RW Forum SIx – 3.30 – 4.00

With the taper, keep the intensity and speed but reduce the volume. We can look in more detail closer to the date.

Cater - you're way ahead of us - we're still drawing up the New Years drink list.

Minni wrote (see)

Cater - you're way ahead of us - we're still drawing up the New Years drink list.

This is probably where Spoons experience is coming in to play. Our New Years drinks list was the very first thing we discussed.....

Thanks Spoons. Plan updated and sent to you. I've added in a tempo and interval session next week. One further question re the long runs. I have broken the MP part of the long run into two parts but feel I may be doing too many miles at MP ? Probably the same question for the tempo runs re length of them ? If you could advise again thank you

looking good.I am thinking of doing llanelli Cater but will make the decision closer to the date............see how the training goes

re: the number of miles at MP - let's see how it goes. A plan is only ever a loose plan and really best to make it up as we go along.

Been thinking - I know you do the majority of your long runs off road. That's fine but I think you should do the MP stuff on tarmac, preferably on a not too hilly route to simulate race day conditions as much as possible.

The only thing we are really missing is a medium long run. I've been pondering this as I'm a bit worried about adding too much mileage due to your commute making your mileage quite high anyway.

I think the best answer is to make sure you get a long warmup on your tempo / speedwork sessions. Could this be part of your commute home? The warmup could start off around 1.5 miles and gradually build up to the 3.3 mile commute.

Would this work OK for you?

The run to and from work isnt absolutely necessary; it was just something I came up with to try and get some extra miles in so that I would be running on 6 days instead of 5. Having looked at some of the other Forum 6 threads people appear to be running either 4 or 5 days anyway, 6 was just the number of days I thought would be best (quantity over quality I guess). What if I gave up those miles to and from work (16.5 per week) and did a Wednesday medium run of 10-12 miles ? So,

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - Tempo 

Wednesday - Medium 10/12

Thursday - Intervals

Friday - Rest

Saturday - LSR

Sunday - Recovery

That would work for me if you're ok with that ?

Carter - you have been well busy on here today and I can see that you are really getting into sorting your training plan. Always good to get these thing settled to allow one to concentrate on the actual training. You can always tweak it as you progress towards your marathon.

Had a quick look at your run from yesterday via the link you provided. That was one hell of a hilly course. Makes what I consider as hills look like small undulations !!

I was a little bit bored at work today so I started developing my training plan in a spreadsheet. So far I have got 2 plans and now need to bring thenm together.

The first is a development of my plan from 2 years ago but based on 5 sessions per week - 3 during the week and 2 at the weekend. The weekly runs are at an easy pace with short runs either side of a longer run and the first run at the weekend ibeing a fast run with the second run being my LSR. If I run on Saturday relatively fast then Sunday by default will be slow.

The second plan is a build on the first where I have introduced an additional session during the week and alternate this between interval (based on 800m laps) / hill (repeats)  and tempo (building to 45 minutes).

Probably will have to slip the HM by one week to fit this schedule  as the one I selected (but not yet entered) clashes with one of my 3 planned 20 milers.

Plan 1 builds the midweek run to 10 miles with a weekly total of 50 miles.

Plan 2 has an additional session being either an interval, hill or tempo.

I could also recast my Asics plan to see what this comes up with based on my goal time. It is based on an increasing mileage and will probably suggest 4 runs per week with different speeds. Not sure of it does interval type sessions.

Will come back to them later this evening.

Should I have more than one interval / hill / tempo session a week ?

What do you think about having a separate pace session per week rather than incorporating it in the LSR  as you were discussing earlier today ?

Once I have the days / miles / purpose sorted out I can home in on my target paces for each session.

I think 5 days per week is probably better than 6 so I will need to come up with a hybrid plan anyway so any input will be most welcome.

That could work better. I think let's not change anything yet. See how it goes after doing a couple of weeks of Speedwork. You may find it's too tiring and the 3 mile runs are easier to cope with. 

And then of course there is always the RW 3:45 schedule to consider ....

Carl - I am a spreadsheet nerd so can always find time to tinker with it. I might even add some graphs to plot my progress against my targets My plan started life as RW 4:30 Marathon plan, then it became the Hal Higden Advanced 2 marathon plan, I listened to comments on here and tinkered with it to suit my lifestyle and now I am taking advice from the great Spoons so it has been refined to my own unique plan. 

My plan now has a tempo session on Tuesdays and intervals on Thursdays. As the plan progresses my LSR will incorporate some miles at MP. I am more than happy with that and the way Spoons explained it makes perfect sense.

Spoons - agreed. Will have a couple of weeks of speed sessions and re-evaluate then. Thanks 

Carl - if you want to have a look at my training plan send me a message with your email address. Cheers

Carter - thanks will do. 

I think you have probably achieved what I am trying to do. I like the basic structure of the Hal Higden plans but think that 6 runs a week is one too many for my lifestyle. I also like variety during the week so one tempo / hill session and one interval session sounds better than 2 shortish runs at a slow pace ( and before anyone shouts I know slow is good particularly on the LSR).

My other dilema is the weekend, Hal suggests keeping the MP session separate from the LSR wheras many on here including Spoons are suggesting incorporating this as part of the LSR. I am open to this idea. Just need to see how the overall mileage works through.

I am thinking of doing 2 HM on my way to Paris. One early Feb and one early March provided both fit with the overall plan.

Have just registered for parkrun as there is one near me. I wonder how these might fit into the plan. 

Park runs are great. You can do them every week and just use them as your tempo run. I have a mate who does our local park run every Saturday as part of his long run. He runs there slowly, sprints round the course (and often wins), then jogs home. He lives about 3 miles away but often extends the route.

I'm off out (to park run!) we'll talk food and drink later.....

The Hal Higden plan is quite good. From memory he does a lot of Saturday 10 miles and Sunday 20 miles I think? Doing long runs on tired legs.

Carl - 5 runs a week is fine, don't worry.

Spoons. wrote (see)

Park runs are great. You can do them every week and just use them as your tempo run. I have a mate who does our local park run every Saturday as part of his long run. He runs there slowly, sprints round the course (and often wins), then jogs home. He lives about 3 miles away but often extends the route.

I do that too - there's a parkrun 9 miles away so sometimes for my long run I run there, race it, run home.  My local one is 3 miles or so away and I find I run it better if I run there rather than driving.

Morning. Been for a trot around Ladybower reservoir this morning. It was windy as anything and pished it down most of the way round. Not many people out today. A decent pace for the first 11 miles then pushed the last 4 around MP. Here is the link - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/255324075