Month: October 2023

This week I am going to take a look at my three previous marathon blocks and maybe come up with something for future training.

The Chicago result earlier this month was disappointing and while I was out there over the final miles, struggling to bring it home, the thought of ‘this is it, I can’t keep doing these marathons’ did creep in. For the first couple of days following the race that was my plan. However, by Day 3 I was thinking, nah I have to keep going for sub 3 at least a couple more times. Or until I can’t.

There are things I can improve upon. First is training, which I will cover today. The next two, diet and mental training, will also factor in. In my case, I don’t think either of those are as big as the training component.

Overall Approach and Feel to These Marathons

First caveat is I am not sure if I am at all a ‘natural’ marathoner. There are both physical and mental aspects to that. The natural marathoner might not have a lot of fast twitch muscles and their stride is very efficient, so they can run for 2-3+ hours and not develop as much fatigue over the stretch. As far as the mental component goes, they often like the longer runs and center their training around running for a long time.

In some contrast, with decades of aerobic training think that i still have a fair amount of fast twitch muscle fibers that are easily activated. That’s how I was able to run within 3 seconds of the American age group record for the road mile last summer, and over 90% age grade, with minimal speed training, I did just a few speed-oriented workouts in the four weeks leading up to the race. I don’t really like racing the mile, let alone a 5K, but a few times a year I’ll throw down some training and within a few weeks I’m fairly ready.

Not so fast with the marathon!

While the range of about 8K to 25 or 30K (30 minutes to maybe 2 hours) of hard running are my sweet spot, once I get over that 2 hour range things get harder, and that even includes fairly easy effort running. Through much of the year I cap off m longer runs at 2 or a little over (usually 16-17 miles), only venturing further when starting a marathon block. (winter xc skiing is an exception, but even then a 2:20 or 2:30 venture at 9000 feet elevation is not an easy task).

There are probably biomechanical and physiological factors at play. My wife is my best critic on form, and she says that my running technique has actually improved since my 30s-50s, when I was often cross country skiing for half the year, but I don’t have an efficient marathoners stride. More like a 10K runner.

As far as the feel part of it goes, since moving back to altitude nearly ten years ago, training for marathon pace (MP) has been somewhat vexing. Based on shorter races, MP should be around 6:40-6:50 (or even 6:30s as recently as a few years ago), and in my head that should feel fairly easy in training. It doesn’t. While threshold pace at 6:20s-30 pace feels fairly reasonable for up to 20 or 30 minutes, running 6:40-6:50 in a long run or mid-long run is a challenge. And once I get to sea level on race day, 6:50+/- does not feel at all comfortable. I can hold it for about 2:00 or 2:10, and then things start coming apart.

That’s my marathon conundrum.

Overview of Recent Marathon Training Blocks

Before I get into some problem-solving, in this section I’m going to break down my three most recent training blocks, going back to Boston last year. I’ll say right up front, that was my best marathon as age 60+ runner and I came agonizingly close to that sub 3, missing the mark by just 19 seconds–most of which I lost in a windy stretch in the 25th mile. I took a gradual start and overall just felt good that day.

Boston 2022

This Boston training block, averaging 62 miles included three weeks at 70 miles or more, and three long runs of over 20 miles. Plus I did a mid-long workout on 10 of 13 weeks. As far as workouts are concerned, the first six weeks included double threshold, modified for me. By the end I was doing 30 minutes of threshold/sub threshold reps in the morning, and 12-16 minutes of hill reps in the afternoon, roughly at 10K to CV (for me 8K) effort. That is more intense than my typical base work, but it seemed to have paid off with a 1:21:42 half marathon on a hilly course, about a month ahead of Boston. That ended up being my best race of the year.

The marathon itself went fine. I locked into 6:50-55 pace early on and held it through about 24 miles, where I hit that wall of wind near Fenway, and dropped to a 7:30. That knocked me out of the sub 3. I was overall happy with the training, execution, and outcome of the race.

Week	Miles	Long Run	Mid-long Run
1	60.9	13.6	12.6
2	69.7	15.4
3	70.5	19.2	11.9
4	57.6	17.3	12.9
5	68.8	18.7	10.2
6	70.5	19.2	10.5
7	59.8	15.0	11.3
8	49.1	20.7	11.3
9	70.7	22.1	12.4
10	51.7	16.7	12.7
11	46.3	16.2
12	59.7	21.4
13	70.5	18.1	13.4
taper 1	49.2
taper 2	31.2
Total Miles	810
Average	62.3

Indianapolis 2023

For the most part this was my best training block of the three, I had four weeks of 70 or more miles, although I did not peak quite as high as I wanted. However, I ran five long runs of 20 miles or more, that’s the best I have ever done, and that’s going back to my 20s. Looking at the data, I did lack some on the mid-long runs with just seven of 13 weeks having a run of more than 10 miles. My best build-up race was a 59:30 15K at mile-high elevation, equivalent to about 57:30 at sea level (or 1:22 half marathon). It was all good, but I caught a bad cold three weeks before the race and I did not shake the congestion and feeling bad until just four or five days before the race itself. I had to cut back on quality of training although the volume stayed steady.

That may or may not have affected the race. What did affect it was one of the worst weather days I have had for a race, and other than Boston 2018 the worst for a marathon. The race included off and on rain and sustained winds of 15-25 miles per hour, with the worst being a headwind into the last 3 miles, and I went from 6:45 pace through 22 or 23 miles to 7:45, and ran a 3:01:24. So Indy ’22 was a mixed block, good training with a health glitch toward the end, and a horrible weather day that I could not overcome in the stretch.

Week	Miles	Long Run	Mid-long Run
1	63.3	15.7	11.7
2	52.7
3	62.3	16.3	13.3
4	70.0	17.4
5	62.7	18.6
6	68.3	16.0
7	68.7	20.1	10.6
8	70	16.0	11.4
9	48.9		10.1
10	71.0	20.1	13.7
11	65.1	22.6
12	68.7	20.6	13.4
13	73.1	20.5
taper 1	43.7
taper 2	31.5
Total	844
Average	65.0

Chicago 2023

This latest cycle was also something mixed. A lot went well, but in the end something just wasn’t right. I ended up a little under my goal of 65 miles a week. The main caveat I see with this block was four consecutive weeks at a bit lower than I normally would have wanted, in July and August. In mid-July I developed some sore knees, I think from hill running and light body work (dips and lunges). In there was a race and two weeks of travel to Europe, where I just didn’t put in the miles–time and terrain limited the volume. Lot of hills and mountains and I didn’t want to overdo it.

The race itself, I just never felt good at 6:55 pace, felt tired. And in the end I could not hold it the pace and effort required for sub 3. This was my most disappointing of the three marathons, and actually one of the more discouraging that I have run (CIM’s 3:00 in 2005 and falling apart at Equinox in 2006 were the only two I felt worse about).

I’m just going to move on.

Week	Miles	Long Run	Mid-long Run
1	65.2	17.2	10.3
2	66.9	18.6
3	64.1		11.2
4	52.4	19.3
5	48.4
6	45.0	16.2
7	56.0	19.0
8	70.0	20.3	11.8
9	69.0	17.3
10	77.0	22.3	13.0
11	72.8	20.3	13.2
12	55.8
13	68.0	17.4	13.o
taper 1	44.3
taper 2	29.2
Total	811
Average	62.4

Looking Ahead, What I Can Do Better?

I’m probably going back to Indianapolis next year to give it another shot. What can I do better? I think more volume will be the key. Nothing fancy. Just a steady 10-12 weeks of 70 plus mile weeks and maybe four or five 20+ mile runs and steady diet of mid-long runs (more consistently than the past two blocks).

So there’s the plan.

Quick story: I finally made it to the Chicago Marathon after two DNSs (2007, 2020), but lined up and finished in 2023.

Some Background

I had three main running goals for 2023: attempt for an age group record for the 25K road race; win the overall age group title for the USATF Masters Grand Prix (best 5 out 8 races over the year); run a sub 3 at Chicago and thus join the exclusive 40+ year sub 3 span club (fewer than 20 runners have done this). That was pretty audacious but entering a new age group allows for wild goals.

I achieved the first two with a 1:40:39 25K last spring, breaking the previous record which had stood since 1991) by a minute. And I capped off the second goal last month with an age group win at the 12K masters championships in New Jersey, finishing the year with three firsts (12K, 10 mile, and half marathon) and two seconds (1 mile and 5K).

While those two could hardly have gone better, I knew the marathon would be tough. For reasons that I’m still working on my performance level has dropped off at the marathon level. After running 2:58 in 2017, my past four attempts have been 3:12 (bad weather), 3:02, 3:00, and 3:01 (more bad weather).

A big reason I want to break three is to run 5 Decades Sub 3, and as of this year make the rather exclusive club of attaining a 40+ year span between first and latest sub 3. Ian Mickle of California just extended his span to 46 years 76 days, the new record. I ran my first sub 3 in 1983 with a 2:35, and then 2:44 in 1999, 2:54 in 2008, and 2:58 in 2017. At 34 years even, I’m ranked 50th. Only 15 runners so far have recorded 40+ years.

Training

My three-month training block prior to taper went about as well as I could expect, averaged about 63 miles a week, with a high of 77 in September, and 5 or 6 weeks in a row of 70 miles a week in August into September. I will follow later with a training summary for this marathon block.

Travel and Pre-race

Flew out on Friday with Tamara and we stayed in downtown Chicago to minimize logistical issues, but it was still a challenge just to get around. I think if I do a major city event like this again, I’ll fly in on Thursday to give an extra day to adjust.

Race Day

I did this as part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors masters championships, where you have to qualify based on time from the previous year. Last year’s times put me in the top 10 or 15 in the rankings, and I figured that a top 10 would be achievable, maybe top 5 so that was my secondary goal.

I met up with my clubmates Tim and Paul (in photo) above. Both are highly competitive masters runners, Paul finished 2nd at last year’s WMM age group championship, and Tim was 3rd in his age group at Chicago last year.

Race weather was as perfect as you can get (read men’s world record on the day!), mid-40s at the start and a slight breeze, and high clouds. To start I decided on gloves, arm warmers, and an old t-shirt under my singlet, so if things warmed up during the 3 hours I could peel and drop layers.

I arrived at the corrals at a little after 7 but waited to 7:15 before squeezing up as possible far into Corral B as possible, and lined up 20 0r 30 meters behind Corral A, just behind the 3:05 pacers. I wasn’t too nervous waiting, more excited, as I peeled off my throw away sweats as the final count down to the elite wave ensued.

Finally at 7:34, almost 5 minutes after the elites went off, I crossed the start line and we were off!

The first four or 5 miles were the noisiest I had ever experienced and that includes Boston and NYC marathons. So many people! And so many runners going at the same pace, you couldn’t really slow down or speed up.

I never felt great on Sunday, my legs were slightly tight from the beginning, and while breathing was fine my legs were never comfortable. We were running 10 or 15 wide on the streets of downtown, with runners just a meter behind and ahead. It was tight and I had to watch my feet.

5K – 6:57/mile – noise tunnel with lots of turns through downtown

10K 6:52/mile heading north along LaSalle and Stockton Drives we strung out a bit, running 3-4 wide and the noise abated some, although there were people lined up and cheering the entire way.

15K – 6:53/mile. I only was able to see the long blue line on the pavement after about 15K. A marathon tradition, the blue line depicts the shortest possible route on the city streets. Therein, I kept my eyes on the line.

Half – 6:53/mile. I had little clothing glitch at 11 miles when I peeled off my undershirt and attempted top put the singlet back on and had to have someone re-pin my age group identifying back bib, which had come loose and that cost about 15 or 20 seconds. I was 1:30:16 at the half. The pace was not easy, but it was not uncomfortable. I just wondered if I could sustain the pace for another half.

30K – 6:53/mile. I probably felt best from about the half through 20 miles, and felt like I could get under 3. Just past 18 miles an older man with a megaphone announced Kelvin Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35. That was inspiring and kept me going. However my upper glute/back were getting a little tight by 19 and that may have been setting up for what would come over the final miles.

35K – 6:59/mile. Here I had my first real warning shot, with a quick sharp cramp in my upper calf at about 21 miles so I eased up to 7 minute pace for a bit hoping to hold off anything worse. Doing the math, started reconciling with maybe not breaking 3 today. I could live with a 3:00 or 3:01. Just keep going.

40K – 7:42/mile. This 5K segment was where I ran into trouble. I really had to slow down after 22 miles as my inner thigh muscles would cramp up whenever I tried to keep the pace at around 7:00, so I had to shuffle.

42k – 8:33 pace. Over the final stretch, I had to walk a few times for 20 meters or so to calm the muscle spasms in my thighs.

I was so grateful see signs indicating 800 and then 400 m to go.

Finish – 3:05 (7:04 pace). This was not what I had hoped for. While happy to have finished the race (on fumes) I was initially disappointed in the outcome. Nevertheless, I was 6th for my age group and 2nd American in the Abbott World Marathon Majors masters championships. I can’t complain too much. To have a less than perfect race and still place decently in my age group at an event like this is a pretty good silver lining.

Aftermath

I had a terrible calf cramp while walking through the finish area, but two volunteers helped me up and walk it off for about 5 minutes and after that I was okay. Getting my gear bag back at the Abbott tent took 90 minutes of pure frustration as they didn’t have the volunteers to properly sort the bags, so it was a free-for-all.

I was disappointed for the first couple of days following the race, not sure if I even wanted to do another marathon. However, as the events of the weekend sunk in, I can step away happy finisher of the Chicago Marathon, and I’ll be back for a couple more cracks at sub 3.