I just loaded YouTube and saw a preview of Abbott’s upcoming video. There’s still no update on Abbott’s website.

We still need details on how Abbott plans to structure this change, as they previously stated that the 6 Star Medal program would remain unaffected, which was not their initial plans, but they got quick feedback lol.

In my opinion, this is not be the best move for the Majors. B-tier races—Sydney might even fall into a C-tier category, judging by the past two streams I fully watched—could dilute the prestige. Please note: That’s just my opinion based on personal experience. Nothing against Sydney! I’ve already finished the Six Majors, run numerous marathons in Europe, and I think I have some knowledge on this topic. But, of course, I could be wrong... and hopefully Sydney proves me that I am.

Hi everyone, I recently got a pair of carbon plated shoes as I’m training for my first marathon next year. I have about 5 months. I’ve been wanting to get a pair of carbon plated shoes for a while now but I don’t know when best to use them as I’ve heard lots of different things.

I’ve heard some people say you should only wear them on long runs, but then I’ve heard some people say that you should save them for race day. But I’ve also heard that if you don’t train in them you’re likely to get injured because they’re such an aggressive shoe style. So I’m a bit confused on what type of workouts I should use them and maybe how long before the marathon I need to get used to them.

What's everyone up to on this weekend? Racing? Long run? Movie date? Playing with Fido? Talk about that here!

As always, be safe, train smart, and have a great weekend!

I'm looking for some advice for the most effective way to structure training to accomplish goals for varying distances throughout the year. I'll be racing a 10k on memorial day and I'm also considering a half or full marathon later in the year. Chicago marathon is my leading idea right now.

Some background:

36M, have been running regularly since 2020 but have played sports where some level of running/cardio is required since I was a kid (hockey, soccer, tennis, brief stint in middle school track). I'm currently running around 30 mpw and cross-train with cycling, hiking, and getting ready for ski touring season. I followed the Pfitz 18/55 for my second marathon, and was able to stick mostly to plan apart from some life hiccups getting in the way. This led to a 20 min PR in the marathon, which felt much better than my first attempt. I've only run 2 full marathons, and blew up pretty bad in the first, likely due to poor fueling.

PRs — 3:28 marathon, 1:34 half, 41:low 10k, 19:low 5k, and I haven't clocked a mile in some time.

General goals I'm working towards:

High priority: sub-40 10k

Low priority: sub-3:00 marathon

Curiosity... how far can I push my mile time?

Current plan

This is where I'm looking for advice. I'm currently trying to hit a couple easy runs, a tempo run, and a long run each week, and have recently added some shorter speed work. I'm unsure how to build my speed work in the short term or if this really even matters. I know adding more volume is the general advice until you get to around 40-50 mpw, but is there anything worth working on before doing a proper 10k plan leading into the spring (memorial day 10k)? I'm curious to see how far I can push my mile time, but would this even be worth it or counter-productive? Today garmin recommended 5 x 0:40 sec at 5:30/mi, which felt really doable. I pushed down to 5:00/mi for the last rep and felt like I could even do a few more, but just added some extra mileage for a cooldown instead.

I'm hoping to get a general sense for how I should structure my next year of training. I tend to train better when I have some structure, and it's always fun to set PRs along the way. Appreciate the help in advance!

A place to ask questions that don't need their own thread here or just chat a bit.

We have quite a bit of info in the wiki, FAQ, and past posts. Please be sure to give those a look for info on your topic.

Link to Wiki

Link to FAQ

Hi All! It's the guy that made this budget nutrition guide. Well, after plenty of trialing and testing I have finally managed to re-create the Maurten 100 style gel. My previous recipe was based on the 320 that was then used with significantly less water to create a gel. That is a MUCH easier recipe to use and I would not necessarily recommend using this recipe unless you MUST have a maurten 100 style gel. I do prefer this gel, its easier to slurp down but its definitely a little more involved to make. So like I said, if you are happy with the other recipe - do not proceed

So without any further ado, here is my recipe breakdown for making 24g carb gels, plus a full batch for 10 gels, with mixing tips, portioning, and caffeine options. Costs are still significantly lower than store-bought gels, especially for those in marathon training and trying to fuel during your long runs.

*ChatGPT, write me a reddit post.*

Single Gel Recipe (24g of carbs)

Table Sugar: 24g (more on different carb sources later)

Sodium Alginate: 0.2g

Calcium Gluconate: 0.065g

Water: 16g total

Total weight: 40g

10-Gel Recipe (Expect Yield of 7-8 Gels due to Product Loss)

Table Sugar: 240g (more on different carb sources later)

Sodium Alginate: 2g

Calcium Gluconate: 0.65g (or just go with 0.6 if you don't have a scale that does hundredth gram measurements)

Water: 160g total (80g for syrup, 60g for sodium alginate solution, 20g for calcium solution)

Cost Analysis per gel

Ingredient Purpose

Table Sugar: Supplies carbs for energy. If you want to mimic Maurten 100’s carb profile, use a 0.8:1 ratio of glucose powder (13.3g) and fructose powder (10.7g) per gel. This ratio is especially helpful if you’re targeting 80-100g of carbs per hour for better absorption. For me, table sugar has worked perfectly at 2 gels per hour.

Sodium Alginate: Key for forming the gel structure.

Calcium Gluconate: Helps set the alginate into a gel. Without this it's more of a thick syrup. The calcium gluconate (which is calcium carbonate neutralized with gluconic acid) allows for free calcium ions to bond to the alginate and form an actual gel. This prevents a thick film from forming on the inside of your mouth and was part of Maurten's goal when designing their gels. It's almost more chewable than drinkable. If you used only calcium carbonate, you would actually not form a gel as the carbonates are too alkaline which actually will reverse the gel formation and make it liquid.

Maurten 100 Ingredients List

Water

Glucose

Fructose

Gelling Agent: Calcium Carbonate

Gelling Agent: Gluconic acid

Gelling Agent: Sodium Alginate

So let's break this down

Table sugar is 1:1 glucose and fructose. Maurten used a 0.8:1 ratio for their target. Kinda splitting hairs but they have scientific data to prove why they chose that, especially when targeting higher carb loads.

Calcium Carbonate + Gluconic Acid = Calcium Gluconate.

Sodium alginate is sodium alginate, a standard gelling agent.

Where I bought the ingredients

Table Sugar: Local grocery store

Sodium Alginate: Amazon

Calcium Gluconate: Amazon

Recipe Instructions for 10 gels

Step 1: Prepare Syrup

Combine sugar with 80g of boiling water. This dissolves the sugar to form the base syrup. We are right on the brink of where sugar will or will not go into solution. In my testing, 80g will still allow for sugar crystallization. That's okay, we will finish dissolving the rest when we add the alginate solution.

Step 2: Make Alginate Solution

Mix 2g of sodium alginate in 60g of water in a small container. Shake vigorously and leave it for 24 hours to properly dissolve.

Step 3: Prepare Calcium Solution

Mix 0.65g of calcium gluconate in 20g of water, shake vigorously and let sit for 24 hours to properly dissolve.

Step 4: Combine

Add the alginate solution to the syrup, mix well, then add the calcium solution, stirring thoroughly. I use a powered hand mixer when doing this step.

Step 5: Portion and Seal

Using a dispensing syringe (I use this one), fill single-use pouches (I use these). I fill and seal using a flat iron (I use my wife's and make sure it's clean when I am done) halfway. If you desire a caffeinated option, then add optional caffeine if needed (I prefer using 100mg caffeine). When making a caffeinated gel I will fill halfway, pour a single caffeine pill into the mixture (just the powder not the whole pill) then top off with the remaining amount, and seal with a flat iron for long storage.

Tips & Tricks

Shortcut Mixing: If you’re pressed for time, combine the sugar and alginate dry, then pour 140g of boiling water over and mix with a blender. Using a hand mixer will not break down the alginate enough to go into solution. You will end up with little clumps of alginate all throughout your solution and its terrible. A small blender solves this issue. Dissolve calcium gluconate with 20g of boiling water and shake, it will go into solution fairly quickly. Then combine ingredients and voila.

Gel size: I prefer to do 50g of total weight per gel, this provides 30g of carbs for a total of 60g per hour (1 gel every 30 minutes). You could fit more in the linked pouches if you desire (or less).

Carb Profile Options: Using sucrose (table sugar) is easy and affordable. For those targeting more than 60g of carbs per hour, the 0.8:1 glucose to fructose ratio (13.3g glucose powder + 10.7g fructose powder per gel) might help with faster absorption and lower GI stress. Avoid maltodextrin with this recipe, as it thickens the gel too much with the other gelling agents, making it hard to consume. You will really have to turn on your mouth vacuum to pull the gel out of the pouch. Not ideal at mile 20 of a marathon you are trying to PR.

Storage: I keep gels in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the gels. There are no preservatives and without a nitrogen flush to scavenge oxygen out of the package before sealing there is potential for biological growth after extended periods, especially when left at ambient temperature for extended periods (days or weeks).

Water Source: With this recipe, you may need to be careful about your water source. If you have too much calcium hardness in your water you could begin to activate the alginate immediately which could be a mess. I use my tap water without issue, but for high hardness water you may find distilled or RO is what you need.

Why I chose 24g carbs: Maurten gels have 25g of carbs per gel. I did 24g. Why? Because I wanted to deal with easy numbers. Increasing to 25g then changes the amount of water we have for the solutions to make as we are targeting 40g total weight. Totally splitting hairs but if you want it exactly at 25g then adjust the water amounts you use accordingly to 15g of total water per gel for a total weight of 40g per gel.

I hope this helps someone! I will try my best to answer as many of your questions as possible. Good luck & enjoy :)

Number of Races: First Marathon

Name: Haunted Forest Marathon

Date: October 27, 2024

Distance: 26.2 miles

Location: Canal Fulton, OH

Website: https://www.haunted262.com/Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12758642308

Time: 2:53:41

Goals

Goal Description Completed?

A Sub 2:55 Yes

B Sub 3:00 Yes

C Don't Bonk Yes

Splits Mile Pace

1 6:45

2 6:42

3 6:40

4 6:38

5 6:36

6 6:38

7 6:32

8 6:37

9 6:38

10 6:41

11 6:42

12 6:37

13 6:36

14 6:37

15 6:38

16 6:38

17 6:39

18 6:39

19 6:38

20 6:37

21 6:35

22 6:36

23 6:37

24 6:35

25 6:36

26 6:17

27 5:53

Background

Played football and baseball throughout my childhood and into high school. I decided to run track my senior year, and was an okay sprinter (23.4s 200m and 53.2s 400m). Transitioned into bodybuilding, and no cardio other than pickup basketball occasionally.18months ago I picked up running with the goal of finishing a Half marathon. Right after that race I signed up for a 50k so I could "run" a marathon and be done with running. Right after the half I hurt my knee, and limped my way through the ultra. Upset from how the year finished I was determined to get healthy and actually run a marathon.

Training

Starting off the year injured for the first 6-weeks I spent this time swimming, lifting and rehabbing my knee. Beginning running again I slowly ramped my miles up in a safe/smart way this time around. I hovered from 20-35mpw until June which is when I started to ramp things up.

I was holding 40-50mpw leading into the block which began on 7/1. Right before training started I came across the Nick Bare podcast episode with Jeff Cunningham where they teamed up to release an advanced marathon plan.I scrapped my current plan, and switched to this plan which you can find on the BPN training app. I had started this plan training for sub-3 (to get into Chicago), and then quickly switched focus when the Chicago marathon changed their qualification time to 2:55.

The training consisted mostly of 4 very easy runs (8:45-9:30min/mi), one tempo or track day, and a long run at a very easy pace each week. Closer to the race on weeks 9, 11, and 13 I would incorporate workouts into the long runs. I completed 5 Long runs of 20+ miles peaking at 22 for the longest. The mileage for the plan ranged from 50-72 with an average of 60mpw. Coming from a sprinter background I really just needed to build an aerobic base. The speed was there from my past life.

I was still focusing on pushing heavy in the gym along with running heavy miles. I truly believe this helps ward off injury and get faster. My lifts consisted of 3-4 days per week. Upper 1 with a chest focus, Upper 2 with back focus, Lower with quad focus and Full body with hamstring/shoulder focus. All lifts were pushed to failure and doing 5 movements with 3 sets at 6-8 reps.

Nutrition and fueling is a huge part of my training regime. All fueling is taken very seriously with minimal hiccups. I eat 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight,, and fuel with carbs for both my runs and lifts. The only supplements I take are creatine and the occasional protein powder if I need to get some additional protein that day. I try to get most of my nutrition from whole foods.

Pre-Race

I followed the taper as provided in the plan. The plan was a 3-week taper dropping from 70 miles > 52 > 42 > 18(excluding the race). To add to the taper I also did a very aggressive carb up. I ate 450g of carbs each of the 3 days leading up to the race. Normally I hover around 200g a day. (160lb male for context).I was lucky enough to have a pacer lined up to run the entire course with me. My training partner is a monster and just used this as a training day. His job was to hold me at a 6:35-6:40 pace until I hopefully felt good enough to take off at the end.

Race

The morning was fairly cold with the temperature being 31degrees when we arrived. The high of the race ended up being about 50 degrees so the finish was very optimal.  I wore shorts, tank, arm sleeves, ballcap and a handheld bottle. We set out at the gun starting the race off uphill with a mile at 6:45 which actually was the exact number I wanted to be at. I really try to let the initial rush blow past me and run my own race. I have been caught up too many times in blowing up early during shorter races. After the first mile we enter the towpath which is an extremely flat crushed and packed limestone course. From there we picked up another local runner who also said his goal was sub 2:55. He joined us for the entirety of the race. Took my first gel at mile 4 and then reached the first turn around at mile 7.8 where we were settled into 10th, 11th and 12th place and I took my next gel. Being a smaller race we were excited to see how many strong runners there were.  We fell into a fantastic rhythm ripping off every mile right where we wanted to be. We crossed the halfway point right around 1:27:30 taking another gel and  still in the exact placing we had been in since mile 2. We then crossed back to the finish area at mile 16 where my wife was waiting for me with a fresh bottle stocked with a scoop of tailwind and 3 more gels in the pouch. This is when I took my first caffeinated gel which was a Maurten 100 CAF. I then took another Maurten 100 non CAF at mile 17 to be precautious of the infamous BONK. Still feeling good we started to slowly chip away at the pace. We started passing the Half marathon runners which was a great boost to morale seeing some of my friends running their first races. At this point we were slowly passing people finding ourselves in 7th, 8th and 9th place at the final turnaround at mile 20.8. I took one more gel here, and at this point I felt confident about my chances. Starting to pick off more runners slowly encouraging them to continue pushing and to run with us. I took my last gel at mile 23 knowing it would not metabolize in time. It was still some reassurance mentally that I would make it. We then passed two more runners finishing the final 5k at a sub-20minute pace! The last quarter mile ended up being 75 seconds which satisfied my goal of finishing strong.

Total Fuel

2 Gu's

2 Gu Roctane

2 Maurten

2 Maurten CAF

2 scoops tailwind

Water at every stop

Post Race

After crossing the finish line, I walked over to the grass and sat in the grass extremely emotional and in a tremendous amount of pain. I could not be happier with this race and the outcome of my very first marathon finishing in a time of 2:53:41. Thankful for my wife and putting up with crazy training regimes and my fantastic pacer who kept me in check the entire race. Next step.. Chicago. I submitted and was approved to run next year! The plan will be to continue running a modified version of the BPN plan with increased mileage to 80mpw with slightly faster workout paces. The goal would be to finish around 2:47. I also plan to compete at the Arnold Classic pump and run as well as a local 50-miler. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Give me a follow on strava and I will follow back!

Generally speaking, for an experienced MILER doing 3 workouts per week, is a "long slow run" once per week really necessary? Could you eek out a little more from your training by replacing that run with something a little more thresholdy?

Getting a little more specific, for my case

The background here is that I'm a speed based miler 4:05 and 1:51. (very slow 5k. Haven't run one in years but I could have probably barely dipped under 15:00 when I was in 4:05 shape 2 years ago) and have been running for 10+ years. I'm making a push to break 4 in the mile and am looking to optimize my routine. Below is what I'm currently doing.

Monday: AM 40 mins easy PM 30 mins easy + strides

Tuesday: AM threshold session (75 mins including w/u + c/d) PM 30 mins easy

Wednesday: Same as Monday

Thursday: Same as Tuesday + weights

Friday: Rest

Saturday: AM Hill reps @ 5k-mile effort PM 30 mins easy

Sunday: AM 80min slow long run (<145bpm) PM weights

TOTAL MILEAGE: 70mi

I'm thinking I could maybe squeeze a little more out of my Sunday considering I have that easy day on Monday. Since I've been running for so long, do you think I could replace my Sunday easy LR with a light threshold session? Maybe run for 60mins total but 30mins of that is spent at 10secs slower than my threshold.

Anything else you think I could improve about my training week would also be appreciated.

I've been looking into the Sub-3 Hour Marathon Plan by Marathon Handbook and have some mixed feelings. The plan seems well-structured, with a good mix of speedwork, tempo runs, and long runs. However, one thing that stands out is the relatively low weekly mileage compared to other popular plans like Hansons, Pfitzinger, and Higdon.

For context, this plan peaks at around 50-55 miles per week, which seems quite modest given the sub-3 hour goal. In contrast, other plans in this category typically push weekly mileage into the 60-80 mile range. While I get that volume isn’t everything and there’s an emphasis here on quality workouts, I wonder if the lower mileage could be limiting for some runners aiming for sub-3.

Has anyone followed this plan successfully and hit a sub-3? Or maybe adjusted the weekly mileage? Would love to hear your experiences or any tweaks you made!

### Race Information

* **Name:** Boilermaker Half Marathon

* **Date:** October 26th, 2024

* **Distance:** 13.1

* **Location:** West Lafayette, IN

* **Website:** https://purduehalf.com/

* **Strava:** https://www.strava.com/activities/12748920642

* **Time:** 1:24:29

### Goals

| Goal | Description | Completed? |

|------|-------------|------------|

| A | Sub 1:25 | *Yes* |

| B | Sub 1:28 (PR) | *Yes* |

### Splits

| Mile | Time |

|------|------|

| 1 | 6:20

| 2 | 6:18

| 3 | 6:20

| 4 | 6:26

| 5 | 6:31

| 6 | 6:34

| 7 | 6:39

| 8 | 6:36

| 9 | 6:26

| 10 | 6:20

| 11 | 6:28

| 12 | 6:26

| 13 | 6:17

### Training

Really happy the way this training block has gone so far. I've been a runner for over a decade (with a couple marathons, halfs, and many 5-10ks), but I've been the most consistent with mileage and effort over the last two years. I'm a MD/PhD student in the final few months of my PhD, so in some ways this is the 'best it gets' in my career, but I would also say despite my time-flexibility, there's still a good bit of stress and I'm glad I've gotten into good habits these last couple years before I head back into clinical training.

In the summer, I planned out my race schedule for the Fall, with a primary goal of breaking 1:25 in the half. My race schedule includes 3 half marathons, with one full (Indy Monumental) after the first two half marathons. The full marathon (~2weeks out) is going to be more of a long run, which I'll run with my partner (her first marathon). When we planned out our Fall races, we decided to use [this](https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a760131/rws-ultimate-marathon-schedule-sub-400/) sub Four plan as a template for our training. I just made sure I was getting in similar mileage (we also did long runs together), but threw in a little bit more speedwork geared at a faster half.

Because I live close to this course, I think the workout that gave me the most confidence/helped me find my comfort level in terms of pace was a 1x1 mi, 2x2mi, 1x1mi (with .25 mi recovery and 1mi warm up/cool-downs) on the hilliest section of the course. I was able to maintain between 6:15-6:35 pace through all the intervals, so I felt a 1:26-1:27 (still a PR) would be likely on race day. I did 3x1mi repeats early race week at a bit faster than race pace, but didn't feel super strong-- though I figured it was just the pre-race jitters.

In my previous half two weeks before, I treated it like a workout with the goal of negative splitting (ran a 1:28:51 PR). I felt like I was holding back a good bit in the first half, but the second half I definitely was working...and was definitely sore the day after/needed some recovery that week.

### Pre-race

According to my partner I was very excited the night before...but I think all I did was find my race clothes and pre-pin my bib! We had an event to attend and I had some nice hors d'oeuvres there and a beer. For dinner we had some thai food. I massaged my calves (usually first to fatigue/cramp, but rarer now that I've been getting higher mileage runs I think)

Woke up early (5:50-6:00 am) to grab half a Clif bar and an espresso. Got to the race, warmed up (1 mile with some strides/race pace pushes). Got to the start about 5 min before the gun, did some hops, opened my clif shot bloks and had the first one to get a little boost.

### Race

Plan was to test the waters a little bit. I knew I felt like I was holding back two weeks before-- so I wanted to feel a little less comfortable the first 10k. I know this course well, so I knew the second half was a little hillier (with one long drawn-out hill between mi 6-8).

Miles 1-5:

Went out quicker than last time-- but felt comfortable. Spotted some runners I had seen at various races and knew they were probably right around 1:25 caliber, so I made it a goal to not lose sight of them. As the group thinned out a bit, I was able to lock on to them and felt comfortable enough to keep it going.

Miles 6-10:

Anticipating the slope, I dropped my effort a little to brace for it. I remembered in training how the mile after the hill was always the worst...not the hill itself. Interestingly, when I looked at the data-- the mile right before the hill was actually my slowest (in part due to a hairpin turn). After getting the hill over with, I knew it was time to make some moves if I wanted to be within range of a 1:25 something. To be honest-- I didn't think I had it in me...I was losing energy. A runner caught up to me and we encouraged each other. As he passed me, I told him he had a 1:25 in the bag-- he told me I needed to catch the pack in front of us and I'd swing it too. I couldn't catch up to them as quickly as he did, but got them right around mile 10.

Miles 10-finish:

As I started picking up speed, I was hitting the final rolling hills of the course. We had some beautiful weather and fall foliage. I passed two more runners, but got passed by two different runners hitting a fantastic negative split. At this point I was afraid to look at my elapsed time...I didn't want to know how close I was to sub 1:25. Miles 10-11 came and went and 12 I just had to think about it in terms of laps on the track. I looked at the elapsed time at the 12 mile split and saw that I needed that final mile in less than 7 min to do it. I dug deep and thought about how satisfying it would feel to send my old HS coach a text after the finish (I told him over the summer I was aiming for sub 1:25) and how good it would feel to do it about a month before my last half marathon for the season...and crossed that line in 1:24:29. Hell yeah.

### Post-race

Enjoyed some chocolate milk and a banana while watching my partner and friends finish the race. We got in a 2 mile cool down to get our mileage in for the weekend. Super happy. Now I need to figure out a new goal for my final half of the season-- and am already looking forward to a winter training block aiming for a FM PR!

Made with a new [race report generator](http://sfdavis.com/racereports/) created by u/herumph.

Race Information

• Name: Columbus Marathon
• Date: October 20, 2024
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: Columbus, OH
• Website: https://www.columbusmarathon.com/
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12703899197
• Time: 3:20:41

Goals

Splits

Background

Ran in HS from 1998 to 2002, then quit in college after ROTC instructor told me running was going to blow my knees out in 2004. Went back to walking 1-2 miles a day until May 2017, when I was told to start running to lose weight. First half in 1:45:06 in October, 70’F at start of the Cbus Marathon. Have done multiple 5ks, 10ks, 1/2s and several marathons. Last week’s was my 5th full and it was my favorite, Columbus.

Training

After a long layoff after last year’s Cbus Marathon (3:25:24) I started training January 15. Was barely able to run 4 miles in 43 minutes and had to stop once. Within a month I finally was able to do 5 miles in 48 minutes. Built up from 22-36 mpw for the first few months of the block. I even made it up to 50 twice in a row, but backed off due to stress fracture concerns. Was training for the Cap City Half and took it easy on the taper. Was ok with jogging it to keep my base. Went out slow and somehow brought home a 1:38:33, far beyond my expectations, in a yellow-flag race that was hot by the end. I reverse-tapered my way back up to 40 mpw, now knowing that I avoided the SFX.

My next target was the AEP Cbus 10k. I ran that one progressively, like Cap City, in 43:58. My goal was to break 45 and I went out conservative, with a 7:25 first mile, tapering down to a 6:38 final mile and 7:05 average. Once again, I reverse tapered and made it back to 40-43 mpw. Did a 5k on the 4th of July as a fitness check and ran 20:01, far better than my rough guesstimate of 21:30! I was very pleased with that result even though I didn’t break 20. Started to build to 45-52 mpw through mid- to late-July. Took a week off (two half-weeks) due to being in South Carolina for five days, and used that as my cutback. Made it to 56 mpw by the end of the block, about three weeks out from race day. Did one 20-miler, one 21-miler and multiple 16-18 milers, but was fit enough to run 6-7 the following day, in essence, “Hansonizing” the back end of the weekends (my words) to be strong and know I’d complete the distance. Taper went down from 56-50-40-30-10. I should have run more but my last big 8-mile workout was about 10 days out and the last 10 days were just about staying healthy.

Was battling PF and a weak glute all season long and tried to do calf raises, squats, lunges and other things to compensate. Did my training in Brooks Ghosts and Hoka Arahi throughout, switching them as needed the first few months, but settling on my Ghosts by mid-July and using them through the end of the training cycle.

Nutrition and fueling was my standard regime of Gu and Honey Stingers (1 every 4-6 miles on my long runs), water, Gatorade, and I added SaltStick chews. This year, those saved me in the race.

On top of my training, I also do Irish Dance and practiced an hour a week on top of my 6-8 hours of running.

Pre-Race

The day before the race I had a charley horse at 6:40 a.m. and I had to work on it the entire day. I wasn’t sure if I was going to run, so my goal was to just complete it and have fun. My PR is 3:20:01 and I really wanted to break it but I wasn’t even sure if it was going to happen. I was just happy that by the next morning it had mostly gone away, thanks to more hydration and SlowMg magnesium tablets. Had a bagel with peanut butter, an egg, and fruit the morning of the race. Made it downtown, parked with plenty of time, made it to the corral and used the restroom. Did a proper active warmup (unlike in 2023). Weather was perfect, 43’F, cold and sunny. No wind, unlike last year. My goal was to go out with the 8:00 pacer (3:30 full) early on, as the first two miles are uphill and then re-evaluate.

Race

The anthem plays, AC/DC’s Thunderstruck blares, fireworks explode and the gun goes off, starting Bruce’s Born To Run. This particular race does it the same way each year, and it’s a spectacle, almost like being at the Olympics. For most, this is as close as it gets.

Went off the first two miles EZ and came through just under 16. I then locked in by feel. Gels every four miles, Gatorade at every station, water at every station. I learned from my prior races to fuel early and often and I think that is why I had my strongest finish of all my marathons.

Came through the 10-mile mark in 76:56, and felt strong in German Village. Made my way up High Street and the Angel Mile, a sneaky tough uphill that seems to go forever. Hit the ½ at 1:40:10 and felt great. The watch showed 6:47/6:38 for miles 13 and 14 but I was going through buildings and skyscrapers and had not upped my effort. I just kept going by feel during the entire race, taking water and Gatorade and saving myself until Mile 20. Got a welcome gel at 16 near OSU’s campus. Made it to 18-19 and swung by the med tent, grabbing an Advil packet from them on the run. I briefly stopped my watch but then about two minutes later I restarted it. Thankfully Garmin noted it was still a 7:45 mile and not 9:27 (like Strava). Hit 20 in 2:33:46, or 1:16:50 for the second half. It was going to be close! I started to get tight and crampy but a pickle (!) at Mile 21 saved me. I munched on it and that kept me going. The Advil kicked in and I saw my friends on Grandview Ave near Mile 22. It was downhill from there, as I was able to maintain my speed to the end. Splits were from 7:25-7:26 until the final mile, which was brutal. My left hamstring and calf was extremely tight but I kept going. Results would later show I picked off 71 runners while only being passed by 3. That last mile was 7:40 and the last 0.2 kick was in 7:28 pace. I came through in 3:20:41. While it was not a PR, I was very happy with it. I cramped and had to go to the med tent. It was yellow-flag weather and then I was fine after a few minutes, thanks to a banana, Gatorade and water. I was slightly disappointed at first, as it would have been nice to PR but I realize I need to work on several things to get under 3:20. Honestly, I was happy to complete it at this point! My second 13.1 was paced in 1:40:31. So 1:40:10/1:40:31 is as close as you can get—I had NOTHING left at the end.

Post-Race

Grateful to be back in 2021 shape. That year, I ran 3:20:01. Sloppy pacing (first mile was 6:56) and no pacers due to COVID rules. Went out in 1:33:45 and died in 1:46:16. I vowed never to make that mistake again. A few months later I did Warm-Up Columbus in 5’F weather and DNFed at mile 23 due to only taking three gels and wearing tight Saucony Rides. Was on pace for a 3:25. Then I got hit by a car, but limped to a 4:03:05 that fall before a 3:25:24 a year later. At least with that one I ran 1:42:50/1:42:54. I finally learned how to pace a good marathon, and it would have been faster without a three-minute bathroom stop at mile 3!

I am learning I need to do several things: More weight training to strengthen my glutes, hams, calves and quads (body weight-bearing or with free weights).

Need more mileage and more 20-milers.

Get faster at the shorter distances, like 5k, 10k and 13.1. I don’t care about BQing like I used to, due to cost, but I’ll be happy if I can break 3:20 and be done with marathoning for now. I am realizing that getting faster at shorter distances will help me with longer races.

Grateful for another good marathon cycle and not getting hurt. I have realized it is a gift to be able to run and train for marathons!

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

Race Information

• Name: 49th Marine Corps Marathon
• Date: October 27, 2024
• Distance: 26.6 miles (not a typo)
• Location: Arlington, VA
• Time: 3:49:36

A Goal: 3:45:00 (nope!)
B Goal: 3:50:00 (yep!)
C Goal: sub 4:00:00 (yep!)

Not going to make this a long post but thought I would share since there are some pretty stale race reports from this one.

OVERALL
For the most part, the experience on the course was phenomenal and the support of the Marines at all of the aid stations, medical tents, pre-race, and post-race was above and beyond (as you would expect from the Marines). I grew up in DC and as I have gotten into running marathons, this quickly went to the top of the list of ones I was keen on doing. However, I will not be coming back to do this race ever again unless there are major overhauls.

COURSE:
The majority of the course is really a delight to run through - Spout Run parkway, Georgetown, Rock Creek parkway, The National Mall, even Haines Point to an extent. The crowd support in those areas is insane and it really makes a difference since this is a challenging course. But there are two absolutely soul-sucking stretches of this race with little to no crowd support and unfortunately those stretches come at miles 20-22 and 24-25.5. The 20-22 mile stretch on the freeway bridge over the river was breaking people left and right. I find it hard to believe that they can't come up with a better course that doesn't go over that awful bridge. There are other bridges that could be used that are shorter and more picturesque.

Also, MAJORLY important: do not go to this race to qualify for Boston or to chase a PR. I don't feel like I took any tangents poorly or took wide turns in this race and yet I ran 26.57 miles. Nearly everyone's Strava from this race is somewhere between 26.5-26.7 miles.

LOGISTICS:
One thing to clear up from prior year posts is that they seem to have gotten better with the corrals. They seemed organized and there were course people preventing you from going into a corral you didn't belong in. I experienced very little in the way of having to pass people going far too slow at the start (I have seen this in race reports from several years back). There is also a chip detection pad at the turnaround on Rock Creek Parkway, so gone are the days where people would be able to cheat on that section of the course. So I applaud the race people for implementing that since it seems crazy there wouldn't be a clock pad there.

I found the expo location in Maryland to be a pain to get to and get out of. After the expo, the line to take the shuttle back across the river to the Metro station was insanely long. Give yourself plenty of time to get the expo stuff done or get there as early as you possibly can. The post-race festival area was kind of a hot mess. You come out of the finisher's chute up the hill into Rosslyn and then all of a sudden you're out with the public/spectators. There isn't a gradual opening up of the chute, so there were all sorts of people criss-crossing each other, stepping on your feet, stopping to take selfies with family, etc. They had the trucks with everyone's bags at the complete opposite end of the festival... that should be one of the first things available to the runners. Again, allow yourself plenty of time to GTFO of there - the line for the Metro was about two blocks long.

TL;DR - a great experience overall, but this seems like a one-and-done kind of race in my opinion. A course overhaul or better pre/post race logistics would change my mind.

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Overview:

As the title suggests, I recently completed a 10 month long build from somewhere a little short of a 1:46:XX half-marathon time, to a 1:29:XX half-marathon time, and I wanted to share the details of how that went, as this community has been extremely helpful to me during that period.

To be absolutely clear, this is a retrospective for the sake of learning, not a model that I think anyone else should follow. I’ll include a section on my own learning experiences below, and I’m sure others have feelings about what could have been done differently.

Introduction:

First off, a little about myself. M, in the 35-39 bracket. I do not have any serious prior running experience (i.e., I never ran for high-school or college). I have generally tried to stay in-shape-ish, usually through sports, although I have occasionally gone through phases of picking up and putting down running:

In 2017, I made what I thought was a serious effort at getting better at running 5Ks, which consisted of running 3 5Ks in a 9 month period, each time with about a month’s build-up of running as fast as I could sustain for 5-6 miles, 2 or 3 times a week. This very amateur effort resulted in three consecutive 21:40 5Ks – shockingly, if you change nothing and do the least, you will see no change!

In 2020, I ran a half marathon in 1:54:XX, off a pretty half-assed “12 week” program sourced from google. I didn’t track runs very effectively, but looking back at Strava, it looks as if I ran a total of 76.8 miles over the 12 weeks for an incredible 6.4 MPW, and a peak week of 17 miles. Unsurprisingly, I about killed myself to finish in under 2 hours, and probably caused some fairly severe medium term damage. Notwithstanding the pain, I enjoyed the experience a good deal, and tried to train more after the race – however, the pain was excruciating every time I tried to run for weeks – I’m not sure what I had done to myself, but I ended up backing off completely and forgetting about running ….

… until 2023. In 2023, I realized I was getting soft around the middle and decided to improve on my prior 1:54:XX HM PR, by taking things a bit more seriously. This time, I acquired a Garmin, and decided to sign up for an October HM, with a much longer build up time to avoid injury and overuse. I signed up for one of Garmin’s coaching plans (3-4 days per week), and I recall following it fairly closely, although of course there were some missed runs. I continued to pick up various injuries and strains that held me back from good consistent running, and looking back at the stats, I only managed 354 miles over a 24 week build, or 14.75 MPW, despite some chunkier weeks of 24, 25 and 26 MPW before the race.

The race itself went well. My Garmin coach’s confidence in my goal time of 1:45 was “low” (fair, in hindsight), and Garmin’s race predictor was giving me a prediction of 1:50 for a HM, and I was overall happy enough to get within striking distance of my goal, and outrun the prediction by a small margin. It felt like the first time I’d actually trained properly for a race (because it was), and I was blown away by how nice it was to feel prepared for the distance, even if the goal was not quite attained. I left it all out on the course, just like before, but didn’t feel completely wrecked afterwards, and was able to bounce back right away, unlike the prior HM.

2024 and the build to 1:30:

After the 2023 HM, I backed off to a couple of runs a week – I tried to stay consistent, but without a good goal, I was pretty aimless in training and inevitably a 1 run week became a zero week, which was followed by a shame week, which was followed by a knock-the-rust-off-week, and the cycle continued for a couple of months until the new year. In January, I decided to go all in and run a HM in 1:29:59. As spoiled above, this was a success.

Here's a chart that I think provides a helpful overview of the last 10 months.

I think it’s self-explanatory, but if not familiar with intervals.icu, the top chart is very similar the Strava’s overall fitness graph (i.e., it doesn’t actually show “fitness”, but it is a useful-ish algorithm..) As you can see, I managed to stay consistent with running since the second week of January. The bottom graphs show that during that time, my Garmin V02 Max went from 46 to 56 (not real life, just Garmin), I was able to average between 7.5 and 8.5 hrs of sleep a night, I went from a high of 171 lbs to a low of 154 lbs, and I saw a resting HR low of 146.

This screenshot of my Strava running data shows the raw mileage under the build, from zero to an average of 40 MPW, with several 50MPW weeks and a big 60 miler before the taper began. This year so far has been a total of 1462 miles which, in 44 weeks, gives an average of 33 MPW.

I began by adding my goal HM to Garmin calendar and rigorously following the Garmin “daily suggested workouts”, which provided a really useful initial framework to follow, and created the nice linear build that you can see early on. I definitely thrive when I have a plan, and while DSW are by no means perfect, they are a great way to build and maintain fitness, using an algorithm to make sure you stay on a linear progression. There was one 30 day running streak which surprised me, but I never felt tired throughout it - DSW had a really good balance of rest and harder runs going.

At a certain point, I got into some bad sleep spots, and DSW stopped giving me training that stretched me (it’s very sensitive to bad environmental stats, which is probably my biggest critique). As a result, I got off the DSW track, and started running my own system of 6 days a week, aim for 40MPW, do 1 tempo run, 4 easy runs, and 1 long run. This is probably where I started to stagnate and wasted the biggest chunk of time. That said, during the peak of summer in the southern US where I am based, it was often so incredibly hot and humid that I can’t imagine I would have been able to stick to almost any workout routine. Running in this environment is incredibly inconvenient.

Over the last 5 weeks, I realized I had lost direction, and downloaded the VDOT app. I regret not getting it sooner, as the workouts are focused and brutal, and the taper was absolutely perfectly planned (I went into “peaking” on Garmin on the night before the race, which was a nice little mental boost, albeit meaningless).

However, all that time, my Garmin predictions were increasing:

• From a predicted 1:52:39 in late 2023
• To an optimistic 1:28:14 as of race day

And the final result was not too far off:

*Here's the screenshot from the PR. It was also, funnily enough, a 5k and 10k PR.

Probably the biggest factor was the commitment to weight loss early on in the training - this has been the longest stretch of being injury free I’ve ever had, and I can’t help but think that is at least partially down to being 15 lbs down. I could probably usefully lose another 5-10 lbs, but constantly needing new pants is irritating, so I am trying to stay at this weight for the time being.

Hopefully this real world data is helpful, and shows what’s possible for a non-genetically-gifted, normal individual without much prior running experience. I’m happy to answer any questions and will linger in the comments - my main takeaways, obvious as they are:

• Consistency is key. I’ve wasted so much time by stopping running for years at a time when I could have maintained a base of just a few miles a week.
• Stick to a plan. Every time I’ve wandered away from structure, my training immediately loses focus and direction, and becomes much less efficient. No training is wasted, but directionless training is hugely inefficient.
• Don’t let summer put you off; I got slower every week for weeks in July and August, but summer is truly a blessing when fall comes around. You will reap the speed benefits.
• Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good; I had to remind myself so often that just because I didn’t have time to run my planned training session, that wasn’t an excuse to do nothing. If I had 30 minutes but was supposed to run 10 miles, I just ran 4 miles. Previously, I had the excuse mentality and it ended up killing training.
• You have to sacrifice a little bit. Something will always, always come up, that would be more fun to do, or is more necessary to do, than running. I often planned to run 7 days a week or just ran on my planned rest days, knowing full well that 1 or 2 days of running a week were going to get ruined by something at work or something personal.
• At least on my graph, HRV is just the inverse of my weekly average HR! Makes you wonder about all the fancy tech and analysis just to get to the same spot.

We'll see what's next - I need a goal.

How would you train yourself for a “season” of shorter races (all 5ks if not mostly 5ks and maybe one 10k)? I’m getting back into running (mid-20s F) after being an ok high school cross country runner (I was roughly a 22 minute 5ker at my best) and occasional jogger in my early 20s, and I’m realizing I don’t want to do marathons or even halves right now. I’d like to try to get as fast as I can be while I still (maybe) have it (kind of) in me. (And maybe, eventually, one day, beat my 14 year old self.) But all of the accessible advice for running and race training is for people who are running a single big goal race, like a marathon or a half, or for total beginners who want to start with one 5k.

When I was a high school xc runner, we’d train all summer besides a mandatory moratorium week, and then once school started we’d have a 7-8 week season where we raced every weekend. I kind of imagine that generally I would be doing something similar - training without racing for 8-12 weeks, then entering the season of racing. I just wish I remember what we were doing during the season. Would you treat the final race as the “A” race of your season and taper leading to it, but the rest of the time before that keep training like you had been? When would your longest long run be: before the race season, or during? What, if anything, would look different if I planned to race once a month for three months in succession (roughly 4 weeks between races) vs. twice a month (roughly 2) vs. almost every weekend? I just have no clue

Do any of you do something like this? Do you have any thoughts or tips? General advice for going about it? Are there resources out there for people who want to “coach” themselves/design their own training for this kind of purpose? I know this can’t be that complicated, but I’m kind of flying blind here and would love the thoughts of people who know more than me.

This is a very general, preliminary information-gathering question. Right now I’m just trying to slowly get my legs used to miles. I don’t see myself signing up for a race until the spring and even then I definitely wouldn’t set my heart on being super fast for spring next year. Extra info if it helps: I’m 25F, my lifetime 5k PR is 21:30, I haven’t tried to race a 5k anytime recently but my garmin puts me at a 24:32 and if I had to guess I would put myself somewhere in the 26-27 minute range. I’m only running 10-15 mpw right now, building slowly to 30 and then seeing how I feel. I haven’t implemented any speed work yet while I build mileage, just “long runs” roughly 1.5-2x longer than a regular run. I don’t have an immediate time goal for the 5k as I haven’t time trialed one as of late but in my wildest short-term dreams I would love to break 26, and long long long term I would love to break 20. I train in the 8:30-11 minute mile range right now.

Thank you!

Race Information

• Name: 2024 Sri Chinmoy Rockland Half Marathon

• Date: October 27th, 2024

• Distance: 13.1 miles

• Location: Rockland, NY

• Website: https://us.srichinmoyraces.org/rockland-half-marathon

• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12757569116

• Time: 1:25:39

Goals

| Goal | Description | Completed? |

|------|-------------|------------|

| A | PR (1:28:49) | Yes |

| B | Sub 1:27 | Yes |

| C | Sub 1:26 | Yes |

Splits

| Mile | Time |

|------|------|

| 1 | 6:41

| 2 | 6:39

| 3 | 6:26

| 4 | 6:43

| 5 | 6:32

| 6 | 6:30

| 7 | 6:36

| 8 | 6:29

| 9 | 6:25

| 10 | 6:37

| 11 | 6:23

| 12 | 6:20

| 13 | 6:18

| 14 | 6:28 (last .2ish)

Training

This training block has been absolutely massive. The goal for the second half of the year was "PR in every distance from 5k-marathon", and it started with a Pfitz 5k-10k inspired plan in the summer that lowered my 8 year old PR from 19:32-18:41 (and a year-over-year improvement on the same course from 22:04-18:41). I didn't take any real downtime between that block and the start of a Pfitz 12/70 inspired marathon block for CIM on December 8th, as I was feeling pretty good in August.

I'm 6 weeks into that marathon block and it's all gone pretty smoothly. I have nailed the workouts and long runs, and missed maybe 5% of the mileage. I've been dealing with minor niggles, but I got a massage a few weeks ago and those have seemed to disappear completely. Knowing that this was likely my only chance to PR in the half this year, I switched a couple workouts and long runs to be more half marathon focused. Here were some key sessions that I thought brought me the strength on race day:

9/3/24: 6x1k @ VO2 Max pace (5:50/mile average) - this one was very very tough to complete

9/14/24: 10k race (PRed in the 10k 39:56->39:52) - no need for a race report as it was a pretty bad day (more on that) but essentially a 40 minute unbroken tempo.

9/22/24: 17 mile long run with 2 x (2 mile HM pace [6:40avg], 1 mile float) near the end - ran this with a friend, definitely had a 3rd rep in the tank

9/24/24: 12 mile Pfitz MLR, finishing with 3.2 miles at HM pace (6:45 average)

10/05/24: 16 mile long run with 4 x (2 mile marathon pace [6:56avg], 1 mile float)

10/10/24: 9miles with a 5 mile unbroken tempo (6:30avg) - biggest confidence builder session of all

10/17/24: 10miles with 4 x 10' @ threshold (about 6:25avg)

My race on 9/14 was a PR, but I expected to run closer to 38 minutes. I went out way too fast, got a stitch midway through mile 4, and stumbled to a 4 second PR. I was really hoping to redeem myself on the half marathon.

Pre-race

Took advantage of a scheduled down week to do a mini taper. Legs were feeling very fresh throughout the week so knew that I'd be ready on raceday.

I needed to wakeup and drive to the race location from my home in NYC, which took around an hour but was very smooth. I drank coffee with Maurten 320 CAF mixed in. Surprisingly not vile! The plan was to have around 300mg of caffeine pre-race, which I respond to quite well. I got to Rockland State Park with around 30 minutes to warm up. The Hudson Valley is in peak fall foliage, and it was about 40 degrees on race start so an absolutely perfect fall day to PR. Rockland Lake is famous for being extremely flat and fast (4 2.95 mile loops with a mile out and back to start) so I knew for certain that at least a PR was in the cards.

Race

The plan was to take the out and back slow, and then hopefully settle in with someone who was trying to run 1:28 and finish fast on the last two loops. I turned on Dick's Picks Volume 12 in tribute to Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who passed away on Friday before the race.

Miles 1-7

These make up the first two loops of the course. I quickly found two older guys running around 6:35 pace and asked if I could settle in behind them. One of them was a 2:29 marathoner pacing the other for an age-grade PR, so I felt very comfortable being behind them. The pacer was A+.

I felt suspiciously good these first two laps, it felt about like the middle-end of the Pfitz long runs. I was not looking at my HR but I think it probably would have been just above my easy range. The three of us trucked along with no issues whatsoever.

Miles 8-10

I fought a small stitch this lap of the lake, but knew that if I controlled my breathing I could easily send it on the last lap. These were tough but manageable. I warned my pacer and running buddy that I would be ready to send it on the final lap, which they were totally on board with.

Miles 11-end

The stitch was gone, and after a tough turn over a bridge I heard my buddy say "I'm getting a cramp" so I decided now was the time to make my move. I moved my pace closer to my 10k pace and dropped a couple people along the way to the finish. My splits between Strava and my watch are different, but I put in a 6:07 mile on mile 12 according to Strava that felt relatively easy.

In the second half of this race, I also managed to lower my 10k PR by twenty seconds, proving the race in September was absolutely a fluke and that I maybe had more in the tank on this day.

Smooth sailing in the finish to a 1:25:39.

Post-race

I had some water and a coffee, cooled down, and drove back to NYC. I was glowing all day with joy, knowing that I have completed 3/4 PRs I was looking for in my larger yearly goal of PRing in every major road race distance. My 3:14:43 marathon PR is basically in the bag with another good month of training and no injuries.

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

Race Information

• Name: Mainova Frankfurt Marathon
• Date: October 27th 2024
• Distance: 42,195 km
• Location: Frankfurt am Main
• Website: https://www.frankfurt-marathon.com/
• Time: 2:58:56

Goals

Splits

Abstract:

I ran a marathon under 3 hours for the first time, It was my second attempt on sub 3, and the first in 8 years. Pfitz 18/55 Plan on top of ~ 5h/week road bike training and some swimming and strength + lots of yoga. In 2016, after I ran the Berlin marathon, I was advised by an orthopedist to quit ambitioned running. Now, I'm uninjured and pretty much pain-free since my running restart in January 2023. I'm stoked.

Origin Story:

In 2016, I hurt my lower back a few weeks before my sub 3h attempt at the Berlin marathon, sabotaging the last part of my preparation, which already had suffered from the long late summer heat wave in that year. Hips didn't feel great either. Despite the pain, I decided to still go for the marathon. I came in 3h 4m, caving in within the last 9 km. And of course, I worsened the injury. Weeks after the run, I visited a physician, who made an MRI and diagnosed a compressed disc, and arthrosis in both hip joints. He suggested quitting ambitioned running. I was 38 years old at the time and I assumed that's that then.

I got into road cycling. Loved it. Meanwhile, I visited a more sport-specific physician, who told me, that the issues I had weren't from running, but from everything else. My desk job, terrible flexibility and strength, bad diet and unhealthy lifestyle. I learned some things about strength, flexibility and mobility. About diet and nutrition, work hygiene, about training and inflammations. I carefully took up running again, but for years, I didn't do more than maybe two runs of ~10 km a week alongside bike training. Only in January 2023, I got back into a somewhat regular but still unstructured schedule. I realized that cycling and running do not handicap each other at my level. They synergize. Already in September 2023, I ran a new HM PR, without any specific preparations. I assume, modern super-shoes have a saying in that, but I take it anyway. In the spring of '24, I ran my fastest 3k and 5k, although rarely training for speed. I decided to go for one more attempt on the sub 3. I knew though, for a marathon, all the aerobic gains from cycling wouldn't get me anywhere if my legs wouldn't have the running mileage as well, so I trained as follows:

Training and Preparation:

Pfitz 18/55 Plan, which probably everyone knows is the smallest Pfitz Plan, as the running part. I got most of the quality trainings. I often added a few km to make up for doing all recovery runs on the bike instead. The rest/crosstraining days were also mostly on the bike (or in the pool, or both). Maybe ~5 hours of bike riding per week, sometimes much more when I did long rides, sometimes less when I only hopped on the trainer a few times a week. I could follow the prescriped paces for tempo and mrp trainings from the beginning.

Thankfully, Pfitz doesn't do much HIT intervals at first, which I dislike, and which were, in the past, often times the seed of injury. Before the plan started, I did VO2max/HIT interval trainings only on the bike, except some running attempts on some strava segments to see if I could best my 2016 PRs. Though, within the plan, I did the running intervals as prescribed.
I did more local race events than Pfitz suggests. Adding to the scheduled tune-up races came one HM, a 32 km trail race and an olympic distance triathlon. All full effort. Those are motivating and social and train mental hardening, and I don't remember ever gotten any injuries from races. I got as many 25-min yoga sessions into the week as I could manage. I started yoga in 2018, and I swear on it. Additional, 2 x 45 mins of general strength: calisthenics + barbell squats + weighted eccentric calf raises. All in all, that's about 10-15 h of sports per week. That's maintainable for me for a set period.

When I felt distinctly tired and not like it, I took a rest day, no matter what the plan told me. Sometimes I made up for it the next day, sometimes I just let it slide, depending on how important I judged the missed session. Gotta listen to your body at my age ... probably not only at my age.

While all this sounds peachy, I felt the stress those 18 weeks of preparation put on me. Especially in the last few weeks, I felt that compressed disc that made so many problems in 2016. Not painful, but lurking there and waiting for that one overreach. Fortunately, that never came, not even after the marathon itself. And I will spend some time on full regeneration now.

I start the race with 83 kg (190 cm / 6"2'), which is 3 kg more than I had in 2016. I'd like to think I'm more muscular, but probably it's also more fat.

Pre-Race:

The Frankfurt marathon is very well organized. With ~ 15.000 marathon runners, large enough so you never run alone or without spectators, but not an insanely overcrowded mega event. Every step before and after the race is uncomplicated and waiting times are almost nonexistent, no matter if it's getting your bib number, showers or even getting your medal engraved. They do a wonderful job. And if you stay at the super pleasant and not that expensive maritim hotel, it's 200 meters to the start, the mini-sports-fair and the building everything is situated in.

My nutrition strategy starts with a 500 ml disposable bottle with a spout, filled with 60 mg of maltodextrin (and water, of course). Which let me skip the first few aid stations, which was absolutely brilliant, since those were really busy and always added some chaos to the rhythm. After that, I used aid station water and took gels with 40g carbs at km 16, 24, and 37 - and one with 25 g carbs and caffeine at km 32.
I have to thank 'Ben is running' for the tip to take little nibs out of your gel over some kilometers instead of trying to slurp it down all at once. I don't know why I never thought of that, it makes things so much easier.
I trained with this setup and it works well for me.

A closed cloud cover but dry, 14° C (57° f), almost no wind. Just perfect. I wore a singlet, shorts, arm warmers and a buff because no hair. The organizers suggest bringing clothing you may want to donate anyway, and then you can throw them into containers right at the start-zone. Which is neat, but I don't get cold easily, so, did not do that. I ran in my vapourflies. Probably their last run, based on how utterly trashed their soles look already after about 120 miles. I had some fears they could just deteriorate throughout the race, but people on the internet said it's somewhat normal for those to look that bad. And as always, the people on the internet were right.

In training and tune-up races, I dabbled around with GPS based pacing functionalities and clever race apps for my forerunner 955. But eventually, I didn't like any of those. I had only two figures on my watch: 10s-average pace and timer. I memorized my splits and gel schedule thoroughly days up front, and stopped the km markers manually. Great decision in hindsight.

Race:

I started in block two for the 3h-3:15h runners. The start was very slow, the field only got into somewhat of a running motion shortly before the start line. The first 2 k were in 4:19 min/km, but I didn't panic or try to sprint in hooks through the field. At km 3, I could fall into my pace.

The 4:15 pace I set out for felt impossibly easy and slow at the start, I slightly raised tempo by averaging between 4:10-4:12. I had an inkling I would need the buffer later on. I felt fresh at the HM arch, which I knew was a very good sign. I had no trouble to keep the pace until around km 35. I already thought this whole marathon thing seemed easier than I remembered, when the course started to get tight and curvy again, also implementing some cobble sections. In only minutes, it went from 'pretty ok' to excruciating.

A guy with super hairy shoulders rotated with me in making pace. And although feeling sluggish and slow now, we somehow managed to never become slower than 4:18 min/km. We passed numerous athletes which were walking now. My feet hurt, my left quad tightened painfully, and my whole core seemed to have given up – my posture was ridiculously bad and wobbly at that point. A spectator ran alongside for a while and screamed on top of her lungs "FOR FUCKING GONDOR!!!" and of course, that was my partner. Love her. And like a true Rohirrim (we're both actually not even into fantasy), my mindset was to rather die on that metaphorical hill than giving up now. With very sluggish thinking, I couldn't figure out anymore if I had more than a minute or just a few seconds of buffer left for my sub 3 goal. With the long last straight reached and nice tarmac again, thank god, my brain switched to the 'goal in sight'-mode, and made the last reserves available, so I could do the last ~2 k with a 4:08 min/km pace.

There was some screaming and manly tearing up involved at the finish line. Post race care and food was also great. It's a good marathon if you want to go fast but do not care for prestigious, insanely crowded runs.

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

Race Information

• Name: Eversource Hartford Marathon
• Date: October 19, 2024
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: Hartford, CT
• Website: https://www.hartfordmarathon.com
• Time: 2:34:18

Goals

Official Splits

Watch Splits

TL;DR (Seriously, this is long and tedious. But if you really don’t have anything better to do…)

Midlife distance running convert (43M) throws caution to the wind in a failed sub-2:30 attempt, but possibly learns a lesson or two in the process...

Background

Somewhat brief version (much longer here): I'm a masters runner (M43) five years into focused training and trying to have some Type 2 fun before age and/or injury intervenes.

My adventures in marathoning began innocently enough as a bucket list item and spiralled thanks to a career change and WFH flexibility. After running NYC 2021 in ~2:50 while averaging 60 mpw, marathon PRs became my white rabbit. I managed to catch the little jerk in every subsequent race through last spring (Boston '22, Jersey City '23, Philadelphia '23, Jersey City '24), with a steady increase in volume and intensity largely offsetting some relatively minor injuries along the way.

After surprising myself with a 5 minute-plus improvement last April in Jersey City (2:32 high, down from 2:38 in Philly less than five months prior), a nice round number - one that I wouldn't have dared dream of a year ago - loomed as a tantalizing target for the next one.

Could I keep the streak alive and follow the rabbit under 2:30?

Training

Unless you breezed past the header, you already know the answer: nope, not even close! But let's back up a bit...

I'm self-coached, by which I mean I follow Pfitz as much as my ADHD-addled brain, club racing schedule, and injuries will allow. For both Philly '23 and Jersey City '24, his 70-85 mpw plan was my jumping-off point. Aside from starting the 18 week plans probably 2-3 weeks late, I generally hit the mileage targets and executed the specified workouts.

In the 12 weeks prior to Philly, I averaged 76 mpw (peak: 94) and eked out a HM PR of 74:40. Jersey City average mileage was down slightly (72 mpw) during the same period, but excluding an off-week early in that window to address a sore foot, it was more like 83 mpw (peak: 101) - and importantly, I whittled my HM down to 73:20 on a tougher, windy course.

I suppose characterizing Jersey City '24 as a surprise could be deemed misleading given that context, but I spend the week before the race on a fairly tiring spring break excursion and was convinced I'd blown the taper...and then nearly missed the start thanks to poor planning and snarled traffic. Despite this attempted self-sabotage, the ~5:50 splits felt smooth from the get-go and that confidence never really wavered.

With the proverbial wind at my back only slightly offset by the knowledge that I was too late to jump into a really fast, flat fall race like Chicago or Berlin (long-range planning is not my strong suit), I quickly decided I would 1) target Hartford and 2) lean in hard on summer training with sub-2:30 as the "A" goal.

Why Hartford? Objectively it's not an super-easy course, but it didn't strike me as NYC-brutal or horribly back-end weighted like Boston, so I convinced myself that my own hilly regular training environment would help mitigate the elevation, as would the field strength relative to other flatter options (e.g., Bay State, Richmond). Plus I could potentially get in for free as an "elite" masters runner and stay with my in-laws in northern Connecticut, rather than dragging my husband and son to some other random locale. Plus plus, the Hartford Half Marathon (which is a simultaneous-start with the full) helped kick off my running pursuits when I did it on a lark in 2019, so nostalgia was a factor as well.

Compared to my anxiety around race selection, the training plan was preordained by my "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality: Pfitz 85+. I knew it would require me to abandon as untenable my previous resistance to doubling (an adjustment I made to the 70-85 plans in the past but neglected to mention above), but beyond that, it looked like the familiar grind - for better or worse.

At the risk of being glib, it...kind of was? I don't mean that in a bad sense; clearly the Pfitz plans, insofar as I've adhered to them, have worked well for me.

Ye Olde Weekly Mileage Summary:

So now you may be thinking, way to bury the lede - you got injured in the thick of the Lactate Threshold + Endurance block, missed a bunch of miles, etc. - no wonder you didn't hit your "A" goal! To which I reply: yeah, well, um, that's just your opinion...but you may be right!

It was seemingly a classic case of runner's knee, which came on very quickly and - with an immediate and unavoidable pivot to cross-training and Knees Over Toes Guy exercises - receded much faster than expected. Do I think it helped me in Hartford? No, of course not! However, given the successful-seeming weeks of training I scraped together afterwards, I'm not convinced it was absolutely definitive.

My internal argument against over-weighting the knee explanation is based on the personal-high mileage (~105mi average before the taper), solid long runs, and a 12K almost-PR at the end of a 100mi week.

On the other hand, I was fretting over the lack of unambiguous, gold-standard indicators. Even before the injury, I knew I wasn't going to be able to race a half at the appropriate time during this block. My club sponsors a flat, fast fall race...but it was two weeks prior and I opted to serve as a pacer rather than risk the fatigue of an all-out effort. My LR+MP workouts were not bad, but the early ones were muddled by hot, humid conditions, and later ones were somewhat dialed back as I worried about my knee. And that 12K? Sure, it was in line with a (soft) PR during a 100mi week, but that pace isn't even in line with what I would have wanted to see in a HM with only a modest taper...

Ultimately, I sustained my thought that a 5:43 average or better in Hartford was only a ~2% improvement from Jersey City, whereas my volume for the block was up more than 10% (source: training spreadsheet tab titled "Obsessive Math"), plus some faith that those summer miles in horrible conditions must be worth more than those winter miles in also horrible (but not in a cardiovascular sense) conditions.

Pre-race

With these hopes and fears duelling incessantly, my state of mind during the taper is not ideal. Also less than ideal is the lower back strain that I incurred as my husband and I dealt with some basement flooding cleanup. Both were minor, but the former has me using a heading pad at every opportunity thereafter in hopes it won’t be an issue on race day (it isn’t, but I will never miss an opportunity to lecture a healthy young person about appreciating their effortless mobility while it lasts).

Tuesday - Wednesday

Race week arrives and it's a cluster from the beginning, with work and other obligations cutting into my sleep to an alarming degree. However, my legs are feeling light on the shorter runs, and I hit 5:43 average on the nose during Pfitz's 2.5 mile race prep mini-workout with what feels like an appropriate level of effort. Carb loading is annoying, but I'm getting it done semi-responsibly (i.e., not consuming candy exclusively).

Thursday

And then, two nights prior to race day - an exogenous event. I can't go into detail out of consideration for those who were more directly affected; for these purposes, it suffices to say that it's a disturbing situation during which my husband and I spend several intense hours with a very vulnerable stranger. To the best of my knowledge, this person and others involved are fortunately now safe, but a range of bad-to-tragic potential outcomes weighs heavily as we wait and attempt to help at the margins as best we can.

(Relevant side note: huge thanks to all those first responders and mental health workers doing great work amid unimaginably tough circumstances, day-in, day-out.)

Friday

Waking up in a haze on Friday morning no more than five hours after things finally calmed down, I experience both overwhelming gratitude for my own family's health and safety, as well as a record-low level of concern about the race. Generally speaking, I try to downplay for public consumption how much I obviously really do care (not everyone needs to know I'm a lunatic), but in this case the indifference is completely genuine. Were it any other race, I would pull the plug. However, with the family visit planned, we will be heading to Connecticut regardless...so I decide to proceed as planned.

Scrambling to wrap up work calls, do laundry, and pack for the trip, I don't get outside for my four mile shakeout until noon-ish. The day is beautiful and warm, but the lightness in my legs is largely offset by the cumulative sleep deficit and emotional baggage from last night. On the bright side, there is no struggle to keep the pace even slower than my typical recovery runs. I also didn't hesitate to stop for a few minutes to chat with a neighbor who provided some assistance around the exogenous event but hasn't gotten the latest news.

My appetite is lacking, but I force down a larger lunch of rice slathered with sweet Thai chili sauce (non-spicy!), knowing that our travel itinerary of school, expo, grandparents is not going to allow for a normally-timed dinner. Loading up the car, I’m quite nervous about forgetting some critical item given I skipped my normal written checklist dealing with the event. However, cycling through the key, hard to substitute stuff - shoes (Alphafly 3s), club uniform, gels (a mix of PowerBar cola, mojito, and peanut butter) - everything seems in its right place.

Chaos behind us but still metaphorically clinging to the bumper, my husband and I just barely make it to school for an on-time pickup at 3:15. GPS quotes a 5:45ish ETA at Hartford's XL Center, but coming from North Jersey, I know this is likely optimistic - especially on a Friday afternoon/evening. The expo itself is scheduled to close at 7pm, but an extra two hours of bib pickup after that means that the main source of stress is just getting to the grandparents' place early enough to top off food and finally, finally get a decent amount of sleep.

As expected/feared, 5:45 turns into 6:45, so we walk into the expo as it’s in the process of winding down. The sparser crowd does make it easier to navigate though, and after suppressing my impostor syndrome to inquire about the Elite/New England's Finest check-in location, I grab my race packet and have a brief, helpful chat with the coordinator.

The grandparents live another 30-35 minutes north of Hartford on a good day, but we complete the last leg of the trip less swiftly, as my addled brain causes us to miss the I-91 on-ramp and traffic crawls through a construction bottleneck. I am entirely ready to collapse when we arrive at 7:45, but unpacking and some additional food has to happen first.

In the process of unpacking, a sudden sinking feeling - the rainbow Ikea bag with my shoes - where the hell is it?? It takes less than five minutes to uncover that my father-in-law has kindly brought it upstairs already, and that he also can lend me an Apple Watch charger since I did manage to leave that behind. However, the wave of panic and despair over the briefly MIA shoes doesn't fully recede until I've downed my last rice of the day and headed upstairs to bed. Lights are out at maybe 9:30, which feels woefully inadequate.

Saturday (Race Day)

My alarm is set for 4:55am to allow for a 3 hour wake/eat/shit/eat/shit/shit/shit window before the 8:00am start, but the call of nature actually gets me going a few minutes before the phone pipes up. Quickly scarf down two Nutrigrain bars and two Clif bars, plus a C4 with 200mg of caffeine.

Nerves clear out the pipes with almost-frightening efficiency, and I'm relieved my lower back doesn't seem to be any worse-off for the four-plus hours in the car (maybe because I endured seat heat on high for the duration). Traffic appears minimal, so I adjust my departure time back from 5:45 to 6:15 to minimize sitting-around time.

The trip is easy, as is parking by the XL Center. I loosen up on the half mile walk to the elite tent by the finish line, and seeing the iconic Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch for the first time since the 2019 HM tugs at my heartstrings more than a little bit. The ~39-40°F temperature feels encouragingly brisk without immediate discomfort, in part because I've got several layers on top of my uniform - which turns out to be important. The elite tent is not, as I had somehow come to believe, heated in any way. Furthermore, it's completely open on one side! Glad I haven’t taken anything for granted in this regard, I say a quick hello to local legend/stellar masters runner Super Mario Vasquez and grab a chair by 7:00.

I don't generally want much of a warmup before a marathon, but in my only other race in the Alphafly 3s (Jersey City), I very nearly failed to lace them tightly enough to avoid horrible, blistering heel slippage. As such, I get them on at 7:25 for a 1/3 mile trouble-shooting trot, consuming a 100mg caf gel en route.

Thankful but still conflicted about the elite perks, I wait in a relatively short line for one last bathroom attempt. In a happy coincidence, my husband and son happen to be walking by as I'm jogging in place like a clown. I specifically encouraged them to sleep in and show up at their leisure, but I'm glad they and my in-laws are around to see me off.

7:45 rolls around, and as promised, the elite coordinator rounds us up for the walk to the starting line. Despite absolute clarity on the timeline, I'm still fumbling around with stuff and peeling off layers along the way. Upon entering at the front of the A corral, I gratefully hand off my layers to my in-laws and slip into something more comfortable (Husky contractor-grade garbage bag) for a couple minutes of wind shielding and clandestine pee bottle usage. Immediately after the National Anthem, I ditch bag and bottle in the garbage bags helpfully tied to the corral fences so no one trips on them.

Unsure of who is running the half or the full, I decide there's no point getting closer to the line than three or four people back. Capitol Avenue is spacious and there will be plenty of room to pass as needed.

Starting command seems to come way too quickly as always. LFG!

Race

Miles 1-4 (5:42, 5:38, 5:41, 5:37)

Compared to the acute anxiety I experience at the start of shorter races, I feel relieved here knowing the pressure to find my groove is just a bit less immediate. The first couple blocks on Capitol are slightly downhill and everyone spreads out quickly. Lots of people are going out faster than me, but we're running with the half marathoners for ~8.5 miles so that's expected and fine.

So, are we chasing this sub-2:30 rabbit or what? I face the question as we turn right onto Broad and then quickly left onto Farmington, heading towards West Hartford where the worst of the course's hills live. I studied the elevation profile reasonably closely, and in the process I satisfied myself that none of the climbs were gnarly enough that I needed to adjust any mile split targets meaningfully above or below the 5:43 average - none of this is Queensboro Bridge or Newton Hills-level, just lots of rollers. Lots...of...rollers.

Three miles in, kind of in my head, not really running with anyone: eh, feels ok, go with it. Maybe I shouldn't be seeing real-time paces in the high 5:30s (even if only when descending), but heck, it's a little chilly! There’s decent crowd support along the suburban streets with plenty of cowbell, but I'm not really registering much of anything (aside from all the Kamala signs, hooray!) and trying to avoid too much watch-checking.

Despite the chill, I try to grab a sip of water at each aid station as a way to remove the pressure to gulp a lot during a more intermittent series of stops. It's an under-developed skill, and I hope I'm not inadvertently drenching volunteers as I fumble with the cups. Success is defined as one or two sips with nothing up my nose or on my feet. First gel at mile 4; hands are a little cold, so my teeth have to pitch in.

Miles 5-8 (5:40, 5:42, 5:40, 5:41)

My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephews are planning to cheer in Elizabeth Park, a section of the course spanning miles 5 and 6. Anticipating seeing them, plus my recollection of this stretch from the 2019 HM, gives me a nice boost. It’s also nice knowing that peak elevation also falls somewhere in this area. When we spot each other just past the park entrance, the kids are super-enthusiastic, and I get a second lift when they dash over to the exit and intercept me again as I complete the U-shaped detour and return to Asylum Avenue. Now, time for some downhills!

Or rather, net downhills. As we wrap up the westward trek and return to the downtown area, the trend is undeniable - but there are enough small climbs that I'm already looking forward to the relative flatness that awaits in East Hartford. My pace through the rollers is averaging out to what I need, but I’m not feeling dialed in and steadily cruising the way I would like. Every mile split announcement from my watch has an unwelcome element of suspense as Siri drawls out the latest. Through the uneven terrain, I try mentally looping a few bars from that morning’s pump-up tracks as a distraction. However, not even an earworm like KMFDM’s “Juke Joint Jezebel” stands up for long against the constant cowbell interjections.

Flying down Asylum as the course grazes Bushnell Park and the finish line again, I catch my husband, son, and in-laws and give a quick thumbs-up. Focus then shifts to getting my mile 8 gel down on schedule, but I also don't want to wipe out while wrestling it open. Finally, I choke it down just in time to register the full and half course forking. Most of my company over the past few miles has been the occasional hand cycle, so I'm excited to see who I might be able to buddy up with for a bit (if anyone). Splits are still holding, but it would be nice to have a fellow idiot to lean on and distract from what is increasingly seeming like a grind.

Miles 9-13 (5:51, 5:38, 5:45, 5:42, 5:44)

Hmmm, not that many candidates - but there is one guy within 100 meters or so. I push just a little bit to close the gap as we're climbing Founders Bridge over the Connecticut River. This climb will be experienced in reverse over mile 26, so I am relieved that the outbound ascent isn’t too bad. Or maybe pursuit of my quarry is blunting the discomfort. In any case, I’m the one creeping up, so I assume the burden of starting conversation.

"What's the plan?"

"Sub-2:28, you?"

Hahaha, oh shit. I think I'm holding onto sub-2:30 with a razor-thin margin for error, so this encounter tells me at least one if not both of us might be in jeopardy of going wide of target. Giving him the benefit of the doubt at least, I assume he’s planning to step on the gas as soon as we get over the bridge and never look back. Oh, he's also a 2:32 guy. Small world!

We chat a bit about who knows what and then bomb down the exit ramp, pass the mile 10 mark and another aid station...at which point he veers off to the side and stops! Ugh. I have no idea what the issue is, but I'm sad to lose my new friend so soon and hope he sorts his situation out successfully.

For practical purposes, I’m all alone again - there are hand cycles about, though their utility from a pacing standpoint is sorely lacking. This is especially true with the descent in Great River Park; I'm just happy not to get mowed down on the narrow bike path by my only company. Spectators are also minimal, though I suppose I should acknowledge the cover band rocking out as I climb up out of the park, feeling just a bit more taxed than I would like less than halfway through this thing.

The 11 mile split update from my watch hits on East River Drive: 5:45. I’m not fussed by a few seconds of upward drift, but boy, I can’t wait for the half.

Mile 12, gel time, that’ll get me pepped up. The sun-drenched autumn landscape is fairly pretty with the leaves approaching peak splendor, but race blinders are leaving me increasingly detached from anything outside of the moment. Once in a while something pierces the veil; a DJ plays “Thriller”.

Miles 14-18 (5:51, 5:51, 5:44, 5:50, 5:52)

Turning onto Main Street in typically-suburban East Hartford, I finally see the half. My watch has been pretty well synched with the mile markers thus far, and this is no exception, so I focus on the official clock as I approach. Just…a…few…feet…and: 1:14:58 as I cross the mat.

I’m not thinking about the fact that this is my third-fastest half marathon time after first breaking 75 minutes a year prior. That’s unequivocally a good thing, because in the context of what I am actually thinking, it would only have ratcheted up my anxiety.

I am thinking: just admit it, I’ve never felt like this halfway through a marathon before, and it’s not sustainable. Time to move the goal posts.

But how much? Wheels are not falling rapidly off, nothing is hurting in any specific sense - it’s just that creeping fatigue - so let’s see if a minor adjustment will suffice. There’s no need to panic, just keep grinding at a slightly reduced intensity. Hey, 5:50 is a nice roundish number - hang onto that and you’ve got another PR in the bag! Sure, whatever, just shut up brain and let me run.

Mile 14, gel time. Don’t want it but we’ve got a schedule to keep. I down it, then realize that I’m two miles early. Ugh, oh well - I fortunately have an extra - but I don’t want to have to think about timing my remaining stash of three.

Half a mile later, this train of thought is happily interrupted by some footfalls behind me. Lo and behold, Mr. 2:28 (Aspirant) has caught up to me! Ordinarily I wouldn’t welcome being overtaken, but having the context of his goal makes it tolerable. Plus, my mood is further deteriorating with nothing to divert attention from each little undulation of the road.

His breathing confirms that, like me, he’s not going to be interested in conversation. I don’t ask about his setback after the bridge, but simply choke out a “nice work” or equivalent and see if I can hang onto him for a bit. I register my first Trump sign thus far and manage to wheeze out a couple curses for him and fascism in general. The homeowner isn’t on the scene though, so this doesn’t provide me with as much of an adrenaline boost as it might have.

The little rollers continue as the outbound stretch on King Street rejoins Main Street, and Mr. 2:28 still isn’t pulling away. I’m not feeling terrific, but his presence is making 5:50s marginally more tolerable, so I wish him strength and simultaneously hope he’s planning to rally much later on. Mile 16 hits, and I have a flashback to Philadelphia last year: I am as eager (if not more) for the turnaround point of this out & back…but Hartford’s is maybe three miles earlier and has a fraction of the Manayunk crowd support on the way. Ugh.

Mile 17, maybe, and the race leaders start to pass us on their way back south. They look like I wish I do when I run (my old man shuffle gets the job done but I find footage cringe-inducing), and I try to count them to get a sense of place. My effort falters, but I satisfy myself that I’m somewhere in the low teens, for what little that’s worth right now.

Finally, nearing the end of mile 18, is that the turnaround and not some cruel hallucination? Yes, thank goodness. But you’ve still got more than seven (?!) miles to go.

Miles 19-22 (5:50, 5:49, 5:54, 5:59)

Beginning mile 19 right out the turnaround, my semi-hopeful train of thought on finish place hits a log when three guys sporting Greater Boston singlets materialize seemingly out of nowhere. They’re pre-turnaround but clearly closing the gap and looking strong. Shit. I accept the fact that I am in no position to respond to a move, so I keep my head forward and try to tune out the increasingly labored breathing of Mr. 2:28, who is now running more even with me rather than slightly ahead.

Sure enough, one of the Greater Boston guys cranks it out of the turnaround and catches us within a half mile. I give him a “nice work” and, more or less simultaneously, note that Mr. 2:28 has downshifted, noisily. Silently hoping he’s feeling better than he’s sounding at the moment, I hang onto my pace and he fades. Shortly thereafter, another one of the Greater Boston guys passes me. Don’t care, just keep moving and try not to think about the sustainability of 5:50s.

I don’t think about it…but rather acquiesce to the feedback from my increasingly exhausted body (can’t blame the legs, it’s just entire system tossing up resistance). Goalposts moving again, can we hold the line at 6:00s? Maybe with some crowd energy or pump-up music? With external stimuli limited to cowbells and a cover band offering a particularly lugubrious take on “Come Together”, the answer is…

Miles 23-26.2 (6:10, 6:18, 6:18, 6:33, 6:21)

…fairly quickly revealed to be a hard “no way”. I’m spent, oblivious to everything aside from the discomfort. The state is not altogether unfamiliar, but I’ve never been this deep in the hole with more than three miles to go in a marathon. I choke down gel number six for no reason other than it’s there and try to take the gentle turn from Main to Prospect without losing much momentum.

That doesn’t work. Pace continues to slacken, but somehow my legs keep moving. Two miles and change to go. I am almost at the point of indifference between continuing to shuffle through this home stretch (with “don’t walk” as the goalposts’ final resting place) and just saying “screw it, I’m out”. The sheer inconvenience of having to walk the rest of the way back - and my current perception that I might as well be walking already - barely suffices to drown out the quitting impulse.

Minutes going on centuries later with this final bargain struck, I reach the dreaded mile 26 climb back over the river. Eh, compared to the last 10 miles or so, this isn’t so bad! As I grimly push onwards, another guy moves up on me and passes as we reach the bridge’s apex. Rather than resenting the prospect of slipping a place, I’m reminded that I’ve maybe only been passed by one other person since that last Boston runner - and none of them appeared sufficiently crusty to be 40+. Perhaps the final refuge for my pride - masters podium - is still intact.

This mental tailwind carries me for a few hundred meters down the final hill…or rather, final downhill. There’s still one more incline to trudge up before the well-marked “final turn” from Pearl Street to Trinity and the finish just past the well-appointed S&S Arch. I’ve got nothing left, so I just plug away and look forward to not running another marathon for a while.

In contrast to most every other race, I don’t look at the clock as I cross the line, nor at my watch once I stop it. Gratefully accept the heat sheet and water bottle from the swarm of volunteers, and then slip/stagger through the opening in the fence that leads directly back to the elite tent.

Post-race

Of course, I feel even farther removed from the “elite” designation than I did pre-race, but I’m not going to turn down the chance to collapse in a chair for a few minutes. I take my hat off and clutch it to my face, feeling like a good cry is in order, but apparently I’m too wiped even for that. Taking my watch off airplane mode to reconnect with family, I first get the text alert with my official time: 2:34:18. It’s a result I would have been very happy with last April and totally gutted by if I’d gotten a glimpse of it a few weeks earlier. In the moment, I’m far from thrilled while also somewhat amazed, given how time seemed to stand still for miles on end - I actually kept moving! Shortly thereafter, I get another bit of good news from my husband via text: I was the second 40+ guy across the line and 17th overall.

These clotting agents having effectively stanched the flow of lamentations, I gingerly extract myself from the chair and wobble out into the sunshine to reassure my cheering squad that I’ve already reached the laughing-at-myself phase of the assessment.

What’s Next?

Now more than a week post-race, I’m still mostly laughing, though it’s tempered a bit by the realization that the lessons (at least I think I alluded to lessons at the start of this interminable report) don’t neatly translate to specific adjustments to my training.

I increased volume significantly this block, but was there any return on the incremental mileage? It seems possible that it helped mitigate the impact of my August injury, the race week sleep deficit, and the impact of the hillier course. All of those factors could conceivably have slowed me down more than the 1.0% actual increase in my time compared to Jersey City.

That said, the ambiguity leaves me more open to the idea that I might benefit from more focus on workout quality and diversity (specifically LT and marathon pace work) than yet another crack at by-the-book Pfitz 85+. Objectively speaking, his plan did largely work for me yet again, and I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater in response to a minor setback. However, even if only to avoid getting bored with the process, I may tinker a bit with the structure of the MLRs and LR workouts. Oh, and maybe I’ll spend a bit more time at the oval office than he typically prescribes (ugh).

Wherever I ultimately land on the training plan, I’m committed to making my last year in the 40-44 age group a solid one. A fresh marathon PR is the most immediate goal, though I can envision another explicit sub-2:30 attempt if the pieces feel lined up more optimally than Hartford. Targeting Jersey City for the spring and Chicago for the fall will, at a minimum, make elevation less of a concern!

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

In 80/20 by Matt F., he recommends getting to running 6-7 days a week if you’re currently running 3-4, and THEN increase average duration to an hour or more for each run. Perhaps this is in the context of non-injury prone people?

I’ve had bouts of shin splints and posterior tibial tendinitis six months in and I’ve found that the rest days/cross-training days have been crucial to me not aggravating or bringing back minor pain so my only options have been to increase mileage on the few days I’m actually running. At least, I thought I had I had never tried the opposite way. Granted I wasn’t doing step cycles the first few months like I should have and definitely ramped up too quickly.

I’m currently just doing base training right now in preparation for 10k training cycle in January. 16 MPW , 2 foundation runs (3.5-4 miles each) 2 30-minute elliptical, 1 long run (7 miles last), 1 recovery run (2 miles Z1). Increasing a mile in the long run weekly.

I just finally added a 4th running day and am only running it in zone 1 as a recovery run.

I’m open to rewriting the playbook to include even more running days and restarting at lower volumes if you guys think that’s solid advice.

The Weekly Rundown is the place to talk about your previous week of running! Let's hear all about it!

Post your Strava activities (or whichever platform you use) if you'd like!

I'm starting to sketch out a training plan for my first marathon next year, for which I'm intending to follow Daniels' 2Q workouts plan and approach, with a targeted peak mileage of 105-110 km per week (65-70mpw). If I follow the complete 24 week plan outlined in the 2nd ed., I would start the plan on Dec. 9th, which calls for 6 weeks of basically pure easy running to build a base.

Right now in my maintenance phase since my last HM (September), I've been doing a decent amount of base building. I'm running up to 70km per week, but I'm also including 1-2 workouts in there each week (usually one true threshold or intervals session, and occasionally I'll work some marathon pace sections into my long runs). I'd estimate that I'm doing around 85% easy running, 15% speed work right now, on average. Long runs usually 18-22 km. Occasionally I'll run 7 days a week, but I generally run either 5 or 6 days, depending on how I'm feeling.

What I'm wondering is whether I should maintain the workouts during the base building period prescribed in Daniels, since they seem to be working well for me right now, or whether I should in fact drop the workouts and stick to all easy running for the first 6 weeks of the 24 week plan? (I believe in later editions, Daniels offers an 18 week 2Q plan that does away with the base building phase) Or, should I keep scheduling 1 workout per week, and maintain my current structure through the first 6 weeks as much as possible, before I start scheduling in the proper workouts as outlined?

TIA

It's almost 6 am here, and I'm trying to find some emotional support.

It's my first time with such a long injury (almost two months now). I qualified for Boston, but I haven't been able to run, and the pain doesn't seem to go away. It's sad to see that going away, but more sad that I can't run regularly.

The outcome is Plantar Fascia on my right foot, but I don't know why I feel I have a stress fracture or something else.

Anyways. I know it's not a subreddit to ask for medical advice.

I'm more interested in reading different stories about injuries to not feel so lonely during this process. How did you deal with it (mentally), and what tips do you have for overcoming the frustration?

I had been using the app Runna quite a bit until I got more serious and read Daniel’s and Pfitz marathon books.

Currently still using Runna (kind of) to build into Pfitz’s 18/55 in December.

It got me thinking, what’s the philosophy behind Runnas training.

It seems kind of lower on the volume but higher on the intensity. There seems to be nearly always 2 workouts in the week.

A session around lactate threshold and then an interval type workout where it’s all out.

I used it for a half and hit the target it estimated but I felt like even the easy runs were a lot of faster days. More out of curiosity than anything.

I’ll probably stick to the 18/55 come marathon time even though Runna has marathon plans. The former just seems more tried and tested.

A place to ask questions that don't need their own thread here or just chat a bit.

We have quite a bit of info in the wiki, FAQ, and past posts. Please be sure to give those a look for info on your topic.

Link to Wiki

Link to FAQ

Hello, been searching but can't find; figured someone in this sub is doing this.

Basically, I wish to give the session-RPE method a try. Do the RPE*duration for each workout then use that as training load. That's the easy part, but I would like to display the data as 7-day depreciating acute value over the 42-day chronic one as a graph over various timelines.

Any idea what software can do this? Can Google Sheets do this?

Basically, what Apple did with its TL this year but without buying an Apple watch and an iPhone to go with it.

Cheers!

I’m going up with my husband, in-laws and two kids (2 and 6). It looks like it’s going to be too expensive to stay in Boston proper so I’m looking for suggestions on places to stay in the surrounding areas that will be somewhat convenient for the race but also make it a fun weekend for everyone. I’ll likely just be going into the city for the expo and the race itself and will rent a car. Haven’t spent much time in MA so appreciate any suggestions!

Would love to hear from anyone who daily drives AW10 and does all runnings in them (better if coming from the Ultras). I've had two generations of Ultras and while I love the functionalities, they are too bulky and a bit inconvenient, AW10 feels so much more comfortable on wrist.

I'm pretty clear about all the technical differences (with regards to runners, lack of the button, battery, no precision start, no dual band GPS, etc.). But want to hear real life user experience in them and whether you are happy with it (or see meaningful gap between Ultra1/2).

For reference, I run 80kpw/50mpw and rarely do more than HM or over 2 hours runs. Don't need them for the sleep either. So battery is not a huge concern for me.

Thanks!

EDIT: Typo correction; Don't intend to start a debate of AW vs other brands here (purely personal preference to stick to AW here). But welcome any comment if you want to articulate why AW (Ultra or otherwise) doesn't work for serious runners

What's everyone up to on this weekend? Racing? Long run? Movie date? Playing with Fido? Talk about that here!

As always, be safe, train smart, and have a great weekend!

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/ruth-chepngetich-marathon-record/

Critics say the first sub-2:10 marathon was impossible—and fueled by doping. Our columnist examines the science as he tries to make sense of the backlash.