I have a couple questions for you marathoners,.... usually during the week, I run 4-5 miles Tues-Thurs.
- Even though it says to run 3-5-3 miles in the beginning, is is OK to run more like I was doing? Like a 4-5-4 Or should I stick to the schedule?
- Let's say I miss a run, let's say the Wednesday's run, should I make it up on Thursday then do Thursday's run on Friday? Even though it's close to my long run day? Or should I just skip it?
- Is there a marathon training diet I should follow? Any foods I should look into? avoid?
- What do you guys do for your Cross training day?
- Anything else I should know? Tips? Advice?
Any comments are welcomed!!! Thanks!
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.... and for Adena,... Thanks for the tag. I did one not too long ago. Read it here:
http://andsoitburns.blogspot.com/2011/12/tagged.html
I can't come up with more random stuff about myself :(
9 comments:
1. I think you're okay to do 4-5-4 if that's what you're used to, but this gives you permission to do 3-5-3 if you want to slack a bit.
2. If you miss a run, I would just let it go - although if it's the Thursday run, you may want to run it Friday if you're itching to get out - but you do want to take it easy on the day before an after your long run.
3. I can't recommend a training diet - just be sure you eat enough to stay fueled.
4. cross training - weights or bike. Swimming is good if you have access to a pool, although it gets boring.
Hope that's helpful. A lot of this falls into the "experiment of one" category - you need to try stuff out and see what works. Also learn to eat on the run - even if its just gels, that can be huge on your 20 milers.
From my vast experience (1 marathon ;)) I will say that the plan is a guide. I have a couple that I flex between depending on what kind of week I'm having. As I deviate from the plan I try to get in at least 3 quality runs: tempo, speed & long. After that I flex as I need to....and sometimes it still doesn't work out. Just move on from there.
Since it is your first marathon, the biggest goal you have is to finish intact. Your long runs are the most important runs to get you there. If you miss a mid week run, or don't manage the exact mileage on those, no big deal. Cross training can be any non running thing you like. Or, if you are like me, nothing at all :P
I can't recommend a "diet" but I will say, pay attention to what you eat the couple days before your long runs, especially if something gives you stomach issues. I learned more about what to avoid, rather than what I need to include, if that makes any sense.
I'm certainly no marathon veteran....as I've only just done one and it was just two weeks ago, but the experience is fresh. I would say yes - if you are already doing more miles stick with your current schedule - it's definitely just a guide and you could find a dozen different plans out there. For the most part if you miss a run, it's hard to make it up - just don't miss the long run, the shorter ones aren't nearly as important. And for me it was super mentally important to get past the 20 mile hump. If you can, I would try to push past 20 - I did a 20 and a 22 in my training plan it was a huge help when I got to 20 in the marathon.
Best of luck!!
That's a lot of questions. As far as doing a mile or 2 more than scheduled, that's fine, it just gives you a run typically done on a recovery day since hard days should be in between. If you miss a run, let it go. Diet - Drink lots of water, eat fruits and vegetables. CrossTraining? - What's that? The best tip is just to be sensible with everything and get out there and do it. If you want more tips, you can go to marathontalk.com. It's a great podcast, and there are plenty of episodes you can catch up on. Lots of tips and advise there.
ok ok. :-) Thanks for the link. It's hard to think up 11 things, it took me ages.
I'll be checking back here for comments/advice on this post. I'm not training for a marathon (just a half) but lots of great advice out there that can be used.
If you miss a workout, you miss a workout. Just don't miss too many. I'm kind of in the same boat. The 16-week program I'm looking at hasn't started yet but I'm already exceeding what's on there.
I would say, don't be a slave to a program. I do Insanity and weights for cross training. Four days a week running and two days cross-training is good for me.
By the way, I've never run a marathon, so I'm not sure you want my advice.
OK to miss a weekday run. Don't skip your long runs. Be flexible - I switch my weekday runs around to fit my schedule and I run sat. Or sun depending in schedule but try to keep that more consistent once I hit double digits on the weekend. Nutrition I'm still learning and I'm working on number 3 but I get better every time. Try things out during training to help perfect it. I bike and lift weights for cross training. #1 advice - just run for fun and don't worry about time. You can set a time in the next one.
It's OK to start with more miles if you're already at that point. Also, I've been having some great workouts cross training on the bike lately.
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