Bruce Thompson Micro Forum
Patrick...Coach R asked me to reach out to you towards the end of Feb re:garding run volume leading up to the Wisconsin marathon on May 2. I've put this race on my schedule for a BQ attempt since I haven't raced Boston since 2010, and a bunch of my local friends want me to join them at Boston in 2016. Rich created my season plan, and has me doing the Advanced JOS thru March 9, then has me loading up the Balanced Marathon. I'm guessing that you can access the plan Rich posted for me in My Training section.
I've had a poor JOS. I got really sick the first 2 weeks of Jan, and postponed the start. Then my daughter had a bad accident and that postoned things again. I really started JOS in early Feb. Also, I was sort of hacking the JOS with the Long Term IM Marathon Improvement plan, so I've been swimming 2-3 times a week too. I used this plan last leading up to IMMT and it worked very well with my AG win and KQ. So I thought I'd use it again. Anyway, here is my running mileage for the last two months by week with long run in ( ):
Week ending Jan 4 - 21 miles (11), Jan 11 - 3 miles (3), Jan 18 -4 miles (4), Jan 25 - 23 miles ( 8), Feb 1 - 25 miles (11), Feb 8 - 29 miles (11), Feb 15 - 31 miles (15), Feb 22 - 13 miles (6), Mar 1 - 17 miles (10). The last two weeks i backed way off since since my left knee was getting a tender with runner's knee. So lots of icing, cut out the long run the week ending Feb 22and did more swimming. I ran 10 miles yesterday on a hilly route at 8:00 avg pace and the knee felt ok. It is ok today following a 2 hour trainer ride. I have a half Marathon "B" race on March 15. I was going to use it for a test, but if the knee is sore I might just skip the race.
Thoughts? What other info do you need and what are your questions? Thanks very much.
Comments
Coach P...need a little advice about the long run scheduled for this Thursday. After IMMT I did the post IM transition plan for 3 weeks and took it easier intensity wise than I did last year after IMMT. Per Rich, I then loaded up the Advanced IM plan to end at Kona. Things were good for a week then I hurt my rt knee. Pretty sure I did it torquing my leg to get my foot out of the right bike cleat. I stipped running from the day after Labor until yesterday ( a full week off running). I ran 3 miles last nite and knee was ok. I ran 3 more tonite at :30 fater pace and knee is fine. Going to do an EZ bike tomorroow since I'm traveling and it will be on a hotel fitness center bike without a power meter.
So should I try running for 2 hours on thursday per the plan? Should I run 1 hour then do another hour on a elliptical machine? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Remember your knee is messed up but you are a fit mofo. To be on a bum knee would be awful for your race (physically and just plain sucking). So your health is paramount. I think that you could get in 90 minutes of aerobic work and alternate elliptical time and run time. Call it 15 minute increments....or two miles running and _that_ time on the elliptical.
If the knee bothers you, back off. I did the MT to Kona thing last year too, and I think my actual "plan" if you want to call it that, was like 3 weeks long.
Good luck!
I like the "smiley" one that goes under your kneecap...
My knee is feeling much better and I've done 5 short runs on it since I saw the ortho MD last Thursday. He said it was structurally ok, just a mild case of tendonits. Last Thursday I ran 5 on a treadmill at Z1 pace, jumped off & rode the trainer for 1 hour and then jumped back on the mill 2 more miles also at Z1. No problems with that workout and knee was fine the next day. Also, my knee is fine with cycling. Rode 160 miles over last weekend and no discomfort or pain at all. I did short (2-3 miles) bricks after each ride on Saturday and Sunday. No knee pain. Ran 4 miles last nite, and no knee pain.
I'm going to run 6 miles tonite with 5 or 6 30" strides. No running Wednesday. So what do I do Thursday? Advanced IM plan says run for 105 minutes. That would be about 11.75 -12 miles for me at Z1. Should I try that? Or should I do what I did last Thursday (run,bike,run) but add some more time to the run? As you can imagine, I'm getting nervous about lack of a long run leading into Kona. But at the same time, I'd rather be undertrained and knee ok on race day. I know I can gut out the last miles. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
@ Coach P...Things went well yesterday. I ran outside for 5 miles in 75F and sun @ 8:40 pace. Knee fine. Then jumped on the trainer for 60' which included 1 x 15' (3') @ 210W (Z2 for me) and 20' @ 225W Z3. Knee fine. Then jumped on treadmill for another 5 miles at 8:48 pace with 1.5% incline. Knee fine so very happy with that. So a total of 88' running and 60' riding. Additionally, my HR was in mid 120's for the runs (low Z1 for me) and for the ride except for the last 5 minutes of the Z3 interval. I was pleased with that too. I iced both knees last night after the workout.
Today the knee is fine...no tenderness. I swam 90' this am so I've been dragging most of the day at work. Time for a nap. Tomorrow I'm riding 4 hours, and running 5 miles. Then I'm DONE with IM build.
@ Coach P...I ran 6 miles on Monday nite in Chicago. All good. I did 6 x 45" stides @ 7:30 pace, and ran the rest of the time at 8:40 pace.
I'm traveling on business this week in Charleston, SC. Yesterday I ran an EZ 2 miles in 83F with 75% RH. My right calf was a bit tight but the knee felt fine. I'm going to try a 90' run late afternoon today in the heat and humidity. Figure it is as close to Kona weather as I'm going to get.