Checking in for 2014...Chicago Marathon training gameplan
Hey marathon crew! I'm back!!
Tri season is now close to 2 weeks in the rearview mirror for me and I'm rapidly gearing up for the Chicago Marathon. Heading into last year, and even after last year, I planned to be a "one and done" marathoner with the exception of running Boston "for the experience". But paradoxically because I want to "double down" on triathlon next year when I age-up, it means I need to run a marathon to get a 2016 BQ time…since I don't want to punch a hole in my tri training by running Boston in 2015. So that brings me here again…
Thus year will be very different than last year where I was extremely meticulous in my marathon training. Last year I finished my last tri in early June and did run-only training for 17 weeks. This year I have a lot less time. I thought I'd be recovered from Steelhead by the Wednesday after the race (like my other 2 half-iron races this year), but that last race trashed my quads and I wasn't ready to run until last weekend. This week I'm on vacation in extremely hilly terrain so structured workouts aren't an option. I'm therefore using the week to build a bit of volume and a lot of frequency to get back into the running game. I figure the hills will build strength too. I'm halfway into a week targeting ~35 miles in 5 runs on 4 consecutive days (Wed-Sat), with a 90-minute run tomorrow as my longest run of the week. Then next week I'm back in the game but with only 7 weeks of training remaining, and really only 5 weeks before the 2-week taper.
Although last year I headed into the final 7 weeks with 10 weeks of hard training behind me, this year I'm going to be aggressive and target a training schedule and workouts virtually idential to last year's final 7 weeks. We'll see how that pans out.
In terms of goals, my first goal is to get a BQ time for 2016. That requires a 3:10 for this 38 year-old (or maybe I can be slower since I'll be 40 by the time the 2016 race happens). But honestly I'd like to do better than that. My running these days is stronger and faster than last year when I ran 2:57, and if I did the same trainign as last year I'd be gunning for sub-2:55 to improve on last year's performance. However this year the training is different and I won't have 18 weeks of volume in my legs to give me all that endurance. I won't have 3 20-milers and a 22 miler either. So let's put the goal at 3-hours for the time being and revisit after I see how the training goes…
If anyone has thoughts or comments or advice for me please fire away. Below is the training plan and workouts I intend to follow. I'm running the TP intervals at targeting 6:25 and the MP targeting 6:40-6:45. I plan to get on the bike twice a week…an hour on the weekday of a recovery run for some VO2max and 1:15-1:30 on Sunday for some ABP.
Cheers,
Matt
Comments
If you want info on the race or course or whatever I can relate my experiences from last year. Hopefully you can fly in on Friday and get you packet because Saturday at the expo is a total sh*tshow.
Btw this week I'm up in Canada on vacation renting a cottage in Muskoka. Man it is hilly up here!!
I've had success with keeping a track day for intervals during the week (a local pro keeps the workout a lot of fun and challenging, plus good mojo as she trains) and alternating Fast Finish Long Runs every other weekly long run. One week at long run pace. The other I do a little shorter (maybe 14-18 instead of 16-23) but I take the last 6-8 miles and progressively push the pace. The way I read it is to goal the last half mile plus at 5K pace but that eludes me most time. Anyway it ingrains in me the focus to run a little conservative in the beginning but train for negative splits. FWIW
Good Luck everyone. I've never done Chicago...need to get that done.
Oh and another fun one is the (hometown) Little Rock marathon. And I'll host the dinner for team EN.
Matt...I think you need to decide what your goal really is. BQ or sub-2:55? If it is BQ, I think that will have an impact more on your race pacing than training. Probably start a little more conservatively than if 2:55.
Did you do any cycling last year leading up to Chicago marathon? If not, why are you adding 2 days of riding this year, especially ABP on Sunday?
I think the run plan looks good. Only suggestion for consideration is make the run 3 weeks out 22 miles, and 2 weeks out 20 miles. You are plenty fast and fit (WTF 2:12 bike at Steelhead), so what you need is endurance. You don't need to kill the pace on those extra miles, just get them in your legs.
Hope this helps.
The reality is that I don't feel I can set a goal until I see how the training goes. As I said, the way I'm running right I think 2:55 is a great and appropriuate goal, but I just won't have anywhere close to the volume in my legs that I had last year so it's a whole different ballgame past the 18-20 mile mark I think. If I'm able to do the multiple 55-mile weeks and complete the workouts successfully then I will for sure target 2:55. If I can't then I'll dial-back accordingly. I think like last year I'll zero in on my target pace by doing a 5 mile warmup then running the Chicago Half Marathon at goal marathon pace on Sep 8 (again ripping the chip off my bib!). If I can pull that off at 6:40 pace and still complete all my workouts the next week then that's my target pace.
I like the run volume suggestions. The 20-miler 3 weeks out is an organized event by CARA so I'll stick with my pace group then double-back at mile 19 to add 2 extra miles. And I don't see a problem doing a 20-miler 2 weeks out before starting a full 2-week taper.
As for the cycling, that is where I guess the trraining belies the fact that I'm not going all-out gunning for the PR. My approach here is to lay the groundwork for a massively successful triathlon season in 2015. So I'm not going to do what I did last year and let my FTP slide to the point where it has to be seriously rebuilt. You might be tempted to say, "hey, if you're not going all-out for the PR, why not target a 3:05 and do much more balanced training". Well, the way I'm thining about it, this build is about the triathlon benefits of the run-focused training. This year I achieved a breakthrough in the half-iron run that I attribute to my marathon training in summer/fall 2013. This year I ran all my intervals at the same paces and had essentially the same VDOT, but in the half iron instead of being unable to hit my MP target on the run, I was able to hit it consistently and bring my run from 1:37-1:38 down to 1:29. That was huge. And I really believe the high-mileage gave me those benefots and they endured. So this training, is first and foremost to get the BQ for 2016, but also will hopefully cement my run gains and set me up to run strong in even longer distance triathlons in 2015. But no letting my FTP drop more than 10 watts!!!!!
After the marathon I implement the swim-focus.....................