I have been training for a half marathon to be determined in early January, though (as long as it’s not cancelled) that half marathon will likely be the Lake Mead Half Marathon on January 9.
I’m on the 5th week of an algorithm-programmed Garmin plan, and have done quite well on all runs throughout the plan. By maintaining the GPS-estimated assigned paces, I have actually completed my easy training runs with an average pace of about 10:00 per mile (6:13/km), far faster than I had previously run my easy runs.
These faster easy runs actually have been little trouble to complete, thanks to one simple adjustment: I focus on maintaining a light, quick cadence over anything else. I used to run at about 160-165 steps per minute, and am now doing all my runs at 174-178 steps per minute. Clearly the extra steps per minute are making a difference not just with the average pace, but making that pace easier to sustain. For whatever reason, this was always hard to do in Chicago, but has been very easy to do now.
The Garmin algorithm plans to have me run a 1 mile time trial on Wednesday, from which it should program my subsequent speed, tempo and long run workouts. The last mile I ran about a year ago came out to a disappointing 7:34, and my documented PR is 7:05.
According to Garmin’s race predictor, I apparently have the fitness to smash my PR’s in the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and of course full Marathon. The Electric Blues Daniels tables indicates from these that I could probably run the mile in 6:33. I don’t foresee running that mile time after having done no speedwork for a while, but to break 7 minutes on a mile trial would be terrific.
I have also cross trained quite a bit during the training plan. It might be a big reason I’ve been able to improve so quickly.
After taking on a Garmin Badge Challenge to bike 300K in a month, bike 16 hours, and walk 16 hours… I ended up riding the spin bike at the gym almost every day, about 45 minutes each time, which at my usual 95-110 rpm came out to about 12-13 miles each go. I also walked about a couple miles most days to get those 16 hours in.
I’ve also continued strength training with my mostly upper body push/pull 20 minute workouts roughly 3-4 times a week throughout all this.
Between all this training and the 5 running workouts each week, I’ve probably logged about 8-10 hours of total training (not including the walking, which I generally don’t count as training) each week since beginning the Garmin plan. There were many days I’d spend 2+ hours at the gym, aside from my running (none of which, by the way, was done on a treadmill; all of my running was outside in the morning).
Other than feeling understandably weary at times, I haven’t been too beaten up or worn down by all this.
One key to that is maintaining a protein rich diet, eating to maintenance calories instead of a calorie deficit, and having given a backseat to intermittent fasting.
I’m focusing more on fueling for recovery and eating to a minimum of energy availability. This leads to a slight calorie deficit when I hit the minimum calories, though I’ve still managed to get my bodyfat to 18% while keeping my weight around 170-172 lbs (78kg).
The other key, obviously, is getting enough rest. I have slept an okay amount, and for me I usually do get less sleep than average during summer due to the heat and extended sunlight hours. I generally sleep better during winter when it’s dark more often. Naturally, I wake up rather early, often around 4-6am, and I go to bed around 9-10pm. I have also taken advantage of all this free time and taken naps on various days, which slightly helps. Now that I’ll be working again, naps will only be an option on the weekends and holidays.
After last month’s extensive cross training, I’m going to scale that back and diversify that a bit more. After sticking almost exclusively to the spin bike, I’m now going to mix in sessions on the rowing machine and the ARC Trainer, and will probably cross train less frequently than the “pretty much every day” I had been doing.
I can now take it easy on the walking, doing it only to make sure I get 10,000 daily steps in (an ongoing Seinfeld calendar goal of mine, which is now at 32 days straight and counting). Plus I generally train less time on the rowing machine (I like to row for 20 minutes max vs the 45 minutes I always go on the spin bike), so that will lead to shorter gym visits than 2 hours.
Also, of course, working again means I have fewer time windows to work out. The early morning runs will remain, so long as I can finish workouts well before 7am so I can shower/dress and commute to work. I can also train following work most afternoons (unless a situation demands overtime, of course), and will probably do my cross training then… crowded gym be damned. The weekends of course are wide open.
So, in all, I am once again seriously training. I am training a lot. And I’ve been able to train consistently at a higher level than I have before.
But what about my marathon plans? Well… I’ll get into that in a bit….