Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf

menoscemo wrote: »

That's great running especially given the circumstances. Remember in the actual event you will be given out water every 3 miles or so (drink as much of it as you can- I see the rookie mistake every marathon of people taking one swig and throwing away the bottle/cup and then suffering from dehydration near the end of the race).
The nausea was likely down to dehydration as much as anything.

BTW there is absolutely nothing in your training to suggest that you are in 3:30 shape. It looks much more like you are in 3:20ish shape . Those last 4 miles today really prove that.

So the nausea may have been dehydration? That would be a relief to me if it was just that. I will definitely take your advice and take on water. They have the course marked where the water stations are, so I will review that...and I will try to coordinate the bloks/gels with water too.

Oh my....so you convinced me weeks ago to consider the possibility of 3:30.....now 3:20?? :eek: Here's the deal....I took two breaks for water today, that's got to count negatively for me......the course is supposed to have more hills than I did today, so you have to factor that in......and the last two miles in particular were an effort, so there's that. I also think I naturally train closer to race pace than I should (born from my swimming days), so I probably look better on paper than I really am. BUT, with all that being said, I will absolutely promise you I will do my best on race day. It's new territory and a little scary, but I will try to relax, enjoy, pace-smart, not blow up, and finish with a smile on my face. I'd feel much better about 3:30 or less if this were a flat course, but it's hilly, so it all depends on how my body reacts to that.

Thanks for your vote of confidence.

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

When are you heading to Taperville?

I think a "soft" taper will start in a week, then the real taper in two weeks. I'm still putting in the time on the bike, but I've switched all bike time to low resistance/high cadence. Dropped the swimming a few weeks ago - it's too physically draining and takes me an hour to travel there and an hour back.

Do you typically taper one/two/three weeks before a marathon?

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

I'm about to pop my marathon cherry - so I'm watching and learning with intent. I'll be forced into a 3 week taper with work travel, so will do some pacey treadmill runs while away and then focus on a proper 2 week taper.
Then need to figure out race week nutrition.

I guess we're both virgins then.

Race week nutrition is an unknown for me as well. Post what you consume so I can learn.

Easy Recovery Run

A short but sweet, loosey-goosey field run. Nothing really to report....nice day here.....grass is getting green....lots of little varmits rustling about.....I want my pool open.....legs and body feel good.

4.23 miles in 40:30.04 for an average pace of 9:34 min/mile.


Trainer

An easy spin on the bike while watching the Penguins and Flyers clash on ice. Nothing really to report.....both teams absolutely hate each other....lots of really good pushing, shoving and swearing.....Kris Letang is hands-down the hottest thing on ice....which reminds me, I want my pool open.....legs and body feel good.

25 miles in approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Oryx wrote: »

By the sounds of that, taper is gonna drive you NUTS

Did I mention that Kris Letang is hot, the grass is getting green, and that I want my pool open? Yeah, taper is gonna suck.

Odin Drab Firefighter wrote: »

Dory i would look at a 3 week taper as opposed to 2 weeks as your coming down off a higher level of cross training than most others preparing for a marthon so would need that little bit longer to leave the body in the best possible shape come race day.
You are going to fly it and your work ethic has been spot on just make sure the next 3 weeks you get it right. I would even go as far to say put up your projected 3 week lead in, stick it down on paper and get some feedback from here.

Wow. Okay. I will look at my training plan tonight and post some thoughts tomorrow. I don't think I've ever tapered for anything for three weeks in my life, but then again I've never run a marathon either. I don't want my body to get stale or put on unwanted pounds...and there is the "going mad" issue...but we'll see what we come up with!

jackyback gave me a bit of homework last night - to post what I had intended to do for these 3 weeks leading up to the marathon so if I am erring in a big way, then perhaps someone will save me before it's too late. Thoughts/suggestions are welcomed.

The plan I am using calls for 3 key sessions plus either crosstraining for 30-45 mins or rest on the other days of the week. I tend to add some mileage to the key sessions, and I tend to go closer to 1 1/2 hours of training on other days. I will start with what I did yesterday since that is technically in my 3 weeks prior to marathon time period.

Week 3 -
Sunday - 4.23 easy recovery field run at 9:34 pace, and 25 miles on the trainer. Total time spent, just over 2 hours.
Monday (today) - planned intervals that will total 4 miles of the fast stuff, plus about 4 miles of warmup/cool down/recovery - total, 8 miles. This is pretty close to the plan mileage-wise.
Tuesday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the traininer or a blend of the two. Plan on doing my normal 1 1/2 hours.
Wednesday - planned 5 mile tempo, but will add approx 5 easy miles in the field after (unless it's raining, then probably an easy 10 mile spin on the bike).
Thursday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the trainier or a blend of the two. Plan on doing my normal 1 1/2 hours.
Friday - rest.
Saturday - planned 13 miles at mp. Will probably spin the legs out on the bike for 10 miles afterwards.

Week 2 -
Sunday - I think I might do a little hill work. Only 6 miles, and I'll go at an easy pace, but to trot some hills in a relaxed fashion might be good for my confidence and body. I'm sure I'll also spin on the bike for 30ish miles - low resistance/high cadence.
Monday - planned intervals that will total approx 3 1/2 miles of the fast stuff, plus about 4 miles of warmup/cool down/recovery - total 7 1/2 miles.
Tuesday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the trainer. Plan to drop this time spent to about an hour.
Wednesday - planned 6 mile tempo run (2 easy, 3 fast, 1 easy). If it's gorgeous outside, may come home and do an additional 2 miles easy in the field to total the night at 8 miles.
Thursday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the trainer. Approximately one hour total.
Friday - rest.
Saturday - planned 8 - 10 miles at mp. Will probably spin the legs out on the bike for 10 miles afterwards.

Week 1 -
Sunday - probably a short easy run (4 - 6 miles) and maybe an easy spin. Total time will be 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Monday - planned intervals that will total 1 1/2 miles of the fast stuff, plus about 4 miles of warmup/cool down/recovery - total 5 1/2 miles.
Tuesday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the trainer. Approximately 45 minutes total.
Wednesday - planned 3 mile tempo at mp. May do one or two extra easy, easy, easy miles in the field if it's a beautiful evening.
Thursday - depending on weather, either a recovery run in the field or an easy spin on the trainer. Approximately 30 - 40 minutes total.
Friday - rest.
Saturday - 26.2 miles at mp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Personally I think you've too much quality in the last 3 weeks; week minus 3 has intervals 4 miles, tempo 5 miles and MP 13 miles, this looks to be about 50% of your weekly mileage. You could probably take 1 mile out of the tempo and consider doing it as a 2+2 and if your only running 13 this Sunday cut the MP miles back to 5 or 6.
What I've read about tapering, typically brings your mileage down by 20-25% week on week, but keeping the frequency and keeping the overall quality at the same percentage levels against your total weekly mileage.
I'm sure others with more experience in the longer stuff will add to or contradict me

When you talk about math and computations I start to salivate.....
Okay...I looked at my last 6 weeks of training and here's what I come up with on average:

Per week, I cycle ~114 miles
Per week, I run ~ 39 miles
(Swimming is a moot point)

Of those 39 miles running, 24 miles are of "quality" and not recovery - meaning that they are either fast intervals, fast tempos, or my long runs. So my quality to total run percentage is 62%....therefore, I need to make sure my quality miles stay at approximately 62% of my total run miles while reducing the overall mileage for the next three weeks. (am I following you?)

If so, then if I keep this week's running mileage at the proposed 35.23 miles (that then means I'm only spinning the other non-planned running days) then my quality miles need to be around 22 miles which is bang on to what I've proposed. BUT, the total reduction in miles with my proposed plan is only 10% this week. Do you think that's not enough reduction? :eek:

I will probably only spin on the trainer about 90 miles this week, which results in a reduction of approximately 20%. And as mentioned, it's all low resistance and high cadence at this point.

Oryx wrote: »

And also remember what a wise old boardsie once told me: There is nothing you can do to improve fitness in the last two weeks before a race. But there is plenty you can do to make it worse.

Was that dpop?

donothoponpop wrote: »

Racoon Queen announced to the world I was in my early 50's, probably to put me in my place after I came on to her. Now I've no choice but to cheerfully play along, pretending that I don't see this as a massive slight and insult from a young pup.;)

Maybe she was too focused on your well advanced and highly honed wit and wisdom that she totally overlooked your juvenile humor and was confused. If we average out the two, I'm guessing you're much closer to your early 40s.

Intervals

It was such a picture perfect evening tonight that I decided to do my warmup outside in the field, then, once warmed and loosened, head inside to the controlled safety of my trusty treadie for the guts of this session.

The field was pretty quiet tonight - didn't even meet up with Mr. Smith's black cat until my fourth lap around....and when I did, I happily acquiesced my furry friend's request for a few minutes of my time. Toyed with the idea of only doing 2 miles for my warmup, but the loveliness of the sun setting on the Massanutten Mountain convinced me to go just a little further to extend my time washed in the evening's glow. Upon my last time around the field, I met up with my black kitty with a knife and fork in his paws and a bib around his neck as he had his sights on dinner in the form of an unassuming rabbit who, fortunately for Mr. Peter Cottontail, just happened to be in my path. When I looked back after scaring the rabbit out of harm's way to see how my feline friend reacted to this foiled plan of his, he looked deflated and incredulous. Oh well. I'm sure Mr. Smith was preparing a fine meal for him at home.

4.15 miles in 40:20.84 for an average pace of 9:42 min/mile.

8 spiffy 1/2 mile intervals on the treadmill while watching the Caps finally beat up on an opposing team. Better late than never, I suppose. Pace for those 8 intervals was a steady 6:40 min/mile. I practiced relaxing and pretending these half miles were the last half miles of my marathon race.

6 miles total in 51 minutes.

Only two more interval sessions until my marathon....yay!!!!

Tempo Run

Only a 5 mile run was on the plan for tonight....and the specified pace was for it to be at mid-tempo, which, after plugging in my target marathon pace and doing a few conversions and impressive math calculations (wee!), was determined to be 7:30 min/mile. Hah! This should be a snap, I said under my breath while waiting for my Garmin to pick up satellite. And what would be the harm of pushing the envelope a little in this short spin around the Greenway? Bad idea.....don't do it.....back away from the sub 7:30 pace.

First mile was fast (7:12).....too fast, but I knew I could dial it back. Second mile was still too fast (7:19), but I was banking "fast" time. Third mile I consciously relaxed and slowed it a bit (7:26), negotiating with myself that I would ease up off the gas for mile 3 and 4, then smash it on mile 5. Brilliant! And then something happened at the end of the third mile that changed the game for me - I lost satellite. I gotta be honest with you, without the watchful eye of pace pushing me along, and because I knew I had (characteristically) tried to over-produce from the outset, I lost my desire to put out full effort. (Translation - I was tired and I had no desire/reason to keep pushing if my effort couldn't be documented.) When satellite came back very briefly at approximately the end of mile 4/beginning of mile 5, my pace was at 7:38. When satellite went dark again during mile 5, I just went into cool down mode. I was done.

I don't really know the mileage tonight, but I'm guessing somewhere around 5.5 miles. Total time, 43:47.48.

By the time I was finished with this session, I felt like I weighed 300 pounds and would be lucky to go a sub 4 hours in the marathon. And just to add insult to injury, my Garmin watchband came apart again where the pin keeps the band connected to the face of the watch due to the stress put on that joint from the extreme angle of wrap because my wrist is so small. I fixed the pin/joint for now, but I'll be devastated if it breaks for good between now and the marathon.

Decided not to do any extra easy mileage in my field.....decided instead to start embracing my taper. Showered and lounged on the couch. Now heading to bed early. I'm tired. Time to rest the body some.

90 Minutes of Much Needed Yoga

That's right, 90 minutes of much needed yoga. Two key phrases today: find your triangle....and....find your boat. I'm happy to announce, both were found.