For racers: how is the training working out?

[Ice Cream]

I am close to my goal race: taper just started!

[caito]

My training has been going well…I feel strong.  I'm in the middle of my peak weeks.

2 weekends ago:  19 miles
Last weekend: 20
This weekend: 12 (recovery!)
And then 2 more weeks alternating long runs  20 and 12, then taper. 

I am a little jealous of everyone running Chicago this weekend. Late marathons are great because you can train in the colder weather, but  I can't wait til it's my turn to race. 

[merigayle]

I had my race last weekend and the weather worked hard against me, as well as some race conditions and i only made it about 1/4 through the race before not meeting a cut off A lot of training, unpaid time off of work, big entry fee, etc, blech.

[merigayle]

Ok, debating running a 12 hour race in a few weeks. That would make it all better right??

[ctjim]

Half marathon tomorrow.
I originally set out planning and training to run the full, but ramped up mileage too quickly and started to feel the effects.
It's been 10 years since I've run a full marathon, so I honestly could remember if I felt the same aches/pains/etc. then or not. I know, however, that I didn't like it and it made me not want to get out the door in the morning.
So, I took a week off in mid-August, reevaluated, and decided to "just" run the half instead.
I backed of the weekly miles some, and since then things have been going great, especially now that the weather has cooled.

[Belgian Lace]

I have two races left in the year.  I've been fighting injury all summer, and I feel like I'm being held together with good intentions and duct tape.  Both races are sentimental/traditional favorites so there's no way I won't run them, which is probably really stupid. 

OTOH, I've had a good year: so far, three PRs - and I just realized that I managed to run 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K, 13.1, and 26.2, which is almost the complete set!

 

[Arrojo]

Nice work everyone.  I am spending 3 months doing P90X to get in shape for winter masters track season.  I am about a month into it.  So far so good. (I may do a couple of  distance running races before then, just for fun, but those are not goal races).  First track meet is December 20.

[iwuzwilson]

The year went well, a few ups and downs but mostly ups.

Compared to last year:
1 mile - 0.1 faster (2nd OA outdoor in Masters Rankings.com)
5K - 38 sec slower but only ran one this year and it was 2 sec faster than same course last year
10K - 0.2 slower
1/2 marathon - 42 sec faster (age grade 88.9, an all time age grade personal best for any distance, although I did get my ass handed to me in that race by a guy in my age group who scored a 91. We were 2nd and 4th overall in the race.)
Trail Marathon - 1:29 faster than last year

Now I'm sort of in a just running phase, about an hour a day, and I'll keep it there for the rest of the year (longer runs on weekends). Plan on one more 10K, in Colorado next month, and maybe a Christmas 5K or something in December. But those are just for fun and to have something to look forward to.

[Fionn mac Cumhail]

Very well...A BQ is very far from a given...but, I'm confidant that a marathon PR is at least in the cards...

[Handsome Jack]

I was happy with the mileage and effort I put in this marathon training cycle. I could have done more speed work, but made a decision to do more in the way of hill running instead. No injuries, all systems go for next weekend. However, I am running heavy - a good 15lbs more than what I wanted to be racing at.

Still on track to take on the Dec. full as well.

[merigayle]

So I went to register for the 12 hour race and it was almost $200 (since the price goes up every other month + fees) and i was like, forget about it. THEN my friend who was registered and can no longer go transferred her entry to me and wants no money, since she is past the refund period. I    my friend. So now I get to run the race and enjoy myself and not let all this training be for naught.

[duckgeek]

I jumped into a 5k XC race last weekend, my second race of the calendar year.  Ran 7:04 pace on a muddy track and walked away satisfied.

I think I'm running a half marathon in the near future.

[Ice Cream]

So I went to register for the 12 hour race and it was almost $200 (since the price goes up every other month + fees) and i was like, forget about it. THEN my friend who was registered and can no longer go transferred her entry to me and wants no money, since she is past the refund period. I    my friend. So now I get to run the race and enjoy myself and not let all this training be for naught.

That is great.  $200 would be too much for me, too.  When is the race?

[merigayle]

That is great.  $200 would be too much for me, too.  When is the race?

Nov 8-9 and it is 9pm- 9am to finish with the 24 hour racers.

[siamesedream]

Nothing planned, but might do some 5ks in January or Feb.

I'm heavy for running at 182, but relatively low body fat. I'm slow, but my training pace seems to be picking up in the cooler weather.

[Ice Cream]

I finished my fall goal race last weekend.  I ran a BQ time and finished within the top 20% for the women!  Very happy.

My next goal races are a half marathon on Jan.1 and same distance again on Jan. 11.

[merigayle]

I finished my fall goal race last weekend.  I ran a BQ time and finished within the top 20% for the women!  Very happy.

My next goal races are a half marathon on Jan.1 and same distance again on Jan. 11.

impressive. Same race as Cupcake?

[BobM59]

The hay is in the barn; tomorrow is the big day!

[merigayle]

The hay is in the barn; tomorrow is the big day!

Good luck!

[wherestheportojohn]

[not a racer]
You are all so amazingly awesome.
[/not a racer]

[Ice Cream]

[not a racer]
You are all so amazingly awesome.
[/not a racer]

Frankly, I said this was my last marathon that I race.  From now on, I am going to run/walk; (yes, I am going to gallowalk.)  I think marathons are very hard on the body as you age.

[merigayle]

I have a friend who was never able to BQ, then she did the Galloway method and BQed. It was kinda crazy, but inspiring. Gallowalking does not always mean slow. There are some speed race walkers that do ultras that place quite high.

[Ice Cream]

I have a friend who was never able to BQ, then she did the Galloway method and BQed. It was kinda crazy, but inspiring. Gallowalking does not always mean slow. There are some speed race walkers that do ultras that place quite high.

1
I gallowalked two marathons. The first one, because I had become injured after having signed up for the race.  I decided to run 22 min. and walk 8 min. each time.  After 3 hours, I felt great and gave up the walking.  I was so surprised to finish in 4:12.  Second time I did it, I had not trained at all and had only run 13.1 max.  I finished in 4:52. I learned this from my ultra running days, walking breaks are very forgiving and pleasant.  I do know that I am a fast walker.

[BobM59]

I've never used the gallowalk method, but don't really understand the argument against it.  Any port in a storm!

[ZiggyStardust]

I had never walked in a race until Baystate this year, when my pace buddy elected to do some walk breaks. I think if you're disciplined about it (e.g., the example of "run 22 min, walk 8 min" maybe it'd feel OK. For me, the unpredictability of when my buddy wanted to walk, and for how long, made it feel harder on me than just chugging along. I'm already thinking of VCM in the spring, so maybe I'll play around with disciplined gallowalking just for the helluvit.

Most important, though: great race, BobM!  Being so speedy, I guess you missed out on the lady who was going "hiiiii-yaaa" with every breath (or step?) and punctuating it with an "ooooooohhhhh!" every so often?

[merigayle]

If you do not practice run/walking, i think it can be really hard for your muscles and body to do it during a race. I like the 8/2 or 4/1. Generally for ultras I power walk the uphills and run the straights and flat.

[Ice Cream]

I had never walked in a race until Baystate this year, when my pace buddy elected to do some walk breaks. I think if you're disciplined about it (e.g., the example of "run 22 min, walk 8 min" maybe it'd feel OK. For me, the unpredictability of when my buddy wanted to walk, and for how long, made it feel harder on me than just chugging along. I'm already thinking of VCM in the spring, so maybe I'll play around with disciplined gallowalking just for the helluvit.

Most important, though: great race, BobM!  Being so speedy, I guess you missed out on the lady who was going "hiiiii-yaaa" with every breath (or step?) and punctuating it with an "ooooooohhhhh!" every so often?

Random walking as you describe would be a no no for me.  It has to be timed and predictable for me.  I found that it had the advantage of splitting the "race" into manageable entities when I know I was not adequately trained to run the entire distance.

[siamesedream]

I've decided to keep my long run at 9 miles and work on nailing the pace, I will arrive at my long run day feeling rested and totally destroy that distance. The long run will be the backbone for the rest of the week and my improved aerobic profile will spill over into my easy runs.

I'm already running the 9 fairly well, I'll work on speeding up the pace by a small amount each week.