Well, I didn't anticipate writing this post for another few days, but I actually had an evening to chill out and think on it a bit, so here you are!
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I've mentioned that the Hansons recommend taking a two-week break from running post-marathon. I think they meant less sitting on my ass and more of a "light resistance training program or a cycling regimen," to paraphrase or maybe directly quote them, but whatever. I've been busy enough that I haven't even noticed I haven't been exercising, although I'll probably be itching to run a million miles by the end of this (long!) weekend.
I did get out today for a "hike" with Bailey, which was delightful. We saw a bear! It was tiny, black, and way too close for comfort. Bailey redeemed herself as a watchdog by sensing it and refusing to go any farther, preventing me from walking right into it.
I was obviously really into these flowers:
The sky looks strangely ominous here.
It's been a bit dreary here (but the heat's gone!), which seems to have caused a mass mosquito exodus. I haven't been bitten in days!
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So finally, that elusive "what's next?" post you've all been waiting for! And by all, I mean approximately three people. And by "next" I mean the next two months, because I don't know what's up with grad school. I hear it's hard.
[Side note: before you worry your pretty li'l heads off, I do plan to continue running and blogging (albeit with much less frequency) in Eugene. A few of my coworkers have actually told me they were in the best shape of their lives during grad school (my boss, of Mayor's Marathon fame, joked that he may have been the worst student in his class-which I highly doubt-but he was by far the best marathoner), which bodes well for my hobby jogging career. I just can't commit myself to any specific race, especially since I tend to be a bit... obsessive? about training. Eugene 2014 is definitely a possibility, though. Billions of bloggers assure me it's a magical race. Longest side note ever.]
I've never been big on races, but I had such a great time during my marathon that I'd like to race again before the end of the summer. And since Alaska's the best, why not race here? Done!
Okay, I suppose "done" is misleading. "Done" implies that I've registered for something. I have not. "This is something I'm considering signing up for in the future" may be more accurate.
I was actually seconds away from registering for the marathon, thinking "I'm already trained! I'd just have to maintain my fitness for another six weeks! I could run a flat marathon and possibly drop my 4:20 Mayor's time!" Then the more rational part of my brain chimed in with "You just ran your first marathon. You have not been doing this for long enough to run another marathon two months after your first. Come on, now."
So I want to run the half. Professor Amy said she likes to follow up marathons with a half because after 26 miles, 13's no big deal. I like the sound of that. And maybe, just maybe, I can end this 2:03-2:1?-2:04-2:11-2:04-2:11 (are you sensing a pattern?) curse of mine, even if that means running, like, a 2:06. I would love to break two hours, although that McMillan asshole tells me my 4:20 marathon translates to a 2:03 (noooooo!) half. Looks like it's time for some speedwork!
The tentative training plan is to ease into running over the next couple of weeks before busting out a few high-quality training weeks based very loosely on this plan I found. Its authors may or may not rhyme with Shmanson. However, I plan to give myself the option to hike on easy days because I've missed it so terribly, and if it seems like the mileage is too much, I'll modify. That's FLEXIBILITY, folks. Working on it.
Question:
- What are your thoughts on how far to space out marathons when you're new to the sport?
- DO YOU THINK I CAN BREAK 2:00 IN THE HALF? Because you obviously know absolutely everything about my running ability.
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I love to see my influence at work. Doing a half, working on speedwork, and being flexible? Who is this new Jeano person?
ReplyDeleteIf you want to do a sub-2, I found this link very, very helpful. I did not follow the plan as much as I followed the To-Do list at the bottom of page. It gives you a goal for your speedwork and it is really helpful overall. Enjoy!
http://marathonmadman.blogspot.com/2010/02/12-week-plan-to-sub-200-hour-half.html
DeleteDuh. The link. From your absent-minded professor.
That's a super useful link! What I got out of it was, if I can run a 7:30 mile, I can run a sub-2:00 half. That's a scary number. But really, those paces are a good guide. Also, where does 30.57 miles come from? That seems a touch specific.
DeleteFlexibility? What is that nonsense?
ReplyDeleteI'd give yourself a couple months at least between marathons, and maybe jump into a program like 12 weeks of Hanson?
You can so do a sub 2! Keep up the long runs, farleks, and miles and you'll be flying in no time!
Thanks! You make it sound so easy!
DeleteIve never ran a marathon. However, I did run my first half a few months ago and my time was 2.17. Hence, considering it looks like you have much more running ability that I do I can see you doing a half in less than 2 hours, actually. This is just a wild guess but you can do it! And at the end of the day, I wouldn’t worry too much about timing. Just enjoy it :)
ReplyDeleteAhaha, thanks, I'm sure I'll crush it! Or maybe not. You're right, enjoying the race is more important than the time on the clock. It would be nice to see some improvement in my half time after four years, though!
DeleteGood dog, Bailey! :) Remember that the McMillan calculator tells you how you'd run a half on a comparably difficult course to your marathon, so if you run a half on a flat course you should be much faster. As a new marathoner, I've aimed for two a year; that gives me some time to rest before starting my next training plan. For me, marathon training can be pretty mentally and physically taxing, so it's nice to have a little time off.
ReplyDeleteAgain - AGAIN - I'm late to the party. I think proximity of marathons depends on the person, and the rest of his/her schedule. But for someone who has trained hard and smart, I don't see a problem with another a couple months later - recover, re-engage the longer runs, and tune up the speed a bit. However, I'd usually suggest a "resting" phase (that can look many different ways) after that!
ReplyDeleteI think you have a sub-2:00 in you. Probably not in super close proximity to another marathon (either/or, in my book), but I think you've learned a lot about how to push yourself during this Hanson Cycle. And while a sub-2:00 is faster (more uncomfortable) training, Hanson was a grinding, every day, wear-you-down kind of training. Slightly different, but still requiring that your brain be in the game.
I think you can definitely run a sub-2 with all of your Hansons speed work.
ReplyDeleteI have this argument with my sister often as of late. She is incredibly apprehensive of my fall race plans (dabbling with the 50m idea) and is always like "you shouldn't do that many long races...blah blah blah" and I just get mad and ignore her, ha.