undertrained and need advice

[J3nn78]

I am signed up for Goofy this year. I have previously completed Dopey, a full, and a bunch of half marathons.

Due to life circumstances (moving disaster) I have not really done much of any training for this race. I have gone out and run 10 miles a few times, including last weekend, but that is it. I have not kept up with weekday runs.

So, I am wondering how to proceed from here. Originally in my training plan, I was going to run up to 22 miles prior. Obviously that is not happening.

I am looking for some suggestions. I can maybe squeeze in 2 45 minute weekday runs. How should I build up the mileage for my long runs?

I am so disappointed. I had big plans to make this year my best..and wanted to PR. That will have to wait till next year.

Thanks so much.

 

[Lindsay22]

I've learned that weekday runs just don't work for me between working, a long commute and two toddler. I try to do strength training twice during the week or Pilates, yoga, cross fit. Something I can do at home. Then I make sure not to skip my long runs on the weekend. I'm not doing goofy, just the full. I feel confident that I will finish in a good time for me, but I'm not trying to win

 

[J3nn78]

That is part of my problem. I have 3 kids and work full time. I just can't get out the door during the week. I should be getting a treadmill this week though. I hate treadmills but I can tolerate it for short 30-45 minute runs.

 

[goofeygirl]

I am not doing the Dopey this coming year but I did do the Dopey this past January and the Goofy before that.

What I realize is that what I plan and what actually happens are two different scenarios.
My plan was to start training for the Dopey in June. Little by little building up until sometime mid Oct I was doing it.
That never happened, not even close. June was too busy...too hot....and then the next thing you know it was the middle of September.

I would train on weekends...because I had enough time to go out while it was still light out. By early Dec. I would go out (say on a Sunday) and do like 10 miles in the am...then another 8 miles later on. Okay so it was broken up but I knew I did 18miles that day. I did it like that.

Somewhere around mid December I actually went on the treadmill and did 23.2 miles. Really I did. Still I cannot believe I actually did that...and I was watching a dvd of the Real Housewives. I think I watched a whole season on dvd.
Once I did that then I knew I was ready. Now it was just a matter of putting a half before a full (not counting the 5k or 10k).

By the time race day came..

I did it. My timing was where I wanted it to be. My legs were sore of course (after the full) but I was still able to walk around.

But for me what worked was breaking it up....doing a few miles in the am and then more later on.

 

[J3nn78]

I am not doing the Dopey this coming year but I did do the Dopey this past January and the Goofy before that.

What I realize is that what I plan and what actually happens are two different scenarios.
My plan was to start training for the Dopey in June. Little by little building up until sometime mid Oct I was doing it.
That never happened, not even close. June was too busy...too hot....and then the next thing you know it was the middle of September.

I would train on weekends...because I had enough time to go out while it was still light out. By early Dec. I would go out (say on a Sunday) and do like 10 miles in the am...then another 8 miles later on. Okay so it was broken up but I knew I did 18miles that day. I did it like that.

Somewhere around mid December I actually went on the treadmill and did 23.2 miles. Really I did. Still I cannot believe I actually did that...and I was watching a dvd of the Real Housewives. I think I watched a whole season on dvd.
Once I did that then I knew I was ready. Now it was just a matter of putting a half before a full (not counting the 5k or 10k).

By the time race day came..

I did it. My timing was where I wanted it to be. My legs were sore of course (after the full) but I was still able to walk around.

But for me what worked was breaking it up....doing a few miles in the am and then more later on.

thanks for that! It helps to hear stories like this.

I am hoping I am not completely screwed. I can knock out the 10 miles I am at now with no trouble and no after pain or soreness. I guess I will try to go up to about 20 miles total before Christmas and hope for the best. I never did back to back runs for Dopey and was fine, so I am not worried about that with Goofy.

 

[DisneyRunnerGirl]

thanks for that! It helps to hear stories like this. I am hoping I am not completely screwed. I can knock out the 10 miles I am at now with no trouble and no after pain or soreness. I guess I will try to go up to about 20 miles total before Christmas and hope for the best. I never did back to back runs for Dopey and was fine, so I am not worried about that with Goofy.

Just be careful not to ramp up too quickly or you could end in a much worse place of being injured rather than just undertrained. I got hurt about 3 weeks ago and have the Avengers in 2 weeks. My last run was 10 miles and I haven't run since under doctor's orders. I will be able to run the Avengers but it will be an easy pace, have fun day. My doctor is a distance runner so he totally gets it and is on board with this plan. My goal for Avengers is to finish with no particular time in mind. Just my humble opinion, but if you keep your focus on finishing rather than specific times for Goofy I think you will be fine. Tough to mentally reset for that, but you can do it! Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[J3nn78]

Just be careful not to ramp up too quickly or you could end in a much worse place of being injured rather than just undertrained. I got hurt about 3 weeks ago and have the Avengers in 2 weeks. My last run was 10 miles and I haven't run since under doctor's orders. I will be able to run the Avengers but it will be an easy pace, have fun day. My doctor is a distance runner so he totally gets it and is on board with this plan. My goal for Avengers is to finish with no particular time in mind. Just my humble opinion, but if you keep your focus on finishing rather than specific times for Goofy I think you will be fine. Tough to mentally reset for that, but you can do it! Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

thanks! I am definitely not worried about time. Finishing ahead of sweep is all I will ask for. I am doing run/walk with a lot more walk to try to avoid injury. PR will have to wait for 2016...of which I will do "just" the full.

 

[FFigawi]

I'd try to get in as many runs during the week as you can to help keep your fitness up. For your long runs, I'd go two weeks back from race day and plan on 18. Between now and then, move up 10% a week for two weeks, drop back a week, and then repeat. You might end up with something like 12, 14, 11, 15, 16, 14, 18, taper, race.

 

[J3nn78]

Thanks John! I appreciate the advice

 

[J3nn78]

got a "dreadmill" today. My parents never used it so they let me have it. I should be able to at least get in short daily runs now. Yay! going to try to do a 12 miler this weekend.

 

[IamTrike]

I'd try to get in as many runs during the week as you can to help keep your fitness up. For your long runs, I'd go two weeks back from race day and plan on 18. Between now and then, move up 10% a week for two weeks, drop back a week, and then repeat. You might end up with something like 12, 14, 11, 15, 16, 14, 18, taper, race.

I just used a similar plan to train for a trail marathon that I ran a couple weeks ago.

I think the best advice given on here so far was don't push yourself to go up too fast. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself at this stage of the game.

The other piece of advice I wish I would have taken is to adjust my pace down and stick with it. If you are undertrained going out too fast can be problematic and make the last 10 miles not a lot of fun. I wish I had adjusted my pace back 30 seconds to a minute per mile.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I just wanted to add that I have run in a number of marathons before which my longest training run was no where near 26 miles. Looking back at my training logs, I have run a marathon with my longest training run at 16 miles, 17 miles and 20 miles.

With those races I gave myself a normal taper and just took it easy during the marathon. If you can get up to 16-18 miles before you start your taper you will be fine as long as you don't push for a PR.

 

[goofeygirl]

Silly me tho. We should all keep a journal of our training! I know I always start to and then forget to keep it up.

It would have been nice to look back to previous years to see EXACTLY where I was this time last year.

For me, and I am signed up for the half this year and then I am doing the Star Wars Rebel the following week, my training has been zilch. I am actually training for something else which requires more weight work than cardio....so if I were to look at the journal I never actually kept, I would find out how far along I was last year.

Then I would have told you.


Note: when I say zilch I don't actually mean I am doing nothing....I mean I am doing nothing as compared to what I was doing last year for training. I guess I feel a bit relaxed this year that I am not doing a Goofy or a Dopey because as I wrote I am mostly weight training for something else now...but I am doing cardio...just not as much as in the past.

 

[RD-SOX]

Thanks for this thread.... I'm feeling a little undertrained myself. Started training in July for the full in January and whoops severely sprained ankle stepping off my porch in September....ugh. A bunch of orthopedic appointments and PT three times a week. So just really getting back into it. Longest run since the sprain has been 9.5 miles. I hope there is hope. Best wishes to everyone in their training.

 

[beckyb29]

I agree with the previous poster, thank you for this thread. I'm in the same boat as you guys... Everything was going fine until about 2 months ago. After pain and agony, tests and doctor appointments I found out I have anterior tibial tendonitis. (Not good news when training for a marathon at all, but I was relieved it wasn't a stress fracture!)

I'm now way behind in my training, wearing a new brace on my right foot, and starting PT this week. I'm hoping for the best, but now I dread the thought of the balloon ladies catching me as I walk more than I normally would have...it's terrifying.

I wish everyone a speedy recovery!!