The Road to Paris - On a Plateau - Asics Target 26.2 Training

Conversion rate.........1.42 half in Sept at GNR and there should have been another minute or so off that if I had made the right pen but too far back.........so where can I end up Minni next year with a good training base of 1400 miles this year injury free??? Thats the question.

That is indeed the question!  Consistency is key. 

Blimey, there's a narky lot on this thread. Can we have a bit more positivity for Ady please?

Parkrun fan, I'm speaking as a coach. I don't need to have run the distance myself to speak with an informed opinion! Or would you expect Alex Stanton, Paula R's coach to be able to knock out a 2.30 marathon in order to be entitled to advise her on how to train.

And in terms of injury, I'm talking about recreational runners -which let's face it most of us are - believing that the way to improve is to ramp up their mileage.

DSanta2 wrote (see)

Brolish - I'm not sure what plan to follow at the moment. When I was young I ran hard on Tuesday and Thursday and usually 10 miles on a Wednesday but over two runs. I'm not sure my old body would cope now! Great time - just what Malcs needs to hear!

DS2- Have you considered P&D? I don't think my young(ish) body could cope with two hardcore sessions separated with a 10 miler...

I saw Minni kissing Santa Claus wrote (see)

malcs - you'd learn a lot from the guys (and more from the girls ) on the sub 3:30 thread.   Shady has popped in there too so I'm sure he wouldn't mind.   By the way I ran 3:28 off a 1:36 half last year, with about 4 20s.  This year I ran a 3:20 off 1:32 with 7 20s.

That's great stuff Minni. Very reassuring for people like Ady and myself. I will definitely call in on the 3:30 thread. As you know I ended up on the 3:15 thread which was great but those guys are in a different league from me

Sam - don't worry we're all completely behind the shadester! I have no doubt he's going to break the 3:30 barrier and finally beat that giant condom!

Go Ady! 

Well that's next year sorted then

Biking tonight is it?

Ady- great thread you've go toging. Thanks for the Garmin connect- nice to see where you run too. I think you have got a great programme, and envy the coaching you are getting from Sam.

Sam- the advice you have given already is great- really appreciate that you share it with everyone else, and so even the unlucky ones can still benefit.

I have done both my marathons with less mileage, and whilst i think I was better for having another year in the legs, I get palpitations looking at some of the schedules out there (including P&D)

Brolish wrote (see)

Malcs- I've just run 3:26:49 off a 1:34 half so it must be possible!

Malcs- as I said before, I ran 3:23  this year off a 1:35 HM in 2011and 1:37 (fast finish long run 2 weeks before)- you can do it. What did you think of the programme?

SamMurphyRuns wrote (see)

Blimey, there's a narky lot on this thread. Can we have a bit more positivity for Ady please?

Parkrun fan, I'm speaking as a coach. I don't need to have run the distance myself to speak with an informed opinion! Or would you expect Alex Stanton, Paula R's coach to be able to knock out a 2.30 marathon in order to be entitled to advise her on how to train.

And in terms of injury, I'm talking about recreational runners -which let's face it most of us are - believing that the way to improve is to ramp up their mileage.

 

Sam - With all due respect, there are a lot of people reading these threads and hoping to pick up a snippet of advice or two.

The idea is to discuss elements of training and the reasoning behind what is being advised. Then individuals can make up their own minds about the way they want to structure their training.

Being described as 'narky' for asking reasonable questions about advice that is a little puzzling wasnt what I expected.

I totally agree that everyone on the threads whats to 'give it thier best shot' to achieve potential. I merely question that doing more miles is the way to do that.

When I saw 'the least you can get away with' it's because when i do my talks at things like Meet the Experts London Marathon weekend, at least HALF the audience are already carrying injuries, every year, in early Feb from doing too much mileage for their lifestyle/capability. 

Have a good evening all - running or not. I'm off to see Skyfall 

Thanks Clive - the programme you followed definitely looks like something I could cope with. I'm still thinking about the best approach but currently my toughts are to do some base building over the next month or so then move onto your plan.  

If I could get anywhere near to 3:23 I'd be well happy!

Enjoy the film Sam - I thought it was brilliant until that bit at the end where....

So if runners are going into programmes susceptible to injury, why do the Asics schedules have them doing speedwork from week one without a period of slower-running base to build injury-proofing?  In my experience the counter-intuitive way to train is to injury-proof by doing MORE miles, not fewer.  The more you run, the stronger you get.  It's speed that injures, not distance.

I'm sure Ady will enjoy the debates and discussions on his thread, and the encouragement he will get from them.  Keep up the good work.

Didn't thinkanyone was being narky.just asking for clarification and reasons as to why.......

I din't realise that Ady had been having injury problems.....

Evening  all.......

........before I start replying to people on here and joining in actively on this forum, I just wanted to thank everybody over the past two days for their inputs, thoughts, concerns and general banter.

You can't beat a good debate and the good thing about running, is that everybody has their own opinions and views on the best ways of improving. I think I might have inadvertently started most of this off by posting my original plan. Maybe naively I didn't realise that only a few weeks at a time should be shared, as like Sam has said numerous times already, it's a continually changing plan, based around my experience and performances over each training session.

It's certainly interesting to read the differences that everyone has in their training plans. I'm really excited about the one Sam has prepared for me and with total commitment I can't see any reason why I shouldn't reach my goal. If I don't, I only have myself to blame!

Time to get writing...........................

seren nos yn canu wrote (see)

I din't realise that Ady had been having injury problems.....

Errrrrrrr............neither did I? 

I've been injury free for 18months with no current problems at all! 

StickyMistletoe/ DSanta2......The main difference between the training plan I've been given for Paris, is definitely the variety and different speeds in which I have to run. When I ran my PB in Boston, this was my normal weekly schedule. As you can see, there was virtually no variety at all.

Monday: Recovery run of 3.5miles @ approx. 8.30 min/mile. (1 mile run home in evening)

Tuesday: 4 miles at @approx. 7:30-7:45 min/mile (1 mile run home in evening)

Wednesday: 1 mile w/up, then 4x800m @6.50-7.00 min/mile, 1 mile w/down (1 mile run home in evening)

Thursday: 4 miles @ approx. 7:30-7:45 min/mile (1 mile run home in evening)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Long run (starting at 12 miles and reaching 23 miles, with 3 runs over 20 miles). Speed was between 1:50 for half marathon training run and 3 hours for 20mile training run.

Each week I would spend 2x 30 mins on my cycle machine and also do 2x 45 min pilates.

I would do this week in-week out. Every 2nd Thursday I'd do a race at my work, which would only be 3.5miles. Sometimes I'd swap Monday's recovery with a short sessions of hill sprints.

This is why I'm very excited with my current training plan!

SKR/ SC/ Seren Nos - Thanks all for your good wishes. Very much appreciated.

Malcs.......when I first saw my training plan (the revised version, not the original one I posted) I was very content with what Sam had planned. As you can see from my previous training when I ran my PB, this training plan is far more varied, and I'm extremely happy with all the speed work and intervals that have been planned.

The number of 20 milers doesn't really concern me that much.......I'm just coming off running 3 marathons and 1 ultra in the last 5 months, so I'm very confident my base level is well-prepared coming into this.

For some of the marathons I've ran in the past, work or social commitments have gotten in my way (luckily most of my friends chose this year to get married, so next year I have an empty schedule!). This meant definitely not doing as many long runs as I needed to........like others have mentioned on here, sometimes I would only be able to fit in 1 or 2 runs between 16-18 miles. I completed the marathons, but struggled in the later stages, and this is when I also had cramps like you. I think it had more to do with my lack of training than liquid or energy intake before or during the race.

The only problem I see with my training, is I'm yet to find any decent sized hills in the vicinity around me. If this continues to be an issue, then I'll just catch the train to Richmond and run in Richmond Park, my old stomping ground......there's a couple of tasty ones there. 

re hills.......come to visit me in south wales..........we have a hill or two.........i find it hard to find somewhere to run and even pace as there isn't much flats....even harder to find routes on the bike that are flatish 

Mr Puffy.......thanks for the wishes. I've never trained before for a marathon and done a midweek long run. Personally I think I'd find this too tiring and it would start to affect my speed training. I would never say I wouldn't give it a try though!

During my ultra training this year, I did start running home from work once a week (11miles). Unfortunately I had to carry all my work clothes in my rucksack, which wasn't the lightest. I think this created a hunched-over style of running and by the end, my back ached a lot. I must have looked like a shuffling 90 year old!