By my calculations yesterday was 19 weeks to the Canberra Marathon and time to start thinking about it and planning some long range training. Last year I used a program that got me under 3 in Canberra in 2002 but it didn't do it for me in 2007. I felt I had good speed but not enough endurance to hold on for the second half. I then changed my program to one solely devised by me on a daily basis by in theory following the LYDIARD base building phase.
That is I ran long and often at the highest pace I could manage but within the aerobic range. That seemed to work because in July I was under 3 hours. Since July I have run too many marathons too close together to have any real program other one of taper/recovery. I slight calf strain put the end to any real training during the second half of October and then it was GNW and some recover after that and so I now find myself at the start of December and to get back into some serious training.
The aim for the next 2 months will be just base building. That is if I have a 3 hour marathon as a guide then that is 4.15 pace. All my runs should be in the 4.45 - 5.15 pace. With as few rest days as possible and instead of the hard/easy then it will be long/not so long. But that still gives at least 4 possible types of session with the 'easy' day being short @ 5.15 and the 'hard being long @ 4.45 and other combinations.
Lydiard thought the optimum distance to be run each week was 100 miles so lets say 160k but he did days with 2 sessions. I do not have the time to do that so it it seems that about 140k a week is about what I could expect to max out at. Anyway we will see how that goes for the next 9 weeks and then we will go further with Lydiard than I have been before and then incorporate Hills for 3/4 weeks and then move to some speed/sharpening a taper and we should be primed for the marathon. Lets see how it goes.
I will keep track of the countdown by starting each entry with a number worked out as follows. The Sunday will be the start of the week as the marathon is in a Sunday. Last Sunday was 19 weeks to go so today is 18 weeks 6 days or 18.6 with Tuesday 18.5 and so on
4 comments:
Interesting thoughts Ray. I'm looking forward to watching how it upfolds for you but I love the fact that you are willing to experiment, rather than just following the 'traditional' approach to training.
always interesting reading your blog Ray, i am interested in the lydiard approach i have read a little about his training but not enough.
coming back to running now after 3 months off with knee problems.
The 160k/week was one sesson per day with the morning run not counted towards the total (or so I thought).
Lydiard's athletes were capable of 4:00/km, so around 80-90 minutes most days plus the long run. I'm thinking your 140k should be enough another sub-3 Ray.
Ewen will pace you. He ran a 4 minute k the other day.
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