How many marathons are too many?

[Josse]

I think getting in the pool is one of the best thing to do when you are trying to supplement running mileage.  I swim laps and pool run.  I also think the elliptical is a good non-impact activity to do that builds the running muscles (I switch it up and do front and backwards).  I also think it is important to keep your core strong and do daily stretching.  Good luck with you training  

[Michelle Lowry]

I agree Josse, naturally    I would make stretching and core work an integral part of your training.  It will help you add the miles without injury.

[seesuerun]

Michelle, my email address is...(deleted). After a couple of days I will get back on here and erase this post, but I am sure I will hear from you before then. Thanks again, I would love to run with you guys. I may have something set for Saturday already but Friday would work well. I will ask you about pace and distance when I talk to you to make sure I don't slow you down.

Sasha you suggested upping my mileage while running 6 days a week and getting rid of the speed work for now with some trial races every couple of weeks. I am willing to do that. I feel like I lose my speed however, fairly quickly without my weekly speed work. Is that a perceived loss or an actual one? I also love the buzz that comes from speed work that I can't seem to get with an easy or a long run. I am kind of addicted. Any suggestions? Are my easy runs too easy? So many questions...I feel like I should be paying you guys for all this input.

Thanks for the info Josse and Michelle on cross training. If you do cross train on the blog how do you log that in. Do I count it as mileage or do I just make a note of it in my blog? Just wondering.

[Sasha Pachev]

There was a link to an interview on LetsRun.Com about a guy that just ran a 3:56 mile off base mileage.

In my opinion speed is more likely to disappear/fail to develop when it is not backed up by the aerobic base. In your case: Your true 5 K pace is around 6:00 mile. But because of aerobic underdevelopment you race it only at around 6:40 pace. In that condition you'll have a hard time going any faster than 6:20 pace in mile repeats. Thus your speed work is being done at marathon race pace instead of 5 K pace. You are not developing speed. Your nervous system can do a lot more, but your muscles run out of oxygen far far away from your neurological limits.

The biggest problem with going faster in your training either via speed work or just pushing the pace of the aerobic run is that the end result is that you run less due to fatigue or injury. There is also some scientific research that says anaerobic enzymes hurt aerobic development, but I do not know how much of that is a factor here. I think even if it is true the biggest obstacle comes from the reduced mileage.

Strides, time trials, and races should provide enough of a stimulus so that you will not forget how to run fast.

[seesuerun]

Thanks for the vote of confidence on the 6:00 pace It would be nice to be there. I have already started incorporating your advice. It makes sense and come to think about it, every time I have been hurt it is with excessive speed work. So I will boost my miles for now with the 10% rule and continue my speed workouts later.

The holding off on speed work is a new idea to me and has really rocked my running world. It is a great thing however, and I am grateful for this forum because I wouldn't have come up with that one on my own. By the way what's a stride? Don't laugh I know I should know that one.

[Eric Day]

I was about to ask the same question: what is a stride?

Have you set up the blog yet?

[seesuerun]

Here it is http://seesuerun.fastrunningblog.com/ I set up one several months ago and recorded my workouts here, semi-faithfully at one time. I am not sure why it doesn't connect to my name here.  It must have been something I did while setting up the blog that I shouldn't have done. I have that gift, to do things like that

[adam]

Strides are short faster paced runs 50-150m in length. You generally want to do between 5-12. It's not a sprint, its more of mile race pace. It should not be a workout. You should feel fast and fresh. A good way to do them is to divide them into thirds. The first 20-30 m increase your pace, next 20-30 hold it, next 20-30 decrease your pace. Slowly jog back to the start line and repeat when ready.

[Josse]

In mine I  have a section for crosstraining.  Or you can just do 10 minutes= 1 mile is a good rule of thumb.

[Sasha Pachev]

Susan:

It auto-connects only if you set up a blog, log in, then visit the forum. If you create the forum account first, it cannot. To fix, click on the Profile link above and enter your blog URL into the website field.