Past 2 Weeks - Changing My Training Execution

October 2 - 8

Monday: 3 miles (9:41).  Easy start to the Chicago taper week.
Tuesday: 7 miles (8:53).  2@easy, 2@8:40, 2@8:20, 1@easy.  All easy running until Chicago now.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:31).  Nice, easy miles.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:33).
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).  Off to Chicago on Friday afternoon.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:31).  Two miles on the hotel treadmill.
Sunday: 26.2 miles (10:10).  The Chicago Marathon. 

Total Miles: 51.2.

October 9 - 16

Monday: 2 miles (10:10). Hotel treadmill in Chicago.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:49). Another easy treadmill recovery run.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:28), 3.1 miles (9:28).   The running streak finally reached 1000 days today and I added a second run at the Fleet Feet Run Sum.

Thursday: 6.22 miles (9:21).  I ran a nice and easy 10K and it was actually 29 seconds faster than my recent 10K Franklin Classic Race, because I was stopping at the water stops during the race.
Friday: 5 miles (9:42).  Easy run from the Library to DCP.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:36), 5 miles (9:12).  Easy morning run around Station Camp and then an late afternoon run on the Station Camp Greenway.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:31).  Easy treadmill miles while watching football.

Total Miles: 36.3 miles.

My analysis of my recent training and the Chicago Marathon.

My recent Chicago Marathon was my second slowest of all time at 4:24:18.  But it was actually my lowest point for marathon running.  When I ran the slower race at New York City last fall, I was injured most of the way, where I really had no excuses in Chicago.

I took a look at my training and I know exactly what happened.  I simply just started taking too many breaks and stops during ALL my runs.  Not just workouts, even short 3 mile easy runs were never done continuously.

I saw that one of my 17 mile outdoor long runs had 40 minutes of down time.  So what looked like a solid 8:45 paced long run in reality was closer to 11 minutes per mile elapsed time.

I ran 3 long runs on the treadmill with distances of 19, 20, and 21 miles.  By the second half of the run, I am getting off the treadmill every mile to wipe off with a towel and drinking water or using the bathroom.  Easily 2-3 minutes of down time per mile.  So even the 19 mile run which looked like a great progression down to 7:35 per mile wasn't as effective due to the stops between each mile.

You really can't expect to get to the start line of the marathon and think you are going to have race day magic and run a good pace for 26.2 mile without stopping when you didn't train that way.  As my coach has said, there is no such thing as "race day magic".  The race is just an extension of what took place in training.  That was never so true as in Chicago. 

So I have to change how I train.  And this past week, I never stopped once during any run.  They weren't long runs and were just easy runs, so I haven't really tested myself.  But I feel like I was more focused on the run rather than wondering where I was going to stop next.  After an easy recovery week, this week will be more focused and longer runs with some workouts.

My strategy will be to carry water on me when the workout or length of the run cannot easily be executed without taking any water during the run. So my plan is to start wearing my Camelbak with water and being able to get a drink while on the run and not having to stop.

This won't be easy, especially when I get to the tough workouts and longer runs.  But if I can execute and keep focused and limit any stops to the very minimal, then I will regain that mental toughness, start to get faster on the long runs, and then race day won't be such a shock to the body.

The improved results won't happen over night, but if I can stay focused and execute, some good things are going to happen in 2018.

So stay tuned to see how many training moves forward in the following weeks and months ahead.

Marathon Schedule

I have put together an exciting and aggressive marathon schedule for the next 12 months.

The goal is to BQ at Carmel, Indiana, in March of 2018 and then try to beat that time at Grandmas Marathon.  Then I will enjoy a fun, easy paced marathon in the Twin Cities in October of 2018.

Marathons the next 12 months:

October 8, 2017 - Chicago Marathon.  Goal: sub 4:00 (going to be warm!)
December 9, 2017 - Rocket City Marathon, Huntsville, AL. (Goal: 3:45)
March 31, 2018 - Carmel Marathon, Carmel, IN. (Goal: 3:35)
June 16, 2018 - Grandmas Marathon, Duluth, MN. (Goal: 3:30)
October 7, 2018 - Twin Cities Marathon. (Easy pace, have fun!)

September 25 to October 1 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:27), 3 miles (9:53).  Lunch time run on the treadmill, followed by an easy Brixx run.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:31).  I was traveling today, so only a 3 mile treadmill run.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:31).  Two treadmill runs at the hotel, while out of town.
Thursday: 10 miles (8:47).  A solid 10 mile run starting at the Hendersonville Library and running to Drakes Creek Park and back.  This should be close to marathon pace in Chicago if everything goes as planned.
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).  I was going to run 5 miles, but right leg felt a little sore.
Saturday: 12 miles (8:30).  The plan was a 2 mile warmup with 10 x (1/2 @ 8:45 + 1/2 @ 8:25).  I got into a good rhythm, despite waiting until 10:20 to start with temps already at 66 and it was 72 when I finished.  But that looks to be the temperatures in Chicago, at least for the second half.
Sunday: 3 miles (10:12).  Very easy run from Starbucks with the 6 AM group.  I may add a few miles later this afternoon.

Total Miles: 43 miles.  A reduced volume week with the Chicago Marathon coming up on October 8th.

September 18 - September 24 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:34).  Easy Brixx run.
Tuesday: 5 miles (9:35).  Easy run on the treadmill.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:31), 4 miles (7:53), 1/2 mile (10:00), 1/2 mile (7:24), 3 miles (9:31).  Started with a 3 mile warmup, then 4 miles sub 8:00, 1/2 easy, 1/2 mile sub 7:30, and a 3 mile cooldown.
Thursday: 8 miles (9:31).  Staying on the treadmill with this warm, humid weather.
Friday: 7 miles (9:35).  Still running very easy.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:56), 3 miles (9:30).  Two very easy runs on the Hendersonville Greenway.
Sunday: 15 miles (9:00).  2@9:31, 3@9:05, 3@8:57, 3@8:49, 3@8:42, 1@9:31.  15 mile run on the treadmill while watching the Berlin Marathon.

Total Miles: 57 miles.  Not too bad as I taper to the Chicago Marathon on October 8th.

September 11 - September 17 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:31).  Two easy 3 mile runs on the treadmill.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:20).  Easy treadmill run.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:48), 4.65 miles (8:37), 2 miles (9:31).  2 mile warmup, 10 x (3:00 on + 1:00 off), 2 mile cooldown.  Tried to run the fast intervals starting at 8:15 pace working towards 8:00.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:59), 3 miles (9:40).  Felt slow and sluggish out there today.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:52).  Definitely don't feel as good this week as I did last week.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:42), 2.5 miles (9:03), 1 mile (9:54), 4 miles (9:27).  3 mile warmup, 4 x Bison Way downhill, 1 mile cooldown.  Added an easy second run in the evening.
Sunday: 21 miles (9:00).  Longest treadmill run ever, running a 21 mile progression starting at 6.2 mph (9:40) and increasing .1 mph every two miles, with the last mile at 7.2 mph (8:20).  That was a long afternoon on the treadmill.

Total Miles: 68.2 miles.  I really wanted 23 miles on Sunday to get to 70 miles, but after 21 miles on a treadmill, it was time to stop.

September 4 - September 10 training

Monday: 1.5 miles (9:46), 6.3 miles (9:19), 0.5 miles (9:16), 2 miles (7:49), 1 mile (7:34), .7 miles (9:49).  A pretty sad performance at the Franklin Classic 10K.
I felt pretty sluggish on the warmup, and my right leg was bothering me right from the start and it didn't seem to let up.  I just kept getting slower and slower, blaming my right leg.  When the GPS showed 5.22 miles, I knew that if I kept on the current pace I wouldn't even get under 1 hour.  So I wanted to test myself, to see if this was really a physical ailment or just mental.  So I revved up the engine and finished the last 1+ miles at a 7:45 pace showing it was all mental.  But I still don't know how to fix this mental game.  For Brixx, .5 mile warmup, 2 mile tempo run, 3 minute rest, 1 mile tempo run, .7 miles cooldown.

Tuesday: 7 miles (9:27).  Nice and cool out there this afternoon after the cold front came through.

Wednesday: 11 miles (9:09).  First enjoyable run in a long, long time.  Just felt so nice outside.
Thursday: 10 miles (8:37).  Plan was 3@Easy, 3@sub 8:45, 3@ sub 8:30, 1@Easy.  The last fast section had miles of 8:09, 7:53, 7:49, so I was feeling pretty good out there.  This week's weather is incredible.
Friday: 8 miles (9:41).  Kept it super easy today after yesterday's workout.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:33), 4 miles (9:27).  First run in the morning around Station Camp HS. Second run on the new Station Camp Greenway with pickups.
Sunday: 14 miles (9:40).  Should have ran early, but waited until after 4 PM after getting home from the Titans Game.  Planned 20 mile scaled down to 14 miles.

Total Miles: 70 miles.  It was nice to get a 70 mile week with all of the miles outdoors.  First time I've had a 70 mile week without the treadmill since May of 2016.

August 28 - September 3 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 1.5 miles (9:32).  Right hip flexor has been bothering me.  Normally it goes away after a mile, but kept bothering me on the second run, so I stopped the run short of the 3 mile target.
Tuesday: 2 miles (9:34), .8 miles (8:28).  2 mile warmup and was planning on 4 miles of 0:30 on, 2:30 @ 9:00.  Right hip flexor was still giving me issues and it was affecting the intervals, so stopped and walked it in.
Wednesday: 6 miles (9:31).  Right hip flexor improving, kept the miles low.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:31).  Right leg felt pretty good today.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31).  More easy treadmill running.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:21), 9 miles (8:22).  Original plan was to run the Races 13.1 half.  I had everything in the car and was set to go at 5:30 AM, but with the rain coming down, I whimped out and went back to bed rather than sitting in the rain downtown waiting for the start.   But got out to Drakes Creek Park just after 8:30 AM and thought I would try the same strategy I had planned for Races 13.1.  I started with a 2 mile warmup and then then plan was 3@8:30, 3@8:25, 3@8:20, 3@8:15, 1.1@8:00.  I had it on target and just before finishing the 9th mile I felt myself starting to get sick.  Stopped and threw up a few times.  It caught me by surprise because I wouldn't think that 9 miles at 8:22 would do that to me, but I hadn't had any calories for 5.5 hours and I was running this pretty continuous as if it was a race.  Body just wasn't ready for that.  So stopped at 9 miles and walked it in.
Sunday: 3 miles (10:22).  3 mile shuffle in Franklin.

Total Miles: 38.3.  Pretty sad to have my lowest weekly total since Christmas week.  The right hip flexor has been bothered and I took it easy a few days.  Hopefully can get back at it next week.