This is incredibly helpful. I knew I needed to run slow, but I come from a contact sport back ground of no pain no gain. I literally get bummed when I feel I left anyhing on the table for a run... Hence the terrible recovery runs. My Garmin says my resting heart rate is 42 currently with the occasional upper 30's! I haven't truly tested my vo2 max, but I'm already at 52 and that was done on a long run!! My lactate threshold supposedly is 8:29/166bpm. The watch is still new so I think those are both wrong.
I absolutely would love help learning how to train. I'm one of those weird ones that loves practice as much as the actual race. So here are my answers:
1: Goal a is the be as fast as I can humanly get... Literally! I'm ridiculously competitive with my self, so if there is any room for improvement I want it.
2: as previously stated I want to qualify for the Boston marathon and break 3 hours. I also would love to break 5 min mile, 18 min 5k, and 40 min 10k.
3: life time PR is tricky all my times from when I was a teen are unofficial. I only ran occasional my to get ready for my other sports, and never ran a race until this year. Official 5k is 23:56, and everything else was done during training. In fact I only ran 2 races ever. Best run ever was when I was 16 after an outward bound, I ran 7 miles of trail at 6k elevation in 49 min and I beat all the other campers
4: only ran 2 races this year. Both 5k's. First I ran 24:44, and I ran out of steam for the 3rd mile but sucked it up a sprinted the end out. Second, I ran my official PR at 23:56 and I ran out of breath... Ran negative splits for the first 3 miles with a 7:17 mile for mile 3, but pulled back when I couldn't catch the next group and felt like I was going to puke. I always run faster chasing someone down, hence I played defense in most sports.
5: this is tricky considering I don't have a lot of races and I've only been running for 9 months. I think in the beginning I would run out of breath and have burning legs vs now it's almost always my legs and never my breath. Only time I run out of breath now is when I run hard intervals.
6: I have no injuries, I rarely ever get injured, and I don't feel like I'm injury prone. Even when i hurt my self I typically recover fast.
7: again no real injuries other then my first month back in December. It was only runners knee and I cured by run/walking
8: I'm willing to run 7, but I know I need rest days if I want to get stronger... usually I run 6 unless I'm exceptionally sore or family/work gets in the way. I usually can do an hour, and Sunday is my long day. I work every other Saturday, so usually alternate Friday and Saturday as my off days(hate giving up Saturday's unless I'm working).
9: 99% of my runs are on an empty stomach. I'm not a big fan of a lot food before my work outs. Also never tried eating or drinking while running(though I just bought a camalpack for my long runs). Post work out I always make a smoothie w/ spinach, kale, whey protein, Greek yogurt(for casein and fat), tart cherry juice, strawberries(for inflammation), blue berries (for the sun damage), and either carrot or beet juice. I'm currently trying Creatine too, but not feeling any benefit so I probably won't do it again once I run out.
10:yes!! Lately anything over 3-4 miles kicks my butt. I'm thinking it's because I've been doing to much speed work. In the beginning of the summer I could run 13 miles if I tried, now I don't know if I could make it and it's only because my legs turn jelly or stop wanting to move. Plus I always stop running if my form starts sucking to much, don't want any injuries. Also, I live in Orlando Fl, so the heat is always a factor. I almost always run in a dew point of 75+
11. I love running because it's always a killer workout, I love way the way it makes me feel( I guess I'm a runners high addict), and I love being active. I started running for mental health reasons. Not to get too personal, but stress was overwhelming me and I needed an outlet. Plus I love meditation, and running is a great way to meditate. It's made my family life sooooooo much better.
12: this sounds stupid, but I wasn't built to play the sports I played the most. I should have ran... I was always the best long distance runner on every team I played on. So I picked my goals to push my self too the max... I'm almost 31, so I don't have much more time to set my lowest PR's possible. If I hit them I will probably set even more ridiculous goals until my age slows me down.
13: I hate treadmills... I only run outside! I am a stat/excel geek, so I just bought a Garmin 735xt with the running chest strap! I know I could have found something cheaper but I didn't care
seriously the coolest thing ever!! Before Garmin I used Runtastic and a Fitbit. They were a good start, but they are nothing compared to Garmin.
14: outside of my smoothie, I love eating salmon or any fish high in omega 3 fat. It seems to really help with my soreness. Also, I love all pasta and rice!! I Don't like eating before I run, gives me heart burn.
15: I used to always be positive split because I was terrible at pacing. Lately I can do negative splits for about 3-5 miles because I learned that the first 6 minutes are all anerobic so I just gotta keep it slower.
16: since the start I've only built my own running plans from research on the Internet. I've never followed a real program yet. I love reading, but I don't have the time to read many books. The Internet only usually scratches the surface, so I'm always researching better ways.
17: last three weeks coincides with the purchase of my Garmin, so I've been playing around with different intervals but no clear plan. I've Been running about 5-6 days a week with 2 easy days and the rest harder. I've also been plateauing extra hard lately. I feel like should be way faster than my current results. I sometimes even get to casual/easy breathing at 8 minute miles but legs burnout a lot around 4-6 miles.
18: I run anywhere from 10 min/mi down to as low as 5 min/mile depending on intervals. My max speed I've hit in the last three weeks is 18 MPH on 200 m interval. I almost always walk my recovery intervals, and that's at a 20 min/pace. Normal walking is closer to 15-18 min/mile.
19: slowest I can run currently without issue is around 9:30-10 min per mile. Sometimes if I'm totally gassed mid 10's but any slower my form really sucks.
20: I've been reluctant to schedule races because I feel like I should be faster first. I eventually want to start looking, but I want to be able to break 20 for a 5k and 4 hours for a marathon. I know I want to run a Disney race next year, just don't which one. I live in Orlando so I'm spoiled I guess. I feel like I'm best at a 5k bit more satisfied with longer distances even if I'm not as good at them.
I really appreciate this, running has really become a passion of my mine. As long as I stay healthy I plan on running the rest of my life!
Training Plan
Alright, here is my training plan for you. I am always open to changes as this is my first attempt. Please let me know if you feel it is too much or too little (either in pacing, time, mileage, days of the week, etc.) Now for my explanations.
My philosophy on developing a training plan is based on these principles:
1) Keep an 80% Easy / 20% Hard split
2) Have the longest run in a week not exceed 35%
3) Never exceed 2:30 hours in a training run if running exclusively (not applicable for HM training)
4) Use Arthur Lydiard method of specialization.
So the plan is based on your desire to run 6 days per week with weekdays capping around 60 min and Sunday being your long run day. I did go over on time on Thursdays for Tempo but you are welcome to cut the Tempo portion short if necessary (However you can't cut the WU/CD associated with those runs). I have included a mock 10K race and mock HM race to assess your current fitness level. If you greatly exceed to 10K projection, then I will make the necessary pacing changes to the second half of the training. You'll notice the first half of the plan is heavy on easy. This is intentional because I want to see how you react to this consistent training. The second half opens up a bit more. The current limiting factor to the plan was keeping your weekdays to 60 min and balancing the 80/20 split I desire. So in the second half you're a tad lighter on hard mileage because of the time/balance aspect.
So, some logistics.
How to read the schedule
The "Pacing Code" describes all of the different paces used for different types of runs. The dates are written with Monday-Sunday. The codes next to the listed days correlate with the pacing code. The prescribed training for the day appears underneath the "Description". If it just says 4 mi, then do 4 miles at the prescribed pace (i.e. On Friday 10/28/16 you will do 6 miles @ EA (10:34 min/mile) which will take 1:03:24 minutes). The easy/hard columns are the separation of types of workouts to help visualize the balance in the plan. The % easy/hard are represented near the end of the line. The WU/CD can occur at paces anywhere from 10:34-11:15.
The yellow boxes represent the total mileage for the week. The red number represents the % of the longest run of the week relative to the total mileage completed.
Red runs - These are blinded runs. Because you are just starting training and still getting in tune with your body I did not assign any of these. Once we reach the 2nd half I'll consider adding these in. The goal on every run is to memorize what it feels like to run it at that effort. The end goal will be that you could cover your watch and successfully run your splits +/- 10 seconds of the desired goal pace. This system will serve you well come non-ideal training days and races with non-ideal conditions. You'll better be equipped to tackle these without focusing on a desired pace goal.
Green runs - These are nutrition strategy runs. These are the only runs that you should take in any carb source. If the run is warm/hot you are allowed to take in (and suggested to do so) electrolytes. But keep the carbs to only the runs in green. Taking in any carbs when the training run is less than 90 minutes is a dampener of adaptations because it doesn't teach your body to run on fat. However, runs longer than 90 minutes require carbs because you start to increase necessary recovery time the more you starve the muscles. The 100 minute runs are in the grey area of training that you can either take in carbs or not. As of right now, I have not assigned any runs with nutrition but you could consider it for your 12 mile long run. But when it comes to race day, it won't be necessary to use nutrition given your predicted HM time.
Pacing
The pacing prescribed is solid. If I said to run 4 miles @ EA, then the goal is to run each individual mile at 10:34. If you were to start this workout and the 1st EA mile was completed in 11:34, the goal is to run the 2nd in 10:34. We don't want to sacrifice the 2nd mile to make the average 10:34 (i.e. don't run 9:34 to make up for the 10:34). I give myself a +/- 10 second window on Long, EA, EB, Tempo. I give myself a +/- 5 second window on Speed/Strength. I also give myself a +30 second buffer on the first post-WU interval. I view each interval/mile as a mini-goal. Can I run this LR mile in 9:29? If I'm too fast it's a failed goal. Running too fast doesn't make you better. It just means the goal of the workout was missed and could lead to an increased risk for injury. If I'm too slow I can live with it, but I missed the mark on the workout. Doing every workout at the prescribed paces maximizes the benefits received.
Why each workout
Long Run teaches you to go the distance and what the end of the race should feel like. It makes you better at staving off fatigue for longer distances by improving your Running Economy. Your ability to maintain your Lactate Threshold at the same value throughout the run.
The
easy days are building your bodies aerobic capacity. The foundation of getting faster and stronger. There are countless benefits to the easy days.
Tempo teaches your body what it's like to run at race pace.
Strength induces fatigue buildup and then during the recovery period the body is focused on clearance. By oscillating between running and resting, the body becomes more efficient at clearance and use of lactate as an energy source. By improving your Lactate Threshold you will be able to hold a faster pace for longer without crumbling.
Speed teaches your body running efficiency. To go that fast it is necessary to maximize breathing, arm location, chest movement, foot strike, and eyes. Carrying over these skills into other speeds of running provide the framework for getting better and more efficient.
Memorize the effort needed to complete each run. When weather dictates that the run needs to be slower, then continue to run at the effort equivalent to a different day that had good weather. This may mean that what was suppose to be 9:29 becomes 9:50. That's ok, because effort based running trumps paced based running. However, if you're feeling good and the weather is great doesn't give you the liberty to run faster. If prescribed 9:29, but equivalent effort feels like 9:00, run 9:29 and pull back.
The goal with all workouts is that you should always feel like you could have done one more. This plan does not push you beyond that point. If you end workouts with your slowest interval being your last, then the pace/workout might be too much. If you consistently miss the pacing goal over the course of many consecutive workouts, then the training plan needs to be re-evaluated.
Important Techniques
One of the most important aspects of running long distance races is your running form.
Foot strike - The general recommendation is to have about 180 steps per minute or more. To have this many steps per minute, it forces you to take smaller, shorter strides and quicker foot movements. This is most important during your Tempo runs. Foot strike during the easy running (LR, EA, EB) is still important for reducing injury risk by making sure it is light-footed. The 180 is a recommendation, but is not the end all be all. Don't overly concern yourself with this number outside trying to keep your steps shorter and quicker. People tend to go faster by overstriding. They tend to have their foot land outside of their body frame (in front of their body). This causes braking forces through the leg and tends to increase your risk for injury. So stride length will come naturally with time and is definitely not something you want to "force". The faster you get the more leg swing you'll need, but I can run a sub-7 min/mile consistently without leg swing so it's not necessary until you need to go really fast.
Breathing - Ultra important during long distance racing. The body needs the maximum amount of oxygen you can deliver during long distance running. During all of your runs try to breath in a 1 in + 1 in + 2 out pattern (i.e. in on left foot, in on right foot, out on left/right foot). In addition, these breaths in should be from as deep in your lungs as you can. Relax your stomach and this will allow for deeper breathing. You can also try a 1 + 1 + 3 pattern if you find yourself with injuries developing only on one side of your body as this might be related to extra force during exhaling/inhaling. For EA runs, you won't notice breathing. For EB runs, you will notice breathing but it won't require rhythm. The long run is the beginning of the rhythm but it isn't consistent that you'll need it. Once you move to Tempo and less it will become more vital to success.
Shoulders - Try this right now. Stand up with your feet shoulder width apart. Interlock your fingers in front of your body and turn your hands so that you see the top of your hands. Lock your elbows, and slowly swing your arms in front of you until they are now above your head. Memorize how your shoulders/chest feel. Now release your interlocked fingers, but try to not move your chest or shoulders. This is your proper upper body running form. It may seem awkward now, but over time it will feel normal.
Arms - Arms should stay tight to the body with your hands closed but relaxed.
Eyesight - Keep your eyes up. Your eyes should stay at eye level or higher. As your eyesight drops to look at your feet you reduce your lung capacity by as much as 30%. Since oxygen is so important to speed running, this decrease in oxygen can have a large effect on finishing time.
The warm-ups are key for anything faster than "long run" pace which includes Tempo. Essentially, there are two main pathways for the body to use oxygen to produce energy. The aerobic pathway is mostly used in slower running. The closer you get to the point where it becomes harder to breathe (Ventilatory Threshold) the more you use the anaerobic pathway. The aerobic pathway is more efficient and faster at creating energy, whereas the body uses anaerobic when the aerobic can't keep up (because you're going too fast).
The most interesting part between the aerobic and anaerobic pathway is that even though the aerobic is used mostly during slow running it takes about 6 minutes of running before it can be used. This means for the first 6 minutes we're stuck with the slow, inefficient anaerobic pathway. So if you don't do a warm-up, and you're running faster than "long run" pace you push the anaerobic pathway too hard. This creates a deficit in energy within the first 6 minutes that becomes harder to overcome. As this deficit starts to catch up with you in later miles, it causes our running form to suffer. So ideally, regardless of the distance of the race you still do a light warmup. 5K/10Ks have 3 miles with a few surges to race pace. A Half has 1-2 miles with a few surges to race pace. A full has 1 mile all easy.
So for you, the EA, EB, and Long Run paces can all be started without doing any type of slow jog warm-up. I do dynamic stretching before all of my workouts and static stretching after my workouts. However, I don't like to make recommendations on stretching because the research I have read is that you're more likely to get hurt changing your stretching routine than if you did nothing/stayed the same.
Fueling
Let me know if you have any questions about this and we can discuss your options.
Diet
My philosophy follows that of a European style. Eat more at Breakfast and Lunch, whereas Dinner should be a lighter meal. Another key for endurance athletes is making sure we're eating enough food in general and enough protein. Protein is the building block of the muscle. Without a good source of protein in your diet, you might as well not be training at all. After sustained training in a depleted protein state the leg muscles will just start starving and breaking down. For me, I prefer eggs and chicken as my primary source of protein. They are both high in bioavailable protein (eggs higher than chicken) while being relatively low in fat. Now how much protein you need can be very individual. You have to find what works best for you. I tend to eat 1.5-2 g protein per kilogram body weight. Another key point about protein is that in a one hour time frame the body is only capable of using 30-40g protein. Thus, if you eat a massive protein meal over 40 g most of that protein won't be used appropriately. So try and spread out your consumption over multiple meals.
My other philosophy on diet is to try and make smart choices. When choosing between a natural item and a processed store item, it's best to choose natural. I used to eat sliced turkey deli meat (it was still good but not great). Now I put a couple of chicken breasts in a crock pot with broth once per week and leave it cooking all day. Then I remove the chicken, shred it, and wa-laa I've got healthier lunch meat made with little effort and in about half the price.
Alright, that's all I can think of at the moment. Let me know what you think about the training plan and my ideas. Based on where you are and what this training plan can provide you, you have the potential to meet your goals (not after this one cycle, but it's a start). The main goal of this training plan is to see what you can do and the improvements you make. This plan focuses on Lactate Threshold and Running Economy.
