reaction is that 8 min/miles is way too slow to start out for your marathon. that's slower than today's run which you did at 75% MHR.
Now I have multiple calculations on spreadsheets as I've always been looking for the ideal formula from training pace to marathon race pace. But as we're humans and there are so many variables that can happen within a race that I've never found the perfect calculation.
I do put my average weekly training pace on a spreadsheet and calculate predicted marathon time/pace, average HR for the week needs to be no higher than 76% for calculation to be meaningful. So I've just put your average pace from today's run on my spreadsheet and results as follows. I wouldn't normally do just one run as you know it can vary, so weekly is better but this is just an example.
In the past I've achieved 95% times with reasonable fitness. I've done PB's at 92% and my last marathon PB was at the 90% but I was very fit then.
So I think you should go out at 95% training pace, so 7:29 min/mile. OK you might slow a little in the last 4 or 5 miles, but then you might not.
I suppose part of the reason I was looking at 8min/miles is that over the last 2 or 3 years I've been quite happy when I've gone under 3hrs30mins, which is basically 8min/miles.
I'll need to have a think about it. I may try and get in another 18-20 at an easy pace over the next 7-10 days or so, and then think about it more after that. Certainly that effort today did feel quite manageable, apart form the last/fast mile which is to be expected.
I think going out at that pace will also give you some valuable HR race data too.
IMHO you have perhaps been a little overcautious with your marathon pace in the past.
I also think that one thing the pandemic has taught us is that we don't really know when our next marathon, or any race, might be so perhaps we just have to go for it on the day.
10 miles this afternoon around SW London. Lovely day for it. Forgot to try out the endorphins though.
I've recovered well, no niggles from the calf, which I was very surprised about. Perhaps it was due to a lack of electrolytes? Anyway, I went on a bike ride yesterday and managed a slow 7 miles on the trails today.
Shades - just read your post: That was pretty much the reason I ran Dorney. Seize the day as they say. Plus my Garmin told me last week that I was peaking - so clearly it was a sign!
BigG - hope your Dad is ok, really tricky dealing with relatives who refuse help.
RCouture, thanks. Yeah, I'll need to have more of a think about what pace to go out at.
TR, thanks. Food for thought there. I am keeping a close eye on the race listings and have even emailed some clubs/RDs about their race plans, but it seems not all clubs are quite ready to come back. Also, there are added complications around the fast 5K I do in Yeovil, as they told me the race HQ/area is being used for a Covid test/vaccine centre, by all accounts. I was too slow on entering a different 5K but have asked if there's a wait list. There's not much in the way of 10ks at the moment. Main priority is DD currently though, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing at the moment, but I am on the look out for shorter races too.
I did 45-mins last night and although I completed the ride, I had a mechanical issue
Just about to head out for probably around 7-miles, nice and easy. Legs feel okay after yesterday, which is good.
I wouldn't expect you to run flat out at Shepperdine but with a year's base training, almost a stone lighter, and you know you are faster and ready to tackle your PB's at shorter than marathon distance, so you know you are in good shape So have faith in yourself and the training. Your legs feeling good today is yet another sign of your fitness.
It's not often you say it's too cold for you, that's my usual moan, but I do understand for the duathlon, warmer conditions would be much better. What time do you start on Sunday?
Rcouture - you're not barking mad. I expect at some time we may have a discussion re your marathon pace. Perhaps nearer the time you might want to do a similar run to Big G's yesterday at an average HR of 75-76%....that's so I can test out my spreadsheet calculations
Louey - lovely to hear from you, hope all the family are well in these strange times.
Well done on your marathon at Dorney Lake, that's a great result and you really are the queen of perfect splits. You could get a job as a pacer when life is back to normal. Your post on here is perfect timing as I can now post our first entry on the marathon list this year. You're recovering really well too.
I take it you're not signed up for Brighton in the autumn then.
The strength work should help with future injury proofing too.
7 miles this morning, very cold and frosty again. It didn't snow this time but it did rain, only a couple of showers.
Happy days, text from hairdresser yesterday and appointment booked for next Wednesday
Bookings opened this morning for the gym so booked in for Monday morning,
Library reopens Monday too.
Yes, I know what you mean about the distance biting. At ones I've done where I've had the mentality of "I'm not bothered about this, I'll just get around it", and so have had no real plan at all, I've done badly. I'm not rally on about the finish time, but more just maybe not prepping properly, or not thinking about it how I normally would, and then it ends up being a bad day. I've learned from that!
My gym is accepting bookings too. If I get my bike sorted it's about this time I may not do as much Zwifting as the track is open from Monday. Torbay Tri have their first bike session organised on the track for Monday already.
Rcouture-I think you will do really good for a first marathon,very well prepared.
Big G-Exciting tomes when you are thinking about races,I am with Shades in that I think with the year you have had you are in a really strong place to have a great PB year.You should be at the same times as mine,so aiming close to 3 by the end of the year.
Shades-with your spreadsheet,at the moment 75% of my max is around 8m/m so what would you advise as a realistic MP? I won't be doing it this spring but I am interested.
Also when I was fit in the summer 75% was around 7:45 so what does it say was possible.
Re marathons exacting revenge on us, it just shows how powerful the mind/mood/attitude affects the enjoyment of a race.
I'm off to do my food shop, but I have to wait in for a delivery of 40 protein bars that I ordered ready for the gym reopening. I don't usually eat protein bars but I'm not good at eating a protein snack post gym which I'm supposed to do, according to my instructor. I love the technology that enables us to track a delivery driver, he's about half a mile away from me right now.
Now that you're fitter, especially your heart and lungs it becomes much harder to get near your max HR. I think 190 is probably a realistic estimate so you could choose to do the test run at 75/76% of that, which is probably around the top of your MAF rate.
I'm lucky with my hairdresser, I coached her for her one and only marathon years ago. She's works mobile so just sends me a text with appointment I don't have to bother her or ever remind her.
Right using 8:20 pace
Rcouture-Time for a real HM then or a TT with no breaks.
My OH will have been training for 2 years if Manchester is her first so beats you.
Big G-PB time in the air I feel,everything is looking really good for you.