We all have moments when we realize, something needs to change.
Ever since the Kiawah Marathon I’ve been just kind of running on a whim. Sure, I have workouts and long runs but I very rarely have a plan and most of those are figured out the night before or on the day of.
Honestly, I thrive on a plan. I’ve always known this but we can’t be on a plan all the time.
If you remember back to my training with Hanson’s Marathon Method I averaged around 50-60 miles per week. I think I peaked at 63.
Since I got back into running post-marathon I’ve been averaging 55-60 miles per week. That’s been the same mileage I was running during marathon training. I had a few weeks of less mileage thrown in every now and again, but overall a bit too much.
As someone who has dealt with their fair share of injuries, this probably isn’t the smartest idea. When it comes to running it’s all based around risk. We do things that put us at our best chance to succeed while taking only the necessary amount of risk to avoid injury.
[Tweet “Running is based on giving us our best chance to succeed while taking only the necessary amount of risk to avoid injury. #run #running #train”]
Unfortunately, over the past month or so I’ve been increasing that risk more than I am comfortable with. We can only sustain marathon training for so many weeks and then we need to change things up.
You may remember back when I set my next running goals I mentioned training for a half marathon. I realized it was time I began training. However, I want to make sure to decrease my miles.
I’ve officially come up with a plan (using partly the Runner’s World Smart Coaching) to help train me towards a half while also cutting back my mileage. I will probably be adapting this some throughout the 13 weeks.
Sorry it’s so small.
The things I really love about this plan:
- It cuts back my mileage
- One workout (or tempo) per week
- I still get in my long run
- Less mileage during the week
Instead of my normal 2 workouts per week, it takes it down to one. However, the other runs (which are shorter) are faster than my normal runs. That will be a bit of a change to adjust to.
I love that I still get to keep my long runs on the weekends. There is something really theraputic for me about the long run, and this plan allows me to keep it while cutting back in other places.
I plan to use this for the next 12-13 weeks. This will get me to around June 1st, then I will start thinking about my plan for my fall marathon. This will help me work on speed while cutting back on my mileage.
The plan averages 42-46 miles per week, with a peak of 53. I think that is much more manageble and better for my body right now. I’ll increase my mileage again when I enter my next marathon training phase.
I do plan on hopefully doing a half marathon at the end of it, though which one has not even been looked at yet!
I’ll still be focusing on strength and core training, but with the cut back in mileage it will allow me to spend more time focusing on this.
There you have it. It’s nothing fancy, pretty simple actually. It’s not a full on training plan like I do for marathon training, but I don’t need that right now. I am going to embrace this phase like any other and take the good and the bad that comes with it!
I also want to say a very special shout out to my husband today. 10 years ago today, we officially became a couple. It has been one heck of a road, but I couldn’t be more proud to spend it with him!
The ups and downs, highs and lows, good times and bad I am proud to call you my husband and best friend! I love you!
Have you ever taken a mileage step back?
What is the last distance you trained for?.
happy 10 years!
Happy anniversary to you guys :). I think your plan looks good- the last distance I really trained for was a half. It’s a fun and manageable distance. I like your plan and think that’s great mileage for a half. I tend to be around 40mpw myself and it’s working well for me, but it’s important to know when to step back to avoid injury or burnout. I want to be one of those older ladies whose still running races in her 70s just because I love being out there, so I do try to take care of myself now and avoid injuries!
That is such a good point Amy! I look forward to getting back into marathon training in several months, but for now this works perfectly!
CONGRATS!!!
I pretty much always run high mileage. As long as I build plenty of recovery in there, I keep injuries and burnout at bay.
Yes, I wish I was like that! My husband runs 80-100 miles per week all the time, but I just can’t. Sometimes I Need a little step back. At least I still get my long run in! Look forward to getting back into marathon training in a little while!
Congrats!! That looks like the perfect training cycle! My marathon training officially started on Monday and, as week 1 draws to a close, I am feeling ok about it. I decide to stick with a non-traditional plan that does not include running 20 miles for a long run, since I kept reading articles saying for 4 or 4+ hour marathoners it wasn’t worth it. I hope that was the right call!
I trained for my last marathon without ever running over 16 miles! Hanson’s believes that your long run should always be within a certain percentage of your miles for the week. Don’t sweat the long run! If you are looking to get a certain time put more focus into the tempos!
You have no idea how much this has relieved my case of nerves, thank you! 🙂 I would love to do it in 4 hours or even a bit less, which is how I plan to do the tempos. If I cross the finish line healthy, though, I am going to be a happy camper with a big smile. Since this is a goal I set in eighth grade, it is like that I might also get a wee bit emotional.
That is awesome! No matter how many marathons I do, it is always emotional for me! 🙂 Good luck in your training!!
What were your strength/core workouts like when you were using the Hanson’s method?
(Congrats on 10 years of coupledom!)
I did all body weight strength training. It was just at home core work (mostly planks, crunches and bicycle crunches) and then did squats, lunges, pushups and some tricep dips most days. It just depended. I had no set routine just mixed it up!