Not exactly, but close enough. Currently planning to do the Dupont Forest 50k on Oct. 2.

My plan is basic. Run as many times as possible each week - 9 or 10 runs per week for most of this year, typically 60-70+ mpw. One short rep/interval track workout. One threshold OR long intervals OR race. One long run. Built up to a bit over 19 miles a couple of weeks ago, prior to 13k & 15k trail races the last two weeks. I'll be racing 10 mile and 1/2 marathon trail races in the month leading up to the 50k, so my workouts will be shifting back to more hill strength and longer tempos now.

At the risk of jinxing it, this is the best (healthiest) running year I've had since around 1990. I credit that to running more often, with a gradual build up of all easy running last winter. I haven't run a marathon in several years and have never run longer than that, so I'm not setting a time goal. I'll just run the pace that feels comfortable and take what comes.

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Happy trails,
Chris

I'm training for the inaugural Half Moon Bay Marathon in Sept. I'm using my own custom training plan, very loosely based upon Galloway's half-marathon plans. The basics of it, are I'm running 4x week, and I'm alternating weeks with a long run, with weeks with speed work.

I'm a couple of year younger than you, and I took a decade off without working out before getting back into it. I'd highly recommend that you take a look at Galloway's training plans, and also his ideas on run/walking.

Good luck!

When I plug my 2011 race times into the McMilllan calculator, I come up with projected marathon times ranging anywhere from 2:58 (Based on my 10 mile race) to 3:05 (based on my 4 mile race).

However, when I look at the "advanced" training plans, they all have regular track workouts. These plans seem to be geared for the youngsters because my old legs don't like it when I go that hard and then have to run the next day. Do I really need to do track sessions?

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

I went 2:50 last year and never stepped foot on a track... Tempo runs and a decent amount of running at 1/2 marathon pace. Plus lots and lots of easy-paced mileage. So my experience, and the sage advice of many strong runners and coaches on this forum, says that track work isn't necessary. Track work is just icing on the cake.

Steamtown marathon in early October, hoping to BQ although it's my first, based of my hm time of 1:24. Building up, currently at 45mpw with longest run of 16 miles, longest will be 22 miles. Putting on weight with less cycling and swimming now.

Just did my first 16 mile run since 1995. Everything went fine, but man that humidity is a pace killer. The last 8 miles were :30/m slower than the first 8.

Back at the begining of the month, I took a spin class with my niece while up in Boston. It was my second spin class ever (both with her while visiting). It took me 3 weeks of low intensity running to allow for my knees to recover. I think I'm going to end that tradition.

53 miles last week: 6, 8, Rest, 9, 6, 8, 16
(edit to add: Still did 2 token bike rides and 2 swims as I'm still in Tri season until 9/25)

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

Funny you posted this morning- I was thinking about this thread on my 16 miler also. I'm two weeks into just running, and it's been interesting to feel the fatigue start to build a bit. Also noticed that my weight is creeping up a touch in this short time away from doing all three sports- have to cut out some of the crap diet!

Based on McMillan, I should be shooting for right around 3 hrs flat for the full marathon (based on a 5 miler this year and half marathon last fall). The last two weeks of my plan were in the mid-40s for mileage, and included a couple nine mile pace runs at under 7 minute miles, but my long runs the following day have been 7:45 ish for average pace. I'm skeptical about being able to hold 7 minutes for the full distance, but will give it a whirl for my first attempt.

So you do two tempo runs, an all-out half marathon, and a long run at your marathon pace each week? I guess if this works for you then great, but I think that is way too much intensity. I don't think I could do even one week of this program. Well, actually I know I can't because my marathon PR is 6:30 pace and my half marathon PR is 6:05 pace (marathon PR was on a tougher course than the half too), so I cannot do 30s below marathon pace for 13 miles.

I am not doing a fall marathon but am going to try and take my running to a new level this fall. I plan to do a fall "Summer of Malmo": http://pih.bc.ca/summerofmalmo.html.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

1. Who has a fall marathon on their schedule? Me too please - trying to BQ - first standalone marathon since 2002!!
2. Which marathon are you doing? Bellingham Bay, Sept 25th
3. What kind of training plan are you going with this year? My own concoction: lots of volume for me baby! I did a lot of tempo/speed work/short stuff post IMNZ from April thru June, but not a lot of volume. So August is VOLUME month: run every day (I run every lunch hour at work), some days with doubles, and get one long run in a week. I am also doing what I call "pacing runs" - there's a little trail near my work that has a perfect 1k loop - so I run laps of that loop at my BQ pace. Kind of like training myself to learn the feel of the pace. I have ditched speedwork entirely, but still do a tempo run a week (something like 2x20' at 10k open pace with 5' recovery), and am a big fan of strides (usually 10x30" in almost every run).
4. How's your training going? Not as good as I'd like, but improving - going in the right direction at least. I was hoping to have had more miles under the belt by this time, but some bike crashes and my first XTERRA acted as hiccups. Also, I'm commuting to work via bike almost 5 days a week, and over the last month, it was taking more out of me than I expected. So the running felt yuck/sluggish for a while, while I adapted (I guess). This past week has felt like I had a major break through - almost at 70k this week (with two doubles) and had a wickedly awesome 2hr trail run yesterday. So feeling good, feeling fine.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I'm going sub 3 at the Philadelphia Marathon in November. See you there slowtwitchers.

I'm doing Denver Rock and Roll Oct 8. I did 14 today with last ten at 7:40/mi. Hoping to BQ. I'm 44. BQ time is 3:25. Haven't done a standalone since 1999. It's gonna be close I think. Just starting to really ramp up the run mileage after recovering from CDA.

Had a good week with a total of 44 miles including a 17 mile long run, a 6 mile run finishing at MP and 7x800 track workout. Shins were bothering me at the start of the week but it was due to old shoes, I replaced them and everything is peachy again.

Mcmillian puts me around 3:06 based on a 3.5m race I did in the beginning of June but it was a week after a trail marathon and my legs were not trained for the speed. Based on my PRs I set about 6 years ago I have a 2:50 in me but that was before grad school made me fat. So if I can get a solid training plan in I think Sub 3 is easily in my range at wineglass and if that that I hope a BQ at min

Ya gotta start somewhere, stick with it and your times will drop significantly as well!

I'm shooting for the same thing at Philly. See you then.

Whether this works for someone or not, is individual. It works for me and that's what I like. I should mention that I do not do this for 16 weeks in a row, no one could. I think my schedule this fall will be 3 weeks on, 1 week of 50% recovery with a two week taper. So, I should get 3 cycles in the Fall. Do I skip a workout here and there, sure. We all have lives and get tired. That's normal.

Oh and a correction....The 13 mile run is faster than MARATHON pace. I might not have said that correctly.

The key thing to intensity is recovery. After each run I'll cool down, stretch, and then take in a recovery drink. I also get frequnet (every 2 weeks) masage and I buy enough Epson Salts to own the company....

Bob

1. Who has a fall marathon on their schedule? 3 (sorta)
2. Which marathon are you doing? Cedar point Full>>Wineglass>>IM Arizona
3. What kind of training plan are you going with this year? winging it...... like usual
4. How's your training going? good 19miler yesterday and had a visit from the Demon's of the Pain Cave

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Tim

I did a Oly distance triathlon last weekend and decided to make that my last one for the year. I am going to focus solely on the marathon for the next 12 weeks.

I asked my wife go to amazon and order Phitzgers (sp.) book (she handles the purchasing duties in this house) and jack up my miles.

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

1. Who has a fall marathon on their schedule?
2. Which marathon are you doing? Philadelphia in 11/20
3. What kind of training plan are you going with this year? Daniels Elite, peak mileage 95MPW (cycling from 80-95)
4. How's your training going?I'd rate it a 6/10 right now. Still have some weight to drop. I had to take 6 weeks off of running due to injury. Lost at least 3 VDOT points. Originally wanted to be in the mix for the W, am reevaluating that goal right now. Perhaps breaking 2:26 is the new goal. The main goal is to have an enjoyable training cycle in the (theoretically) cooler fall weather, building a spring board to a good spring/summer on the roads in 2012.

I'll be doing the Jax Bank Marathon in Mid December, I've done this the last two years 15 min. improvement last year(got it under 4 hrs last year). I've arranged my triathlon schedule so as to leave about 7 (out of a 18 week plan) weeks of dedicated marathon training. Felt like and it has worked the past two years that I had enough base to drop into a marathon plan. I've gone with Higdon's novice plan simply a mileage plan. I'm on the same program this year, Miami 70.3 on Oct. 30th, a little recovery and then get to it.

So we'll see if it works out again.

I dropped the biking and swimming after my last tri on 8/6 and transitioned into full marathon mode the next day. For the week of 8/8, I hit 70 miles on 7 days of running. That's more weekly miles than my other 2 marathon builds back in 1994 &1995.

I was on the multi-city road trip this week, but still managed to get in all my runs. I even got a chance to do a little sightseeing on my 11 miler Thursday morning. I spent Wednesday night in Downtown Milwaukee and ran north along Lake Michigan and Lake Avenue.

I got Pfitzinger's book in the mail on Saturday. I really like the way they explain the training concepts, but I'm still winging the schedule for now.

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

I've got a HIM on 9/18, and then the USMC Marathon on 10/30......or 10/whatever....it is what it is.

Triathlon, Marathon, Duathlon, whatever......just go.

You pay your money, you line up, you race.

Any questions?

1. Who has a fall marathon on their schedule? Yep
2. Which marathon are you doing? Quad Cities Marathon
3. What kind of training plan are you going with this year? winging it, lots of miles per week
4. How's your training going? very good, feeling ready for race now and still have 1 month
Race is Sept. 25th

Thanks for starting this, I've read through and already got a few good ideas for workouts.

1. Who has a fall marathon on their schedule? Yessum
2. Which marathon are you doing? Twin Cities
3. What kind of training plan are you going with this year? Bill's patented 8 week "medium runs" plan
4. How's your training going? It's amazing how well training can go when you get to write your plan yourself. I'm hoping to go sub 3 this year, although my PR (3:05) last year was done off of a lot more mileage...so probably not going to happen. averaging 30ish mpw for the last month or so, hoping to hit 40 this week. 5k tomorrow should give me a rough idea where im at.

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Nothing to see here

Finished IMLP a few weeks ago and I'm now training for my second attempt at the NYC Marathon. First time did not go very well at all. Completely blew up and ended up walking miles 19-26.
I'm a little more experienced now so I think I can manage a decent time. I'm using the BarryP plan found here as the basis for my training, and using the McMillan Pace calculator to determine my training paces.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

So far so good.