i2runner

14 weeks to Milo Marathon

The Condura Half-Marathon race gave me invaluable feedback information that I shall now use for my Full Marathon training. Lessons learned were good and bad news, and now I just need to update some of my training parameters.

1. My MaxHR should be 189bpm. Initially, the Jack Daniels table told me to keep my heart rate at 153bpm during the half-marathon race; this was based on my 2008 5K PR of 23minutes and a measured heart rate of 179bpm. However during the actual race, my HR averaged at 163bpm, way above what the table recommended for me. Either I have a high lactate threshold or my personal measurement of my Max HR was inaccurate. I believed the latter to be the reason because I haven’t done much speedwork nor tempo runs for the past 4months. So when I updated the Jack Daniels table, my Max HR should be 189bpm, closer to the recommended forumlas of MaxHR 220-(age/2), or something like that. This is good news for me since I should have the capacity to rev my heart rate to higher levels especially in the 5K races. Since I’ve underestimated my Max HR, I may have run a little slower during the past 4 months. At least it kept me from getting any serious injuries.

2. LSD’s gave me the capacity to run long comfortably, but I still lack speed. Although my 20milers now feel like my first 6mile long runs, and half-marathons now feel like 5K runs, my pace didn’t really seem to improve much over the past 4 months. During the race, I ran half of the course with Marvs of takbo.ph, we were chatting, I was out of breath but he wasn’t. I suspect my VO2 max didn’t really improved, and I’ve read some articles that low intensity runs doesn’t really improve the VO2max(or the aerobic capacity, the ability to absorb oxygen by the lungs and deliver it to the running muscles). Now I would need to include lots of long intervals and tempo runs at and above lactate threshold pace. This shall be my target for the Q2 of my training this year.

3. I shall use the Garmin Marathon Program from Runner’s world UK. The smart-coach at Runner’s World USA is nice, but I’m confused about the REST/XT days – do I really need to rest or cross-train? It doesn’t specify. Also, the Garmin program does insert the program unto your Garmin Forerunner Watch/GPS. It’s very customizable, although it has a 16 week program, I would only use the last 14weeks since that’s all the time I have to train for the Milo Marathon. For the last 4 months, my HRM has been very useful, but they would be a hassle to use during intervals, speedwork, and tempo runs. I’ll just use them for data-gathering. Jack Daniels recommends pace-training over HR-training due to the fact that we are training ourselves to run at a particular pace come race day, not a specific heart rate during the race. Also, have you actually seen any elite runner monitoring his heart rate during an actual race? These reasons made me personally choose and downloaded the schedule for pace, not for heart rate. Someday I may need to enroll in BaldRunner’s running clinic to be able to determine my lactate threshold pace and HR, so I could use the HRM better. My time of 1:51 half-marathon predicts a time of 3:52 for the full-marathon. I’m not entirely convinced I could run a 3:52, I think a 3:59 is closer to my real ability. Anyway, I’ve downloaded the sub 3:45marathon plan, the paces of the program looks a little fast for my current ability, but as Manny Pacquiao said, “If you train hard, the fight is easy”. Another nice thing about the program is the inclusion of shorter 10K and 21K races in the training during the weekend. However there is a maximum pace limit allowed for these races, meaning the race should be able to train you for sustained faster running, not over-train and exhaust you that you could no longer run next week.