Today's training: 3.91 mi, 39:59 (10:14/mi), avg 140
Before the run today, I adjusted the calibration factor based on yesterday's run. The google earth distance was 3.90 and STraM reported 3.99. The cal factor in the watch was 1.053, so now I'm using 1.053*3.90/3.99 = 1.029. Looks like it worked.
Some notion of a schedule. I'm sure I can't muster the full 10-week between marathon schedule in the Pfitz book which was obviously intended for those who've come off the less than 70 mpw program. I haven't commited to this, but I thinking of deviating a little from the Pfitzinger approach. My problem with the marathon is obviously not VO2max. My 47:21 10K equates to about a 3:45 marathon and I don't think the VO2max intervals are helping me much, if any (they are fun though). Lactate treshold wasn't really the limiting factor either. 95 percent of my lactate treshold pace was 8:41 according to my previous post. If the temps were low, could I have run 26.2 8:41 miles? I doubt it.
I believe my problem is endurance. I did all the miles in the program. Why didn't I have the endurance to finish well at a pace well below my lactate treshold? Well, it's only a twelve week program and I've only been running for 15 months. Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning says it's for someone who's run a marathon before and wants to improve their time. I believe Pfitzinger assumes that before you were fool enough to run that first marathon you had good endurance built up from years of running and racing shorter distances.
The Pfitz schedule for 55 mpw is basically 2 runs during the week (either Tu/Th or Wed/Fri) of 8-12 miles with one of them a tempo or VO2max run, depending on how close you are to race day. There's a long run on Sunday that grows to 20 miles. Two other days are recovery runs of about 4-6 miles and there are two rest or cross-training days. The two 8-12 mile runs move between Tu/Th and We/Fr depending on rest considerations (don't want quality and long run too close together). What I'm considering doing is simplifying this and reducing the intensity, but increasing the volume a little.
Sunday stays the same with the long run, so no need to mess with that. Where do the 8-12 mile runs go? Let's say Tuesday/Thursday. Cut out all the VO2max stuff at the track. Too constraining. It means I have to go to the track. What about tempo runs? I might throw these in just to make sure my lactate threshold heart rate doesn't drop too much, but I'm not going to do the 7 mile tempo run Pfitz had me do last time. Maybe I'll do some cruise intervals (which are like intervals, but at threshold pace -- 3 to 15 minutes at threshold pace with 1 to 5 minute rest) during one of my runs during the week (either Tuesday or Thursday). I won't do them if I don't feel like it and I won't do too many.
OK, I took away, now to get to add some. Rather than two recovery runs and two total rest days, I could increase the volume by adding another recovery run or some cross-training. I can make sure I do them at recovery heart rates with my handy heart rate monitor. I might also tack a few miles on the long run. This sound like junk mileage, but I believe as Napolean said, "quantity has a quality all its own." I'll try and keep the peak week around 60 and not do any tempo or speed that week - 1x20-22, 2x12 miles, and 3x5.
Now to the real reason I'm planning this -- I love running to work. My office is about 10.5 miles from my house and when I run: I get to have a little early-morning journey; I save a 45-minute drive in traffic; I don't to get up insanely early (just ridiculously early); and I get the self-righteous feeling of having arrived under my own power. If I can somehow run to work on Tuesday and Thursday, then fitting in the 5 milers before driving isn't too hard. I could even drive in before traffic and run on the treadmill in the gym at work. The problem with running in is the logistics - mainly finding a ride home. Without the high intensity stuff, this plan lets me shift Tue/Th to We/Fr if that's when a ride is available. I still need a public transporation backup. Better check that bus schedule....
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