December 28, 2009

Gearing Up

This is a week of gearing up for my next 12-week training program, leading to the LA Marathon on March 21 (goal time 3:04...again).
My original plan was to do 100km/62mi weeks with a long, hard (progressive) 35km run on Sundays. However, my two marathon gurus, Joachim and Steve, told me that long hard runs are not important. What is important is mileage, i.e., the more, the better. This was confirmed by Scott (In the Long Run) Brown, who piled on the miles this fall and ran a 2:45 at age 44. Not to mention Hosaka's 210km a week. Anyway, they said I should run 120km a week, with no extra-long hard runs, but a marathon pace run once a week.
So...the program is:
Tues: 20k @5:00 (moderately difficult)
Wed: 12k easy (am) and 8k intervals @ abt 4:00 (pm)
Thur: 20k @5:30 (moderately easy)
Fri: 15k with 10k @ marathon pace (prob. gradually increasing distance)
Sat: 20k @5:30
Sun: 25k starting at 5:15 and getting faster
Mon: Rest

So to check that I am recovered from Santa Barbara and begin building for that, this week was:
Mon
12k @4:38.
Splits: 5k/5k/1k/1k: 24:52/22:25/4:14/4:02
Legs felt fine, no soreness at all.

Tues
Rest, work trip to Hamamatsu. Which is why I ran Monday.
Also good because I will run a 5,000m time trial Wed.

Wed
5,000m on the track in 18:48
Splits: 3:45/48/49/44/41
Felt pretty good. Ran with Fabrizio the whole way. Time is ok considering I am coming off a marathon and have not run this fast since July 29th (which was 18:38).
Weight: 60.6kg
Shoes: 220g Nike Katana Cage
Temp: About 8C/46F

Thurs
20k @5:28
1:49:23 (27:09/27:09/26;53/28:09). Just ran easy pace, which turned out to be about 5:25/k.

Fri
20k @5:09
1:43:01 (26:56/26:39/24:38/24:47)
Wanted to run under 5:00 pace coming back and did so without difficulty.

Sat
Left knee (muscle above/outside knee?) is slightly sore, so rested. Also doing a long run tomorrow with a lady. (If a lady invites you for a long run, you have to go, right?)

Sun
30.1k @5:32
2:46:50 up to and around Lake Tama-ko. Legs a bit sore and tired the last 10k. Knee was fine.
Week: 88.3km (7 hrs. 50 mins)

7 comments:

  1. 3.08/3.09 is a great time and that extra 4/5 minutes can just happen for no reason - just a good day at the office. I am amazed that there are so few 50+ runners in the US. Here with a much smaller population we have some a number of runners and some are very good. Perhaps the next one will get you the 3.04 you want. Best wishes for the New Year and the training.

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  2. Thanks for the mention Bob, I'm 45 by the way ;)

    Yes, I reckon, the high mileage will do it for most people but I was also doing pretty hard 35 to 40K long runs on Sundays so they may have been the key as well.It's so hard to know what exactly is working.

    For me I think I need to do 150 to 200 Ks a week if I'm to get my times down from here but I still have to do this with doubles everyday so as I can fit them in and not put too much strain on the pegs. 30K morning 10K night.

    You ask me about drinking. I would suggest that you do most of your long runs from here out not drinking or drinking very little and then on the day of your race try to drink as much as you can, even if it is a few sips of sports drink at every station, then you will feel bright eyed and have enough carbs to push in the last 5Ks. Still while it is better to cover this as it is not on your mind come race day I heard Derek Clayton say that he often ran whole marathons without taking a drink of any sort, but maybe he could have run sub 2:05 if he had ;)

    And losing weight is a key but to be frank I didn't, wasn't able to, drop the 2 kilograms I wanted for my last race but believe if I had of I would have gone sub 2:40! The weight issue is an issue for me as I love to eat almost as much as I love to run.

    Good luck with it Bob. looking forward to following your training.

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  3. And yes, no carbo gels during the race but had a few the morning/day before. Our Mr. Lacey told me about this.

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  4. Hi Bob... yes, Scott Brown is just sooo old! ;)

    I'm no guru, but I think the miles will do it as long as there is some quality each week - even one day. If you have the time and the body is up to it, give it a go.

    By the way, your form did look good at the end of Santa Barbara, and yes, if a lady invites you for a run, you must go ;)

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  5. hey..i'm 57...will turn 58 on LA marathon weekend! i too have decided to step up my training mileage for LA...to see if it helps me feel better for miles 17-26. we'll see. happy new year, sir.

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  6. Good Luck. I am looking forward to following your training Blog.
    BTW are you using a garmin? I got the impression from your Marathon report you thought the mile markers were incorrect. Your garmin will tell you this won't it?
    Like Michael B I will be 58 come LA marathon time so will look forward to running that race if I can get sometraining in.
    PS Who was the lady?

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  7. Thanks for your comments.
    Jon: No, I don't use a Garmin, but even if I did, I would not race with it on. The lady was Taeko.

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