First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: Dill-Ag13 on 2017-11-08 9:22 AM

Hi all,

Completed my first "season" this year,
3 sprints
2 olympics
1 HIM this past Sunday

Was originally looking at doing IMTX next year but don't have the leeway in my schedule to get the training in (struggled to squeeze in a level 1 Fitzgerald HIM plan) so I'm now looking at a marathon next March instead.

I want to maintain my swim and bike fitness with one workout a week of each and run no more than 3 times a week for a total of 5 days a week of working out. The goal of the marathon would be to finish.

My schedule would go something like this, would like some feedback and/or some pointers towards tightening up the plan:
Monday: Short run / tempo run generally 3-5 miles
Tuesday: bike
Wednesday: 'sorta long' run 3 miles building up to 10 miles the week of the 20-miler
Thursday: swim
Friday/Saturday: long runs slowly building to 20 miles

Thoughts? Thanks for any feedback!

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: ponderingfox on 2017-11-08 9:46 AM

Are you planning on doing more tris next year after the marathon?

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"Success in any line demands a definite aim."

Dayton Area Sharks - Ohio River Road Runners Club

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: Dill-Ag13 on 2017-11-08 9:50 AM

Yes, probably the same set I did this past year with the HIM in November.

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: lisac957 on 2017-11-08 10:28 AM

I would personally add in a 4th run, but you could certainly "just finish" with 3 per week. My "training-for-a-run-but-still-cross-training" schedule looks like this, just as a reference. I've found that running back to back on the weekends really helps my legs figure out how to run "tired." Example distances for back to back weekend runs for me in my most recent training plan were 8/3, 9/4, 10/rest, 9/6, 10/8, 8/10, 13.1/rest, 7/5

Monday: Bike (1 hour to 1.5 hour)
Tuesday: Short/tempo run (3-5 miles)
Wednesday: Bike 1 hour (you could replace with a swim here)
Thursday: Medium run (4-8 miles)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Long run #1
Sunday: Long run #2 or medium-long run

 

 

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: nc452010 on 2017-11-08 11:38 AM

I'm kind of in the same boat. I finished my season on 10/15 (IM Lou) and did Choo 70.3 in May. I want to run a marathon in March.

I'll continue to swim 3X/wk with masters......and do a couple trainer sessions on the bike/wk.....but the focus will obviously have to be on the marathon. I've never run one (marathon). That sounds weird, since i just did an IM.....but, an open marathon is different beast (I know enough to know that). I can't imagine going into one with the attitude (I'm not knocking you.......as we're all different) of "I just want to finish". You could finish one, right now, probably. Running only 3X/wk ....and getting in your long runs - sounds like a recipe for injury, to me. I'm going with 5X/wk, topping out at around 45 MPW. That's "intermediate".

I'll switch to tris, after the marathon. The bike will come back, pretty quickly. I plan to do a late-season HIM, too.

Good luck.

Just for S's and giggles, why do you want to do the marathon? Just a bucket list thing?
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If I can get my swimming under control, my only limiters will be cycling and running.

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: McFuzz on 2017-11-08 12:38 PM

Have you checked out marathon training plans?  How does what you propose align with those?  

Everyone is different.  Most of the runners training for a marathon have the long run be no more than 30% of their weekly volume.  Your plan will have it almost 60%.  They'll also consider 35 mpw quite low, but that amount is consistent with IM training plans that include the marathon.  

Do you really like the tempo run?  They increase the likelihood of injury which runs counter to your "just finish" goal and for the 3-runs-per-week won't deliver as much gain as they would in a 5-runs-per-week regime.  

As for "maintaining" bike/swim fitness.  Are you doing those just once per week already?  If so, then a once a week workout will be enough to "maintain" where you are.  If your HIM plan had you doing each 2-3 times per week, sorry...you can't maintain a level of fitness cutting 1/2 or 2/3 of your workouts.  

 

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RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: Dill-Ag13 on 2017-11-08 12:44 PM

Really useful feedback so far.

1 swim a week is all I've done all year (HS swimmer)
Normally squeeze in 2-3 rides a week and 1 ride would just be for cross-training.

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: BlueBoy26 on 2017-11-08 12:45 PM

Have you looked at the FIRST marathon plan?  LINK

It is a three run day plan with two cross training days that you use for swimming and cycling.  It would work well for you.  

 

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Curtis Hale
Some of the ideas that I have tried are very non-conventional but I figure if no
one ever tried them nothing new will ever be discovered.

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: Dill-Ag13 on 2017-11-08 12:49 PM

Thank you, a friend just suggested that to me less than 30 minutes ago. I think that's my base-case now!

RE: First tri season done, training for a marathon, need guidance
BY: ponderingfox on 2017-11-09 11:50 AM

If you're a swimmer, you could always just knock out 1500y or so, and then do your short run.  Not sure if your schedule allows you to double up workouts.  Honestly, you could probably even drop the swim if you swam back in school.

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"Success in any line demands a definite aim."

Dayton Area Sharks - Ohio River Road Runners Club