Marathon Training & Performance: Sub 3h Dataset

I have posted on this a few times over the last 18 months but it is always worth a revisit. Slow and steady really does make you , long term, faster. It’s benefits are three fold, I believe you will enjoy your training more (with all that ‘smell the roses’ pace), it’s an injury prevention method of training (less impact associated with adding pace) and finally the benefits will spur on more success. Let’s face it running is all about achieving goals and the more goals we achieve the more addicted we all become to the runners high.

I have attached two articles on the subject below. The first one of mine from Janaury 2017 which highlighted my experience with slowing down over a period of time and seeing the rewards when I raced. I was able to show , with the help of Strava (in Strava we trust… http://www.strava.com ; feel free to follow me on Strava, there is a link at the bottom of the home page) how over time I has slowed on my ‘old faithful’ run but my racing times had got better.  This was over a long period of time and over 200 runs so a pretty good baseline, very ‘scientific’ if I say so myself.

The second article is from Runners Connect and is advocating a similar approach, moderate workouts being the ideal way to train long term.

In 2013 I ran quick all the time, by quick I mean sub 4min/k average every time I put on my trainers. Be it a 10k, 21k or 30k,  my goal was to finish with a sub 4min/k average. To compound this issue I also stopped running long runs after reading an article in Runners World magazine about a training program where you would run at your marathon pace all the time. The logic was if your marathon pace became your normal pace when you were tired during the marathon you would revert to your normal ‘training pace’, which of course would be your marathon pace. The training program also recommend not running too many long runs but more runs around the 20-25k distance.

This training program yielded some good results but I sacrificed my top end speed as I wasn’t running any tempo or threshold runs, just lots of sub 4min/k’s. Raf from the Running Centre (http://therunningcentre.com.au ) picked me up on this on Strava  ( http://www.strava.com ) and recommended I try a 10k threshold at least once a week,  just to break the monotony of running the same pace for every run. I was surprised when I tried to add pace as I struggled and my 10k times weren’t that quicker than my ‘normal’ pace. Something was amiss and I was found out at the Bunbury Marathon in 2014 when I blew up after leading the race for the first 10k. I admit there was also some mental problems as I was defending my marathon title after winning (my only marathon victory) in 2013.  I had gone out at my 10k pace truth be told and at 15k my race was finished. I met Raf afterwards, in the hotel spa of all places,  and he could sense my disappointment of finishing 4th in a time of 2hrs54mins, when I aiming for a sub 2hr40min finish truth be told.

For the rest of 2014 I struggled on (Bunbury was in April) and although I  managed 2hrs 46mins at the Perth Marathon I never managed to reach the heights I had reached in 2013. Something needed to change and in January 2015 I was taken under Raf’s wings and given a program for the Perth marathon, my first training program at the ripe old age of 48. The first 3-4 months were harder than I expected as I really struggled with the top end pace work. The steady and long runs were do able but my top end pace just wasn’t there. Over time I did improve of course thanks to Raf’s coaching skills but all the good work was undone by a slight stress fracture  just before the Perth marathon. (Picked up on the last steady run , a week out ! Always the way ?)  I ran a 2hrs49mins, 9th place finish, but Raf had me in better condition than that but the injury played on my mind.

After Perth Raf gave me another training plan for the City to Surf marathon in August and I stuck to this one and ran a good time for a 4th place but more importantly a strong race and strong finish. My first good marathon for over a year. Although I enjoyed working with Raf I was time constrained by my family, work, life etc, the runners quandary. I decided for 2016 to take what Raf had taught me and adapt my training accordingly.

I think the most important thing Raf taught me was there is no such thing as ‘junk miles‘, every kilometre you run is doing you some good, at whatever pace. This to me was a ‘lightning bolt’ moment as I was so use to running every run as a tempo and finishing with nothing left in the tank. I just didn’t run slow, ever ! The first few runs I ran at a slow pace I was questioned on Stava by my running friends as to whether I was injured, such was the disbelieve that I could run anything bar sub 4min/k’s. I must admit the first few times it felt alien and I had to really work hard to run slow. Raf introduced me to the Maffetone training method  ( https://philmaffetone.com , I have mentioned this a few times on the blog.) and I was off building my foundation for the success which was to come in 2016.

Fast forward to the Perth marathon of 2016 and I just about ran a negative split and was 2 minutes quicker than the previous year. (You can read the post regarding Perth 2016 on my new website http://www.fitfastfifty.com ; http://fitfastfifty.com/index.php/2017/01/25/perth-marathon-2016/  ) After Perth I added the double days and the PB’s came tumbling down and my confidence returned in spades. I managed to drop my 5k, 10k, 16k,21k and 50k PB times and by quite a chunk each time. So how did I do it ? Basically I slowed down, ran more and raced more. It really was (is) that simple. Taking what Raf taught me, reading Matt Fitzgerald’s books and a sprinkling of Maffetone added to the mix and hey presto.

Thanks to Strava (in Strava we trust) you can see how this slowing down is trending on my 10k go-to run of choice. (see below) Over time you can clearly see my running average pace for the 10k is slowing but in the same period I have ran probably 10 PB’s, so there is a correlation of slowing down to speeding up when you put a bib on your chest. Of course I have added distance and more time on my feet into the equation, combined with racing more but the slowing down is a factor.

It really is a case of slowing down to speed up.

 

Why Running Harder Won’t Help You Get Faster

In the vocabulary of a runner, patience is a dirty word. Runners always want to run faster, run more miles, and crush their personal bests and they want it now. To be more accurate, they wanted it yesterday.

I know I felt this way before I donned my coaching cap. I wasn’t satisfied with a workout unless I needed to be carried off the track and was forced to spend the rest of the day passed out on the couch. That was dedication. Surely, this is what it took to be the best runner I could be.

Unfortunately, this mindset couldn’t be more wrong.

Not only did this way of thinking impact my short-term goals, thanks to all-to-frequent injuries and bouts of overtraining, but as you’ll learn in this article, it likely affected my long-term progress as well.

As I’ve matured as a runner and changed my perspective on training as a coach, I’ve come to fully appreciate and value the art of patience. This shift in mindset wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight. Hopefully, with the help of some hard, scientific data and a sprinkling of anecdotal evidence, this article can accelerate your maturation as a runner and help you achieve your goals.

Finish a workout feeling like you could have done more

This is a phrase you’ll hear from any running coach worth his or her salt. As elite coach Jay Johnson espouses to his athletes, “you should be able to say after every one of your workouts that you could have done one more repeat, one more segment or one more mile.”

Coach Jay doesn’t just pay this rule lip service. He’s known for cutting workouts short when an athlete looks like they’re over that edge. It’s one of the reasons his athletes continue to perform and improve consistently, year after year.

Now, thanks to recent research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, we have the scientific data to prove what good coaches have known for so many years. Patience pays off. (side note – thank you to Alex Hutchinson for first alerting me to this study through his blog)

In this study, one group of athletes performed a series of workouts at near maximum intensity for twelve weeks. The researchers then had another group perform the same type of workouts (same repeat distance and same amount of rest) yet at a much more moderate intensity.

The results. The high intensity group improved rapidly, recording an increase in VO2 max 30 percent higher than the moderate group after three weeks.

Well, that doesn’t seem to support our theory that patience pays off, does it?

Luckily, the researchers went a step further and recorded changes to VO2 max for six, nine and twelve weeks under the same training methodology. This is where the results get truly interesting.

After nine weeks, the high intensity group’s improvements in VO2 max were only 10 percent greater than the moderate group. More importantly, after 9 weeks, the high intensity group stopped improving and after 12 weeks showed the same level of improvement to VO2 max as the moderate group.

Clearly, this research shows that while you’ll see rapid improvements from running workouts as hard as you can in the first few weeks, this improvement curve will level off and running at moderate intensity levels will produce equal, if not better, long-term results.

Of course, like all studies, this research has it’s flaws. Mainly, both groups performed the same workouts for twelve weeks, which means the same stimulus was being applied with each session. However, I’d also point out that when training for 5k or marathon for 12 weeks, the workouts won’t vary much. Sure, the workouts will look different, 12 x 400 meters at 3k pace versus 6 x 800 meters at 5k pace, but you’re still training the same energy system.

Regardless, the data supports what good coaches have known for years.

Consistent, moderate workouts will trump a few weeks of hard, gut-busting workouts every time.

But I want to improve faster

Of course, looking at that data, most runners would still choose the high intensity approach. If the end result after 12 weeks is the same, why not make the fitness gains faster the first three to six week?

Not covered in this particular research study was the impact of injuries and overtraining on potential improvement curve and long-term progress.

It’s not surprising, and it’s been supported by numerous research studies and anecdotal examples, that increased intensity is correlated with higher injury risk. Meaning, the harder (faster) you train, the more likely it is you’ll get injured.

The problem I encounter with many runners who try to workout too hard is the injury cycle, which inhibits long-term progress because for every two steps forward, you take one step back.

Using a similar graph to the one provided in the research study, let’s examine the long-term consequences of always pushing your workouts as hard as you can versus running moderate and always feeling like you could have done more.

While the actual improvement data in the image is fictional, it is based off the data from the actual study representing improvement curve. The difference is that I’ve extended the training period to ten months and factored in injuries and potential overtraining. This graph accurately represents my experience with trying to run every workout as hard as I could and the vast data I’ve collected working as a coach for the past eight years.

As you can see, the high intensity runner speeds out of the gait and is far ahead of the moderate intensity runner after a few weeks. However, it doesn’t take long before the high intensity runner suffers his or her first injury and is setback a week or two. No worries, with just a few weeks of high intensity training, they are back ahead of the slow plodding moderate intensity runner. However, this cycle continues to repeat itself until the high intensity runners is far behind the consentient, steady performer.

More importantly, after 42 weeks, the high intensity runner is at a point that they can no longer make up the difference in fitness simply by training hard for a few weeks.

They will continue to struggle to reach their potential until they finally learn to run their workouts at a moderate level and train to their current level of fitness.

Don’t be the high intensity runner. Learn from the mistakes of countless runners before you, the research and scientific data, and the wisdom of coaches who know their stuff.

Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.

One of my Golden Rules is quoted above. It’s all about recording information and then using this to build future training plans. Of course there are thousands of coaches who will do this for you and probably do a better job but even then if you decide to go this route you still need to record everything. (or ask your coach but you might as well have the information for your own records.)

I first heard about Strava ( http://www.strava.com ) about 4 years ago (from my Dentist actually, a triathlete training for a half-ironman. ) and only really started using it religiously about 2 years ago. There was nothing , for runners, before Strava to record, save and show your training runs to the world. I suppose Strava is the Facebook for runners. As with Facebook there are people who do Facebook and people who don’t. I suppose the same thing is true of Strava users, you either get it or you don’t, all or nothing, I remember when you use to run with a watch and record your distance, normally estimated (and normally estimated up!) in an excel sheet or better still a notebook. (and I don’t meant an electronic notebook, one with paper. For the younger readers of this blog don’t worry, paper is something you will never probably use.)  Even now I still have an Excel spreadsheet where I record all my runs, albeit just distance, as a backup to my Strava information. This spreadsheet has all my runs backs to 2008 and I never miss a run, sort of old school but there is something satisfying about typing in the data rather than downloading it from a GPS watch via Garmin Connect straight into Strava. I’ve attached the Excel table detailing my running adventures during the last 8 years updated manually on a daily basis.  Must admit to never owning a running notebook though.

Before Strava we use to use a website called Coolrunning ( http://www.coolrunning.com.au/runningguide/wiki/index.php/Main_Page ) but Facebook and Stava put an end to its userbase, in WA anyway. I suppose it became the Nokia or Blackberry when Apple turned up. Either way now it’s all about Strava. Is Strava perfect, no. It is still mainly aimed at the cyclist and has more functionality for our free wheeling friends but it does do enough to make it indispensable to some runners, me included.

Is this a bad thing? In my view no as it allows you to document everything automatically and there is enough functionality built in to make the software very useful to spot trends and set targets for training sessions. Also it allows you to encourage your friends with kudos and helpful comments. This can be a double edges sword of course if you have a bad session as everybody knows about it instantly. Runners , though, being a forgiving lot will normally even give you kudos and encouragement on any run, it’s about building a running community I suppose. Of course a bit of banter is also encouraged and I’ve left a few comments asking ‘if they ran the whole way’ to gee people up . (In a nice way.)

If you haven’t got a GPS watch and an app to connect said watch to Strava then I recommend you remedy this as quickly as possible. Strava really is life and the rest is details as I’ve said many times in this blog. I really cannot recommend it enough and my four Garmin watches and iPhone6 make it impossible for me to run unrecorded. Please note I think I ran twice last year, out of the 464+ runs (thanks Strava) , without a watch and both times I hated it, sorry people but that’s just the way it is.

What Strava gives you is a way to record your run with kilometre splits, heart rate, elevation, cadence and even VO2 max figure (with some GPS watches) All of these can then be checked against previous runs of the same distance and terrain and compared. This will hopefully allow you to see improvement and then set new goals, reach these goals and then set even faster, longer ones. Keep reporting this and eventually you will be the best you can be. Without a baseline of information and then continued data logging of running information to compare how can you see improvement. How did we survive without Strava ?

So back to my post title, if it’s not on Strava did it happen ? I think the answer is no, in this world of online running data collection verbal boasting just doesn’t cut it anymore. Pity as this morning I ran the first sub 2hour marathon but forgot to turn on my Garmin, and if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen!

This weekend I made a bold decision and stopped running at 29.5k when I got back to the City Beach car park after our long run into the Bold Park hills. It was a conscious effort to take control of my running from the evil that is Strava ( http://www.strava.com ) that has taken hold of many a good runner and turned them into a run recording web junkies. Truth be told I already had 121k banked for the week and knew I was over the 150k weekly total with another 10k planned in the evening to take me over the 161k (100 mile) threshold. So really who was I kidding stopping at 29.5k? It did impress the rest of my running group who ran in ever decreasing circles around the car park to get the extra 500m needed for 30k.

How did this happen ? Social media has a large part to play and these days every run is accompanied by a Strava upload as a minimum and a social media post if the run justifies it. Compare this to when I started running before the Internet and GPS watches (Yep such a time did exist and to tell you the truth it wasn’t that bad. ) when a runner who have to record all their information using a thing called a pen and paper. (To the young followers of my post these things are now defunct and serve no purpose bar to be used a weapons in disposing of zombies and other evil creatures in the mindless video games you spend hours playing. Note. That is the pen, the paper would be used as fuel to set fire to said zombies if the pen failed to do it’s job.)  I’ll put my hand up with most of the running population as an avid Strava addict who has 4 Garmin watches and an iphone to make sure that every kilometre I run is documented and shared. I did try and run without a watch once, on the advice of a ‘friend’ (?) to try and recapture the feeling of that bygone age. I hated it and all the time kept thinking how I was going to record this and document my findings to the world. It is like if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound, if you run without recording it on Strava did it happen ? Not sure about the tree and forest scenario but for the Stava question the answer is ‘no’, if it ain’t on Strava it didn’t happen.!

This brings me to the point of this post this morning. We do live in a digital world (this may or may not be a good thing?) but you still need , as backup, a non Strava recording of all your totals. I have attached mine below for the last 8 years and with the table as backup will use these totals to complement my golden rules of running.

1. Run Further. Add distance, not speed.  As you can see from the table my weekly average has steadily increased year on year with this year being the first I will break the 100k a week average for the year. In 2012 I was injured with a nasty calf knot, that I didn’t treat, which explains the delta compared to the previous year.  2014 my training had plateaued which is why I turned to Raf ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) to train me in 2105 where my distance increased by 10%. I have taken this training forward and will probably increase another 10% this year.  Distance first, everything else comes once the ‘foundation of distance’ has been achieved.
2. Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1. 2011 was a break out year for me after 3-4 years of building a good running base. I had ran 3 Comrades campaigns in 2008-2010 ( http://www.comrades.com ) so my distance foundation was well and truly complete. In 2011 every time I put on a bib I was confident of a pb.  It was a wonderful year. Unfortunately in 2012 I had a nasty injury which set me back but towards the end of the year I was able to train consistently again and in 2013 I was again rewarded with a magical year of running.  
3. Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!) In 2012 I succumbed to a calf knot which took me out for over a month. I struggled to recover from this and as you can see from the table I only ran 3 pb’s for the year compared to 13 the previous year and 10 the following year when I recovered. If this doesn’t back up this rule nothing does.! Don’t get injured, so easy to type but in reality one of the hardest thing for a runner to do, period.
4. Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel. So underestimated by so many runners. The number of times I hear the old ‘I run xxx kilometres a week so I can eat what I want’ . Not true, imagine putting low grade fuel in a Porsche, eventually the head gasket blows and you are faced with a serious bill, not to mention a misfiring engine. The human body is a finely tuned machine and should be treated as such, we all know what is good food and what is bad (normally the nice tasting stuff!), avoid the bad and put in the good, easy really. (bar the odd Yelo muffin of course, we are after all only human.)  I’ll be exploring nutrition more next year when I have one more go at a sub 2hr 40minutes marathon.
5. Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true. This is another golden rule so often ignored. Runners can run so much faster is they hit their racing weight rather than a running weight. My go to man , Matt Fitzgerald, when it comes to everything running even has a website dedicated to this. ( http://www.racingweight.com/ ) If Matt has a website dedicated to this subject it must be important.
6. Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.
7. Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored. Sometimes the most obvious, common sense tips are the ones ignored. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, the more sleep the more repairs can be completed. It really is that easy, go to bed and dream about running.
8. Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1. I feel the figures from my running log back this up. I’ve steadily increased the duration consistently year in, year out (bar injury) and have reaped the rewards with 2016 being my fastest year yet as I move towards my fifth sixth decade. (Thanks Dave Kennedy) Running is all about getting out there on a regular basis again and again and again. Time on feet initially and then add pace before targeting certain distance with different run types, most important thinkg to note though is always consistently putting on the trainers and just running. ‘If you build it they will come’ type approach, keep running, build the foundation and the personal records will come. (This also works for baseball pitches apparently.)
9. It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing. Finally another massive part of running, the Noakes ‘central governor’. I’ve talked about this at length in various posts on this site. With experience I believe I can mentally finish a marathon stronger now then when I first started. I know what to expect and to this end can persuade my old friend fatigue to stay away for longer allowing me to achieve better finishing times. The mind is such an important part of running and needs to be trained as much as the body. When you race a marathon you will spend time in the ‘pain box’, the runner who can spend the most time in this little box of joy, before opening the door and embracing the old enemy fatigue, will run the fastest. I spoke to Steve Moneghetti after the Perth Marathon this year after he ran the 3hr30min bus and asked him how the professional athletes are so much faster than us recreational runners. His answer surprised me as he replied that a professional runner can stand more pain and this gives them the advantage need to push through and achieve the faster times. Again turning off the ‘central governor’  and spending more time in the ‘pain box’ avoiding fatigue and thus not slowing down. Common sense really, thanks Steve.

In my post earlier today I described the various different paced runs you can start to add after the distance foundation stage. I forgot to mention the ‘ultra marathon’ pace. This is a recovery like run albeit a very long one but the bonus is because it’s a race you get to basically eat and drink what you want, within reason, on the pretence it is required fuel and hydration.

When I prepare for a marathon I’ll maybe hand-carry a couple of Gu’s, as extra nutrition, as the 42k distance without these bad boys can be a challenge. You add the word ‘ultra’ to a race and you have hydration packs filled to the gunnels with about 6 litres of some super-drink full of electrolytes, sugar, carbohydrates and more protein than a field of chickens. Then you add a fuel belt with more confectionary than a corner store. This could be for a race an extra 4-5k longer than a marathon. What happens in that extra 4-5k that justifies this food and drink smorgasbord ? Worse still is a supported ultra because every 10k or so  these runners get to feast on all sorts of weird and wonderful delicacies.

I’ve always said an Ultra is an eating and drinking conception with running between meals. The person who finishes first and normally eats the least normally wins. My mate Jon in his first ultra ( http://australiadayultra.com ) actually put weight on in the 100k race and still finished second. If he spent more time running and less time eating he could have won !

All joking aside Ultra pace is obviously slower than normal and is dictated by distance and terrain. Common sense dictates the longer the race the slower the pace and if the terrain is mountainous add a few seconds per pace, in between snacks of course.

I’ve ran 16 ultra’s in my career ranging from 46k up to three Comrade campaigns in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Comrades varied between 86-89k depending on how sadistic the race director felt I assumed. ( http://www.comrades.com ) My lasting memory of Comrades was the constant deluge of food offered from organised race tables or just the general public. This consisted of barbecues serving all sorts of meat in all sorts of  disguises. and of course beer, and lots of it.  Unfortunately this is not the norm for ultras, normally you have too work vary hard between aid stations , which is another excuse to spend serious time at the aid stations eating and drinking, apparently.

So if you like your ‘tucka’ then maybe the ultra world is the answer to your dreams., I know Jon can’t wait to get stuck into the 100k in January next year.

This post could be a big one. So much information out there on pace in all its different forms. I’ve just made myself a cup of tea as I prepare to dive into this subject. (A runners treat,  a cup of tea while blogging. Funny thing is I actually believe that to be true. I’m really am a sad runner, I suppose, or on the other side of a coin a finely tuned running machine fueled by sweet tea and the odd chocolate digestive..anyway I digress back to the post…)

So after the foundation has been laid with some quality ‘time on legs’ distance it’s time to put that fitness to good use and start to sprinkle in some speed. Nothing too strenuous to start with, the old ‘walk before you can run adage’ comes into play because we need to avoid injury (I hate even typing that word!) .

So what are the options when it comes to adding pace.

1. Steady runs. These are slightly faster than normal but not quite as fast as say, marathon pace, or tempos. A steady run will get the heart rate up (you have a Garmin or GPS watch with a heart monitor right?) but not been too much effort that it is unsustainable for the period of the run. If you find you’re struggling towards the end it ain’t steady. On the other hand it needs to be a test of sorts, so some effort will be required to keep the desired pace.
2. Next in the pace scale is a tempo run. This should be pretty close to your marathon pace or even a tad quicker. A long tempo run will be an effort and needs to be a test. Ideally tempo runs are perfect for gaining confidence in your training as you move towards your goal race.  Concentrate on your technique as well as maintaining the pace.
3. Thresholds are next. This is the fastest pace at which you can remain fully in control of your breathing. At your threshold pace you’re breathing deeply, but not straining to get enough oxygen. For highly trained runners, threshold pace can be sustained for about one hour in race conditions. For beginners, it’s closer to a 30-minute maximum pace. With Thresholds you are in the ‘pain box’ but the benefits are worth the effort.
4. Vo2 max. / Intervals. A high VO2 max figure can be the target of many a runner and also I believe the downfall. My Garmin 235 gives me V02 figures ranging from 58-65 depending on how the heart monitor is behaving itself. I don’t get hung up as this figure bounces between the average high and low figure. A proper VO2 score can only be achieved in a laboroty and is not something I desire.  Pace wise interval paced is the fastest you can do over a short distance, normally 800m to 1600m, repeated a number of times. The goal is to complete the intervals in a similar pace for the first and the last interval. Fading on the last few repeats indicates you went out too quick for the first few and finishing too strong means you were a tad lazy at the start.
5. Marathon pace. As the name suggest holding your predicted marathon pace for a good distance. If you want to add some spice to this workout add a 10km warm up and then 20-30k at marathon pace. Ideally this is a last long run confidence booster before the big day. Anyhow marathon pace long runs are ideal if you can achieve them and still feel fresh enough for the training in the week ahead.
6. Fartlek. This is my favourite pace as it is normally unstructured, if you are being true to the original idea. Swedish for “speed play,” and that is exactly what it’s all about. Unlike tempo and interval work, fartlek is unstructured and alternates moderate-to-hard efforts with easy throughout. After a warmup, you play with speed by running at faster efforts for short periods of time (to that tree, to the sign) followed by easy-effort running to recover. It’s fun in a group setting as you can alternate the leader and mix up the pace and time. And in doing so, you reap the mental benefits of being pushed by your buddies through an unpredictable workout. The goal is to keep it free-flowing so you’re untethered to the watch or a plan, and to run at harder efforts but not a specific pace. If you want some structure try my favourite session the ‘mona fartlek’ . I’ve already written a post on this so search the site and you’ll find it.

So there you have it, a few different kinds of pace you can now add to your training runs. As you know I’m a 80% slow and easy and 20% speed work, this seems to have the double benefit of increasing your general running fitness without the risk of injury .(there’s that word again!) As always this is a Matt Fitzgerald split and in Matt we trust. ( http://mattfitzgerald.org )

Assuming you have just added distance I would recommend adding 2 steady runs a week initially. The following week substitute a tempo for one of your steady runs and then add a threshold in week 3, as well as the steady and tempo. Moving forward  I’d also try to work in the odd Interval or fartlek (check the internet for various options, there are a few to play around with) . The most important thing is you enjoy the change in pace these sessions offer you.

One final word of warning. I would avoid two hard sessions in a row as this can lead to injury (I am not typing that word again in this post!) and also listen to your body. If you are fatigued swap out a pace session for a recovery run, in the long run it’ll be better for you and you avoid the ‘I’ word.

Right, I’ve earned my cup of tea…..

As runners we are creatures of habit and nothing confirmed this more than the Strava heat map attached below.  ( http://www.strava.com ) What Strava does (if you pay for premium membership) is take all your recorded runs (in my case well over 1,000 and rising 2 a day !) and map them onto a map with the different colours indicating the runs you run the most. The bright red lines show where I spend all my time.

As you can see I spend all my time running around Kings Park and the Bridges on my lunch time runs and then up and down the coast on the weekends.  You can also see my go-to run of choice, a 10k loop from my house to Star Swamp and back through Carine Park that I run 4-5 times a week minimum. This run is normally my recovery run and I can just about give you a breakdown of kilometer times to the second of each one of the 10k’s. For example the first kilometer is always between 4:40 – 4:50 min/k and I run k2 at 4:37min/k (this one is normally within 1-2 seconds) etc. etc….  These runs are built for time on feet and as I discussed yesterday recovery runs. A run you can run in your sleep but one where sometimes an autopilot is just what you need to rack up the kilometers without the need for mental engagement.

Golden rule number 8 is about consistency and this heat map shows me that I am Mr. Consistent. As well as establishing your go-to runs consistency is also about maintaining a good foundation, even on the off-season. (not really sure what an off-season is in my case?)  The biggest threat to this is of course rule no.3, injury. Once injured consistency is no longer an option and it’s back to rule no1 , distance, to rebuild.

No one said this running was easy..