I’m racing a marathon this weekend. For my past 4 tri races, over the previous 6 weeks, I trained through the races since I needed to get run miles in for this marathon. Now it is 4 days out from the marathon and I feel like I’ve just been sitting around.
I hate tapering. Training is more fun…but I gotta respect the marathon distance and rest. What is the hardest race that you have “trained through” ?
I’ve trained through half Ironmans and 50K XC ski races, but would not dream about training through a marathon or Ironman. These races chew you up and throw you into the gutter if you don’t respect them. Of course, there is no good reason to "train through an Ironman’ cause by definition it is usually an “A” race.
You must be coming to Chicago. I’m in the same boat…did IM WI a month ago, took one week ‘recovery’, two weeks of build-up for the marathon, and one week taper. I definitely don’t feel 100% going into it - feeling a little heavy, somewhat creaky in the knees/ankles, and a bit sluggish. Oh well…at least it’ll be over in 3 hours or so! At least the weather is looking good…lows in the 50’s in the a.m., and highs in the mid-60’s later on. Afterward, at least I won’t feel guilty sitting around watching IM NZ on OLN in the afternoon! Hope you have a good day on Sunday - if you’re in the competitive start area, let me know and maybe we can meet up beforehand. I’m looking to go sub-3 with a couple friends, so if you’re on the same pace, you’ll have company. Oh yeah - to answer your question…I trained through a couple of half IM’s this season in preparation for IM WI. You’re right…wouldn’t even consider training through a marathon or IM.
I’m racing in the local Ottawa Fall Colours Marathon (www.somersault.ca). This is a small event with only ~200 in the marathon and ~700 in the half marathon. My plan is to take out the first half in 1:25 to 1:28 range depending on conditions and the course. At halfway, I will decide if I have the miles, fitness, energy and ability to try for a sub 3 or to play it conservative and cut the pace back and just be safe and try and get a 3:15 Boston qual time. I have not really been doing enough long runs to gun for sub 3 out of the chute, as I have mainly been focusing on half ironman and shorter racing (longest run was 2 hours until three weekends ago when I did 3 hours). If I qualify for Boston, I would like to seriously train for a sub 3 effort there. In 2002, I went 2:59.52…it was a reel sprint to the line !
Compared to my current scenario, you on the other hand have done long runs preparing for Ironman Wisconsin. In 1991, I ran 2:51 at the Toronto marathon 5 weeks after IMC. I just decided to show up three days before the race, and was surprised how quick I went on my Ironman training :-). You’ll likely fly at Chicago.
Sounds like a really nice race - I’ll have to check it out and possibly put it on my ‘to do’ list. Toronto is already on the list. We’re on exactly the same plan - hoping to hit the 1/2 in 1:26-1:27 and then decide how to approach the second half. It’s been a while since my last 20 miler, so I’m not going in as confident as I’d like to be. I did a good hard 17 miler 2 weeks ago and 16 this past Sunday…we’ll see if that’s enough. I had a ‘magic’ day last year at the Milwaukee Lakefront marathon 3 weeks after IM WI and managed a PR…of course, that was after I had walked a 7 hour marathon in Madison, so I wasn’t exactly pushed to the limit there. Had a better day in Madison this year, so I guess we’ll just see what happens Sunday. Hope the weather cooperates in Ottawa - you just might have a magic day yourself - I’ve found that they often happen when least expected. Run smart and have fun.
Gail, good luck in Hawaii. You have certainly earned it. Is your family orignally from Quebec (ie the Levesque) ?
The great thing about my season to date (with no Ironmans) was that I had mainly half Ironmans and shorter so I did not have to taper for more than a couple of days for each. It was a lot of fun. I also did not have to figure out how to cram in 6 hour rides or 3 hour runs. Training for shorter events is much easier from a time management perspective !
you guys are either on crack or manage to get an awful lot of sleep and naps. Whenever I’ve trained 20+ hours a week for a long period of time, I really look forward to tapering, just so I can feel awesome and ready to take on anything. I much prefer that as opposed to constantly feeling like I’m on the edge of getting sick.
I’m with you on that Dev. I did my last semi-big weekend with a 5 hour ride/45 minute run on Saturday and a 2:15 run on Sunday then took Monday and Tuesday off completely. Today I did a short swim with 8 x 100m and a 45 minute run in which my legs had the “start of taper” crap feeling and I’m in kind of a grouchy mood. I hate the taper but it is a necessary evil if you want to race well. I’m hoping that by next Thursday or so I’ll be feeling good in the warmth of Hawaii.
I trained through pretty much everything I raced this past summer … Muskoka, Peterborough 1/2, K-Town LC, Cobourg Sprint but did take the week prior to the Parry Sound 1/2 relatively easy. I agree with you that with enough experience you can train through a half but I wouldn’t try to train through a full IM or a marathon but usually those are the big races on the schedule anyway so you don’t need to train through them. I’m definitely not training “through” Hawaii since once I get to the other side my body is going to take some much needed rest. I think that I’ll trade the 7 hour training Saturday for a sleep in and breakfast at Denny’s with the family Saturday for a week or two afterwards
I’d agree with that…though 15 might be pushing it a little for me. I feel like I’ll be doing 10-12 hours a week until the day I die…which will hopefully happen while I’m workign out, sleeping, or working out in bed
I’ve trained through marathons while getting ready for ultras, just used the marathon as a long training run with good support. As long as you slow down enough, it’s OK. For me this meant running 3:05-3:10 when I was capable of low 2:40s. There’s no such thing as an easy marathon, but I’d recover from this in a couple of days, usually one day rest and two going easy.
To continue with how tapering sucks but is a neccessary evil, I went for a 40 min run this morning. I never run 40 min. I either run 60 min, 90 min or 120 min. It takes me 20 min to just warm up, so a 40 min run means only 10 min of real enjoyment since I start winding down the pace in the last 5-10 min !
Anyway, this morning, it felt like crap. I started out and I felt like I had “forgotten how to run” (this after 25 years or so of running). Each step felt laboured. The plan was to warmup for 15-20 min, then go to the track, and do some accelerations and then run a couple of 400’s at marathon race pace and then do an 800 at 3 min pace. The accelerations felt hard, but I did not time them. The 400’s felt slow, but I looked at my watch and they were down at 83 seconds. I did not feel like I was working, but my whole body felt off. The 800 was bang on 3 min and again, I felt slow and uncoodinated, but did not feel like I was working. After the 800, when I had finally shaken the cobwebs out and was feeling “fast” it was time to do the final 6 min run back to my home.
Tapering is weird. You feel slower initially, but you are actually going faster. I can only hope that this is a good thing for Sunday’s marathon.
Allan, good luck in Hawaii. Sub 3:10 on the marathon, or you’re delegated to poser status
