Maintain conditioning between marathons

[buckeyecinderella]

Just wondering, how do runners maintain their level of conditioning between marathons? For example, if the marathons were approximately 3 or 4 months apart, how many long runs would you try to get in before the next marathon and of what length?

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I'm going to move this to the events/competition side of WISH hoping you will geet more event participants to answer there.

 

[cewait]

Just wondering, how do runners maintain their level of conditioning between marathons? For example, if the marathons were approximately 3 or 4 months apart, how many long runs would you try to get in before the next marathon and of what length?

Hal Higdon - a running coach from Chicago has a great set of plans on how to go from one close coupled marathon to another...

For my runners, we simply take your plan and build backwards from the second marathon towards the first marathon. We generally leave the first month after the first marathon light and allow the runner to run more by feel and desire than by a schedule. If the runner is feeling well and we can get one or maybe two longer runs (8-12) completed in the first 30 days, then we just slide into the running plan. THe exception is that we would not jump into a 20 mile run on the first weekend of that second month.

Since we are all an experiment of one, an absolute plan is tough to push out for all cases.

Hope this helps

 

[ludari]

To maintain my conditioning between marathons I run five days a week with some crosstraining activities on the off days. My favorite thing to do to maintain conditioning is to run local races. I do plan on completing some non-Disney marathons next year.

 

[Bookwood]

Between races I have run 3 times a week (usually 4 miles or so each run) and added a cross training session on 2 of the 4 days.

 

[buckeyecinderella]

Thank you for the information. I plan to cross train by running two or three short runs per week and a longer run on the weekends plus strength and flexibility training. I will check out Hal Higdon's plans. But do you think one 20 mile run between marathons would be enough? If the marathons are about 14 weeks apart? I'm not looking to break any records. I just want to finish healthy and strong!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Disclaimer: I'm not a fast runner, nor even an almost fast runner. This "training plan" is no one's but my own, and I won't know if it works until February 13th!

But I ran MCM on October 30th, and am planning to run the 26.2 with Donna on Feb 12th, so that's 15 weeks, I think. I took a couple of weeks off after MCM, and then started doing long runs of 10 miles. Starting 11/26, I ran 12 miles, and now I'm alternating 10 mile weekends with increasing distances. I'm running 14 this weekend, and will build up to 20 on 1/21, 3 weeks out. That's all I plan to do. I'm counting on the training for MCM to hold me through the next marathon, as long as I keep the LR's up. And I'm continuing the speedwork, tempo and hill runs midweek that I did before MCM, after a month of easy runs to give my body a rest.

I do have a time goal, but it's not aggressive, and I'm planning to run with a Galloway pace group so I'm counting on them to get me to my goal.

Hope this helps!

Jackie

 

[buckeyecinderella]

That information does help. It looks like I should be okay to get in only one 20 mile run between marathons especially if I build in a few longer runs accordingly. It is a big time commitment, to run a marathon. So at the speed I run, I really only have time for one 20 mile run between these two marathons. I'll see how it goes and adjust as necessary the next time! Thanks!

 

[FFigawi]

When I was running one every three or four weeks last winter, I would take a week off after each one. Then, I'd do a 15-18 mile run, an 8-12 mile run, and it would be marathon time again. With yours spaced out much further than that, I think taking a few weeks off or with light running and then getting back into a typical training program would be fine.