A make your own marathon schedule

Woddle

To see how much I know or don't I'm making up my own 18 week marathon schedule and I'm hoping to put down the reasons for each session but just wondering which sessions you guys prefer, you know the ones when your finished and you think to yourself yep thats going to stand to me.
I'm not just looking for the opinions of the multi marathoners but the guys and gals who will be making their debut in Dublin or other coming marathons and also if you can tell me why you like that paticular work out. Thanks

sideswipe

I have found hill sessions good. Have done several 10 x 200m hills and felt it improved my stamina quite a lot. When doing the half last week I noticed others struggled on the hills quite a bit while they seemed quite, dare I say 'easy'. I also train on my own so hills are a good way for me to 'push' myself. On the flip side I now have a problem with my right shin and am not sure if the hill sessions attributed to this!
Good luck with the course.

Ps DCM will be my first Marathon if I make it.

Woddle

sideswipe wrote: »

I have found hill sessions good. Have done several 10 x 200m hills and felt it improved my stamina quite a lot. When doing the half last week I noticed others struggled on the hills quite a bit while they seemed quite, dare I say 'easy'. I also train on my own so hills are a good way for me to 'push' myself. On the flip side I now have a problem with my right shin and am not sure if the hill sessions attributed to this!
Good luck with the course.

What kind of a recovery would you have between reps and how many miles would you cover for the overall session.

sideswipe

What kind of a recovery would you have between reps and how many miles would you cover for the overall session.

I'd usually do the hills in the middle of a 5-6 mile run
Recovery: I jog slowly for 600m then do the same Hill again (I have a circuit that suits this).

Sub430

PMP session in the middle/at the end of a run - gives you the confidence you can run that pace for an extended period without feeling shattered. The thoughts of doing 26.2 miles at that pace still scares the bejaysus out of me though.

Peckham

Progression runs ("Thirds" are my favourite). Will be putting more of these in my next training schedule.

christeb

Peckham wrote: »

Progression runs ("Thirds" are my favourite). Will be putting more of these in my next training schedule.

+1 and you can't beat the intervals, depends on what you prefer but I found this weeks 3 x 2 miler @ HM - PMP good, 2 mins rest between sets.
8 x 800 is also a good one, bringing it up to 10 for a set of Yasso's closer to the Race

Bobby04

I realised a couple of months back that I couldn't maintain my goal PMP for very long ie. maybe 10 miles max - a long way shy of 26.2 miles!
After a great post by Tergat I started doing long interval sessions once a week. I've built up to doing a mid week session of 3x3miles at slightly slower than HM pace, with 2 minute recovery. Throw in 2 mile warm up, and maybe 1.5 mile warm down, and it's a damn good workout!
My other weekly "big" workout is PMP for approx half (last half) of my LSR at weekends.
These 2 big workouts I think are pure gold for improving endurance at PMP for the marathon and I'm counting my blessings for learning about them!
PS. DCM in a few weeks will be my first marathon

--amadeus--

Interesting - you'll have to pop it up here so we can all have a look

The sessions I find the best are:

LSR: Ministry of teh blindingly obvious but every time I hit the 5*LSRs=100 miles I run well. P&D have LSRs of up to 24 miles in thier schedules and if I miss my target this time I think I'll have to give that a go

Progression runs: Like Peckham said

PMP runs: 10, 12, 15 miles @ PMP, great as a confidence boost.

TBH if I build myself a schedule it'll use those as the building blocks along with LT runs to build the basic speed.

I personally don't put a lot of faith in gut busting VO2 sessions for a marathon. And - personal opinion only - I think simplicity works. It's one foot in front of the other, why complicate it with fancy sessions that don't add much?

btw have you got Daniels Running Formula? There is a formula in there for calculating the intensity of a given weeks training that would help you plan in fall back weeks.

wizwill

Sessions i find best are:-

Tempo - 10-12 miles. If you can do it on your own all the better, just you and the same demons you will meet on race day

Vo2 max session - 2k*5, i know the arguments against doing them but they really sharpen you up

--amadeus--

wizwill wrote: »

Vo2 max session - 2k*5, i know the arguments against doing them but they really sharpen you up

2k VO2 max? That's a bit long isn't it, longest I had seen before was 1200m. Is that a session of your own or from a plan?

scottreynolds

christeb wrote: »

+1 and you can't beat the intervals, depends on what you prefer but I found this weeks 3 x 2 miler @ HM - PMP good, 2 mins rest between sets.
8 x 800 is also a good one, bringing it up to 10 for a set of Yasso's closer to the Race

Yasso's look good --and-- long V02 sessions.

village runner

Never followed a program in my life. With lifes ever changing circumstances i cant say i will do 20 miles sunday on a schedule.

Go on feel. If i am tired i run slow if fresh i run fast.
Always get in a few long ones early in hte cycle in case i get sick which i usually do and i have a cushion. Ran 20 last new years day for a marathon 12 weeks away after a 19 christmas day.

But i make sure i do a long one and a fast one in the week and prefer quality than quantity. If i do 80 a week my fast one really suffers.

Favourite workout if on my own 3 x 2 miles on the threadmill. 3 min jog recovery but if i want to work harder i will take shorter rec.

Woddle

Thanks for the input so far guys, some great stuff here so far.
Another question for you regarding VO2 max sessions. These have never been my strong point but I want to know a bit more about them. In Pfitzinger & Douglas book Road racing for serious runners he says that VO2 max sessions should be done between 95-98% of your HRR, so that means I should be doing mine between 197-201 bpm, my max is 205. These seem very high and never would I hit these figures apart from my sprint finish at the end of a race.
Have a look at this session below and it'll give you an idea of what numbers I do hit.

http://connect.garmin.com/splits/15180352

Now I know I worked damn hard on this session but in no way could hit the numbers P&D recommend. So have I read P&D wrong or do I not work hard enough (was retching during this session) or is my mhr not in fact my mhr (I've reached 203 on other occasions) or is there another reason?
Also what guidelines do you use for your VO2 max sessions?
Thanks


I do realise I hit 205 at the end of this session but that was the end and flat out.

ike

Tempo Run the longer the better, always feel really good after knocking one of these on the head. Did 14km last Wed about 20sec over my 5mile-10k pace and was totally pumped after it. Strugggled to cover 10k when training for Berlin :rolleyes:

Long run at close to MP as possible (didn't do enough of these before Berlin), but they're a major confidence booster.

If I go for another marathon these are 2 sessions, I'd gve priority to..

Krusty_Clown

Woddle wrote: »

Thanks for the input so far guys, some great stuff here so far.
Another question for you regarding VO2 max sessions. These have never been my strong point but I want to know a bit more about them. In Pfitzinger & Douglas book Road racing for serious runners he says that VO2 max sessions should be done between 95-98% of your HRR, so that means I should be doing mine between 197-201 bpm, my max is 205. These seem very high and never would I hit these figures apart from my sprint finish at the end of a race.

It's the same guidance in their advanced marathoning book. It's interesting, as their Vo2max marathon sessions are usually at 5K pace. I'm not sure how many people could run a 5k race 94-98% heart rate. Seems extremely high.

For the 1 mile intervals @5K pace I did recently, the most I hit was around 89% (average 85%). Maybe we should lower our max heart rates. That'd fix it!

Racing Flat

Woddle wrote: »

Thanks for the input so far guys, some great stuff here so far.
Another question for you regarding VO2 max sessions. These have never been my strong point but I want to know a bit more about them. In Pfitzinger & Douglas book Road racing for serious runners he says that VO2 max sessions should be done between 95-98% of your HRR, so that means I should be doing mine between 197-201 bpm, my max is 205. These seem very high and never would I hit these figures apart from my sprint finish at the end of a race.
Have a look at this session below and it'll give you an idea of what numbers I do hit.

http://connect.garmin.com/splits/15180352

Now I know I worked damn hard on this session but in no way could hit the numbers P&D recommend. So have I read P&D wrong or do I not work hard enough (was retching during this session) or is my mhr not in fact my mhr (I've reached 203 on other occasions) or is there another reason?
Also what guidelines do you use for your VO2 max sessions?
Thanks


I do realise I hit 205 at the end of this session but that was the end and flat out.

HRR = heart rate reserve, whereas you have used your max heart rate in the calculations. Maybe if you recalculate with your heart rate reserve it will come out better?

Woddle

Racing Flat wrote: »

HRR = heart rate reserve, whereas you have used your max heart rate in the calculations. Maybe if you recalculate with your heart rate reserve it will come out better?

No I probably confused matters by adding in my MHR, the calculations are based on 205-45=160, so 95% gives me 152+45=197

It just seems so high, I've just being going through Salazar's book and he says forget about heart rate monitors for short to medium reps as the feedback is useless over such a short period of time.

Racing Flat

Woddle wrote: »

No I probably confused matters by adding in my MHR, the calculations are based on 205-45=160, so 95% gives me 152+45=197

It just seems so high, I've just being going through Salazar's book and he says forget about heart rate monitors for short to medium reps as the feedback is useless over such a short period of time.

In that case I'd say either your max HR isn't 205, or if it is, it's not really relevant. Better off getting a fitness test to determine your HR at different levels.

Woddle

Racing Flat wrote: »

In that case I'd say either your max HR isn't 205, or if it is, it's not really relevant. Better off getting a fitness test to determine your HR at different levels.

I do want to get one done and have been playing with the idea for a while.
I think I need to get rid of the few lbs first (which I'm finally doing) and dedicate myself a bit more to training and then I can justify getting the fitness test.