4 Week Marathon Plan

Gleedog

It's been a while since I've posted here but I'm in a pickle.

I was training for the Madrid marathon (24th April) when I picked up an injury 5 weeks ago. Basically I over trained and under stretched.

After 5 weeks of only doing strength/core work with no running (I was unable to do any cardio like spinning or rowing) I've been able to run for the past week with no pain.

Previous to the injury I got up to 80k a week and was going strong. The day before calling a halt to training I hit a 20k run averaging 4.04 and the week before I ran a 15:58 5k (surprisingly!).

My initial aim was 2:40 but for obvious reasons I've had to scale this back. I'm thinking 3 hours is now a realistic target. My question here is-how do I get back into it?

I was thinking of 3 45 to 60 minute runs this week and a 80 minute run on Sunday (week 1), 3 60 minute runs with a 100 minute run on the Sunday next week (week 2), a long interval, a tempo with a 60 minute run and a 120 minute Sunday run (week 3) then a week taper...

With all that about 2 yoga sessions and 1 core session per week.

So...
Is this a realistic aim?
Any advice on the training?
And please send me all of your luck

Paul

Myles Splitz

Gleedog wrote: »

It's been a while since I've posted here but I'm in a pickle.

I was training for the Madrid marathon (24th April) when I picked up an injury 5 weeks ago. Basically I over trained and under stretched.

After 5 weeks of only doing strength/core work with no running (I was unable to do any cardio like spinning or rowing) I've been able to run for the past week with no pain.

Previous to the injury I got up to 80k a week and was going strong. The day before calling a halt to training I hit a 20k run averaging 4.04 and the week before I ran a 15:58 5k (surprisingly!).

My initial aim was 2:40 but for obvious reasons I've had to scale this back. I'm thinking 3 hours is now a realistic target. My question here is-how do I get back into it?

I was thinking of 3 45 to 60 minute runs this week and a 80 minute run on Sunday (week 1), 3 60 minute runs with a 100 minute run on the Sunday next week (week 2), a long interval, a tempo with a 60 minute run and a 120 minute Sunday run (week 3) then a week taper...

With all that about 2 yoga sessions and 1 core session per week.

So...
Is this a realistic aim?
Any advice on the training?
And please send me all of your luck

Paul

Was wondering when you went quiet and didn't see you doing sessions with T anymore.

Definitely doable my advise would be as follows

- Drop the intervals
- Make your Long runs progressive down to MP (6.45-6.50) for the last 20 min
- Steady pace (slightly quicker than Easy Pace) 75 week midweek run
- Stick to 3 45-60 min easy runs

Don't do anything crazy and your natural fitness should get you there (might not be pretty though)

Tombo2001

Am not a marathon runner, but would have to ask why are you doing the race when you've missed 5 weeks of training, and probably the most important block of running for a marathon runner. I know flights booked etc etc.....but objectively, why would you want to run a race 20 / 30 minutes slower than your potential if you were genuinely fit; never mind putting yourself at injury by scaling up to a two hour run in training, and a three hour run in the race, quite quickly after being injured. I know emotionally you've invested in this race, but I would be asking the question:
What is a good outcome from this race; and how realistic is that outcome given the break in training.

Gleedog

Myles Splitz wrote: »

Was wondering when you went quiet and didn't see you doing sessions with T anymore.

Definitely doable my advise would be as follows

- Drop the intervals
- Make your Long runs progressive down to MP (6.45-6.50) for the last 20 min
- Steady pace (slightly quicker than Easy Pace) 75 week midweek run
- Stick to 3 45-60 min easy runs

Don't do anything crazy and your natural fitness should get you there (might not be pretty though)

Yeah it was disappointing, just getting into it and getting strong...but lessons have been learnt.
Cheers for the tips, will make something proper out this evening and we'll see how it goes.

@Tombo2001
I get where you're coming from but my view is that anyone can do a marathon...it's just about how fast/slow you want to go. I'm coming from a strong base of running and the injury has fully cleared so I feel I should be alright for this block.
Emotionally invested is correct but its more than that. I'm only running at the moment for fun. While I set myself aims, if I don't hit them right now that's ok with me.
There's a group of us heading over and the thoughts of looking back when I'm older and saying 'I didn't run this race because I couldn't swallow some pride and run a bit slower' doesn't sit too well, so f*ck it, lets do it.

Tombo2001

Gleedog wrote: »

Yeah it was disappointing, just getting into it and getting strong...but lessons have been learnt.
Cheers for the tips, will make something proper out this evening and we'll see how it goes.

@Tombo2001
I get where you're coming from but my view is that anyone can do a marathon...it's just about how fast/slow you want to go. I'm coming from a strong base of running and the injury has fully cleared so I feel I should be alright for this block.
Emotionally invested is correct but its more than that. I'm only running at the moment for fun. While I set myself aims, if I don't hit them right now that's ok with me.
There's a group of us heading over and the thoughts of looking back when I'm older and saying 'I didn't run this race because I couldn't swallow some pride and run a bit slower' doesn't sit too well, so f*ck it, lets do it.

Only running for fun and you were aiming for 2hr 40? Come on......

Myles Splitz

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Only running for fun and you were aiming for 2hr 40? Come on......

To be fair the guy us a sub 32 10k runner

Tombo2001

Fair enough; I thought it was "I've only taken up running recently" type situation.

Gleedog

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Fair enough; I thought it was "I've only taken up running recently" type situation.

haha no worries. 15:58 5k for someone only taking up running though?

Also, running is just for fun at the moment. I just enjoy the structure training brings to life. I'm either in the gym or running everyday,. Lifestyle choices and all that

demfad

Gleedog wrote: »

It's been a while since I've posted here but I'm in a pickle.

I was training for the Madrid marathon (24th April) when I picked up an injury 5 weeks ago. Basically I over trained and under stretched.

After 5 weeks of only doing strength/core work with no running (I was unable to do any cardio like spinning or rowing) I've been able to run for the past week with no pain.

Previous to the injury I got up to 80k a week and was going strong. The day before calling a halt to training I hit a 20k run averaging 4.04 and the week before I ran a 15:58 5k (surprisingly!).

My initial aim was 2:40 but for obvious reasons I've had to scale this back. I'm thinking 3 hours is now a realistic target. My question here is-how do I get back into it?

I was thinking of 3 45 to 60 minute runs this week and a 80 minute run on Sunday (week 1), 3 60 minute runs with a 100 minute run on the Sunday next week (week 2), a long interval, a tempo with a 60 minute run and a 120 minute Sunday run (week 3) then a week taper...

With all that about 2 yoga sessions and 1 core session per week.

So...
Is this a realistic aim?
Any advice on the training?
And please send me all of your luck

Paul

I know you may have a big base, and I know you did gym work, but you may have lost more muscular endurance than fitness during that time. If its not a risk to the injury perhaps a controlled set of reps, nothing serious say 10-15 by 200m controlled to get a little strenght back and a little rythm to help the other runs. Controlled hill reps, even better, just on a slight grade.
Your long run build up looks sensible given the time-frame. However, If you feel after the first long-ish run (80 mins) that endurance may be an issue come race day there are options.
You can (relatively safely) add a steady run the morning after a long run.
Say you did your 100 min run on a Saturday evening you could do a steady run on Sunday morning. You'll get the endurance but in a safer way than all at one go. You'll know what you can manage, an hour might be reasonable.
Fitness clearly wont be your issue, but muscular endurance may be. I would think 'strenght' in the remaining weeks. If you were able to get leg strenght work done in the gym that would help, but youll need the time on the legs also.
Best of luck.

uvox

Madrid is one of the tougher marathons in the EU; hilly. But what you want to do is doable. As long as your vascular capability is kept up and weight kept down, given your profile I don't see the problem...

Gleedog

demfad wrote: »

I know you may have a big base, and I know you did gym work, but you may have lost more muscular endurance than fitness during that time. If its not a risk to the injury perhaps a controlled set of reps, nothing serious say 10-15 by 200m controlled to get a little strenght back and a little rythm to help the other runs. Controlled hill reps, even better, just on a slight grade.
Your long run build up looks sensible given the time-frame. However, If you feel after the first long-ish run (80 mins) that endurance may be an issue come race day there are options.
You can (relatively safely) add a steady run the morning after a long run.
Say you did your 100 min run on a Saturday evening you could do a steady run on Sunday morning. You'll get the endurance but in a safer way than all at one go. You'll know what you can manage, an hour might be reasonable.
Fitness clearly wont be your issue, but muscular endurance may be. I would think 'strenght' in the remaining weeks. If you were able to get leg strenght work done in the gym that would help, but youll need the time on the legs also.
Best of luck.

I like the suggestion of the 200m session because it normally takes me a while to get back into the swing of things after not running for a period of time. I hit about 11k yesterday in 45 minutes and I was running comfortably...I found myself having to pull myself back from bombing on, although it felt like I forgot how to run at times, so maybe something short and snappy next week. Good point about splitting the long run if I'm finding it particularly hard so I'll keep that in mind too. Thanks for the reply!

I've read Madrid is quite a hilly course alright with a particularly hard finish to boot. It'll be an experience anyway :P