Daniels 2Q Marathon Plan

donnacha

I've been thinking about taking on Daniels 2Q program for DCM 2016. I'm back averaging 30+ miles a week and intend to build this up to 40 miles over Feb/March/April. I'd follow Daniels 'up to 40 miles per week' programme from the start of May with the intention that peak mileage will be approx 45 miles and average weekly mileage closer to 40.

The biggest hurdle I'm having at the moment in understanding it is the lack of a long run being called out on the plan. Do I just assume that I need to fit one in each week? Some of the Q sessions involve fairly long runs albeit they are steady runs or MP runs or mixed runs.

If I was to incorporate Long Runs is it okay to do it the day after a Q session? In the past I would have done a quality type run on a Saturday, Long Run on the Sunday with a Recovery Run on the Monday but just concerned as the plan builds that I could be risking something.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

BeepBeep67

donnacha wrote: »

I've been thinking about taking on Daniels 2Q program for DCM 2016. I'm back averaging 30+ miles a week and intend to build this up to 40 miles over Feb/March/April. I'd follow Daniels 'up to 40 miles per week' programme from the start of May with the intention that peak mileage will be approx 45 miles and average weekly mileage closer to 40.

The biggest hurdle I'm having at the moment in understanding it is the lack of a long run being called out on the plan. Do I just assume that I need to fit one in each week? Some of the Q sessions involve fairly long runs albeit they are steady runs or MP runs or mixed runs.

If I was to incorporate Long Runs is it okay to do it the day after a Q session? In the past I would have done a quality type run on a Saturday, Long Run on the Sunday with a Recovery Run on the Monday but just concerned as the plan builds that I could be risking something.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

My understanding is that in the 40 mpw plan the long run tops out at 17, with a good few in there over the weeks in the 15-17 range, usually alternating between easy one week and with quality included in the long run on the other weeks.
The primary difference between the JD plans and others at this mileage level, would be the fact it also includes another Q session that will 12 miles +, so some weeks you are doing 30 miles + across the 2 key sessions, so he is focussing on accumulated fatigue to see you right on the day.

If you can commit to 45 miles and you feel you need the confidence of having gone longer than 17 in training, then I would add an extra few miles to the easy Q1 long sessions, but don't introduce an additional long run or you've used up all your mileage for the week in 3 x Q sessions.

donnacha

Thanks BeepBeep67. I'm comfortable with the mileage being greater than 40 per week on the peaks so will definitely do what you suggested (just don't want to sign up to the 41-55 mile wk program).

It is the 4-week cycle one I'm looking at (so a total of 26 wks training) - the totals of the Q runs aren't called out the way they are on the regular 2Q program so I've gone back and looked at it there and it makes a bit more sense.

Every 4th week though there are no Q sessions - it says this is the peak mileage week and everything should be easy apart from adding in some strides on two of the days. Should I consider using those weeks to run an LSR or is that going to defeat the purpose of the plan?

BeepBeep67

No, the no Q session week should be just that.
Choose a Q week, example some weeks are 20min easy + 12 @ MP (14.5 miles) and 2E+6MP+1E+5MP+1E (15 miles), you could top and tail Q2 with additional easy running over time to bring this to 20.
2E+6MP+1E+5MP+2E (16 miles)
3E+6MP+1E+5MP+2E (17 miles)
3E+6MP+1E+5MP+3E (18 miles)
4E+6MP+1E+5MP+3E (19 miles)
4E+6MP+1E+5MP+4E (20 miles)