5 Weeks til Race Day--my week training for my next race
Today I had planned on doing an 8 or 9 mile run but it ended up being 10 (16k) since it was so nice outside and I still felt good after 8 miles. It has rained 5-6 days per week here lately and who knows when I'll have another day off when the weather will be this nice.
This was my third run of the week and I've typically followed a 3 day per week training plan for most races I've run in the past several years. I found a good training plan posted some years ago in Runners World and I modify it as needed to adjust for the distance I'm training for and sometimes change up the type of run. It works for me so I've stuck with it.
For this particular race I've greatly reduced the distance and intensity of what I'd typically do to train for a half marathon as I've not been running as much in the past several months. Honestly I just started back to doing 3 days per week within the past month and I'm glad to still be able to bounce back so quickly.
If anyone wants to take a look at the 3 day per week marathon training plan I've used in some form or another for years now here's the link to it. The table at the bottom of the article has the specifics.
https://www.runnersworld.co.uk/health/the-first-three-day-a-week-marathon-schedule
When I've been in better shape and started training earlier I've usually kept the first two runs of the week the same as if I was training for a marathon even if I'm just doing a half but I cut the long run on the weekend short by about 30%.
My other 2 runs this week were both 4 miles and the first was a bit more hilly than the second. Running is starting to feel a lot better and easier on my body now that I'm doing it more consistently.
So in conclusion, I got in a little bit more mileage this week than last and I feel more confident about meeting my time goal which is 1 hr 40 minutes for the race in late March. I know I can hit 1:45 with how I felt today and another 5 weeks to train, but I really want that faster time.
This coming week I plan to do about 22 miles total and will most likely condense those 3 runs into one post like I've done here.
Happy running and best of luck to all you runners out there training for spring races. I've enjoyed reading content from others posting in @runningproject and it's helped keep me motivated to stick with the plan.
I love it when I go for a certain distance and I end up running a bit more, just because it feels right! BTW I used the same running plan from RW years ago (before I started the Running Streak). I liked the fact that it required only 3 iterations of training per week. It worked well for several marathons! Onwards and upwards with your runs!
Yeah the 3 day plan is great for busy people. My first 5-6 marathons I was peaking at 5 runs per week and some weeks I hit 40-50 (I hit 65 once the first time I trained for Marine Corps marathon in DC in 2011). I was single back then.
But then life got busier (in a good way) and I had less time so I was thankful to find this plan and that it worked for me. Adding in even 1 day of weight training also pays pretty good dividends when race day comes.
I love half marathon . It is long enough to take it seriously and also not so hard as the marathon to suffer like a rat.
Well done man!
Yeah full marathons leave me drained for close to a month sometimes but the half I can pretty much fully recover from in a week and I don't really lose any of my speed or endurance during the recovery period as often happens with marathon recovery.
The time for marathon #13 will grow near for me before I know it, but this spring and early summer I'm focusing on half marathon and shorter.
I've got one suggestion for the upcoming races.
Best way to build stamina is to shock your body.
Give your body something harder with every run you take.
For example, I started running on the hills.
It's a lot harder than on the normal road.
If you adjust your body to harder things, it would be easier to do the easy things.
There is some logic to that suggestion for one session per week but your body needs to be stressed in different ways AND time to recover and adapt.
For my athletes I plan a mix of sessions that build in distance and/or intensity over 3 to 4 weeks and then follow with an easier week to help the body adapt before hitting the next block of training.
Yes an easy week in between 3-5 hard training weeks is definitely very beneficial. It makes the body less prone to injury and more ready for another few weeks of hitting it hard and fast. It just depends on how much time I have left before race day.
I'll probably do 12 miles this sunday and then scale it back the following week and then do the 13.1 distance a couple of weeks before the race then a short taper.
Thanks for adding to the commentary :)
Fortunately hills are a virtually unavoidable reality where I live so I've got that covered. Having run distance races for the past 8 years I'm able to increase the intensity and distance each week about 3-4 weeks in to my consistent training.
I only trained 11 weeks for the Vegas marathon and did weight training 2 days per week on non running days and it was hard as hell but I went from barely running at all over the summer to within 20 minutes of my best marathon time ever (there was 35 mph headwind the last 6 miles of the race too).
It feels good to push it to the limits on the day you're doing it most times, but the day after not so much. But my body is conditioned and used to me putting it through these cycles of barely running and then ramping it up very quickly. Seems like once you do it for a few years it's not as hard to get it back.
Glad you're getting back in the swing of things.
How hard did the long run feel? Is you're breathing relaxed enough to talk? Most people don't run their long runs slow enough to maximise the aerobic training - which is key for half and full marathons.
I wouldn't be surprised if one of my sub 1:40 runners would be running long runs at 08:45-09:15 minutes per mile.
I always run at a pace during my long run when I can carry on a conversation (if I had someone running with me which doesn't happen very often). I learned the importance of this some years ago and it's very important. It would be great to break that 1:40 mark which I haven't done in quite some time!
The 10 miler felt surprisingly good and I had a lot of energy the rest of the day and the endorphine rush lasted well into the evening. I was a bit tired today but not sore at all. I'm careful to take the time to stretch and do yoga too on off days from running so that really helps me avoid injuries (knock on wood).
Sounds like you're in a good place with your effort level on the long run. Good work on post run stretching - I find it helps with recovery.
Nice run! I'm with you--I have pretty much been planning my long runs around the weather. And I also usually feel good with 3 runs per week. I still love to get my strength training in, so it allows me a nice balance while still hitting my running goals. Cheers to another great week of running ahead!
Yeah the weather has been horrible this winter as compared to previous years and I hate running my long runs on a treadmill...I don't even have access to one now so it's outside running or nothing so I just have to take what's given to me.
Cheers!
8 miles run! oh it is so difficult and it is impossible for ne. Ok go ahead and after completion you will make to know us through your post.
Oh I'll be sure to report my mileage for this week just as I did in this post. A lot of people (mostly non runners) think I'm crazy for enjoying this but that endorphine high after a good long run lasts me all day and I feel like I'm on top of the world.
Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running.
-Julie Isphording
Resteemed by @runningproject
Kind reminder:
Remember to vote your Running Author of the week!
And this is what prompts me to take longer breaks than anticipated. I don't ever want running to be a chore or a burden or an obligation. It feels good now that I'm getting that sense of freedom back especially on the longer days. Free the mind and jump start the body!
Good to see you at it brother 🙏🏼
Cool to see your motivation boost through the @runningproject, find it quite amazing how online communities can push you further 🤟🏼
This is very true. It's nice to see so many runners joining and coming together. Six months ago there weren't nearly as many. I'm glad Eddie and Matt put together the @runningproject and it's found support from other volunteers. I like looking through posts with the runningproject tag and tossing around upvotes as I have the time to help encourage people as well as through posts like this.
Yeah great initiative, and love it that your influencing on your part as well ✌🏼 Perfect if you ever hesitate on going out for a run, browse through the channel to gain some motivation and then hit the track 👍🏼
@cryptokeepr, proper preparation prevents poor performance (P5)...
Success man!
I like it! Next race I run I'm gonna have more than 6-7 weeks of real training under my belt before race day and hopefully can finally break my half marathon record of 1:34 which I set back in 2011. I've come within one minute on 3 separate occasions...so close yet so far.
Maybe I'll do another half in late April or early May when I'm better prepared. Cincinnati is a good one and is my record course for the marathon. Maybe I can set a PR for the half marathon this spring, just gotta get through this first race and see how I perform.
this is a good information of upcoming races.8 miles run.oh,its really amazing. its so difficult for me.this is a good way of stamina of ur body.thank u very much for ur good post sharing of run race.. @cryptokeepr