RW Forum Six – Sub 2.50 Kier with Parkrunfan

Therefore whilst with most runners I am thinking `how do we convert those good shorter distance times up the scale', with Keir I would agree that we seem to have no such issues; however that does not mean that he is weaker at one distance as opposed to any other.

Off for a run now with the master mentor, so will let someone else have a turn 

YD - yeah that's something I'd plan to do in the latter part of the schedule certainly and again not something I've done before in marathon training. I think more of my 20s will be 22s as well just to give that bit extra endurance. Bit daft to start all this planning properly really tho as I'm not back into good, confident, regular running after my injury yet.

On half times conversion, I think I've always put too much emphasis on this going into a marathon. It's never really worked for me so not much point in using it as a predictor this time. I suppose it could indicate what might be possible and a 1.17.59 at Bath would be a good confidence booster.

I nearly enetered that Orpington race about 3 years ago but after reading the description of the previous year's race I was terrified of getting lost, never to be seen again.

As someone who can go 2 miles wrong in a parkrun I could have ended up in France!

Am I right in thinking that this is the one where the drinks station and loo stop is someone's house?

Anyway, you were looking very comfortable in that shot, Keir. What stage of the race was it?

YD - I see where you're coming from in talking about Keir as a good converter, which cant really be argued with.

However, in terms of looking for weaknesses, I would suggest that in this case an alternative approach would be to look at the area for most potential gain.

Keir is still a relatively newbie in marathon terms and at a similar stage to where I am in my comeback phase.

As such, you find that you have to build the mileage up from campaign to campaign. It is always going to be a trade off between total mileage for the campaign and including a sufficient quantity of marathon specific quality work.

If you go for too much mileage too quickly it can compromise the ultimate performance by limiting the speed endurance stuff.

I went for a 75-80mpw average for Amsterdam and ended up with a below par 3:04 and then ran 2:55 at Chester off 58 mpw. That doesnt mean that 75-80mpw was 'wrong', it was just too early in my comeback to maintain that level in a balanced structure.

But I now feel able to handle more mileage while maintaining a balanced level of faster stuff and I suspect that is going to be the same for Keir.

Too much VO2 work will probably push things the other way and lead to difficulty in maintaining, let alone increasing, mileage in comparison to previous campaigns, especially Abingdon.

Overall mileage/Speed endurance/Vo2 work volumes are all variables in a balanced mixture, but the balance has to be felt for rather than scientifically calculated. That is why this is endless fun

YD - Keir is a relative newbie to all sorts of running not just marathons (he was a cyclist), so he hasnt run many races and hasnt really had a chance set a balanced portfolio of PBs yet. P of 10 and PBs dont always paint the whole picture. His best running was deliberately saved for Abo in that campaign. I've never run a 1/2 mara in a mara build up and have some pretty weak PBs as I dont chase them in other races which are all B races.  Keir would make massive gains just running more consistently and building more (impact) miles into his running, as to how that balances out vs the Rocket Science side of things is for PRF and Keir to find a path. Keir likes stats and thinking about things.

I'm doing lots of thinking at the moment TR!

Currently hard to get the time between family Xmas commitments to properly digest what is being said. Hope to have a proper catch-up and post tomorrow.

I think my converstions are pretty standard / good. My endurance is a strength from my cycling back ground but my weakness if probably speed endurance - as identifed by PMJ on another thread recently (that applied to me when cycling as well). However I am concerned that my endurance might have taken a bit of a hit the past year with consistent running and cycling - but not exceeding 40mpw, apart from 50 - 60 since mid November. I also much prefer a long 20miler to 6x800m intervals, but recognise that the faster stuff does seem to get my fitness levels up quickly (such as the HM pb in spring refered to earlier).

KR asked a question about time management earlier which might help PRF if he is looking to re-wrte much of my training plan. I can realistically allow this amount of time every week, possibly more occassionally:

Moin 45min

Tue 90min

Wed 2.30

Thur 45min

Fri 90min

Sat 90min

Sunday - up to 6hrs.

The tuesdays on my schedule marked with SENCO are the days I am at Uni and due to the later start could fit in 2.30 instead of 90mins. The Thurs marked as parents eve or Governors are meetings after school which will mean that I cannot go out on Weds eve as well, so Weds would read 90min rather than 2.30.

On the (sort of) positive side - I found a way to keep off weight over Xmas - be ill. Stomach / headache / cold type virus. Meant I didn't eat or drink much at all, and was a bit grumpy all day. Starting to recover today but taking an extra rest day rather than forcing it. Hope to be back running early tomorrow morning along Folkestone / Hythe seafront at 7am. 

OS - I love the use of the word `gestalt' in your post.  `Zeitgeist' has had its shelf life this year, so it's good to see new Germanic (as opposed to Garmanic) vocabulary appearing.

I’ve just had a bit of an epic readback and hopefully below will answer all question / points which I have missed:

Tenjiso – I expect to follow a programme roughly similar to P&D, but as I posted on the P&D VLM thread a little while ago – I see these ‘off the shelf programmes’ as a basic guide which should then be tweaked and adapted to suit the needs / strengths and weaknesses of each individual.

Speedy – I don’t have any experience of running a HRM combined with a hydration pack nor a bra, but perhaps the Garmin softstrap (the waterproof one) which lies flat might be a bit better.

PRF – I’m glad you approve the 33m Ultra. I fancy doing something different to break up the campaign, but also hope it might have later endurance benefits so long as I can keep it a controlled run.

A PMP+60sec run 4 weeks out on Saturday is fine, although it might mean that I have to abandon my plan to run a flat out 10 mile race 6 days later. Also the Wed I will change to PMP session.

Moraghan – I like the sound of 3x15m easy / 15m HMP. However I would be concerned that the recovery time would affect sessions later in the week. What is the recovery time required in your experience and how often would you get your runners to do this session? Also, whilst the subject of conversions has come up, did you ever get any conclusion from your conversion thread?

PRF - The proposed 10m and 22m progressive runs look painful, but also much more enjoyable than mindless 1600 intervals. I have run 20m progressive starting at PMP + 45sec and reducing my 15sec every 4 miles (final 4m with PMP – 15sec), but 18m steady and the final 4 fast would be a new take. I’m up for both of these sessions.

Martin H, thanks for posting your training from last year. It is interesting to see how you achieved your 2.49 from a relatively low mileage, particularly without having that goal time in mind until late on.

Thanks for reposting your video from Orpington RJ. That was taken at the mile 24 point PRF and I certainly didn’t feel as good as I seem to look!

Interesting to see the general views against 200m / 400m and shorter intervals. I can see that these high intensity sessions bare little relevance to Marathon running, but always viewed them as the final topping to bring me to a peak.

Cheers to everyone for posting your history and training plans, especially to those of you with similar target plans. I’ve particularly enjoyed reading BRs history, PRFs blog and YDs training plan. When I have ironed out details of the plan with PRF I will get it online like YD has done.

Enjoying the training chat on here, I think this is going to be a great thread to bounce ideas around over the next few months. As you said in one of your posts prf, this is why it’s endless fun!

TR, point taken, I will back off if I am making anyone uncomfortable with incessant questioning, certainly not looking to undermine anyone I am just a running geek who likes to ask questions. In terms of experience or knowledge I don’t come anywhere near to the likes of you, prf, BR or Keir for that matter.
I have my own ideas, they are nothing new or innovative and I certainly won’t preach anything on here that I won’t be practicing myself.

Top point about 20 milers as being some round number long run benchmark OS. Off to look up ‘gestalt’ now.

Putting the conversion point to one side, I think we all would agree with what makes up the bulk of a decent Marathon plan (long run, med long run, continuous up tempo run of one type or another and so on….) and I agree we are talking about the tinkering round the edges here, but talking about the tinkering is the best bit IMO.

I think that there are significant physiological benefits to running at or around the LT (I am not talking about VO2 work prf). There is also the benefit that running around LT will make MP feel much easier, though that can wait till closer to race day. As Keir points out with the excellent 3 x 15min easy/15minHMP session that Moraghan suggested, how hard is it to recover from? I find working at LT pretty draining if you string too many of them together over too many weeks, but you get fairly quick fitness results (from my own experience). So for that reason I will have a block working on it earlier in the campaign, say 4 or 5 weeks, with another LT session or two closer to the Marathon.  The benefits of the early LT sessions will hopefully be physiological, the benefits of the later sessions will be about peaking and some psychological benefits. Of course, you could just throw a few 5k and 10k races into the mix to get a similar benefit, but it's not always possible to get to races for everyone. Though I agree, finding the balance is important, and yes it has to be felt, nothing wrong with writing it down and trying to work it out, but you can’t always (often in my case) predict how you will react from one week to the next.

I hope the above goes someway to explain my thinking and suggestive questions posted earlier.

Oh, I hadn’t planned on running above 24 miles, but you have me thinking about it now……

Another variation on the faster / slower / faster / slower session that Moraghan mentioned is one I did back in 2008 and I remember as my most satisfying session ever.

Having done a chunk of those 80%, 82%, 85% and 87% sessions I mentioned earlier, Hadd had me do alternating miles at 6:00 / 6:16.  At the time my best MP was 6:10, aiming for a bit quicker so essentially I was alternating a touch over and a touch under MP.

Whilst the 6m/m were achievable but required focus, it made the 6:16 pace feel very easy - I realised I was doing `recovery jogs' at sub 2:45 pace!!  Also, wearing a HRM, I was running 6m/m without getting up to the outer edge of marathon heart rate.

If I can get my fitness back, I shall certainly plan one of these again.

Sounds like a great session that BR, one to try close to M day I would have thought. How many alternating miles did you do?

That under over session must be good to make PMP feel managable and also to dial in the pace, but I guess you wouldn't want more than 12 - 14m of it before it starts to take its toll. Even the PMP +6sec isn't easy.

Met a mate at 7am and covered 12m along the seafront at a pleasant 8m/m, but I threw in a 5k HR effort - 5.55m/m for 1.5m just to open up the pipes. 

The faster/slower runs are my favourites. 

In the Spring I did this:

5m easy/ 5m steady/ 5m MP/ 2m HMP/ 3m easy   the HMP bit was tough but I managed to hit the paces and the 3m easy at the end gave a good recovery.

YD - I did 10 miles worth of them.

Another variation which our old club coach had us do was 400s alternating MP / 10k pace.  Personally I found that too hard.

In other news the thread mentor got chicked on a MP effort this morning.  There I was sitting on a bench having completed my 5m effort wondering how long it would take PRF to appear around the corner, when Hilly hove into view.  We found him eventually.

We three Keir's of orient are... wrote (see)

Tenjiso – I expect to follow a programme roughly similar to P&D, but as I posted on the P&D VLM thread a little while ago – I see these ‘off the shelf programmes’ as a basic guide which should then be tweaked and adapted to suit the needs / strengths and weaknesses of each individual.

Thanks Keir.

I certainly don't disagree with adapting schedules for individual needs.  The trouble is, I'm probably guilty of "tweaking" a bit too much without fully understanding the ramifications.  This was a reason why I thought a mentor seemed like a good idea (don't feel guilty guys ).

I'll learn by following the adjustments you and the other participants make as training progresses.  You're all too fast for me, but the principles remain the same (I think).

I'm still in two minds about going over 20 miles in this campaign.  I'd like to do 22m about 5 weeks out from my marathon - if I'm up to it   I think it would help me psycholigically, if not physically.

BR - I get chick'ed, geriatric'ed and kid'ed.  I was going to add dog'ed - but it could be misconstrued.

Lol Tenjiso

BR – did he get lost or was he just being lazy?

Minni – I bet the 2m@HMP were tough! Another to add to my ever growing sessions to-try list.

Nice to open up the pipes from time to time Keir

8m brisk fartlek run for me at lunch  (I am at work but am not doing much working today). It’s been an inconsistent 10 days or so without much running, I have been managing a niggle, thankfully I didn’t feel a thing from it today.

PRF - does that mean I can run the same marathon time as your latest marathon now

I had a perfectly good run today thanks......in my own good time .

I dont think Po10 records casual runs up and down the Trans Pennine Trail so if you want to claim a chicking, Hilly, you'll have to repeat the process on New Year's day. Then again, if you're on track for a sub 3 you have every chance of claiming a few victories between now and April.

YD - I didnt get lost, so by the process of elimination........

Right then, schedule planning!

Keir - You're right in talking about a schedule as nothing more than a rough guide.

I was fortunate enough in my early days to train regularly with some very fast guys, sub 2:15 runners, and the planning process was always simple and followed the same process:

1. Decide what the key sessions are that you want to get into the crucial 8 week period and how many of each.

2. Sketch out the 8 weeks slotting the sessions into a reasonably logical pattern but without any great concern about the order of the sessions or what particular days they were on.

3. Have a good look at what you've produced and absorb the general gist of it.

4. Take hold of said rough plan, scrunch it into a ball and lob it in the bin.

The reason for this approach is that no individual session on any particular day is a 'make or break' session, it is only the totality of the workload that is going to produce the eventual marathon performance.

Over time you can dispense with the paper, pen and bin bits and just go straight to a rough mental plan of what you want to do.

I notice that you say you read my Chester blog, Keir. In which case you could be excused for thinking that the Chester build up schedule was put together by an idiot (yes, I know it was but thats not the point ) with a pile of random looking sessions put together in a haphazard fashion.

And, although that is how it appears, there was always an eye to getting the key sessions in and when you look at the overall build up it is difficult to point to anything that was obviously missing despite its randomness.

So the next post will be a suggestion of what your 8 weeks should contain, Keir.

You can then use as much flexibility as you like to schedule the sessions.....

Blimey, its competitive up north!

Look forward to reading the plan PRF