Tuesday 15 November 2011

A Cunning Plan

2011 had a number of highlights, but now is the time to look ahead, to lay plans, to set goals for 2012. For me the next big A goal is a no-brainer.

My next big 'A' goal is a sub 3 Hour Marathon at Boston 2012.

To that end I have come up with a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel. Im going to get myself in sub 2:50 shape and then run a controlled sub 3 pace. It's fool proof I tell you.

OK So maybe there is one small issue, Sub 2:50 form is over 15 minutes faster than my current PB. Perhapes 2:50 is beyond my reach, but heck if you dont aim high youll never reach your full potential.

So over the past few weeks Ive been doing a bit of research, looking at how I trained for munster, looking at what worked, where i can improve. Where I can tweak my training to get a better result, I have put together a training plan.




The Training Plan


My training for Boston is going to be once again bassed on Lydiard. Which means high millage in the Aerobic Zone. For Münster I mistook the variance in Aerobic pace, that is in a Lydiard Plan for the effort of the workout. Its not all about running at the same pace every day. There should be a lot of variation in paces, form the slow pace of the weekly long run, right up too the Sub LT threshold runs at faster than Marathon Pace. I will be including a lot more varience in my pace in this training round.

Another big change for me will be the shift to training in the mornings. My running group meets in the evenings, unfortunately the groups normal pace is now a slower recovery jog pace for me, with 3 group runs during the week, I was simply loosing too much training time. The shift to training mornings allows me to train at my pace every day, and then use the group runs as additional recovery paced jogging. I have already given pre-dawn running a trial and it works for me

My current training break will officially end on Nov 27 when i run the Aasee Candlelight 10k in Munster. In the fist few weeks of training after that I will be building up the millage, and time spent running with the goal of follow the plan below.

Mon: AM - 75 min Easy or a Progress assesment, PM - Recovery Jog
Tue: AM - 120 min Medium Effort Pace, PM - Cross training
Wed: AM - 80 min Easy, PM - Recovery Jog
Thur: AM - 130 min Medium Effort Pace, PM - Cross training
Fri: AM - 60 min Sub LT (Hard Aerobic Effort Pace), PM - Recovery Jog
Sat: 90 min Marathon Pace Conditioning.
Sun: 180 min Easy Effort Pace.

I will endeavour to be better about doing a proper warmup routine prior to my morning runs. I will continue to Include a core strength program in my training. I am planning to add a once weekly stretching regime, although not immediately prior or post running workout.

In February I will be running the Hamm Winter Lauf Series. 10k, 15k, and HM. These provide a really good estimate of Marathon form when you add all three results together. For example my total in 2011 was 3:24 and then I ran 3:23 in Vieena. I will not do any tapering for these races, and after them I wont race again until Boston, that way I hope to elimate the inconsistency that I had prior to Münster due to tappering for HM races.
"Knowing where you want to go is easy. Mapping out the plan to get there is challenging. Doing it requires total commitment" - Josh Cox
So now that i have my goal, and the cunning plan that is guaranteed to achieve it, Im 2/3rds done... all i need now is a little commitment.
 

2 comments:

  1. A cunning plan indeed Paul. Wish I had thought of it ;). From what I read/hear about Boston it's not a marathon for a PB and the opening 13.1 miles set you up for a tough closing 13.1. Required military style planning. Then again you are on the crest of a rising wave and are only beginning to see what you are capable of. Looking forward to seeing you buck the trend.

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  2. Yep ive heard that too, but the cunningness in my plan is that if im in 2:50 shape then 2:59:59 whilst still technically a PB would be way off my current best effort....Although, perhapse i do need a plan B....

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