Halfway There!

For a while, I've been meaning to post about training thus far, how I've been feeling about the Hansons Marathon Method and related thoughts. Obviously, I haven't gotten around to writing that post until now, which is Week 10 of my abbreviated 15 week training plan.

*GASP* I'm not halfway to running my next marathon, I'm two-thirds of the way there!

Last fall, my friends in the Buffalo Chips Running Club followed a modified Hansons Marathon Method plan. I wasn't up to running CIM with them, but I saw how well many of them did, with a large number qualifying for Boston after training under that plan. I decided I'd train for my next marathon using the plan. Carol from the Chips shared the modified plan with me, but I've ended up just doing the workouts as listed in the book, since my new friends in Durham are following that plan as well.

We know that I miscalculated, and started training a few weeks late, then took a week off when I had gaping holes in my knees. Accordingly, I spent a few weeks working up to the full six days of running, and didn't do 100% of the mileage in some workouts. Sorry, Hansons!

Once I got into the swing of things, the training started to feel great! I was feeling the cumulative fatigue the Hansons talk so much about, but still doing pretty well on my six days of workouts a week. Then, the sleep deprivation set in. I just have trouble getting to bed on time to get enough sleep AND wake up at 5:30AM. It's a struggle for me. Working from home allows me to nap some days, but it just doesn't make up for the lack of sleep.

I've gotten some great workouts in, but I can't help but feel that my late start, and not completing 100% of the mileage in all the workouts, will make my training incomplete. Does the 16 mile long run concept still work if I haven't been 100% true to the plan?

I may make my final 16 mile long run an 18 miler. That is overkill according to the Hansons, but may make me feel better about my training. As long as I don't do the run at Umstead, it shouldn't overtax me too much.

Overall, I've been considering whether the Advanced Plan was a bit ambitious for me. Sure, the mileage and workouts looked fine. I've done 5 marathons, and I'm good at sticking to training and doing speed work and tempo runs. But I haven't done any of that in almost two years, so perhaps starting out a bit more conservatively would have been better. These thoughts have tempted me to drop down to the half marathon at Raleigh City of Oaks on November 2, but I am just drawn to testing myself at the marathon distance, almost exactly two years after breaking my leg.

I'll leave you with the treat I earned over my 2x 2 mile strength workout (should have been 3x2mile, I'll admit) this morning:

Rise S'Mores Donut. Yum!