I recently ran san Diego rock and roll marathon on Sunday . Training was good, injury free. I followed Hal higdon intermediate advanced plan. Set out at a 6:52 pace to run a 3:00 marathon. I found a group and we were spot on every split until mile 16. Everyone's been there. The group slowly drifted away and I mumbled every curse word I knew under my breath. There was no more speed left in my legs. Im 30 y/old and this was my 11th marathon. I should know what I'm doing out the by now, guess not . PR: Boston 2011 3:09:20 .
Anyone been through this? How do you break through a speed block? Training tips? Articles to read? Do i need more track workouts? I'm vegan, is that why I blew up? I don't know what to do to keep pace, a coach maybe?
Everyone I've worked with
Everyone I've worked with that has come from doing Hal's plans, come up short on volume, and thus crash and burn around 16-18. It isn't speed, it is volume, and being able to carry your "speed" over 26.2 miles. What were your biggest weeks, in terms of volume?
What was your nutrition protocol, starting on Friday night, and through mile 26.2?
What are your recent PR's for 5k-1/2marry's (within the year, not all time)
HR training?? or just off of
HR training?? or just off of pace?
Following a HR plan for me was a huge revelation as is working on my nutrition which is my current focus. I followed the http://www.yourmarathontrainingplan.com/ intermediate plan and basically had the same goals as you and also came up short but believe my shortcoming was nutrtion and not mileage.
As usual, VJ is right on.
As usual, VJ is right on. Read up on some other plans that include more volume. Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger was the book that had a plan that enabled me to drop down near the 3 hour mark. The biggest difference was getting in a bunch of 60-70 mile weeks. It is not easy but hitting that tough stretch that begins at mile 16 without slowing down is an amazing feeling.
Getting a coach might be
Getting a coach might be overkill to go from 3:09:20 last year to 3 hours. I give credit to the book Jack Daniels Running Formula for going from a 3:09 PR at age 31, to a 3:02 less than 2 years later. My coworker is our age, and had 4+ marathons around 3:20 (with sub 1:20 halfs), and he just ran 3:03 a few months ago. I give credit to the simplicity of Jack Daniels.
In addition to VJ's questions, what is your BMI? Coming from someone who is alway on the wrong end of a BMI of 26, you don't have to be skinny to run sub 7 minute miles. However, I'm sure it makes it easier. Each pound is a free 2 seconds per mile.
vjohnson wrote:It isn't
[quote=vjohnson]It isn't speed, it is volume, and being able to carry your "speed" over 26.2 miles.[/quote]
I'd suspect the same. "Crashing" at 16 - at that pace - suggests that it's not for a lack of speed, but as VJ suggested, rather from (lack of?) volume. That's still a sick time that I'd kill to have, even if I bonked at Mile 1 and had to suffer through 25.2 more to get it.
Real running starts at 50
Real running starts at 50 miles a week....
yeah, learned that last year
yeah, learned that last year from these guys - volume and a moderate long run mid week. I aim for about half my long of the week mid week, topping out around 16-19k in my big volume weeks. Finding more snap late in the runs.