Target 26.2 - First Timer Steve's Journey to Paris

Nice one Steve, good set of intervals in the bag! I have to say I was a shoe lace convert at the Asics store day too. Always had loads of lace left, ended up doing double knot over double knot to use it up! Now using the above method I'm sorted!

I've signed up to do my first marathon in Edinburgh (May) and like you want to do sub-4:00 hours. Going to enjoy following your thread!

Hello everyone
Good to be back on board the Asics Target 262 ship! Some familiar faces (hi Sleepy Bear and Tenjiso!) and some new people along for the voyage too...

Steve - glad you 'enjoyed' those 400m reps last night  - hope the weather was better where you were than where I was. Got drenched and numb with cold!

I can't remember who commented on the long run paces... Seren? Anyway - I do agree. It's been a new experience for us coaches working with the My Asics tool and I have to admit I failed to notice that all the long runs which were labelled 'comfortable' were actually almost at race pace. So I am going to give individual pace guildelines for each long run from now on. (Mind you, Steve already said how 'hard' it was to run at 9 minute miling so looks like he's made of stern stuff for a first time marathoner ) Steve, I'll post it here but also email to you so you have it to hand.

Ten, you asked about core work. I haven't given any of the runners a specific routine, as have not seen them 'in action' enough to know what needs working on. But I have devised a runner's strength circuit that I am happy to share, technology permitting!

Morning ()

Steve - I was really strict with myself towards the end of last summer in terms of keeping my pace down and found that I really progressed because of it.  Maybe it's because you then have the energy saved up for when you really need it in the faster sessions, maybe it's because the easier runs give your muscles a boost of nutrients from the increased circulation.  Maybe it's because it allows your body to adapt to the the training at an optimal level. Who knows for sure... but stick to it - it does make a difference.  I ran a 5k and 10k PB too off the back of possibly the slowest training I've ever done! Bizarre witchcraft indeed

seren nos yn canu wrote (see)

Great going Steve..I love the fact that this year like last they are trying to be more flexible with goals and to reassess as you go along..........

what were your splits like forthe 400 m

Thanks, yes it makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? The coaches don't know the chosen five well enough to give the perfect plan straight away and things change as training progresses so I like that Sam realises that and is keeping it flexible.

I'm really impressed with what Sam has provided and it sounds like it is going to get even better!

The 400m laps were all very similar, all between 1min 40secs and 1min 45secs... except for the last one which was 1min 36secs. Might have got a bit carried away at the end

A.W wrote (see)

Nice one Steve, good set of intervals in the bag! I have to say I was a shoe lace convert at the Asics store day too. Always had loads of lace left, ended up doing double knot over double knot to use it up! Now using the above method I'm sorted!

Yeah, was a great little tip! Really pleased he showed me it - I always tended to tuck all the extra lace into the side of my shoe, which often got uncomfortable!

The intervals were fun! Never done them before...

lostjogger wrote (see)

I've signed up to do my first marathon in Edinburgh (May) and like you want to do sub-4:00 hours. Going to enjoy following your thread!

Good luck with it! Keep me up to date with how the training is going - one of the best things I've found so far is knowing there are others going for similar goals and going through the training too... Nice to know you're not alone

Steve........i think you did it the best way and had the last one faster.rather than the first one faster and then slowing down

 Hope you have better weather there than here

SamMurphyRuns wrote (see)

Steve - glad you 'enjoyed' those 400m reps last night  - hope the weather was better where you were than where I was. Got drenched and numb with cold!

I really did - I did a lot of 800m and 1500m running when I was younger so I love pushing it round a track with my eyeballs out on stalks

I definitely think keeping my pace down is going to be a challenge... but I will follow what coach says

Sleepy Bear wrote (see)

Morning ()

Steve - I was really strict with myself towards the end of last summer in terms of keeping my pace down and found that I really progressed because of it.  Maybe it's because you then have the energy saved up for when you really need it in the faster sessions, maybe it's because the easier runs give your muscles a boost of nutrients from the increased circulation.  Maybe it's because it allows your body to adapt to the the training at an optimal level. Who knows for sure... but stick to it - it does make a difference.  I ran a 5k and 10k PB too off the back of possibly the slowest training I've ever done! Bizarre witchcraft indeed

Bizarre witchcraft indeed! But, yes, as Sam is just a tad more experienced than I am (!), I'm going to follow her advice to the letter and see where it takes me - I've enjoyed the runs so far so hopefully that will continue.

I don't mind running at the slower paces at all, it's just my 'natural' pace that I gravitate to seems to be a bit faster than that so it's just something I need to keep an eye on...

What are your 5k and 10k PBs, out of interest?

Seren - yes, always good to finish faster!

The weather was ok down here - it has been a lot milder the last few days, although it has been very cloudy and a fair amount of rain...

But I managed to miss the rain - it drizzled for a bout 20mins and that was about it. Anyway, I was too busy posing in my lovely new Asics gear to notice a bit of drizzle!

One downside, though, was that the track was in darkness... Apparently they don't turn the floodlights on unless you're somebody important or an athletics club

Right, me again! I'm posting the first 4 weeks of the plan, which now has long run pace guides and is slightly revised from the original plan. Any thoughts on a race for week 4 Steve? And that 1.36 400m rep was a tad fast indeed! (6.24 pace!) But yes, good that it was last one and not first. Lots more speedwork to come - shorter reps every 2 weeks and mile reps or tempo runs in the intermediate weeks.

Training schedule – Steve

Steve’s target of running his first marathon appears to be a realistic aim, with a 1.52 half marathon and a 49.20 10k to his name. He could even get closer to 3.50 but given that this is a debut race, and that he only has 1 half marathon under his belt, I’ve used the ‘worst case scenario’ previous recent performances to generate a plan using MyAsics tool, which predicts a 3.58 marathon, which is pretty much 9.05 minute mile pace. I’ve used 3 days a week as the ‘average’ but will supplement this with (initially) a fortnightly additional run and later on, move it up to 4 days a week every week.

Steve’s current typical mileage is around 15 miles/week, with a recent longest run of 9.5 miles, so I’ve stuck with the rather conservative mileage for the first few weeks before starting to add extra mileage in the form of the additional session. I’ve also changed some of the Comfortable runs to Steady-paced ones to add more variety and replaced some of the constant-speed ‘fast’ runs with some intervals – Steve has a track just down the road, handily! Like all plans, this will be adapted along the way in accordance with Steve’s response and progress, as will the pace guidelines.

PACE GUIDELINES
Jog (Recovery) = 10.15-11 mins per mile

Comfortable (Easy) = 9.10-10.15 mins per mile

Steady = 8.30-9.10

Fast (Tempo) = 8.05-8.20 (Or for intervals 7.55-8.10)

Speedwork 6.50-7.50 per mile, depending on distance

Week 1 w/c 17th December
Monday 3 MILE COMFORTABLE 
Tuesday REST OR LOW IMPACT CROSS TRAINING
Wednesday 1 MILE COMFORTABLE then 3 x acceleration strides then 4 x 400m (or 100 seconds) at 6.50-7 MIN pace with 2 min jogs in between each. 1 MILE COMFORTABLE (3 MILES)
Thursday REST
Friday 4 MILE JOG + 3 acceleration strides to finish
Saturday REST
Sunday 8 MILE COMFORTABLE (9.10-10.15 pace)
MILEAGE 18

Week 2 w/c 24th December (May need to jiggle for Christmas week!)
Monday REST OR LOW IMPACT CROSS TRAINING
Tuesday 5 MILE BUILD UP (From 9.20-8.20)
Wednesday 3 MILE JOG + 3 ACCELERATION STRIDES
Thursday REST or non impact cross training
Friday 4 MILE STEADY
Saturday REST
Sunday 10 MILE LONG RUN 10.10-10.30 PACE. OFF-ROAD WOULD BE GOOD
MILEAGE 22

Week 3 w/c 31st December
Monday 4 MILE JOG
Tuesday REST (HANGOVER ACCEPTABLE!)
Wednesday 1 MILE COMFORTABLE then 3 x acceleration strides then 5 x 400m (or 100 seconds) at 6.50-7 MIN pace with 2 min jogs in between each. 1 MILE COMFORTABLE (4 MILES)
Thursday REST
Friday 5 miles FAST (Suggest structuring this as 1 mile easy, 3 miles FAST, 1 mile easy)
Saturday REST
Sunday 10 MILE LONG RUN: 5 @10.05, 5 SPEEDING UP TO 9.35
MILEAGE 23

Week 4 w/c 7th January
Monday REST
Tuesday 3 MILE JOG
Wednesday 1 MILE EASY 3 X 1 MILE AT ‘FAST INTERVALS’ PACE WITH 2.5 MIN RECOVERY JOG. ½ MILE EASY 5
Thursday REST
Friday 4 MILES BUILD UP (FROM 9.10-8.10 PACE)
Saturday REST…
Sunday 5KM 5 MILE OR 10km RACE (Let me know if feasible or not)
MILEAGE 15-18

Looking nice a good schedule for you there Steve. Interesting to see this Build up sessions.

Just done an interval session in driving rain and wind tough!!! One mile uphill over 500 feet straight up took me 10.37mins then 7.16-7.16-7.42-7.17 so dead now time for lunch me thinks........ Happy training all.

Hi mcs,

yes, it's looking good so far, isn't it? Yeah, the build up session is going to be very interesting - I am really, really going to have to be focussing on my pace to get that right... I imagine I'll be paying so much attention to my pacing that the five miles will fly past.

It is awful out there, isn't it?? Well done on the session! There's usually chairlifts for that kind of incline you know

What's next up for you?

Steve - I agree it's so difficult to keep the speed down for LSR and recovery.  I'm trying really hard to do it properly this year, because I now realise that it makes the harder sessions more achievable as time progresses.  It's taken a while for the penny to drop 

Hi Sam!  Thanks for giving me an excuse not to start core exercises just yet   I'm still evaluating what I need to work on .  Although, it's not easy to find my core and it will be harder to find after Christmas since I've starting carbo-load practice a little early.

Share away with the strength circuit, if possible.  I would be interested to see what areas are concentrated on to help with running.

How weird - am sure my other post included a but must have pressed something and it's vanished... so here it is again

SLB - my 5k is 23.08 and my 10k 46.54 - neither of which were target races and both felt easier than they should have done - it was a very weird experience indeed given that I was doing them as part of marathon training as tempo runs and to just cruise round comfortably! 

Beginning to wish I was chasing a PB next year myself now but...must ...be ...sensible and stick to the target!  Exciting programme ahead for you Steve! 

it's vanished again:

It was a wave to Sam and a cooooeeee - hmmmm - me thinks the forum settings have changed!

sleepy bear what is your marathon time..........last year whilst marathon training i managed to PB at 5k, 8 miles, 1/2 marathon and 20 miles.............I didn't do a 10k but i did beat my old 10k Pn during my 1/2 marathon............its funny sometimes that you PB when you don't expect to........

Steve.i forgot o ask the important question.is it smoked or non smoked bacon