You must be swift as the coursing river (as long as it's the Lazy River) - comments welcome

[HangWithMerida]

Hang in there. You still have a fair bit of training before race day. And congrats on a very respectable 5k time!!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

August 1 - 7, 2022
HM training week 7 | 42 days until DC Half
In which I am all fixed (but still sore)

• M: 3.52 mi, 38:29, 10:54 per mile, 153 bpm
• T: rest
• W: 5.35 mi, 58:28, 5.05 mi @ 10:59 per mile + 4 x 15s strides, 151 bpm
• T: 4.05 mi, 41:33, 10:15 per mile, 151 bpm + core, 108 bpm
• F: PT + strength training, 121 bpm
• S: karate, 146 bpm
• S: 9.05 mi, 1:33:04, 10:16 per mile, 164 bpm

Weekly mileage: 21.97
Training time: 5:24:26

I was grumbling about having to run on the one day a week when I go into the office (Tuesday), and then I realized it didn't have to be that way! So I switched my Tuesday runs to Monday for the foreseeable future and now my rest day and office day can overlap.

I meant to do Monday's run in the morning, but I was very tired and instead took a nap after walking the dog. (Does it count as a nap if it's before 8 a.m.?) So I ran after work. And it was hot. Still, it wasn't terrible considering the conditions and the fact that I had raced a 5K the day before.

Despite not working out on Tuesday, my legs were a bit tired Wednesday morning. But I managed my scheduled 5 miles without any issues and added a few strides at the end. I did have a bit of a twinge in my right hip when I was running faster, but it wasn't too bad so I ignored it.

My hip was still a little off on Thursday, but somehow I was...fast? I mean, not fast fast but fast for an easy run. My average HR was the same Wednesday and Thursday yet my pace was 44 seconds per mile faster on Thursday. Why? It shall remain one of the great mysteries of the universe. My hip still grumbled a bit, and when I did a short core workout I realized whatever muscle I tweaked went up into my abs. But it didn't seem serious so I mostly ignored it again other than modifying an exercise to accommodate it.

I had physical therapy Friday morning, which was short but a workout. I was sweating and panting by the time they let me go. But, I'm done! My knee is fixed enough that they graduated me (with a few exercises to continue on my own) unless and until something comes up in the future. It's made a huge difference in my running - definitely recommend if you have any nagging issues! As I told the team, I wish I had just gone to PT five years ago - I could have avoided all kinds of discomfort and annoying knee bands.

Since PT worked my legs pretty hard, I focused more on my upper body for strength training. I did add a short lower body workout, but maybe I shouldn't have, because my legs were already tired when my karate class started on Saturday. Karate wore them out even more, and I hobbled around for most of Saturday afternoon. Oops. I told myself that Sunday's run would be like practice for being tired in a race.

This morning it was humid and I was tired and I didn't really want to go out, but I did it. Since I was going over 90 minutes, I brought a couple of GU packets with me, which I ate/consumed starting at 30 minutes and 60 minutes. It took me 10-15 minutes to finish each of them, and I kept sipping water throughout to make sure I could metabolize them.

As someone who really likes food, I find the whole concept of gels - "food" that is all ends and no delicious means - slightly offensive. The mandarin orange GU I had first was gross. The tri-berry one was slightly less gross but still kind of icky. I get why they're important for long runs, but couldn't they make something that doesn't taste like fake fruit and fake sugar? On the bright side, I did feel pretty decent when I finished my run despite the steamy heat and my tired legs, so probably they helped a little.

In fact, the run went pretty well overall. I was trying to run a little faster without going too hard, and I think I succeeded. I had planned to do a fast finish but decided against it because of the weather and my sore legs. Fortunately my legs did loosen up as I warmed up.

An indicator of how humid it is today: I got back from my run around 9 a.m., then stretched, showered, and went to the farmer's market. It's about half a mile away, and even by the time I got there I was drenched in sweat again. I guess today is going to be a two-shower kind of day...

 

[DopeyBadger]

Why? It shall remain one of the great mysteries of the universe.

You're a responder to strides, and you had two consecutive easy days. Both of those will improve your HRvPace relationship. Keep the strides in mind for pre-race day the next time around. Some runners improve their racing the next day with strides the day prior. This would be one piece of evidence you are that type of runner.

I get why they're important for long runs, couldn't they make something that doesn't taste like fake fruit and fake sugar?

Keep trying other brands. There are some out there that taste less fake than GU. I think Huma is one that gets mentioned often in that vein.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

You're a responder to strides, and you had two consecutive easy days. Both of those will improve your HRvPace relationship. Keep the strides in mind for pre-race day the next time around. Some runners improve their racing the next day with strides the day prior. This would be one piece of evidence you are that type of runner.

Doing strides before a race would not have occurred to me as something that would be of benefit - good to know!

Keep trying other brands. There are some out there that taste less fake than GU. I think Huma is one that gets mentioned often in that vein.

I will look for them. I picked out a few different ones to see what I would like this time around, and I'll keep doing that until I find something that doesn't completely suck.

 

[azrivest]

As someone who really likes food, I find the whole concept of gels - "food" that is all ends and no delicious means - slightly offensive. The mandarin orange GU I had first was gross. The tri-berry one was slightly less gross but still kind of icky.

I haven't tried many brands, but GU is the brand I tolerate the most for gels. (And by tolerate, I mean that isn't completely gross to me.) You could maybe try the non-fruit ones? I only take the "brown" packets, like Espresso Love and Caramel Macchiato. I find they don't taste as sweet as the berry or fruit GU packets.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

I only take the "brown" packets, like Espresso Love and Caramel Macchiato. I find they don't taste as sweet as the berry or fruit GU packets.

I'll give those a try too. Like Cookie Monster, I prefer sweet things that start with C (cookies, cake, chocolate, coffee, caramel, etc.) to fruit anyway, so maybe they'll work better!

 

[striker1064]

The local running shops have all varieties of nutrition, and REI has even more. Some gels have a slightly different consistency than Gu (like Maurten and Egel). Or you could straight up much on a stroopwafel while you run! They're too tasty for me to keep at home, so I stick to gels.

 

[avondale]

If you're not locked into gels, try some other options. I don't like gels because of how they always make my hands sticky, and not sure I go for the texture. I used to eat Sport Beans, and those flavors are better - basically like Jelly Bellys. Now I use some combination of Honey Stinger waffles, GU blocks, and Swedish Fish.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Huma raspberry tastes exactly like raspberry jam. It’s great if you like jam.

Gels make my stomach weird if I have more than like 2 or 3, and as a 6hr marathoner I expanded my fuel to a few different things. I really like the stroopwaffles (salted caramel!), Gu gels (chocolate fudge, birthday cake, toasted marshmallow), cinnamon almond butter packets for dense calories/fat, and most gummies are ok as well.

 

[HangWithMerida]

I will second sticking to the brown packs for gels. And vanilla (prob my fav). The sweetness seems to make more sense to my mouth in those flavors than with fruity ones. Gels are just so convenient and don't take up a lot of space in my pockets. I haven't had the sticky fingers problem. In fact, I seem to get that more with chews/beans because I am digging them out of the package. Currently, I mix gels and skratch chews. I have tried stroopwaffles, and they are tasty, and I will mix them in for the longer of my long runs during marathon training. I need to walk to eat them and for anything shorter than 12-14 miles they seem superfluous.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

If you're not locked into gels, try some other options. I don't like gels because of how they always make my hands sticky, and not sure I go for the texture. I used to eat Sport Beans, and those flavors are better - basically like Jelly Bellys. Now I use some combination of Honey Stinger waffles, GU blocks, and Swedish Fish.

The problem that I run into with actual food is that my mouth gets dry when I'm running so it's hard to chew stuff. But maybe I could do Sports Beans if they're chewier. Not gonna try Swedish Fish, though - I'd spend the whole run trying to dig them out of my teeth!

 

[HangWithMerida]

The problem that I run into with actual food is that my mouth gets dry when I'm running so it's hard to chew stuff. But maybe I could do Sports Beans if they're chewier. Not gonna try Swedish Fish, though - I'd spend the whole run trying to dig them out of my teeth!

This was the reason I don't plan to use stroopwaffles until my runs really get long and I need to break up the gu's and chews. I tried them and had to sip constantly while chewing and it left me huffing and puffing as I tried to eat them while running. Real food also seems to take up more space.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

August 8 - 14, 2022
HM training week 8 | 35 days until DC Half
In which I revel in the miracle of low humidity in August

• M: 4.05 mi, 43:44, 10:48 per mile, 154 bpm
• T: yoga, 81 bpm
• W: strength training, 130 bpm + karate, 126 bpm
• T: 3.52 mi, 38:54 per mile, 11:02 per mile, 153 bpm
• F: 7.37 mi, 1:06:29, 9:01 per mile, 172 bpm
• S: karate, 137 bpm
• S: 10.16 mi, 1:38:15, 9:40 per mile, 166 bpm

Weekly mileage: 25.1 mi
Training time: 6:40:55

Beginning at the beginning, Monday was blah. It was hot and my legs were still tired from karate and Sunday's 9 miler, so it wasn't much fun. Tuesday I did sort of recovery yoga and felt better.

Wednesday was interesting because my karate class added a mid-week session, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go until the last minute. I did a lower-body strength workout beforehand, then found out I could go and had the class as well. Luckily for me, there were a bunch of new people so it wasn't too hard.

Since karate was in the evening, the morning run on Thursday was a struggle. It was only about 12 hours between karate and running, and even though karate hadn't been that bad, my strength workout apparently was and my legs were sore. More blah.

But then. A miracle occurred. The dew point dropped below 60. In DC. In August. It was magical.

Holy humidity, Batman, I did not realize until this weekend just how much the dew point affected my pace. I mean, I knew intellectually that it did, and I've trained in the summer before, but my prior "training" treated the concept pretty loosely and in any case I didn't have a pace goal then. I saved this week's HM-pace run for Friday because I looked at the forecast, and wow was it so much better than my previous workouts. In fact, let's review:

• Pace run #1 (3 mi): Paces were all over the place and the sun was in my eyes. Not fun.
• Pace run #2 (4 mi): Paces were better but ended up with a debilitating headache. Why did I think this was a good idea again?
• Pace run #3 (theoretically 4 mi): Ran way too fast for the first 2 miles and had to stop after 3. How am I so bad at this?

But this time, I did... drumroll ...5 miles at an average pace of 8:34 (8:23, 8:27, 8:40, 8:41, 8:38). Woohoo! I did cheat a little bit and pause my workout to walk up a steep hill in the 4th mile, so there's that. But there are no hills like that on the course. And my legs were still pretty sore from strength training so I didn't want to make it worse. (Watch me continue to justify myself to myself, haha.)

Saturday's karate class was fairly uneventful. My right quad was still kind of sore, which made it a little challenging, but it was fine. Then Sunday's run was also glorious with the dew point remaining in the high 50s. I started out slow but then kept speeding up (for the most part; I was slow running back up a long hill but I was working at least as hard as I did running faster).

I also did a little better with the gel flavors this time. I had a hüma that I didn't realize I'd picked up, and I didn't love the flavor (strawberry lemonade), but I did like the consistency. It was a little more liquidy than a GU and easier to eat. Then I had a jet blackberry flavored GU which was not bad, although I definitely noticed the viscosity more after the hüma. That was all for the ones I had on hand, so I'll have to try some new flavors whenever I go over to the running store.

But anyway, how did I not realize how much better running is without the humidity? So basically all I need now is a reasonable dew point on race day and I might actually be okay. Mid-September here could really go either way, so keep your fingers crossed.

 

[avondale]

But then. A miracle occurred. The dew point dropped below 60. In DC. In August. It was magical.

I also very much appreciated this miracle!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

August 15 - 21, 2022
HM training week 9 | 28 days until DC Half
In which the track and I are not friends

• M: 4 mi, 42:28, 10:35 per mile, 154 bpm
• T: strength training, 44:01, 119 bpm
• W: 5 mi, 54:14, 10:49 per mile, 156 bpm
• T: rest
• F: 4.25 mi, 44:33, 10:28 per mile, 156 bpm + 20 min hilly biking, 149 bpm
• S: karate, 135 bpm
• S: 12 x 400m w/15s rest + WU/CD (5.95 mi, 171 bpm) + core, 107 bpm

Weekly mileage: 19.21
Training time: 5:25:39

Monday's weather was still relatively nice, ish, although the humidity was starting to creep back up again. My legs were a little tired from my long run on Sunday but I felt okay. I think I did three strides throughout the run. Maybe four, but probably three.

Tuesday I did strength training, but my legs were still sore from last week because I never really gave them a chance to recover. So I modified a lot of the lower body workout to just use bodyweight or make the plyo exercises a little easier. My upper body felt fine so I did normal weights for that one.

On Wednesday I was once again a bit tired but not too bad. Nothing to remark on from this run.

After I finally gave myself a rest day on Thursday, I felt like I had lots of energy during Friday's run and kept having to slow myself down to keep my HR from getting too high. We were definitely back to more normal summer levels of heat and humidity, so I still wasn't particularly fast. I also included biking to my friend's house in the evening because there were lots of hills and it was hard.

Karate was good on Saturday. Nothing more to report. Sunday my training plan had me scheduled for a 10K, but believe it or not there aren't a lot of 10Ks in DC in the middle of August. Billy suggested a speed workout in another thread so I decided to try that too.

So I don't do a lot of track workouts (no joke, the only other one this year was a timed mile and that was it), partly because I don't really enjoy running in circles and partly because I thought they'd be hard to track on an Apple Watch. On the latter, I was definitely correct. There's supposed to be an update that will let you program workouts in the fall, but for now, there's not really a good way to track laps.

The approach that I decided to take, which I most wholeheartedly do not recommend, was to use the stopwatch and hit the lap button every time I finished a combined lap/recovery. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered several problems with this strategy:

1. The running timer gives your total elapsed time, not the time on any particular lap. So it was really hard to tell what my time was for each lap until I finished it.
2. Tracking the 400m time and recovery time in the same lap sounds easy in theory but I kept forgetting what time I stopped running, so then I didn't know how long my recovery was supposed to be.
3. I also just wanted to be able to see my HR, pace, etc. while I was running.

The intervals were supposed to be at 10K pace. I was aiming for an 8:20 pace (2:05 per lap, so 2:20 including the recovery jog). As usual, I was not very good at hitting my paces, but at least some of the variation is in the recovery intervals. Just for fun, here's what I ended up with:

1. 2:07
2. 2:15
3. 2:17
4. 2:07
5. 2:09
6. 2:12
7. 2:15
8. 2:27
9. 2:23
10. 2:21
11. 2:15
12. 1:58 (400 only because it was the last lap)

In other reasons not to love the track, apparently nobody knows track etiquette - for one, there was a guy strolling around talking on his phone who for some reason decided he should be in the inside lane. Why? Also I guess people decided to have a party there last night because there was trash all over the place. And my music kept stopping for no reason, and even though it was supposed to be cloudy, the sun came out around halfway through and it was hot.

So all in all, not my best workout. I had thought about doing 16 laps, but pretty quickly decided against that. I called it a day after 12 and very slowly jogged home. No more track workouts for me until I have a better way to track them.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

August 22 - 28, 2022
HM training week 10 | 21 days until DC Half
In which I learn that it is not always fine to shuffle workouts around

• M: strength training, 117 bpm
• T: rest
• W: 4.08 mi, 43:48, 10:44 per mile, 155 bpm + karate, 133 bpm
• T: 6.44 mi, 1:00:55, 9:27 per mile, 174 bpm
• F: 4.02 mi, 45:19, 11:16 per mile, 150 bpm
• S: karate, 134 bpm
• S: 12.73 mi, 1:59:52, 9:24 per mile, 171 bpm

Weekly mileage: 27.27
Training time: 6:45:43

This week I thought I would go into the office on Tuesday and miss Wednesday's karate because of another appointment. It didn't quite work out that way, which did not actually end up so well for me.

Monday's strength training was fine - I took a break in between the lower and upper body portions to walk the dog - and I did go to the office Tuesday. The rest day was good for recovery. Then because I was thinking no karate Wednesday evening, I planned on my easy run Wednesday and HM-pace run Thursday. But then my appointment got moved up, so I did go to karate but kept everything else the same for various reasons.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, going to a karate class with lots of kicks is maybe not the best way to prepare for a 5-mile run at HM pace 12 hours later. I did okay for a while, though I was a little slower than my goal pace for the most part, but somewhere in the middle of mile 4, I realized I had to make a choice. I could a) push through it and try to hit 8:40 for the last mile, but be completely wiped out afterwards; 2) aim for HM pace + 10-15 seconds, which I was pretty confident I could manage without too much difficulty; or iii) bail on the pace run and just jog the rest of the way home. I didn't want to kill myself and I wasn't sure how helpful running at a slower pace would be, so I went with option...er...the last one. I ended up with a 4 mile pace(-ish) portion instead of 5 (8:47, 8:42, 8:40, 8:53, yes only one of those is my actual goal pace).

It's definitely a bit disappointing and frustrating not to be able to run at HM pace for 5 miles less than 4 weeks out from trying to do it for 13.1 miles, but I'm not going to be racing 12 hours after a karate class, so I'm trying to let it go. Anyway, things improved later in the week, as you'll see.

First, though, Friday's run: I was trying to take it extra-easy to give my legs a break after the previous 48 hours, and I would say I was successful. It was slow but my HR was significantly lower than usual. Saturday's karate class was also good - we finished learning the yellow belt kata. And having 24 hours to rest between karate and running (well, okay, more like 21 but close enough) made Sunday's run a whole lot better than Thursday's.

Two things you should know about today's long run: First, it is definitely still summer (T+D around 76-82 + 70-73 and yes the six-degree temperature increase over a two-hour run was all kinds of fun, thanks for asking). And second, I wanted to push it a little.

There was actually reasoning behind that decision beyond "who doesn't want to run faster when it's a million degrees out?" Namely, most of my fueling practice so far has been at relatively easy paces, and I wanted to make sure my body didn't react differently when I tried to run a little faster - like I would in a race. So the goal, at least for portions of the run where I was fueling, was to run not quite at race pace but not far off from it either.

Kudos to everyone who suggested "the brown ones" when I complained about gross fruity GUs - I had a caramel macchiato-flavored gel after 3 miles or so that was far superior to any of the ones I've tried so far. The caffeine probably didn't hurt either. Since I was feeling good, I didn't even slow down again after I finished my GU. It helped that I was running up Beach Drive, which is an almost perfect route through Rock Creek Park on a street that's currently closed to cars.

So I kept the pace up, and around 6.5 miles in I had my second gel, which I did not enjoy nearly as much. I thought salty peanut would be a good flavor option and less sickly-sweet, but in fact I felt like I was eating peanut butter cut with spit. I realize that's pretty much the same as just watered-down peanut butter, but once you start thinking "spit" it's hard to go back.

When I said Beach Drive was almost perfect as a running route, that was because it has one serious flaw: Once I leave the park, I have to run half a mile up a giant hill on my way home. It's miserable, especially when it's hot and not that shaded and you've already run 10 miles. This time, I tried to avoid the hill by going back a different route, but due to construction, all I ended up doing was adding an extra half-mile to my run. And then I still had to run up the hill.

Luckily after that it's mostly downhill again, so I recovered, sort of, eventually. And overall, I was pretty happy with this run. Except for the first couple of miles (warm-up and running uphill towards the park) and the bit with the terrible hill, pretty much the whole run was faster than 2:00 HM pace despite the humidity. I'm pretty sure it's going to take unusually good weather and a significant heaping of luck to get an s2 POT at this race, but if I can finish a 12.73-mile training run in less than two hours, I'm reasonably confident I can manage a sub-2 half again. And hey, since most recreational races don't measure hundredths of a second, there are only four possible sub-2 times that aren't a PR for me. So, you know, the pace runs haven't been great, but things could be worse.

 

[DopeyBadger]

5 miles of HMT is a very hard training run. Minus a taper, you really shouldnt be able to run anywhere close to 13 miles at HMT in the midst of training. So don’t let the HMT shake your confidence. If you do the taper right, then you’ll be better prepared/fresher for the race itself.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

5 miles of HMT is a very hard training run. Minus a taper, you really shouldnt be able to run anywhere close to 13 miles at HMT in the midst of training. So don’t let the HMT shake your confidence. If you do the taper right, then you’ll be better prepared/fresher for the race itself.

Well, I still have one more of these, so we'll see how it goes, but that does make me feel a little better!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

August 29 - September 4, 2022
HM training week 11 | 14 days until DC Half
In which I am...pleasantly surprised?

• M: strength training, 113 bpm
• T: 5 mi, 53:08, 10:35 per mile, 154 bpm + core, 114 bpm
• W: 6.06 mi, 1:03:16, 10:26 per mile, 154 bpm + karate, 134 bpm
• T: 5.21 mi, 55:06, 10:33 per mile, 151 bpm
• F: rest
• S: karate
• S: 14.02 mi, 2:25:57, 10:24 per mile, 158 bpm

Weekly mileage: 30.3
Training time: 7:45:58

All my run notes for this week say something like, "huh, that went surprisingly well considering X." I guess I'm bucking the trend of a rotten week that everyone else seems to be having? So I hope you're all pleasantly surprised yourselves soon!

First, I did not take it easy strength training this week. I thought I would be sore but I mostly wasn't. Then I thought the run would be hard the next morning because I had three shorter runs plus two karate classes plus one fast-ish long run plus strength training with no rest day. But that was also fine, though hot. I did forget to do the strides I had planned, which was a little sad. But there will be more strides in the future.

Somehow Wednesday's run was a little faster, even though I still hadn't had a rest day and it was a mile longer. Thursday I thought for sure would be hard this time because it was 12 hours after my Wednesday evening karate class. But still no. Barely slower than Wednesday even with me trying to take it easy (the dew point was a lot lower too, so that helped).

Saturday I tried extra hard in karate after watching a few videos from world championships. These people are freaking incredible. But so far we have learned one kata, so I definitely cannot do anything nearly that awesome. I just made myself extra tired for my 14-mile long run.

Happily for me, my pretty good running streak stuck with me, and it wasn't too bad. My legs were definitely grumbling around mile 8/9, but they are liars because they were fine after a couple more miles.

I tried some different gels this time around and definitely felt a lot better than the couple of runs of this length I've done in the past (pre-fueling). I started with a raspberry hüma with caffeine, which was pretty decent. Then I had a Clif gel, coincidentally also raspberry. It was fine but the hüma was better so why bother. I also tried a Maurten gel, which tasted like marshmallow-flavored Jello. I didn't hate it. I also finished almost all of my 2L bladder of water, so I think I'm going to have to wear my vest at the race to make sure I have enough to drink even though I really don't want to. Le sigh.

Unlike last week, when I pushed the pace on my long run, I really wasn't planning to do that on this run, which is the longest of my HM training cycle. (I bumped up the 12-mile run that I was supposed to do because why wouldn't you? But in seriousness, I've done 14-mile runs before two of my last three HMs, so I knew I would be able to do it and I like to get a run in that's longer than my race.) But anyway, by mile 12.5 or so, I still felt good. I didn't want to run farther, so I decided faster was the way to go. I didn't speed up a whole lot, but the last two miles were my fastest splits of the run, so I was happy. And I still feel fine! I mean, my legs are really quite tired, but not in a way that impedes any normal activity.

So in conclusion, I had my highest-mileage week...ever?...and somehow felt great despite heat and humidity and too much sun. A good sign for marathon training coming up after the race in two weeks. Of course, I still have my last 5-mile HM pace run this week, which I am going to get right if it kills me. Then we taper and then race - feels right around the corner now that it's September!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Speaking of marathon training...

...I have been considering many plans, and so far I feel most inclined towards the level 1 plan from Matt Fitzgerald's Run Like a Pro. There's a sample week online, although I think the way the book presents it is easier to understand. Sort of. I will explain later.

Here's what I like about it:

• There's a decent variety of workouts. I am getting pretty bored with the repetitiveness of the Higdon plan, so that's something I was looking for. It includes intervals, fartleks, steady-state, tempos, fast finishes...along with your standard easy and long runs.
• Most of the workouts are laid out by time rather than laps around a track, which based on my last experience running around a track is highly preferable.
• You can run 4-6 days per week (2 days have the option of cross-training instead). This is particularly helpful because I'm planning on 5 days a week while I'm in DC and 6 when I'm in Florida for the holidays and don't have karate classes.

But some things make me a little hesitant:

• The longest run in the plan is 18 miles. Having run 14 miles yesterday, I feel comfortable with the idea of an 18-mile run. I feel less comfortable with getting 18 miles max to translate to 26.2 miles on race day. That is a pretty significant gap. I know Hansons, for example, maxes out at 16 miles, but that's one reason I passed on that plan.
• I'm trying to get an 18-week program to fit into 16 weeks between my HM and MW. And if I give myself a recovery week after the half, that's only 15 weeks. I think it will be okay because I'll have the base of HM training to work from, but it does mean making some modifications.
• The program gives paces in terms where I don't have a good sense of how fast I should be running. Lactate threshold, critical velocity, maximum aerobic speed, etc. These are defined in helpful ways such as "the fastest pace you can sustain for 30 minutes" (critical velocity), which seems kind of like the pace equivalent of Isla de Muerta, the island you can't find unless you already know where it is.
• The book talks about the importance of strength training, but the plan doesn't include any strength training. Why don't training programs ever include resistance work? That means I have to fit it in somewhere myself. This is my soapbox and I will not move from it. Unless it is to one of my other soapboxes, which are manifold.

Anyone have experience with this plan? Or thoughts on plans in general?