This is my training journal. I'm bad at titles. (Comments welcome!)

[jmasgat]

I have raced before a marathon, and in hindsight thought maybe that was dumb (it was only 2 weeks in advance). OTOH, it is still my half PR, and the marathon was Boston (1st time) when I made rookie mistakes anyway, so I doubt I could make an honest assessment of what that may have meant.

This year I am running NYC and have a "race" 2 weeks before--big difference is I do not intend to race it, rather, just use it as part of the scheduled long run.

 

[striker1064]

June 5 - June 11

Total time: 4h 52min
Total mileage: 29.5mi

Monday: 5 Miles Easy; T+D 76+46=122 (run club)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 8 Miles Easy; T+D 67+49=116, hazy/smoky
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7.5 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 71+51=122 (run club)
Sunday: 9 Miles Easy; T+D 73+58=131

Yeah I ran 8 miles in that smoke Wednesday morning. Not the best idea! The air quality wasn't too bad just yet and was only a concern for sensitive groups, and it didn't give me much trouble thankfully. Thursday was a weird terrible day for smoke though - I sure hope that's over for a while. Other than that, the heat is on, and I don't love it. Sunday morning I was out the door by 7:30 AM and it was already too hot.

I started physical therapy last week for some minor calf/leg pains I've been experiencing that have been lingering and I wanted to get them worked out before starting my training for MCM. My PT said my big toe has very limited mobility and it's causing upstream issues. I was like "YOU'RE an immobile big toe, geez." So anyway, that's going. I'm a bit sore but otherwise fine and there are thankfully no issues with continuing to run, and she thinks I can get this worked out in 4-6 weeks since I caught it early. I do have a bunion on my big toe as well, but it's likely a result of my biomechanics and would probably come right back if I had it removed. Luckily it doesn't hurt!

My bike came in from REI yesterday, which is exciting! I'm looking forward to working in some regular cycling during the next few weeks so I'll have a baseline of active recovery. And it's fun!

 

[azrivest]

Yeah I ran 8 miles in that smoke Wednesday morning. Not the best idea! The air quality wasn't too bad just yet and was only a concern for sensitive groups, and it didn't give me much trouble thankfully.

Good to know you didn't have any side effects from the smoke. Hopefully the air is better in your area now

 

[jmasgat]

I am sitting here pondering the "immobility of a big toe". I am baffled, therefore, I am going to walk the dog.

 

[striker1064]

June 12 - June 18

Total running time: 4h 48min
Total running mileage: 29.7mi
Total cycling mileage: 12.7mi

Monday: 6 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 71+62=133 (run club)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 6.5 Miles Easy; T+D 68+54=122
Thursday: 5.5 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 69+51=120
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 Miles Easy; T+D 71+57=128 (run club)
Sunday: 5.25 Miles Easy; T+D 75+51=126

June 19 - June 25

Total running time: 5h 44min
Total running mileage: 28.75mi
Total cycling mileage: 26.64mi

Monday: 5 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 70+59=129
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 8 Miles Easy; T+D 66+62=128; rain
Thursday: 6.5 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 63+61=124, drizzle
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6.25 Miles Easy; T+D 75+71=just the worst (run club)
Sunday: 3 Miles Easy; T+D 73+65=138

I realized I didn't update my journal last week, but it looks remarkably similar to this week. I'm keeping-on for another week or so, but using the opportunity to do more cycling and incorporate strength training. I haven't done a ton of strength training, but I do about 10-20 minutes of kettlebell work 4-5 times per week - always goblet squats, weighted lunges, and Ukranian swings, plus a few other things depending on the day. Mostly I want to keep my body healthy, and I can spare 10-20 minutes.

And cycling! That's just for fun. Yesterday morning a friend and I rode the metro to Silver Spring, over to Rock Creek Park, and all the way back down. It was about 18.5 miles, which is quite a lot for me, but it was a very pleasant day.

It sure is hot and humid. Summer is here. Bleh.

As for Marine Corps training, I'm still bouncing around what length I want to make this plan. If I go the full 18 weeks, that means I'll get started next week. I might opt for 16 weeks instead and give myself a little more time to adjust to this brutal weather. I'll post a summary of that training plan before I get started.

 

[striker1064]

After glancing at the calendar again, for an 18-week build to Marine Corps on October 29... I was supposed to start training this week! Whoops. At least it's only Wednesday, and it would have been all easy running anyway.

I'm noticing something as I update the V.O2 app. Daniels' plans typically involve a pattern of 80%, 90%, or 100% of goal peak mileage, and it differs from week-to-week. It seems during my base fitness phase in V.O2, the app was continuing that pattern, and now that I've updated it for marathon training, it's simply plugging in the new mileage to the existing pattern. I am... curious to see how this turns out.

My goal is to do the 55 mpw 2Q plan. I'm adding a 6th running day, Friday, which will be easy mileage, mostly because I don't want to spend multiple 90-120 minute days in this heat. I've also dropped my VDOT by 1 so my paces are a bit slower. JD actually recommends going down 2, then 1 after 6 weeks, then back to normal during the last 6 weeks, but I think I'm going to try half and half.

Also scrolling a bit through V.O2, the workouts are way way different than the workouts in Daniels' Running Formula, which I figured would happen but I still find it very interesting. For example, this week is 48.6 miles, with a speed day Thursday of 3x (400 m R + 3x (200 m R)) with rest intervals, and a Sunday workout of 12 miles easy. A few weeks later, the Sunday run is 2 miles easy + 14 miles M tempo. Those workouts aren't in the book. I wonder if the app is more up-to-date with what works? It's also pretty clear V.O2 is capping the midweek quality session at ~90 minutes, whereas following the plan in the book got up to 120 minutes for the midweek quality workout. The total weekly time is still about the same, somewhere around 8-9 hours weekly.

Anyway! That was a bit of rambling.

Training Goals

I am sub-4:00 or bust. VDOT suggests I can run about a 3:46 marathon based on my spring races. That's total nonsense. More real-world data suggests I'll end up around 3:55-3:58. There's no way I'm risking going out at a 3:46 and blowing up, especially because the end of the race is tough. However, I will do the workouts at that pace, and throw in a few sub-4 paces here and there as I deem fit. I figure training at a faster pace can't hurt.

Last cycle I topped at 48 mpw. I'd like to push my body just a little more, hence attempting 55 mpw. Most of it will be easy miles, along with a 6th training day. I think - hope - I can handle that. Rest days will be Tuesdays, since I have to be in the office most Tuesdays and I am too exhausted to do anything after dealing with co-workers.

Also - more delicious carbs! There's research suggesting up to 90g of carbs per hour can be beneficial. Over a 4-hour marathon, that's 360g carbs. Quite a lot. I don't think nutrition had anything to do with how my marathon went last year, but I am looking for every advantage I can get. I have Egels, Maurten gels/drink mixes, and Tailwind. I'm going to gradually train my gut to take more carbs and see how much I can tolerate. I doubt I'll make it to 90g/hour, but even if I get to 60g-70g that can only help. And it'll be easy to test. I can do 3 scoops concentrated Tailwind plus an Egel for a 90-minute workout and boom, that's 110g total.

I've discussed a workout plan/routine with my PT, and I'll continue to see her about once per month just to make sure everything is good in my body. My goal continues to be 4-5 kettlebell strength training days of 10-20 minutes at most. There will be cycling thrown in as well, but that's not going to be structured and it isn't for fitness (it's just a handy side effect).

My body feels pretty okay? No nagging aches or pains. Somewhat heat adapted - somewhat. Never fully.

I'm excited and nervous all at once. My mind and body are in a totally different place than they were last year during my last marathon training cycle. This will be my focus. I'm also looking forward to eating an entire pizza after the hard workouts. That's the main reason to do this, right?

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Excited to see how it goes! I'm at a similar place volume-wise so I will be following along with extra interest

A few weeks later, the Sunday run is 2 miles easy + 14 miles M tempo.

14 miles at MP in the first quarter of a training plan seems like a lot!!

 

[GollyGadget]

 

[striker1064]

14 miles at MP in the first quarter of a training plan seems like a lot!!

That's Daniels for you. I think it's interesting how each of the big coaches differ on this - Hansons says LR pace is faster than easy but slower than M Tempo. Pfitz of course believes in multiple double-digit M tempo runs, sometimes at twice per week. Daniels does long runs entirely at easy pace, but replaces some of them with M tempo. Interestingly, that's the first of the M tempo work - everything else in the next 4 weeks until that Sunday is either a speed session at other paces or easy running.

It's another weird difference between the V.O2 app and the book. I guess I kinda figured the app would recognize oh, there are 18 weeks until the marathon, clearly this is the 2Q plan, here you go - but I guess not? I already paid for a year of this subscription and it served me extremely well this spring, so I might as well give it a go (despite still messing with other plans as recently as this morning!).

View attachment 772382

Some quasi-runner friends of mine are befuddled that I'm training for another full and I'm like "Yeah but have you seen my MyFitnessPal from my last cycle?"

Do the kids still use MFP? Is that joke still relevant in 2023?

 

[SheHulk]

I am emphatically NOT a young person but I just dusted off my MFP account this month to track macros!

 

[striker1064]

I am also humored by the idea that I'm actually putting everything I eat into MFP.

I mean, let's be honest here. I'm not an animal. Ice cream doesn't count. Neither do Mai Tais.

 

[GollyGadget]

14 miles at MP in the first quarter of a training plan seems like a lot!!

Fixed it for you

Hansons says LR pace is faster than easy but slower than M Tempo.

Hansons also includes medium-long runs of up to 12 miles at marathon pace during the week. I’m not against the idea of spicing up the long run but I hate marathon pace so much that I’m happy to keep it out of my weekends.

 

[nancipants]

but I hate marathon pace so much

I find this ironic considering your next race is the Disney marathon.

 

[GollyGadget]

I find this ironic considering your next race is the Disney marathon.

What I'll do for a pair of ears...

 

[Herding_Cats]

What I'll do for a pair of ears...

same. It’s a sickness

 

[striker1064]

Dawn of the First Day: 17 Weeks until Marine Corps Marathon

Total running time: 7h 38min
Total running mileage: 46.4mi

Monday: Morning - 5 Miles Easy + Strides; T+D 77+70=147; Evening (run club) - 3.25 Miles Easy; T+D 84+70=154

I ran Monday morning because the weather for the evening was supposed to be ominous. Turns out it never materialized, so I made my way to run club anyway. I figured I could do 8 miles total in a day, that's not so bad. That dew point is no joke though.

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: 7.5 Miles Easy; T+D 72+62=134

Thursday: 3 treadmill miles

Ok look, the air quality was horrendous again, and I figured I could get my 8 miles easy on the treadmill. Ho ho! Little did I know, I made it 3 miles before I said "Life is too short for treadmills."

Friday: Daniels R: 2 Mi WU + 3x [400m R (7:03) w/ 400m jog + 3x (200m R w/ 200m jog)] + 2 Mi CD; T+D 73+66=139

Air quality was still not good, but it was stay inside sensitive groups, all others do normal activity unless you feel symptoms. That seemed reasonable to me. Ordinarily quality days would fall on Thursdays, but there was no way I was attempting this on the treadmill. This was also my first speed session since spring training. Daniels emphasizes speed in the early portions of a plan.

The wording of the workout is not the most clear but essentially the cadence is 400m R, 400m jog, 3x (200m R + 200m jog), then repeat the whole thing 2 more times.

• WU: 9:52, 9:49; CD: 9:43, 9:39
• 3x 400m R (7:03, or 1:45/rep)
  • Rep 1: 7:02 (1:45)
  • Rep 2: 7:10 (1:47)
  • Rep 3: 7:10 (1:47)
• 3x 200m R (7:03, or 0:53/rep) repeated 3 times (9 total reps)
  • Rep 1: 6:50 (0:51)
  • Rep 2: 6:58 (0:52)
  • Rep 3: 6:34 (0:49)
  • Rep 4: 6:50 (0:51)
  • Rep 5: 6:58 (0:52)
  • Rep 6: 6:34 (0:49)
  • Rep 7: 7:15 (0:54)
  • Rep 8: 6:58 (0:52)
  • Rep 9: 6:58 (0:52)

So this was all pretty much fine. The first round was quite difficult as I adjusted to running these speeds again; during the first set of 3 200m R I wasn't entirely sure I'd make it through the workout as the heat was getting to me. But I felt stronger as I went on and I'm pretty satisfied with where things ended up.

Saturday: 7.5 Miles Easy; T+D 76+68=144 (run club)

Another too hot day, and I ended up walking a couple miles in the middle of this with someone who was really struggling with the heat. All fine though.

Sunday: 12.5 Miles Easy

• Starting T+D: 74+71=145
• Ending T+D: 78+73=151
• Pre-run: Water, 2 scoops concentrated Tailwind
• In-run: Water (lots of it), 2 scoops concentrated Tailwind at 6 miles

First truly long run in some time. My paces were all over the place on this one as I waited for stoplights and Garmin brought me down a truly strange route in Rock Creek Park, but my overall pace ended at 10:10/mi so that's okay. Dew points above 70 are downright offensive. I looked like a drowned rat.

100g carbs over a little over 2 hours, so slightly under 50g carbs/hr. Not bad as a start. I had no issues here. Next time I'll add an eGel to the same routine.

46 miles in a week I believe is an all-time high for me, and although I'm pretty wiped today thanks to 2+ hours in the heat and humidity my body is so far, so good. That's good though because Daniels and his zero chill are assigning me 56 miles next week, including a quality session with 3 LT miles followed by I repeats. I wanted to test my body and I certainly am going to find the limit, it seems.

Also I know I'm way late to the party on this one, but dating... am I right guys? Yeesh. The landscape has changed just a tad since the last time I was single - in many ways for the better - but I don't know how people do it consistently around here!

 

[GollyGadget]

Re: treadmills- I actually prefer speedwork in the treadmill over easy running. It makes it more interesting and can also help me learn the pace.

Re: dating - I have a hard enough time making friends as an adult.

 

[striker1064]

Re: dating - I have a hard enough time making friends as an adult.

I actually have had a ton of success making friends! Some of my very best friends have been made in the last few years, and I've made a couple frienda that I trust more than almost anyone else in the last ~4 months.

So yeah, dynamics are weird here and all that.

 

[HangWithMerida]

You’re doing great getting all those miles in during the heat of the summer! I am managing to keep the mileage up somewhat but can’t even fathom doing anything pace specific. It’s all easy over here. You’ll really see the benefits as the temps drop.
Re: dating. I’m married so no dating, but I’ve got a few friends who are. Honestly, if I weren’t married I don’t think I would bother dating. There is nothing about their experiences that seems like something I would want to deal with. But, I am by nature a bit of a loner. Even more so as I get older. Things definitely seem to have changed since I was last on the dating scene!

 

[striker1064]

It is absolutely miserable out there now. The T+D is over 150 even at 7 AM. Yesterday I had to cut short my speed session, and today I slogged through 8 easy miles (which turned into 7.5 instead). I thought I was doing pretty well with my heat acclimation, but I'm clearly not as far in as I'd like. I do need to be better about adjusting paces too. I tend to do okay at holding on to my usual paces up until about 140.