Marathon + OS Come to Jeezus Thread
After scanning the forums and answering a few frantic PMs, it's becoming clear to me that more than a few of you are struggling to balance (A) the demands of your marathon training as the mileage goes up with (B) the work of the OS. At their very nature, the OS and the final weeks of Marathon training are essentially totally at odds with one another. That's not to say they can't play nice, but it does require that you reprioritize how you handle your training.
Note: Once you race the marathon, your OS is all but over. By the time you recover and begin hitting it again on all cylinders it will have been approximately three weeks; you'll need to restart, back up significantly, or transition into another phase of your training!
Goal of the OS: Boosted vDOT through VO2 and Threshold Intervals; Added Endurance through final longer weekend runs.
Goal of Marathon Training: Build your endurance fitness through incrementally increasing long run efforts, periodically interspersed with rest.
These two different tracks play nicely until the long run begins to head north of anywhere from 1h 45m to 2h. It's at this point that the stress of that individual workout is such that it's going to put a hurt on your for at least 48 hours. But if you are in the OS, before that long run you have already been hitting it hard all week; meaning you enter the long run day in an already tired and depleted state.
The outcome is either a poor long run ("I must need to run more!!!") or a blown up next week ("I'll combine those botched intervals into a later, stacked workout of death!"). Regardless of the path you choose, you're going to lose.
Here's How You Can Get Right
If you notice, or are prescient enough to know, that your long runs will seriously deplete you, then you have to make a choice: pick your weekly focus.
If you are serious about your marathon and want to put more emphasis on the longer runs, then move that long run to Saturday after the Friday OFF and know that you'll just need to spin easy on Sunday to flush the legs out. Monday is off and Tuesday you should be back.
If you are serious about your vDOT/FTPgoals and overall triathlon season this early, then you can either (A) opt to just cruise the long run at z2/MP+30" per mile or cut it short under that 1h 45m timeline, using some z2/MP intensity to make up for lost overall time spent running. This run can still stay on Sunday.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we are only talking about six weeks of "stress" time as your marathon nears. You're either tired from peaking the long miles or trying not to get tired as you rest up for the big race.
Remember that if you are tired, just rest. Training the EN way is a lot like weightlifting. If you went to the gym to squat 300lbs for three sets of eight reps...and you could only get 3 reps done in the first set, you wouldn't just keep trying to lift it. Same with your run/bike fitness: if the juice ain't there, take the day to recover and come back stronger tomorrow!!!
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Comments
Thanks Patrick, this is a very timely post. I am doing a Boston Qualifier at the end of April. Hoping to go sub 3:15. I have adjusted my OS by running long on Saturday as you suggested at MP + 30" for up to 20 miles. Sunday is the bike from the Saturday schedule for up to 90'. Monday off. Tuesday is the speed day, 2 miles warm up + 3 miles of speed work (12x400, 6x800, or 4x1200) Wednesday is the scheduled bike from Tuesday. Thursday is tempo run up to 10 miles with 8 at HMP. Friday is off.
So far this schedule is working for me. I find thatbi am ready to implode by the time I get to my off days but recover fully in time forth next workout. I like the fact that every time I get a workout in it's always quality work. I have gone greater than 18 miles on my long run 3 times so far at a very good pace and had no recovery issues. I am sure that my bike improvement has suffered due to this schedule but my run has definitely advanced. Once the Eugene Marathon is over in April I plan to hit the bike very hard to gain some of that improvement back before getting into the build for Ironman Canada
Coach Patrick, thanks for spending some time on the phone with regarding my Boston training. I was poorly attempting to handle both my marathon training and the OS at full intensity. Thanks to our discussion I have modified my training.
Amen P. I did JOS and marathon hack last year and nearly died finally cracking and dropping bike WKO's for 3 weeks before AND atfer Boston then running an uninspired 3:11 despite trashing my bike fitness in the process. Did a BBW in mid May to recoup my bike fitness and was HAMMERED for 2 weeks after BBW!
OS and Mary hack are not compatible IMHO. I completely see why you guys strongly recommend against out season marathons during IM years. You really can't do it all and do it to your best abilities.
Been averaging just under 40 miles a week. Tempo runs Tues; speed work (800's & 1600's) on Thurs; short brick Sat; and long runs Sun. Bike FTP Wed (maybe); longer FTP/85% Sat. Swim either Mon or Fri. No energy left for core till recently - definitely need to work on that for Boston.
Overall doing OK, nothing stellar on the run front and certainly loosing bike fitness. I really wanted to do better at Boston this time around. I see now that I am still doing too many things to get where I want to be. Definitely going to stay run focused thru Boston then switch to bike focus from there to Mooseman weekend.
I agree with the 'no marathon in an IM year' for anyone looking to do well at anything. My problem is I am less interested in doing 'my best' at 1 thing and much more interested on OK at a bunch of stuff......