Schedules Schmedules - Set Running Goals and Targets and You'll Be Just Fine!

First off, my mileage last week was 43, including a 10.5 mile long run. I've got a 10K coming up at the Westlake Village Love Run this Saturday so I'll plan NOT to run a long run on Saturday. Perhaps I'll wake up earlier than normal on Wednesday morning and try for a longer run mid-week.

OK, on to business. I won't mince words. I HATE training schedules. Well, that's a bit harsh. Maybe more like, I'm not particularly fond of running schedules. Yeah, that's it...that sounds much more politically correct.

I have work schedules, kid drop off and pick up schedules, errand schedules, medical appointment schedules, household chore schedules, schedules to remember to call my parents, tax appointments, lunch schedules, staff meeting schedules, you name it. I've got enough schedules. I'm not alone.

Schedules are good as they help me stay organized. But you know what, I'm NOT gonna force myself into a strict running schedule as schedules tend to take the enjoyment out of things. So instead of precise schedules that you can find plenty of at Runners World, Active.com, Running Times and other websites, I prefer to have certain key goals and target in training for a marathon:

• Gradually ramp up weekly mileage...don't do something drastic (for most people this means increasing mileage more than 10% each week...but I don't measure it that precisely). Aim for peak mileage 4 to 6 weeks prior to the marathon.
• Gradually increase the length of the long run. Generally I target 2 to 3 20-milers, but I don't sweat it if I only reach 16 to 18 and if I feel I can I'll do more than 20.
• Build slack time into the schedule. Take rest days. Plan for bad days and bad weeks. Plan for soreness, illness, injuries and tiredness. But...go for it when you feel good...run more, train harder (psychologically it feels good to "bank" miles for the bad days).
• Place races of varying distances into your schedule...5K, 10K, 10 miler, half marathon, etc. Take races seriously only if that is in your DNA, Type A-ers. Shorter distance races are fun, social events and great practice for your marathon. Not to mention they can provide you a good feel for what your marathon target can be (more in a future post).
• Don't feel compelled to do track workouts when training for a marathon, unless you are aiming for a sub 3 hour performance and feel you really need it (and if so, limit your intervals to 800 meters to mile repeats). My experience is that while speedwork is awesome, it beats up marathoners pretty hard as they need to recover from weekend long runs, not run circles around a track.
• Taper off the mileage over the last 3 to 4 weeks prior to the marathon. Week 3 should be up to 75% of peak mileage. Week 2 50%. Week 1 25%. Last few days should be minimal mileage. Don't go walking around Disneyland the day before the race. Gotta rest.

The key point of this post is, keep running fun. If you feel that a training schedule will keep you motivated and on track, then great, use one. But if you are like me and feel constrained by one, do yourself a favor and remove it from your mental agenda.

Miles or Minutes? How Should You Measure Your Training Efforts?

The quick answer:  Who cares!?  For most of us it really doesn't matter how you measure and how precise you are.  JUST GET OUT THERE AND RUN!

But let me digress and ramble a bit.

I began running in May 1994.  Feeling happy and bubbly with 5 beers in my belly (and I did have a belly back then), the discussion with my fit coworker in her mid 50s turned towards her marathon training.

Lori (you know your real name) had (and has) a passion for running that kept her going, day in, day out, regardless of how she felt.  I admired her for mental and physical toughness that got her out there training up to 60 miles a week.

I was 28 and had never run much, other than away from bees and dogs foaming at the mouth.  But that beer was messing with my brain and in a sudden rush of drunken stupidity I told Lori that I would run the Los Angeles Marathon next year.

So starting the next day, I stuck with my commitment and got out there and ran.  At first, only a block or two before my knees and ankles gave out.  But I walked back home and tried it again the next day until I could run without stopping.

Long story short. I soon found myself not only running each night, but driving my car along the paths that I ran, jotting down the mileage to the nearest tenth of a mile.  I had several pages of courses and their distance written down.  Boy was I anal-retentive about it, to the point I would drive courses several times "just to make sure" they were correct.

But, at the time, I felt a need for precision because I was really getting into it and enjoyed tracking and analyzing my "statistics."

Here we are now in 2009, 15 years of running later, and my life and attitude have changed.  I don't have the time, energy or desire to track my mileage down to the tenth of a mile.  I still log my mileage, but generally round to the nearest half mile.

But it has been years and years since I drove a course just to measure the distance.  I've developed a decent feel for the "pace" of a run, be it 6, 7 or 8 minutes per mile.  So I simply measure the time run in minutes and quantify the mileage based on my estimated pace.

That said, there are some outstanding products out there now that can precisely measure your mileage for you.  One of them is the Nike Plus gadget that syncs to an iPod Nano and lets you upload your mileage and pacing to a website.  Click here for a decent write-up. I have a Nike Plus and think it is cool, but I prefer to just get out there and RUN.  But if you're looking for data, this is a great, simple, useful and unobtrusive to use product!

I digress again. This talk about data and the Nike Plus is making me think about that cool NikePlus.com website again. Hmm.

How Much Weekly Mileage Do You Need to Run a Marathon?

Well that depends on a few things:

• What is your marathon goal?  To finish or to do it as fast as you can?  Or something in between.
• Are you already a runner and if so, what is your "base" mileage (i.e. typical weekly mileage).
• How far off is the marathon?  Typically it is good to give yourself at a bare bones minimum 6 months to train for your first marathon, though 9 to 12 months would be preferable.
• Do you have injuries or are you prone to certain injuries?

I've known people that can get away with as little as 30 miles per week for their marathon and I know competitive types that feel they need to peak at 80 to 100 miles per week to get a fast marathon time (that used to be me when I was young...I'm way too old for that now).

We are talking here about "peak" mileage.  If you are a marathon novice that currently does maybe 15 miles per week, I think you should target gradually increasing that mileage to a peak of at least 30 miles per week.  Your peak mileage generally should occur 4 weeks to 6 weeks prior to the marathon.

But you know what...everyone is different.  There are no hard and fast rules.  Everyone is looking for one, but when it comes down to it, you've gotta ramp up your mileage and training over time, try not to get injured, work within your personal time constraints (e.g. work, relationships, family, kids, hobbies, reading Conejo Valley Guide, you know important stuff) and do your best.

That said, I've always told people to try to peak at a minimum of 30 to 35 miles per week and to run at least 4 days per week to get that mileage in.  And most importantly, your "long run" (that I will no doubt comment on much more at a later date) is the most important component of your mileage increase.  I tell people that to feel "comfortable" at the marathon your longest run(s) should be at least 20 miles.  But we'll get into that more in a separate post.

Your Goals Can Be Re-Set.  I remember it well.  Barack (not his real name...but I do know of one Barack) started his marathon training at probably 240 lbs at a height of 6'.  Most of that weight was in Barack's belly.  Barack was a busy executive who didn't have a lot of time to train, but he took it seriously.  However, 2 months before the 1996 Los Angeles Marathon, he confided to me that his longest run was only 10 miles.

Barack was determined to run his first marathon.  I told him that if he could ramp up his long run to at least 13 miles (half the marathon distance), I think he could slog through the whole marathon.  I could have taken a harder stance and told him to do at least 16 miles, but I knew that wasn't possible for him at that point.  He would probably injure himself.  He needed the mental encouragement more than anything.  He could finish the marathon indeed...but he may have to walk/jog a good portion of it.

Sure enough, 2 months later Barack was ecstatic.  He finished his first marathon.  He was thrilled to earn that medal on his neck.  It took him 6 hours or so to finish the race, but he did it.  I don't think his peak mileage was more than 25 miles.

The key thing is...get on out there, take that first step, and start doing it!  Don't belabor the details.  Just get on out there and start running!

Putting Mileage in the Bank

There are many things to concern yourself with when training for a marathon, but if I had to pick one single thing that is most critical to your performance, that would be your training.  Training = putting in your mileage.  Running a 26.2 mile marathon is not a natural thing to the human body.  Our bodies weren't really hammering our joint over 26.2 miles of concrete for 3 to 6 hours or more.  That ain't exactly the best thing to do to your body.

So the best thing you can do is gradually get out there and start training.  Not too much, too soon.  Start out slowly.  Start out walking/jogging if you need to.  You don't want to get injured right away.

In April 1993 I had never run a 5K race, let alone a marathon.  I decided I wanted to do the 1994 Los Angeles Marathon.  It was baby steps at first.  I remember running one block and my knee or ankle would start hurting.  So I stopped and walked the rest of the way.  Tried it again the next day and lasted 2 blocks.  Before I knew it I was able to run without stopping as my body adapted to the pounding.

As I train for the Santa Barbara International Marathon these coming 7 months, I will continue elaborating on the importance of putting mileage in the bank!

There are hundred of books on training for a marathon out there.  Years ago this Hal Higdon book was the one that I enjoyed the most, found most easy and enjoyable to read and was most helpful to me.