Marathon Madness - Novice to the Starting Line

Poltergeist

Hey all,

Just registered for the Frankfurt Marathon and began the first week of training.

I haven't much experience in running, outside of running the Dublin Half Marathon in 2006! Time flys. For the last 2.5 weeks, starting from scratch, I have put a little ground work into arriving at the first week of the plan with at least a little mileage and over the initial soreness from underused muscles. Feeling fresh and ready (now) ... plus a little bit of excitement of this Challenge.

BTW bought a new toy .. Garmin 310xt w HRM to keep track of my performance. I love it so far.

I'm following the Pfitzinger and Douglas Marathon Training Plan.

Monday
Rest
Love the way the first day of the plan begins with a rest!

Tuesday
Lactate Threshold 13km w/ 6km @ 4:38 min/km Pace
This was mega difficult session. I thought I couldn't possibly maintain the pace after 2km but push on and stopped listening to the head telling me to stop.

Wednesday
Recovery 5km @ 6:16 min/km Pace
Was meant to be a rest / x-train day but my calves we stiff so decided on a v slow recovery to loosen them out. I seen this mentioned on another log here.

Poltergeist

Thursday
Aerobic Run 14km 5:27 min/km
I include my warm up and cool down in the total Aerobic Run session. The run included a tricky 2km trail of 5:46 min/km pace at km 7 and 8.

Friday
Rest

Saturday
Recovery 8km @ 8:16 min/km
Was a recovery run with 400m of accent! Go figure. Ran it real slow so the run/hills felt easy.

I haven't anything run yet today. Today was meant to be a 20km+ long slow run but it is bucketing down now. Either the rain eases off or I will push it till tomorrow. Will have to shift everything a day back. Bugger!

Poltergeist

Sunday
Long Slow Run 18.2km
Made it out the door, and into the tempest, for this run. So close to jacking it. Lashing ran, parents visiting, getting home late from the day trip, after a big meal ... I could of came up with any number of good reasons not to tick this off ... but can't be having that on the 1st week of the programme! Was meant to be a longer 20km to 24km run. But am happy nonetheless with the 18.2km. Feeling good after the run!

Poltergeist

Was away with work for the week until Friday so the training was a little fragmented.

Bad week apart from a great run today.

Tue 13km run with 10*100m strides
This was the first time doing strides. Not sure if I was doing them correct after reading the DCM novice thread. The strides were forced and I wasn't running relaxed. Also over 100m I accelerated, cruised and deaccelerated. I read however that I should off accelerated and cruised over 100m (not deaccelerate). So my strides may have been short and not 100m but 70m I guess. However I got the stride intervals correct by chance. Ran the 100m and jogged the 400m. So I started at the XX.00km and XX.50km. Lost count and done 11 aswell!


Wed Rest
Had Planned a 8km recovery run but work got in the way.

Fri MLSR 16km at 5:54min/km
I struggled through all this run. Calves and foot felt cramped the whole way. I couldn't get any pace going and resorted to just clocking some (tough) mileage.

Sat Rest
Had planned a recovery run of 8kms. But I jacked it as the calves were sore and thought I'd be better off with a complete rest than attempting a recovery run

Sun 26km w/ 16km at mp 4:51min/km
Wasn't holding much hope for this run as my calves were very tight. Was banking on doing just the 26km as a LSR with no marathon pace kms. However at about 4km in the calves started to free up and I was on. Haven't been running well for about a week but today I found my stride and felt light with what felt like comfortable running. In the groove. Held a pace of 4:46 min/km without busting a gut. Really enjoyed the run ... until the cool down where I seized up a little. This run was 6km longer than any previous run (I hear you should only increase kms by 10% which would be 2km) I did so it's to be expected that I would suffer on the latter kms.

Still buzzing after the 26km run!

Poltergeist

Tue 16km General Aerobic
Was very tired on this run after the 26km on Sunday. However it was good mental training to push on regardless. However, towards the end of the run I noticed a cramping in my foot around the side of the arch (not at the base or top). Later that night after the run it was sore when walking on it. Not sure if this is a niggle or a injury!

Wed - Abandoned Recovery Session
As foot arch was still sore I cancelled this one. Foot not exactly sore but felt cramped. Getting ice on it in the evening and got the missus to massage it. Felt much better by end of day

Thur - ?
Not sure what to do this evening. Foot feels ok. No soreness. I have a 13km run with 6km Lactate Threshold Session planned today. Not sure what to do.
No running?
Do a recovery 6-8km run?
Do 13km without LT?
So 13km with LT?

Any advise appreciated!

ecoli

My advice would be to ease into it, calf and foot problems are common in people coming back to running and often are evidence of doing too much too soon.

Flexibility and calf strengthening exercises will help more long term but in the mean time take it handy enough (I know it's never the advice we want to hear when starting to train for a marathon but sometimes it takes the body a bit longer to catch up with the minds enthusiasm)

Poltergeist

Thanks Ecoli. Sound advise. Just reading your message after coming back from my run. Foot felt fine at arch. Had a casual 8km run at slow 9:40 min/km pace. However I was a little stiff (but nothing crazy) at the bottom of the calf and the outside of my foot. It didn't ease really during the run.

Reflecting on my thoughts during the run and your message I'm ditching the LT training and other hard sessions. I will do the weekend LSR and General Aerobic Runs but will cool the jets with the LT and MP runs until things calm down and the body is more able for it. Don't want to be a marathon injury statistic!

Poltergeist

Thurs 8km Recovery
Slow run. Monitoring the niggles from earlier in the week.

Decided to scratch the Planned Runs for the week and take it easy.

Fri Rest

Sat 24km LSR. Decided to ignore the watch and run at a slow pace ... with no pressure. Nice day with a few short rain showers to cool me off. Foot was good for most of the run apart from the final few km where the arch of foot started acting up. Slowed the pace right down.

Done 45km of the planned 61km. The week turned into a Recovery Week. Don't feel like I missed out on much taking it easy. Will keep an eye on the foot this week.

Poltergeist

Sun Resting Foot

Mon Resting Foot

Tue Resting Foot

Wed 13km w 6km LT at 4:33 min/km
After over a week (since last Tuesday's niggle (/mini injury I guess)) of rest and slow running I was delighted to attempt this workout. Went out with the idea in mind that if I felt any pain in the foot I would abandon the LT and just resort to Recover or General Aerobic pace. After 4km warm up it was all system go and off I went on LT pace. I struggled in the heat and after all the rest I was a bit rusty but pushed through. I planned between 4:20 and 4:35. Well happy slipping in under 4:35. Hard going at the end to keep form and maintain pace. Foot seems fine

Poltergeist

Holidays are over and back to logging the workouts. 2 1/2 weeks flies. The holidays started poorly but ended strong.

Week 14

Thur 6.8km Recovery
Felt lazy and still had to pack so didn't do the intended 8km.

Fri 10.4km GA
Flied out on holidays today. Felt tried and sluggish. Baggage took 90min. It was meant to be a 16km LT wookout. I came short on the mileage and intensity.

Sat Nothing

Sunday 8km Recovery (from what?! ... was meant to be 29km run with 19km at MP!)
Wife was sick and had to go to hospital and I was minding the baby. Exhausting day.

This capped off a disappointing week (running wise). But I was determined to do better for the rest of the holidays

Week 13

I will let the numbers talk for themselves. Regular running and as per plan.

Tue 13km LT w 6km at 4:29min/km

Wed 8km Recover

Thurs 16km GA

Fri 8km Recovery

Sat 6km Recovery

Sun 29km LSR

What a solid week! The 29km LSR was a struggle though. I was not feeling confident at running long distances.

Week 12 - Recovery

Tue 13km GA

Wed Sauna and Steamroom with cold baths inbetween.
This was great. It helped me refresh.

Thurs 11km w 5 @ MP

Sat 8km Recovery

Sun 29km Long Run with 19km at MP

Great long run I done the 19km at MP. I was meant to run 16km at MP but read my programme wrong running out the door. Surprisingly I felt reasonable good but was grateful that I didnt have to maintain that any longer. The last 10km at LSR pace were very hard to complete. Felt drained.

Week 11

Today I am thinking of ditching my Tue workout as Im feeling a little burnt out ... and first day back at work blues!

mdolly123

How to get back into my running after letting my **** lapse I can barely manage 5k.

Poltergeist

Oh Oh .. Sunday Long Run has blasted me. I'm regretting not eating or drinking on the 29km run. Novice mistake? Feeling permanently tired since then even though getting early nights.

Haven´t done any workouts this week.

Poltergeist

Mon Nada

Tue Nada

Wed 8km Recovery Run
Knees were in bits since Sunday. Had to ditch all the weekday workouts and be content with a Recovery Run

Thur Nada

Fri Nada

Sat X Trainging
25km bike ride

Sun 27km LSR
My garmin battery died on this run. Had to guess the mileage ... had planned on a 32km run! Still happy my knees were better and I could run this.

Poltergeist

Missed one workout last week due to going to a party instead.. Where is the discipline.

Mon Rest

Tue 11km Recovery w 6*100 strides
Struggled to get out for this one. Piece of cake once i got warmed up. I was never a sprinter but I do enjoy these stride workouts stranglely enough. Felt I could go further.

Wed 13km w 8km LT
This was a great run. It was lashing rain. I had a 19km Aerobic run planned but decided to swap it for Thursday LT session as it would get me out of the rain quicker! I think I paced this lovely. Like all LT workouts I had to really push to keep the pace on the last few km. Average pace was 4:31.

Thur Nada

Fri Nada. Missed my 19km run.

Sat 11km Recovery

Sun 33km LSR
I done this at a really slow pace at approx 6:30min/km. I brought my watch but just ran to feel. I just turned on my audiobook and started running and didn't stop for 3.5 hrs. Great stuff. No stress running but cranking out the mileage. I am going to keep the audiobook running going for these long runs.

Good week for me. I have another big mileage week ahead of me but am feeling good. No niggles. Very happy with the plan and progress at this stage.