Marathon Training planning

I’ve never actually trained with a plan for a race before and then implemented it and I've run (no pun intended) into real trouble because of this.  When I ran my sub-2 hour half marathon it was on grit and determination alone.  These two qualities got me through my subsequent two half marathons when I faced an assortment of maladies (iliotibial band syndrome among others).  The bottom line is that I had a steep learning curve and have emerged from my 2013 and 2014 racing experiences with a pretty good sense of where all the running landmines are located.

Today I'm posting my 18 week marathon training plan.  It is a variation of Hal Higdon's freely available intermediate Marathon Training plan. My variations are owing to the fact that I prefer to fit my long runs in during the week, and tend to run a bit less on the weekends.  Totally counter intuitive, I know.  Another variation is that my plan uses the metric system (kilometres, as opposed to miles) because it's a bit more precise--and let's face it, 10 kilometres sounds better than 6 miles.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I'm starting my training in Canadian winter, which is pretty cold.   There are a few rules that I'm adopting to ensure safety while maximizing progress: 

1. Unless the temperature drops below -40c (or if the wind chill drops below -40c) I will not be using a treadmill.
2. Slip-on running spikes will be worn at all times when not running on the Meewasin Trail.  Spikes will be worn on days during and after snowfall on the Meewasin Trail.
3. No speedwork in weather colder than -10c.  No tempo or pace runs when the windchill is colder than -15c.
4. No long runs in weather colder than -15c.
5. Replace running shoes every 600 - 800 kilometres.
6. Carry at least one air activated heat warmer + one hot water bottle.

So here is the first draft of my training program.  Note that the schedule actually starts on January 26th.

Missed Training

Viruses and such are a fact of life when you live with kids.  Although I tend to avoid nasty training-killing bugs, I've succumbed a few times because I have continued to train even after acquiring whatever virus happened to be around.  Thus, I intend to opt out of running on days when I'm obviously fighting something.   I'm going to be more than a little bit surprised if this schedule goes off as planned.  Remember the idea is to train up to the point that 42.2k can be successfully run without injury.

Racing while training

As you can see from the schedule I added a half marathon race in week 13--that is when the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon is schedule.  Given what happened last year when I ran the race (hint: it wasn't good) I'm eager to improve my time.  I'm not training for that race, per se, but I've added a rest day to the schedule in order to conserve glycogen, and may cut down the run for the preceding Friday (currently 8k) to 3k.

Pace

I've set my goal pace for the marathon at 5:32/km.  If I were to run at that pace now, I'd probably be exhausted by 12k, drop to 6-6:30/km and end up well over 4 hours. 

Nutrition

One of the goals of my training (particularly in the second half--which is where I'll be doing the longest runs) will be to find the right mix of sports drinks, gels and various fuels to accommodate my energy needs.  I already know, for example, that Gu Brew works extremely well for me, as do Smarties (deliciously enough) and Glucose tablets.  But I also know that running faster than 5:40/km will probably require a Gu gel or two.

Diabetics, listen up. As for fueling up, I've found that a banana usually does the trick, but so does Gatorade.  But Gatorade packs in a lot of processed sugar and calories.  Bananas, though high on the glycemic index, pack roughly 30 grams of carbs, natural sugars and only 100-ish calories.

Marathon Training with Diabetes

Diabetics have one odd advantage over non-diabetics.  Because we do not break down sugar quite as efficiently, excess sugar will quite literally end up in our blood stream (sometimes exiting through the skin).  This sugar can, and is, used for... wait for it... running energy.  My experience has been that I'm often able to run 10-12k without fueling either before or during the run if I haven't taken my medicine.  Your results may vary.

Bear in mind that I am in terrific physical shape and my blood sugar is under complete control.  If you're a diabetic thinking about running a marathon, you need to honestly assess your health before you start training.  Above all, make sure your blood sugar is under control.

Lastly

I'll be posting more frequently throughout marathon training, and intend to do an extended post-race recap as well. I didn't expect this post to be an epic one when I began writing it.  But it happens.