McMillan says you can race a marathon on 4 weeks training?

[Darth Tater]

To each his own.
To me it's like the difference between "I ran a 10K" vs. "I ran 10K". You wouldn't use the first to describe a training run. Or at least I wouldn't.

Then again I also wouldn't jog a marathon dressed in an Elvis suit.

C'mon! His "space age" outfits might shave precious seconds off your race time!

[MichaelMc]

Stats: I've run just under 2300km so far this year. I've run 2 marathons (3h12 and 2h55) and 55 half marathons so far this year. I've run 65k so far in September, 116km in the past 30 days, and last week I ran 36k. I've also cycled 3500k so far this year.

I don't think I have a good base at the moment at all

I really do have my work cut out for me I think, and it's not going to be as easy as people may think

I'm thinking 2 weekly long runs - the 12, 16, 18, 12 they recommend, but also a second 16, 18, 20, 10 miler every weekend for the next 3 weeks. Now I've got my mind set on a BQ.

I didn't enter any half marathon races this year, but I did run 21.1k continuously I guess 56 times now. I've broken my half marathon race PB 3 times on training runs.

I'm lost now. Is this going to be hard or easy: are you in good shape or not?

IMO your base is fine and I'd be surprised if you didn't run 3:10 or better (McMillan miracle program or not).

[eljeffe]

The first 5 months of the year I was very consistent with my training and in top notch shape. I was on pace to run 5000k at one point. The last 3 months have seen a massive drop in training and fitness. I'm ready to work hard this month, but I don't expect the training or race itself will be very painless or easy as they were in the past.

[SteveF]

/off topic/ Jeff, I was looking at your run and if it weren't for the 4000+ kms between us, you would be an ideal training partner!

Yours http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49186240
Mine http://connect.garmin.com/activity/48735179

I'll be very interested to see how this plays out. And to see your runs near the end of the training "cycle".

Steve

[eljeffe]

/off topic/ Jeff, I was looking at your run and if it weren't for the 4000+ kms between us, you would be an ideal training partner!

Yours http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49186240
Mine http://connect.garmin.com/activity/48735179

I'll be very interested to see how this plays out. And to see your runs near the end of the training "cycle".

Steve

I updated post #1 in this thread.

[SteveF]

So are those considered the 2 easy runs and now the rest of the week will be fartlek/tempo stuff? Does the plan define distance or time to be run? I haven't seen the article yet. I'll have to pick up a copy next time I'm out.

Steve

[eljeffe]

So are those considered the 2 easy runs and now the rest of the week will be fartlek/tempo stuff? Does the plan define distance or time to be run? I haven't seen the article yet. I'll have to pick up a copy next time I'm out.

Steve

I'm modifying the plan, as I don't think it'll ramp me up fast enough. *Disclaimer: I wouldn't suggest what I'm doing (rapid mileage increase) for anyone else, but I feel in tune with my running enough at this point to know when I need to ease up and when I can push it* The first 14 days or so will be mostly easy running, and lots of it. I'll do 2 weekly long runs of escalating duration, as I outlined in an earlier post. I'll supplement with "recovery runs" where I can sneak in mileage without really stressing anything. I'm hoping that I can do all my hard running in the 3rd week, and the 4th week will be a series of short hard runs as I taper into the race. I don't plan to take any full rest days, but I'll take them if needed. Other than that I plan to swim 2-3 times per week. I should have a pretty good grasp of where I'm at in the last 7 days before the race.

[Double Bellybuster]

Were they talking about first-timers or people with experience?

People with experience and a mileage base in the same zip code as needed.

[eljeffe]

My BQ chances took quite a blow this weekend since I seem to have re-tweaked my achilles on Friday's run. I haven't run since then, and the plan is now to continue recovering to get it back under control so I can go back to the easier long runs. The long slow runs really don't bother me, but running hills hard was too much for right now. So for Victoria if I get there, I get there. If not, no biggie. I still have a valid first corral BQ and a 3rd corral BQ to fall back on for Boston 2011.

[MichaelMc]

That sucks. Achilles tendons are one of those annoying injuries that can just hang on, and/or recurr. I find stretching both the calf and the tibialis anterior (shin) muscles can help, more so if your day job has you sitting in a chair a lot.

Try and re-hab it well and see what you have on race day!

[SteveF]

That sucks Jeff. I've been nursing mine for about a month. Stretching is definitely the key to dealing with it. Doing calf raises on the stairs helps as well. It hurts but I can still run with it. The more stretching after running the less it hurts later.
Where does it hurt? At the heal or above?

Steve

[eljeffe]

That sucks Jeff. I've been nursing mine for about a month. Stretching is definitely the key to dealing with it. Doing calf raises on the stairs helps as well. It hurts but I can still run with it. The more stretching after running the less it hurts later.
Where does it hurt? At the heal or above?

Steve

It hurts kind of in the lower inside part of the achilles. Sometimes it's left, right, or both. It really only flares up after some hard running or lots of uphill. I can usually feel it during the run and it doesn't slow me down, but walking around the next day is brutal. I suspect that my "engine" has too much horse power for my worn out "shocks and struts" at the moment. This whole thing is fairly predictable and I admit I was stupid to try Friday's run. I should have kept up with the easy stuff and tried to get my fitness up with volume, not intensity. In a month. Hahaha.... it was worth a shot.