My goal race for the fall is the Anthem Richmond Marathon, and this past week marked the first of my training weeks. It did not go as well as I hoped.

Goals

When I first decided to run a marathon, I latched on to the idea of qualifying for Boston. I ran my first marathon last spring in Wrightsville Beach with a time of 3:22, seven minutes off of my official BQ time of 3:15 (though realistically I need a 3:11 or better). I don’t think it’s reasonable to think I will knock ten minutes off my time from the spring, so I need different goals.

My “A” goal is to finish under 3:20. With the right training, I think this is feasible. My “B” goal is to finish under 3:25. It’s a different race, on a different course, on a different day. I don’t know my “average” time yet and it is certainly possible that I could slip a bit this time around. If I can minimize the slippage, though, I will feel good. My “C” goal is to have negative splits. In Wrightsville I fell off my pace in the second half, and I would like to set a more consistent pace that I could hold or improve in the second half.

Training Plan

For Wrightsville I used the FIRST method, which proscribes three days of running a week (speed, tempo, long) along with two days of cross-training. I liked the approach, but had the feeling that I might be better off with a plan that put more emphasis on weekly mileage.

I looked around and decided to use the Hanson’s Marathon Method for my training this fall. The plan calls for running six days a week: three specific workouts (speed/strength, tempo, long) and three “easy” runs (typically are 6-8 miles).

One of their key philosophies is “cumulative fatigue” which essentially means they push you hard with more medium runs to get you ready for running on tired legs. They don’t pretend it won’t hurt, but they also note there is a fine line between doing it right and overtraining.

Both plans call for stretching and strength training, but I wanted to try a plan that had me out on the road more the FIRST plan. I can always switch    back next time around.

First Week of Training (or, Things Fall Apart)

This past week marked the first week of my training for Richmond. You want the first week of training to go well so you can build some confidence and momentum to carry into later weeks. Unfortunately, that was not how it went for me.

Training in the first half of the week went fine. I got close to the mileage I needed on Monday. On Tuesday, my plan called for eight 600m repeats with 400m of recovery and I came close to keeping a consistent pace and hitting the times I needed. It took a lot more out of me than I expected, though. I haven’t done speed work since early June and I could tell in the heaviness of my legs and the burning of my lungs that I am out of shape.

Training in the second half of the week was rough. I hit my mileage goal on Thursday (an easy day) but couldn’t hold the tempo of my Friday run. I ran/walked half of the run, and haven’t felt that bad since bonking in some of my 20 mile runs last spring.

I caught a cold on Friday so I took an extra rest day on Saturday. This morning I was supposed to run ten miles, but set out with the goal of getting in 5-6 if at all possible and not worry so much about pace. I managed to get 6.5, but with two breaks along the way.

Reflecting

The Hansen method talks about the difference between being fatigued and overtraining, and I worried that I had already crossed over in the first week.

I can see that there are a number of possible reasons I did not hit my goals this week. I might not have the fitness base I thought I did going into training. Running in 85-95 degree heat and 70-80% humidity on blacktop may make it more difficult for my body to perform.  I may be pushing my goal times to something I am not yet capable of.  I might have underestimated the recovery I would need between workouts, especially since I am pushing 40. I came down with a cold at the end of the week and didn’t have spare energy.

The truth is that it is probably a combination of these factors, but since this is only the first week of training I will have to wait and see. The mileage and goals for next week’s training are similar as is the weather. At the end I should know if my performance this week was an aberration or if I need to rethink some of my training plans and goals.

The one  thing I am happy about from this week is that I didn’t worry to much about shifting my training plans. I took the extra day of rest I needed, and chose to forgo the long run today to continue recovery. I have confidence that I will be able to get back on track, but I also know my limits at any given time.

Mileage Total

Goal Mileage for the Week	46
Actual Mileage for the Week	35.74