Looking back and comparing this marathon buildup to last year's, I'm a little disappointed to see how my LRs and even my weekday training runs are like 30 seconds per mile slower than they were before. For one run, that's fine. For all of the runs, especially the LRs, that's not good. I highlighted some comparable LRs. What am I doing wrong?
[CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE]
Maybe I'm not pushing myself as hard as I did last time because I thought that that's what it took to get into marathon shape. And maybe now I'm going more conservatively? At first, I thought that maybe I used lighter shoes for the Houston LRs, but looking back at th log, it's the same model of shoe (NB 1224 or 1225s) that I used for this year's LRs. Routes are the same. Weather should be comparable. Sleep is always not ideal but normal for me. Weight is the same. Stress is the same. Fueling is the same.
So... I must step it up. Now is the time to do it. I have 1 month left of real training before it's time to start tapering. Once I start tapering, the money is in the bank, and that's all the money that can be deposited. So I gotta figure out what I'm doing wrong and start stepping it up now.
Maybe it's just the drive. I have to just push myself more. The thing about just pushing it is that in LRs, it can mean fading hard at the end, and that's not good. Even at 9:25 pace for my first 20, I was fading hard at the end. Maybe it's pushing myself harder on the weekday runs. I don't specify in the summary above whether it was a tempo run or a speed session. This time, I've done no tempos, just speed, if it is a faster average pace. I dunno.
I've added some hills. I've added a bit of Insanity (plyos) this time. I thought that would've helped, and maybe it is helping. But I'm still missing something.
Right before Albany's buildup started, I raced many halfs.... 3 within 4 or 5 weeks. Maybe I'm in the post-peak season and my body is just taking a break on me.
Ideas, anyone?
Today, in an effort to inject a bit more effort and speed into my training, I did a treadmill interval session.
It took 1 mi @ 7mph just to feel comfortable running, and I spent another 0.5 mi working up to 7mph. Then, 3 x [0.75 @ 9mph, 0.25 @ 7.5mph]. That was all I felt I could do.
4.5 in 33:39, 7:29 ave.
1 comment:
it may not be a bad thing that your long runs are slower, but there is always a chance that your body is trying to say it needs a break -- hard to say as an outsider as i don't know how you feel day-to-day as you did back then (and i know it's not easy to remember any fatigue-related details from a year ago). for me - things went downhill when i started "not feeling it" and wasn't able to hit the paces i thought i could hit for runs (workouts and easy runs). BUT, i'm not saying that's what's happening to you. everyone is different.
maybe you need to switch it up a little -- a mid-distance easy-paced run (like don't care about the pace easy) followed with some strides. or a workout with a few short-intervals to remind the legs how to turnover. maybe you need to do a complete non-running/non-insanity workout all together.
maybe you just need a couple days of total rest? obviously i don't know what you past few weeks/months have been like as far as rest days. as they say, always better to be 10% undertrained than 10% overtrained.
i do kinda wonder if the insanity is to blame... i only seemed to get slower and slower when i was running + doing insanity. i'm sure this is so not a valid argument, but i kind of want to blame insanity so i don't have to do those ridiculous workouts again. ;)
anyway. good luck. i know this is a vague answer but "listen to your body" and be honest with yourself, you know it best.
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