Training plan adjustment after injury

MayoRoadRunner

Hi All, Have spent more time on here than i care to admit and have gleaned a lot of very useful info so firstly thanks to everyone who has posted here the past 6 months!
First off i'm a 26 year old male. Planning on running my first Marathon in Dublin the 27th October. The training started a few months ago and i had a half decent level of fittness leading into the plan. I was following Hal Higdon Internediate One plan loosely enough. Competed in a number of races to keep the interest levels up and really enjoyed them. Ran the Addidas 5 mile in Phoenix in 30.14 and then the 10 mile Frank Duffy in 1.07. So after those races i kind of had it in my head that i would like to run a sub 3.20 in my first Marathon. Anyways due to relocation i had to move all my running to 100% tarmac whereas before it was 50% tarmac 50% grass. This led to the dreaded shinsplints. Never suffered from them before. Absolute nightmare is all i can say. Anyways just after shaking them off i hope and have started back again after 3 weeks of zero running. i have covered 25 miles this week including a 13 miler today and felt fresh enough after that. Obviously i can't start back into the plan of 40 plus miles a week.
I'm looking for someone with experiance of injuries leading up to a marathon and how they adjusted their plans accordingly. Really want to do a minimum of three 20-plus milers before the big day and not sure how to plan it to allow for tapering etc. Really lost as to what to do. I would be happy to finish in sub 3.45 after all of this. I have signed up for the half marathon in P Park in 2 weeks. Should i still do it do ye think or would i be better at fitting in a 20 miler that weekend instead?
Sorry for being so long winded. Lived and breathed running the past 6 months and the injury has really thrown my plans up in the air.
Thanks for taking the time to read guys.:o

Running Bing

MayoRoadRunner wrote: »

Hi All, Have spent more time on here than i care to admit and have gleaned a lot of very useful info so firstly thanks to everyone who has posted here the past 6 months!
First off i'm a 26 year old male. Planning on running my first Marathon in Dublin the 27th October. The training started a few months ago and i had a half decent level of fittness leading into the plan. I was following Hal Higdon Internediate One plan loosely enough. Competed in a number of races to keep the interest levels up and really enjoyed them. Ran the Addidas 5 mile in Phoenix in 30.14 and then the 10 mile Frank Duffy in 1.07. So after those races i kind of had it in my head that i would like to run a sub 3.20 in my first Marathon. Anyways due to relocation i had to move all my running to 100% tarmac whereas before it was 50% tarmac 50% grass. This led to the dreaded shinsplints. Never suffered from them before. Absolute nightmare is all i can say. Anyways just after shaking them off i hope and have started back again after 3 weeks of zero running. i have covered 25 miles this week including a 13 miler today and felt fresh enough after that. Obviously i can't start back into the plan of 40 plus miles a week.
I'm looking for someone with experiance of injuries leading up to a marathon and how they adjusted their plans accordingly. Really want to do a minimum of three 20-plus milers before the big day and not sure how to plan it to allow for tapering etc. Really lost as to what to do. I would be happy to finish in sub 3.45 after all of this. I have signed up for the half marathon in P Park in 2 weeks. Should i still do it do ye think or would i be better at fitting in a 20 miler that weekend instead?
Sorry for being so long winded. Lived and breathed running the past 6 months and the injury has really thrown my plans up in the air.
Thanks for taking the time to read guys.:o

Did you do much running before you started or is it all just based on the past 6 months?

Cant give much advice as Im a first timer myself but I will say your times are mighty impressive if you didnt do much running before. A 3:20 marathon with 6 months experience is pretty phenomenal.


Anyway wouldnt be disheartened about a 3:45...I know its not what you wanted but many people (myself included) would love to run a marathon in that time.

I am sure someone with more experience will chime in but good luck with it anyway.

Peckham

Will preface this by saying I've never (touching every piece of wood near me) been in a situation where I've had to come back from injury in the run-in to a race, so haven't had your experience, but......

A bit more info on your running history would be useful, in particular the type of mileage and long runs you were doing before the injury hit. This will allow us to identify a plan to get you back on track.

However, based on what you've said in your post, I think it's one of those situations where you have to make a decision, either:
1) Forget about a target time and just get yourself into a situation where you are happy to get around the marathon course - i.e. use it for the experience as to what a marathon feels like, or
2) Focus on the target time, but forget about Dublin and instead aim for a spring marathon

If you decide on option 1, then you ideally need to get up to at least 1, but preferably 2 20-milers (there's not enough time now to get 3 20-milers), and 2 would be sufficient if you just look to get around. Might be worth sacrificing the half marathon for this.

Your times for the two adidas races so far are encouraging, so if you don't get your target time this time out, then you're certainly looking in good shape for the future if you keep things up.

MayoRoadRunner

thanks for the replies Babybing and Pekham

babybing: Did you do much running before you started or is it all just based on the past 6 months?

... I just really ran a couple of 5 miler's maybe twice a week for a couple of years so had a fairly basic base level of running fitness coming into the marathon training plan

Peckham:
A bit more info on your running history would be useful, in particular the type of mileage and long runs you were doing before the injury hit. This will allow us to identify a plan to get you back on track.

Had basic level of running fitness coming into the plan. Was more or less following Hal Hidgeon Intermediate 1 and later 2. So i had it up to the stage where i was covering 40 miles plus per week with my longest being 17 miles. Typical week was something like
Monday: cross train
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 8 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 8 mile pace
Sunday: 17 miles
Ran most of the shorter runs at 7.5 min mile with the long run at 8.5 min mile.
Since i got back from the shin splints i have covered an 8 miler and 13 miler back to back and no problems.

However, based on what you've said in your post, I think it's one of those situations where you have to make a decision, either:
1) Forget about a target time and just get yourself into a situation where you are happy to get around the marathon course - i.e. use it for the experience as to what a marathon feels like, or
2) Focus on the target time, but forget about Dublin and instead aim for a spring marathon

Ya your right Peckham. i guess it is just hard to face up to this after putting in all the effort but makes sense.

Would really like to hear how you think the next 7 weeks should be structured. Hoping to cover 16 miles this coming Sunday so will prob be ready for my first 20 miler the weekend after that. Will pass on the half marathon so.

thanks again