Adjusting DCM2017 training around holidays

shortie_chik

I'm planning to run the Dublin City Marathon next year, but have a 3 week holiday planned for September 2017 and need some advice as to how to juggle around my long weekend runs / distance building / taper so that I'll still be getting the distances in at a suitable time-frame for the end of October.

I've run the DCM before, in 2012. I joined the mentored novices thread on here and found a LSR buddy which was an enormous help. I will join the mentored novices thread again next year and have recruited a friend who also hopes to do the 2017 DCM for weekend runs. I'm not aiming to run any particular time, just want to have the experience of setting myself a challenge and achieving it again. :cool:

We haven't booked flights yet, but assuming my trip will be something between Friday 1 Sept to Sunday 24th Sept 2017. Moving the holiday to another time / year isn't an option. There'll be a full day & a half of travel at each end of this, so any long runs will have to be done the days before I go or the days after I get back. :eek: I am disciplined enough to put that in my schedule and actually do it!

I've no worries about getting the shorter mid-week runs in. I know I will be able to find a park or a treadmill somewhere and keep some short runs going. My concern is that the LSRs build at a particular pace and I don't want to mess this up!

Looking at the spacing of previous race series, I'm expecting the races to be a similar number of weeks before. I'm planning to run them all if I can. I'll probably follow the Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan again. I'm well able for the mid-week runs as I am, and with some work will be able for the LSRs.

[20 weeks before] Sat 10 June - 5 mile race
[19 weeks before] HHN1 doesn't start this early but I'll be doing a regular weekend run!
[18 weeks before] as previous week
[17 weeks before] 6 miles
[16 weeks before] 7 miles
[15 weeks before] 5 miles
[14 weeks before] Sun 23 July - 10k race, HHN1 says 9 miles
[13 weeks before] 10 miles
[12 weeks before] 7 miles
[11 weeks before] 12 miles
[10 weeks before] HHN1 says half marathon race
[9 weeks before] Sat 26 Aug - 10 mile race, HHN1 says 10 miles
[8 weeks before] 15 miles (holidays!)
[7 weeks before] 16 miles (holidays!)
[6 weeks before] 12 miles (holidays!)
[5 weeks before] Sat 23 Sept - half marathon race - might be on a plane, might be home in time! HHN1 says 18 miles
[4 weeks before] 14 miles
[3 weeks before] 20 miles
[2 weeks before] 12 miles
[1 week before] 8 miles
[race day!] Sun 29 Oct - DCM 2017

8 weeks before to 5 weeks before is where I need help scheduling. Realistically, I can fit in a 12 mile run on a weekend, and not be a creaky old lady for sightseeing the next day. 15 or 16 miles might be a bit tougher though. I know myself that I'll be able for the distances by then, but if anyone might suggest an alternative build / taper, that has shorter distances for those weeks (maybe building up more before I go away, then stepping back while on holidays?), I'd be very grateful. I can follow a plan no problem, but don't have the experience myself to think I can re-jig Hal's schedule!

Could I perhaps do something like start HHN1 3 weeks earlier, build up to 15 - 16 - 12 - 18 miles in the month before I go away, and then do something like 10 miles maintenance each weekend during the trip, and get back into the HHN1 schedule the week I get back?

Maybe the advice will be to abandon DCM2017 but for eh, personal reasons, it's 2017 or not again for a few more years! Hoping someone experienced can help guide me!

Singer

Have you considered doing a different marathon, like Cork or Derry in June? Or maybe drop the marathon plan entirely and follow a training plan for something like the Rock'nRoll half marathon in August? That'd be the easiest way of de-stressing the situation

Otherwise, starting the plan 3 weeks early sounds about right to me, and try to get in as much as possible over the holiday. I'd drop the race series half though, and maybe consider some different races in the build-up than the race series (i.e. longer ones sooner - again, the Rock'n'Roll half could be a good one to consider).

shortie_chik

I had thought about doing a different marathon, but the novices thread is such a great community that last time I didn't feel like I was training on my own! Plus I've got an LSR buddy lined up for October now, don't want to disappoint her either!

If you (I'm going to assume are more experienced at training than me and) think that just starting the schedule a few weeks earlier and just maintaining while I'm away is safe enough, that's good to hear!

If I miss out the half marathon in the race series, I'm not too bothered about that. I've done that series a few time before, but never the Rock & Roll one. Would be fun to do some new routes!

vanderlyle

You said yourself that you're not trying for a time, so don't worry about it. As Singer said, start your training 3-4 weeks early and get your long runs up and stay ahead of the plan. That way you'll have a decent base and missing one or two long runs while not ideal won't mean the end of your goal.

+1 on skipping the race series half. Write it off now. You'll be just after spending 24hrs+ sitting on a plane, and following that with a half marathon might do more harm than good. Instead, when you're back and rested after the flight, you could swap the 14 mile run at 4 weeks out for something longer. Maybe do the previous week's 18 mile, as you won't need that step-back week that the plan has at 4 miles out.

Murph_D

Hi shortie_chik - I remember you from the Class of 2012, my own novice year.

I agree with the start early and maintain-on-hols plan. You'll be building up to 18 miles before you go but that 20-miler 5-6 weeks later might be tough if you're only getting in a 12 mile LSR for the weeks you're away. Personally I would try to get in another 18 miler maybe two weeks after the first, if at all possible. Are you going to a hot country? Even if you are, I've found it possible to get some long ones in abroad, even if it means getting up (very) early. Just the once, like. The great thing about being on holidays is you usually have more time to recover.

You're certainly planning ahead, which bodes well for next year! Best of luck with it.

shortie_chik

Hello Murph_D! Looks like some of the Class of 2012 kept up the running a bit more seriously than others! I pretty much "retired" after DCM 2012 but for the last few years, I feel bit envious when marathon time rolls around! So this year I decided that next time I'll be one of those fit people running around the park at all crazy hours of the morning! Chasing glory! :pac:

You make a good point about doing 20m after holidays if I've only been doing medium distances for the previous 3 weeks. I have been looking again at the HHN2 plan these last few days. As I'm giving myself plenty of time to work up to it, I think I should be able for those distances. I hope if I build up the longer distances a bit more going by the HHN2 plan, and get started in plenty of time, I could have built up towards 20m before I go away, then maintain for the 3 weeks, and coming back to do 12 + 20 the following 2 weeks mightn't be such a shock!

I'm planning to go to Japan. It shouldn't be scorchio at that time of year, I'll have checked out parks and climate for each area we might visit so I can plan my runs into the trip. Very excited for my big plans for 2017!

I am planning well ahead. I do love having a plan!

Murph_D

Japan - a running Mecca. Sure you might even find a HM to do while you're there. I'd recommend HHN2 over N1 - more MP running in it, and you should be well up for it.

Bungy Girl

Japan! Lucky you. I was there in 2010 and had some really enjoyable runs in Tokyo, Hakone, Kobe and Kyoto including a memorable track session with this club who are English speaking and go for dinner together after their session every week! They welcome guest runners and could probably suggest some routes.

Feel free to PM me closer to your trip if you want any more information.