I need help setting up a schedule to follow in preparation for Boston. I've broken it down into an 18 week calendar...starting just after XC Club Nationals in early December. I am currently on week 8 and have averaged 70 mile weeks for the past 7 weeks (that includes two 50+ mile "junk" weeks I did when I went skiing). I feel fairly comfortable at 75 mpw and plan to "up it" soon with doubles.
My typical week - 10 miles every weekday morning (sometimes 9), 10 on Saturday and 15-20 on Sunday = 75mpw. My simple plan is to start increasing some of my morning 10s to 12 and then start doubling up and adding mileage that way. I'd like to peak at 100 or just over and would like to plateau btwn 95-100.
My big question is how many weeks should I try and hold this plateau and how far back from "Marathon Monday" should this be? I feel very strong and feel like I will be very ready. The long runs feel quite easy compared with those I did last year.
FYI - week 18 is the week (M - Su) before the marathon. Week 19 would start on race day.
Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
5 comments:
wk 8 - 70
wk 9 - 75
wk 10 - 80
wk 11 - 85
wk 12 - 65
wk 13 - 80
wk 14 - 90
wk 15 - 95
wk 16 - 70
wk 17 - 60
wk 18 - 40
or...
wk 8 - 75
wk 9 - 80
wk 10 - 85
wk 11 - 90
wk 12 - 70
wk 13 - 85
wk 14 - 95
wk 15 - 100
wk 16 - 70
wk 17 - 60
wk 18 - 40
Be cautious with the century mark, been around runners consumed with hitting the "all about the benjamins" week and end up feeling great during and soon after the week(s), flat during the marathon.
I went running with bails today, and we were discussing a lot about Marathon training. There are a fair number of haverford alum now running marathons (Cannon- 2:20, Muller- 2:28, Rowe 2:32 debut at 90degree chicago, Vaslow 2:40 debut at 90 degree chicago, myself and soon bails). These guys all got advice from ian fraser, who is a bit older now, 33-35... but has run numerous numerous times 2:24-2:30s. More importantly than his own experience, is that he read up a lot on the top marathon coaching books...
anyways, he says the most important thing is to work on the "diesal engine" to not worry about times/pace but to just be out on the feet. To grind out reps... workouts like 2 miles at MP, then 8x 1000 at threshold, and then 2 miles at MP. Not to haggle if they're at 5:23, and you had hoped for 5:10.
You can either try to race with an engine the size of a lawnmower, or you can build your engine up so that you are racing with a huge-turbo charged jet engine.
There are many factors that will influence your marathon. Nutrition, tapering, speed work, rest, and mindset are some of them. But the biggest physical factor is the engine you build leading up to the marathon. A good base period when you develop your body's ability to burn stored fat for fuel is what determines the size of the internal engine that the other things have to work with. I think you've accomplished this.
A well-designed base period enables you to take good nutrition, speed work, rest, and positive thoughts and transform them into your best race possible. The choice is yours. You can either try to race with an engine the size of a lawnmower or you can build your engine up with a good base so that you are racing with a huge-turbo charged jet engine.
I think the Kliminator is sporting a supercharged V8, my advice don't redline it too much between now and Marathon Monday, bottle it up and unleash hell in April.
Thanks!
To steal a line from the American patriot John Paul Jones - "I have not yet begun to run!"
My training philosophy is simple, it's summed up with "flexible response"
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