Liftoff

May 02, 2024

15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

St. Petersburg,FL,

Member Since:

Dec 30, 2014

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5k - 3/8/14 - Armadillo Run - 15:58
10k - 2/7/15 - BDR, Safety Harbor - 33:17
15k - 2/21/15 - Gasparilla - 51:05
1/2 - 12/14/14 - Holiday Halfathon - 1:13:31
Marathon - 10/04/15 - Twin Cities - 2:38:46

Short-Term Running Goals:

2016 Races

Clearwater Halfathon - Jan 11
Donna Hicken Marathon - Feb 14
Gasparilla 15k - Feb 20
Florida Beach Halfathon - Mar 6
??? Chicago Marathon ???

Long-Term Running Goals:

Find balance. Run with my girls. Break 15 in the 5k.

Personal:

Born in 1973 in Southern California.

Ran in high school for Arcadia. They have a famous cross-country team now. In my day, we were famous for dodging our coach during runs.

Over the next 15 years I ran very little, but life was awesome. I lived mostly in Northern California, where I met my wife. We moved back to her native state of Florida in 2005, where I gradually started running more seriously.

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Tue, Jun 16, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.00	0.00	3.00	0.00	12.00

AM: 4 miles. Tonight is a short and sharp track workout, then an easy recovery week leading up to Sunday's 5k.

After that, it's 15 weeks to Twin Cities, and if you throw out the final two weeks for taper, that seems about right for a marathon-specific training block. Over the last two months, I've put down a decent base (could always be more), and I've done some sharpening - think I'm ready to get down to business.

I'd really like to hear about any key workouts other runners have had success with in the build-up to a marathon. I have some things that work for me, but I have a lot of time this cycle and I'm looking to incorporate new ideas.

PM: 8 miles at track. Summer has arrived in full fury mode, and at least once around this time of year I need my Groundhog Day.

On this day each year, I attempt to ignore the conditions, then I explode. At least this year I didn't waste much time crying in my Cheerios. Plan was 5 x 1k with 200 rest, target 5:00 pace. Plan was also to put mind over matter and ignore conditions. Plan failed. Started at 5:30 PM, 94 degrees, 78 DP.

First K was 3:06, felt pretty good! Second was 3:09, skin melting, eyeballs baked. I sat around for 5 minutes in the shade feeling sorry for myself, then jumped in with Lee for his last two: 3:35, 3:36. I rallied for one last K solo: 3:15.

Lesson relearned: start slow and speed up, or adjust winter times by 10-15 secs pace per mile. These roads lead to a productive workout. Otherwise disaster.

Comments

From Mike on Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 13:27:59 from 24.59.121.139

Key workout: work out anywhere other than Florida in the summer. Haha

From Jason D on Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 23:00:06 from 68.80.27.222

I'd be interested to hear what your workouts are.

I think the common one on the blog is to do some sort of medium long run midweek with quality miles (whether an 8 mile tempo at marathon pace with maybe 13-16 total work, or an LT session around HMP, with 13-15 of total work).

The other is "big workouts." Variations on the 10 easy to moderate with 10 miles at marathon pace is a blog classic (though the blog didn't invent it, and of course the blog is made up of people :) ). Split it how you want: 5 up/10 tempo/5 down, but at least one 10 + 10 @ marathon goal pace is good I think. Other big workouts like a 4-3-2-1 is pretty meaty (4 around marathon effort, 3 about 10 seconds faster, 2 around half marathon pace, and 1 about 10 seconds faster).

This is more or less what I do but I bring it up because I see a lot faster and successful marathoners on the blog doing similar workouts.

I also see come steady stuff of around 18 miles showing up. For a low to mid 2:20 guy this is something faster than 6:30 overall (maybe 6:20-6-10 average?) with a good portion at 6 minute pace. This is done as a long run.

I think a lot of work at marathon pace (and even slightly above) is key. Folks say to neglect speed in marathon training, which is fine assuming you already have it and aren't still trying to build it as I am.

From Jason D on Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 23:03:14 from 68.80.27.222

The phrase I am using, "big workouts," comes from this interview with Paul Petersen (on the blog, 3x OT qualifier). Some wisdom here.

http://blog.utahrunning.com/paul-petersen-interview/

From Drew on Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 07:58:21 from 24.73.66.122

Mike - thanks wiseguy. :) You got out at the right time, by the way. But don't worry, the weather will be here when you get back.

Jason - awesome info, and I appreciate the link. I am on a similar wavelength. I will post in today's entry some workouts I like since this post is already a jumble.

From Bret on Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 12:58:55 from 216.234.133.229

Loved the description of the skin melting and eyeballs baking...a la Raiders of the Lost Ark when the Nazi's opened the Ark.

I know there are others who oppose use of the treadmill, but just a suggestion in Florida in the summertime - you may want to opt for the 'mill for some of the workouts that the weather conditions simply won't permit. Not sure you will get the same adaptation with it, but I also don't think that running 30 seconds slower per rep than planned because your skin is melting will help with any adaptations except acclimation to heat.

From Drew on Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 14:03:54 from 173.171.218.92

Bret- I avoid the TM, not for aesthetic reasons (running inside with headphones is fun for me), but because I have trouble transferring workouts done on the mill to races on the road.

That said, I have to agree with you that running significantly slower just to be doing it outside isn't useful either.

I think I'm just going to have to take a pragmatic approach this summer and see what I can do outside, and adjust as needed.

Add Your Comment.

Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.

Debt Reduction Calculator

Featured Announcements

Most Recent Entries:

New Kids on the Blog
(need a welcome):

Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):

Recent Comments: