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Marathon Training - alex
Hi! I've got a marathon coming up in 2.5 weeks. I've been training for 14 months. I was increasing my milage slowly but got injured with shin splints. My total weekly km was up to 70 with my longest run being 33km. I took 3 weeks off (still doing some strengh training and swimming), and the last two weeks I have increased milage. This last week I ran 57km with a 25km long run. My plan was to run 36km this weekend and then start a 2 week taper before race day. I've been doing some reading saying that running a 36km 2 weeks out is too much, however I have never run more than 33km so I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be great. (P.s I have no more pain when running),
reply - coach janet
Hi Alex - Good luck on that first marathon. I generally recommend that first time marathoners NOT try to do a long run longer than 33 km unless their total weekly distance is greater than 80 km per week. it's just not worth the injury risk to do that long of a long run when your base is as narrow as yours was. I think you'd be wise to just proceed in your taper as if your final extra long run of 33 was your peak. The 25 km last week was about right, and you might want to drop that down to 20 km this weekend, and then even further in the final week of taper. Nothing beats fresh legs on race day. Trust your training. Run a smart race - start at a pace slower than you hope to maintain and get warmed up - let the crowd thin out a bit. After a couple of miles you should be able to settle in at your target pace/effort and then if all goes well you can re-evaluate your situation as the race progresses. At the 33km mark - if all is going well you can very slightly accelerate your pace and "make up" for the time you "lost" by allowing yourself a warm up in the beginning. The worst mistake you can make is to go out too fast in the early miles... it will bite you in the end! Have fun with it.. it's an unforgettable experience to cross the finish line in your first marathon! Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level1, RRCA-certified coach
Heart rate question - dave
Help! 220 - age 63 = 157 max rate times 70% = 110 guess what, 110 heart rate for me is walking 130 is walking fast 157 is running pretty hard I hit my Max rate when running and 70% of max for training is walking for me What do I do,
reply coach janet
Hi Dave, using age-predicted max heart rate is not ideal but sometimes it's the only thing you have. If you have a known max HR from a stress test, use that instead. The max HR formula 220-age is only one of several that have been validated using large data sets - but even so, the error range is +/- 10-12 beats per min. So your max might be 10-12 beats higher (or lower) than that number. In addition, you haven't taken into account your current fitness level as indicated by your resting HR. That might also change things. If you want to try to run that calculation, assess your resting HR early in the morning. Subtract that from the 157 you came up with. Then multiply the result of that number by the % effort (70%, 80%, etc) and then ADD BACK in the resting HR again. This is known as the Karvonen formula. It's important to know that as you get fitter and stronger, your HR will be lower for a given run pace - this is due to the increase in heart muscle strength as well as heart chamber size that comes with training. You're not wasting your time walking - you might be able to experiment with some run/walk as a transition from walking into running. Happy to help with this - just reach out via email if I can be of further assistance. Coach Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USATF-level1, RRCA-certified coach
Our Athletes Share their stories
"We are undefeated coach! We prepared for 5 marathons together and we set a PR every time!" Paul S (NY)
"Janet's education, experience in patient care & as an educator give her a credible resume for advising runners. More importantly to me, she is able to reach out and see where I need a boost - nutrition, race day preparation, etc. She is intuitive in reading my running log and tweaks my training accordingly. I have worked with Janet for several years and I have been injury-free while snagging half marathon PRs." Cheryl (KS)
Over the years my running goals have evolved, and, thanks to Janet, I’ve achieved them all! Janet’s background in physical therapy and biomechanics was invaluable to get me back on my feet after a bad hamstring injury. Janet uses her knowledge of the latest scientific evidence to optimize performance. With Janet’s help, I’ve reached the podium for races from the 5K to the marathon and qualified for Boston. Most importantly, Janet has a positive, supportive coaching style, and is a pleasure to work with! Kathrine T (GA)