Marathon Q+A: GB Endurance Coach Nick Anderson

Hi everyone

British Endurance coach - and Lucozade Sport Super Six mentor - Nick Anderson will be online between 1pm and 2pm today to answer any queries you might have about the first few weeks of your marathon training.

Nick has been coaching since 1994 and is the current GB Endurance and Cross-Country Coach and a UKA Level 4 Coach. A junior international with a string of County titles to his name, he has coached more than 20 women to sub-3:00 level and many more men inside 2:45 and 2:30, including Olympic marathon hopeful, Toby Lambert. Despite this top-level track record, his real passion is helping runners of all abilities discover how to train correctly and reap the rewards of their efforts. Nick is also a Contributing Editor to Runner's World magazine.

We're starting this thread now so you have a chance to post your questions beforehand - that way, Nick will be able to hit the ground running rather than having to deal with too many questions all at once.

Time to get posting!

Catherine RW

Nick ,

Following the Full Potential training last weekend ... I am trying to get my pace right and constant.

Marathon PACE .... !!!

I am trying to throw marathon pace into a few of my runs, just to get a feel of things BUT I dont have a Garmin and my efforts this week have proved way to fast ..

8.00 / 8.10 min miles should be feasible but on a 9 mile run I was over 4 mins too quick .. Any ideas , training ideas on how to get a constant marathon pace ... ?? 

Hi Nick, training for my 5th marathon but have just started road cycling too.  I've done 21m today on the bike and doing a 15m run in the morning.  I want to continue a long bike ride each week and I see this as cross training.  Do you think there is a max or min amount of cycling that can be safely incorporated in to marathon training?  I also do:  Monday easy run 4miles; Tuesday speed/interval sessions; Thursday tempo running; Saturday or Sunday long run with an easier run on the other day of around 5 miles.

Hi Nick

I have recently started training for the FLM 2009 and whilst I have a fairly decent level of fitness I find the long run's slightly daunting and dare I say it - Boring. Can you give any tips to stay motivated and focused. I do pretty much all my training on my own and am not looking forward to the long run's over the next 4 months!

Thanks

Hello Nick, In South Yorkshire our 5 mile road league (of which there are 4 races) has the 1st 3 races on consecutive Wednesdays leading right up to FLM. What would your suggestions be as to racing them?

My normal "Final race" would be a 10K 2-3 weeks before the marathon.

Re Steve Hilliard

It could be you are much fitter than you think! Therefore your marathon pace needs to be reviewed. However, there is a chance that you are pushing too hard. Remember, this pace needs to be realistic and maintained for 26.2 miles.

Could you have maintained the pace ran this week for 26 miles or close to this? If not, then you are pushing too much.

Re pace without a garmin, learn to feel the pace and effort. marathon pace, if fit, could be easier than threshold but perhaps a touch quicker than your easy/steady runs. Rate of perceived exertion might be 7.5/10.

Hope that hlps

Re tonythetiger

Hi, it can be good to race a few 5 milers or 10ks in a marathon build to either get a faster workout or make training interesting.

I would run the last one hard to sharpen pre London if it is 2-3 weeks before the big day. The others could be good training prep and could be run as below:

 10-15 mins easy + 5 miles @ threshold + 10-15 mins easy

Or 5 miles easy then race but do 5 miles threshold. A clever way to run a midweek longer run and specific to marathon prep.

or use as your long run - 5 miles easy/5 miles steady/ then 5 miles at marathon pace

Just some ideas

Thanks for input  

I think 8 mins / 8.10 would be feasible over the FLM but definately  the pace of my 9 miles run would not be achievable over 26.2 miles or it would be foolish of me to try - Half Marathon possibly for a PB but no more than that ... 

A you say Less is more !!  

 Hi,

 I having been training for my marathon (FLM) this year, after taking up running last October.  I have an issue with all my runs, that after warming up (1M jog for example) my knees and ankle seems to get locked up, and can hurt pretty much for a bit that I want to stop, I have to phyiscally carry on, and after another mile then it is plain sailing then to run 4+ miles.   I heard of shim split etc, but it doesnt hurt after the 2nd mile.

Is this a physical or phycological issue?

 I do 2 easy and 1 medium and 1 long runs per week at moment LR is currently 6 miles.  I try and do speed work, but I cant retain the speed over a full mile.  My LR average running at the moment is 11.5mins/mile, fast - I can do 9:30 mins per mile, but only for a mile, after that I am exhausted.  I am trying to follow the sub 4:30 Garmin plan on Runnersworld, which is going well on the easy and long runs, but not the brisk/steady/fast.

What do you recommended, about the speed session, are they importants and whether they can be replaced by non speed exercise?

Many regards

Re JimmyF

Yep long runs can be really boring for some people. There are lots of ways to make it a little easier, but you do need to do them.............!

Listen to music on the MP3 etc

Run with other people from a club or group that meets. Many groups/clubs do long runs on Saturdays/Sundays and this can be a good social experience

Vary your route and take in interesting locations or scenic areas

Vary the terrain if possible using the countyside, paths, trails and rd

Enter races but run them as long runs or part o the log run. eg - a half marathon can be run easy pace if you dont allow yourself to get sucked into racing! Even a 10k can help, you just run for a period of time before, thn include the 10k at easy or marathon pace, then maybe add more easy running on after if you need to. Using races as training runs teaches you to run in a race environment, practice drinks nd getting used to standing on a start line. RUN YOUR PACE THOUGH!

Hi Nick

I ran New York (Nov 08) my first marathon in 3:34. For the FLM in April I was aiming for 3:30 & am following the RW training plan, as I did for NYC - would it be overly ambitious to aim for a bit less than this or should I stick to 3:30?

Thanks

Re Susan Slim

 Hi, great to hear from you and well done with those marathons! Thanks for the kind words. Yes I do remember the guys. Keep in touch with us............Nick

Nick, most of the literature I've read recommends marathon pace +10-20% for the general aerobic component of marathon training. A lot of my general mileage runs are done straight out of bed in the morning as my commute to work and usu fall in mara pace+25-35% range as I run by how my body feels.

So, I would like to know if these morning runs are wasted mileage and are just extra muscle damage and delaying recovery for very little aerobic benefit.

Thanks.

Hi Nick,

I am following your sub 3:45 schedule on the Super Six thread (for Dan) and targeting Edinburgh Marathon 31/May/09. I am one week behind Dan, so have just completed week one and its all good ....so far.

This will leave me with 20 weeks to fill instead of 16.

How would you advise extending the programme, e.g. repeat certain early weeks or repeat later weeks or sessions to fill the gaps? Would more long runs be better or more shorter interval type sessions?

Also, in which weeks of this 20 week schedule would you Ideally place a Half Marathon or 10k race? At present my options look like Edinburgh 1/2M at week  13 and Edinburgh 10k at week 17.

Keep up the good work. Its great to read your advice to Dan on the forum.

Thanks

John

Re Fiona C

Hi Fiona, for now I would train for 3.25-3.30 re your marathon pace. Choose a couple of half marathon in March and run one hard as a pb effort and the other at MP. If you get a big half pb and also find 3.25 pace for the training half easy, then I suggest your race plan in April could be quicker.

Dont put yoursel under pressure now though. Just do the training an evaluate where you are at the end of March. Sounds as though you are doing a fab job, well done

Re Muppetlegs

Hi, no not wasted miles as you have to run when is best for you. This is reality! The key is that the focused sessions at marathon pace need to feel like 7-8 out 10 re rate of perceived exertion or 75% ish re heart rate. The easy and long training runs can be much slower - thse are often just time on your feet. Dont worry too much re pace - the effort levels are the key.

Choose some races at weekends when you have more time and breakfast inside you to practice real pace marathon runs though.

best, Nick