The Train[ing] has Left the Station

IF there was a start to the fall race season, it was September first.  That is the point where I turned my attention to training for this fall's half marathons and full marathon.  There will be no races in September, making this a down month for the blog.  So, the blog is taking Cliff P.'s suggestion to talk about the training regimen.  This is the first of a series on the plan and how it is progressing. 

The Base 

Marathon training programs commonly require 16 to 24 weeks leading up to the race.  From the start of September, I have only 14 weeks to the marathon.  So, part of my plan is to use the base I already have.  This starts with speed from the near-weekly DSE Summer Race Series at Lake Merced and the first two PA/USATF cross country races.  I will also build on the long runs of 15 miles, plus or minus, that I did while preparing for the Napa to Sonoma Half.  My mileage is 40 to 45 miles per week, usually closer to 40.  I run five days per week with two rest days and that will not change.  I lift weights two days per week on days that I take shorter runs.

Key Elements 

The plan has two key elements.

1) Long Run:  I need to push my long run out to 20 - 22 miles.  My aim for September was 18 miles, which I hit on 9/12.  I need to consolidate that with one more 18 miler before moving higher.  The aim for October will be 20 miles and November will be 22 miles.  With the half-marathons scheduled for October and November, timing will be a challenge.  One long run per week, usually on Sunday.  Long runs are almost always outdoors, on a variety of terrain and surfaces. 

2) Tempo Run:  I am a big fan of the book "Daniels' Running Formula" by the exercise physiologist Jack Daniels, PhD.  There are lots of tables in the book for pacing different workouts.  My tempo pace is a little under a 6:30 mile.  This is the fastest pace I should be able to run for an extended period of time.  The original theory is based on lactate threshold and the limit of the body's ability to clear lactate versus accumulating it.  That theory is under attack, but the number is still helpful.  Not coincidentally, this is roughly the pace I run for a good half-marathon.  With the end of racing, I plan one tempo run per week, usually on Wednesday or Thursday.  I do this on the treadmill so I can plug in the pace and hold it steady.  I was hoping to build to about an hour, but the results so far indicate that will not work.  So, I will probably end up closer to half an hour. 

Other Considerations

My weekly mileage will increase as a result of the longer long runs.  Otherwise, increasing mileage is not a goal.  Once I get past 40 miles per week, the risk of injury increases substantially.  If I feel I am getting to the injury threshold, I may need to cut daily mileage outside of the long run or cut the number of days. 

I need to program sufficient rest and recovery around the two half-marathons to avoid over training and injury.  I will figure this out once I get to those events.

The last two weeks before the marathon are a taper.  There is little that can be done to improve performance within the last two weeks, but a lot that can be done to sabotage it.  The plan for the last two weeks still needs to be worked out.  It will depend, in part, on how I feel at that point.  Reduced total miles, one shorter quality run per week and a reduced long run are the usual elements.

I also need to develop a race day fluids and nutrition plan for the marathon.  I will probably try some options during the long runs and races leading up to the marathon.

So Far

Week 14 - (8/30 - 9/5) This week had the Labor Day weekend which caused me to move some miles to Monday and prevented me from taking a long run.  37.9 miles total with a 12.2 mile long run.  30 minute tempo run.

Week 13 - (9/6 to 9/12) This has the extra miles from Sunday, making for a high mileage week.  I did a 35 minute tempo workout that left me too sore for several days.  No tempo run next week and I need to rethink how I am doing the tempo run.  51.1 miles with an 18 mile long run.

Week 12 - (9/13 to 9/19) This week I am volunteering at the DSE Lake Merced Half Marathon on Sunday.  So, I transferred my long run to Saturday.  No tempo.  44.6 miles with an 18 mile long run.