The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method

May 18, 2024

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Location:

Tralee,Ireland

Member Since:

Oct 01, 2011

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

I've never worn compression socks.

Short-Term Running Goals:

To do a race.

Long-Term Running Goals:

1. Break the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group, when I'm 50 in 2015.

2. Never wear compression socks.

Personal:

Married with two girls (6 and 10).

The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method is a four year experiment.

The first year (2012) was about getting back into running, staying off the smokes and booze, while sticking to a healthy eating plan and shedding mountains of lard. All boxes ticked.

Year two (2013 - age: 48) Injured Jan through March. Build back up and work on my 5k speed. Goal 15:45.

Year three (2014) will be about doing my first marathon in the spring. (Just for the experience and on a tough course - maybe Tralee; goal time, 2:30ish.) Then begins the prep work for Berlin 2015

Year four (2015) is all about breaking the world record for the marathon in the 50+ age group - it's only 2:19 :).

The above might sound nuts; it is, but then I'm nuts. Please do not copy any of the training I do: if you do, you are likely to end up running like me - not a good idea.

The idea is to have a laugh along the way. If I fail, I don't know what I'll do - my whole belief system will crumble and I suspect that this little rock might just stop spinning for a couple of seconds. Jakers, I better not fail for all our sakes. That's some burden, even for SuperBam.

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Mon, Aug 06, 2012

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
14.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	14.00

Easy 8 miles. Took a few miles to get going but then everything was super-dooper.

The last couple of weeks have shown me that my crumbling body can't cope with a Long Run, 2 vo2 max sessions, a Lactate Threshold run and 110ish miles all in a week. I've, therefore, decided to slow things down and work on a 4 week cycle where recovery and adaptation are as important as the workouts.

So, the key sessions in the new week will consist of a long run (17ish with some aerobic threshold miles), 1 session of 8x8 sec's hill sprints, 1 hard speed workout: 10x1 min hills/ 5x800m @ 3k pace off 90 secs/ 4x1miles @5k pace off 90 sec's/ 6x1 mile @10k pace off 60 sec's -yuk-, and a weekly lactate threshold run of 4 miles/ 3.5 miles hill climb at 10k pace race effort. All other runs will be recovery runs. The plan is to keep the miles up around the 110-117 mark until March...

If you want to see something special today, check the women's boxing; Katie Taylor (Ire) is boxing a Brit - as long as the Brits don't get another dodgy decision in the ring, Taylor should zip through to the next round and set tongues a-wagging.

6:30 p.m. 6 tired miles. Legs felt heavy. I'm hoping they'll have recovered for tomorrow's workout...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 0.00	Weight: 132.00

Comments

From Bret on Mon, Aug 06, 2012 at 11:43:42 from 64.128.133.66

So - good idea to build-in recovery and adaptation time. Looks like you switched out a VO2 max workout for a hills workout and everything else is the same?

From Bam on Mon, Aug 06, 2012 at 13:44:37 from 89.204.231.203

I tried doing two speed workouts in a week as well as a threshold run but it was too much. So I've dropped one speed workout for a recovery run. Hard days will be Sun - Long run (medium hard), Tuesday - speed/hills Friday - 4 miles threshold (med - hard); the 8 sec hill sprints are not hard. I think I can cope with this over a good period of time without burning out, but we'll see...

From Jake K on Mon, Aug 06, 2012 at 15:25:47 from 155.100.226.54

I think its easy to get caught up in the 7 day weekly cycle. I know I do. But maybe its advantageous to think about 10-14 day blocks instead. Especially when you are really doing a long-term buildup.

Running Times did a nice interview w/ Renato Canova in their current issue. His "schedule" is basically a hard workout, then 2-3 days to recover, repeat repeat repeat. There's no "weekly Saturday long run" in what he does. Then again, part of the reason the 7 day cycle is so convenient is precisely because its convenient - I'd rather do my long run on a Sat/Sun morning, then relax, rather than at 4am and then go to work!

From Bam on Tue, Aug 07, 2012 at 01:13:52 from 89.204.239.34

Jake, thanks for that. I think I'll look at the 14 day cycle as I think I'll be able to tick all the necessary boxes over a fortnight and as I'm in no hurry, it makes more sense.

I suppose I'm lucky, in that when the kids go back to school - Sept - I can do my long runs whenever I fancy. I might just go: workout - two rec days - workout etc. Thanks again; hopefully I should be able to sort this training lark out, soon.

From Rob Murphy on Tue, Aug 07, 2012 at 07:14:36 from 24.10.249.165

I use a 10 to 14 day microcycle with the runners I coach. Just too much to cram into seven days. If you're training middle distance runners up to about the 10000, seven days is too short.

You can get away with seven days if your only focus is the marathon because you can dispense with certain training elements.

From Bam on Tue, Aug 07, 2012 at 09:37:09 from 89.204.249.59

Rob, that makes sense too. Although I want to train for the marathon, I have to get my 5k and 10k times sorted first - so that I'll be able to cope with the marathion pace.

Although I want to work on my vo2 max, I don't want to neglect other elements. Another challenge is patience: the recent workouts have teased me into thinking that I can get down to 5 min mile pace over 10k; I've just got to take my time and let it come, otherwise I'll end up burning out or getting injured.

I'll try the 9 day cycle and see how it goes, if I need to extend it, I will...

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