SUB-2:50 MARATHON PREP JOURNAL (Ed. 1)
Entries for the week of 07.17-07.23
This week’s training - my first with Coach Charlie Lawrence.
Week In-Review:
M - 10 Miles Easy + Upper Body Strength
T - 10 Miles Easy
W - 12 Mile Fartlek Workout (3:2); Push Strength
TH - 8 Miles Recovery
F - 2 Hour Long Run w/ Work; Pull Strength
SA - 15 Miles Easy (Overnight run beginning at 02:45 AM)
*Helping Matt Johnson train for the Leadville 100 by sharing 15 of his 50 overnight miles with him.
S - 5 Miles w/ Strides; Upper Body Strength
Total Miles: 76
Time: 11H 13M
This first week of structured training was equal parts fun and challenging. Settling back into speed work is humbling, to say the least. But this is the time to work hard and build fitness, so that in the Fall, we can do the necessary work to sharpen for race day.
The great part of marathon training towards an audacious goal like sub-2:50 is that you can’t miss, skip, or overlook the day-to-day steps. Each session feels necessary. The work is urgent. You must value the goal more than you value the comforts of staying the same.
Personal Data (all based on averages from the last 7-days):
Bodyweight - 188.4 LBS
Sleep - 6H 14M AVG
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) - 48 BPM
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - 59 MS
Strength Training - 4 Sessions
Weekly Run Thoughts:
I already feel fatigued from a recent long run and strength training. But, fatigue is advantageous for marathon training. Fatigue, at times, will be the norm in the pursuit of this goal. Fatigue is stress, and stress surrounded by rest results in growth.
*There is a clear and important difference between fatigue and pain - and more so, fatigue and injury.
The ability to continue forward through fatigue is what sets winners apart. The will must be greater than the desire. I have a will to succeed, not simply a ‘want’ or ‘desire.’ In my mind, I need this.
Getting back into fast running after an ultra prep and a lot of base building is a reminder of just how hard training for a marathon can/will be. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Run your speed workouts hard and your easy runs easy - both impact your ability to develop the system needed to run a 2:4x:xx marathon.
The way we approach training should be represented in our goals (or lack thereof). Going through periods of being a generalist or a specialist. A generalist does the activity for the sake of doing it, with a flexible approach. A specialist is willing to sacrifice that which doesn’t support the goal - refining a specific set of skills.
I’m transitioning from generalist to specialist. This week was the first of many in pursuing this goal.
With time, I will become increasingly focused, increasingly sharp in preparation for performance. I will be the best marathon runner I can be - because right now, that’s the goal.
Continue to follow along with my training through social media, where I post my daily runs, recaps of big workouts, and more content centered on this process!