It's just a few crucial months to go before the 2010 Philippine presidential elections. So this early, I am declaring my intentions to run. I will run for a full marathon distance.
Track Record: What I've done so far:
- Planned for a possible November Marathon.
- Successful Half Marathon Debut at 1:24:14. Plus Listed Ways to Improve After the 21K Rota Run.
- Now prepares a 42-Day Marathon Training Schedule.
OK. We've learned from the Half Marathon. We now conquer another mountain - the Full 42Km Marathon.
I now enter the 15th Week of my running training. When I started on week #1, I didn't think I would even attempt to run a full marathon. (I'm not crazy to run 42Km.. anu hilo?) I was then aiming to beat the sub 50-minute time for a 10K race. I could not after three tries (Milo @56, Globe @53 and Hataw @51).
I was mentally broken. I could not bear defeat.
Then I searched for new grounds and tried 10-Miles. At the Botak 10-Mile race, I got the speed I needed to break the 5 min/km pace. I was able to do 1:20:08 for 16Km (a 5:00 min/km pace!!).
Instead of another try at the 10Km distance, I registered for a Half Marathon. I did even better with a 4:40 min/km pace. My best ever long distance race.
During the half marathon training, I broke sub-50 for the 10K distance with an astonishing 46:36.22 minutes (4:40 min/km). I also set my 5K training PR at 22:54 minutes (4:35 min/km). I will someday revisit my lost love for my old favorite 10Km race distance. For now, I will leapfrog to a whole new dream - the marathon.
The Marathon History : A Tribute to Pheidippides
The marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.
Pheidippides, the First Marathoner
My Manifesto: A Training Schedule
I don't want to finish a marathon and die like Pheidippides. So I need to train hard for my marathon run and be able to shout "Niki!" at the finish. We will start the training this Sunday, September 27 when we have fully recovered from the 21Km race. That's just applying the rest and recovery lesson. ;)Week #15 (September 27), Recovery Week
- Monday to Saturday, Rest and Recovery.
- Sunday, 20Km Long Run + Core Drills
- Weekly Mileage: 20Km
For the next few weeks, speed, speed, speed! But why? The traditional marathon training schedule (and reasonably so) is mostly long runs and tempo trainings. We'll easily get bored with those monotonic runs. To spice up the training, we'll do speed sessions first. This will culminate in a 5Km race.
The Goal - Bust up the 22-minute barrier. Sounds impossible? Well, that's what people said about a previous goal -- 1:45:00 Half Marathon Debut. We will surprise them yet again.
Another good reason to do speed trainings is to increase anaerobic threshold. As we have learned from the Half Marathon, it is very difficult to run at a steady pace for the whole duration of the race.
To have a great long distance performance, break the pace into easy and burst chunks. Easy pace to conserve energy, burst pace to accelerate and keep up with the target time and then easy pace again for recovery, followed by another burst mode. It goes on until we have covered the full race distance. Does this race strategy looks so familiar? Yeah! You nailed it - Intervals!
We want to chase runners in front don't we? We need turbo tanks. Nitrogen Boosts. (Oops, that's from a PSP Ridge Racer game speed booster! Hehehe.) Pace accelerator reserves. We need to increase our anaerobic threshold to keep stepping on the gas after our easy recovery paces.
Week #16 (Sept 28 - Oct 4), Intervals Galore
- Tuesday, 11Km Intervals + Core Drills
- Thursday, 11Km Intervals + Core Drills
- Friday, 8Km Easy + Core Drills
- Sunday, 21Km Long
- Weekly Mileage: 51Km
- Tuesday, 11Km Intervals + Core Drills
- Thursday, 2 x 5Km Race Simulation Runs + Core Drills
- Saturday, 5Km RACE, Race for LIFE
- Sunday, 21Km RACE, Milo Finals
- Weekly Mileage: 47Km
Did we break the 22-minute mark for a 5Km race?
Did we also break the Rota Half Marathon personal record of 4:40 min/km?
We now build up significant mileage for the full marathon. Be ready for loooong runs and loooonger tempo workouts
Week #18 (Oct 12 - 18), Training Week
- Monday to Wednesday, Rest and Recovery.
- Thursday, 16Km Tempo + Core Drills
- Friday, 16Km Easy + Core Drills
- Sunday, 32Km Long + Core Drills
- Weekly Mileage: 64Km
- Tuesday, 20Km Tempo + Core Drills
- Thursday, 16Km Tempo + Core Drills
- Friday, 20Km Easy + Core Drills
- Sunday, 42Km Race Simulation Run
- Weekly Mileage: 98Km
OK. After a marathon simulation run. We rest a little bit and then start to cut down on mileage.
Week #20 (Oct 26 - Nov 1), Cut Down on Mileage
- Monday to Wednesday, Rest and Recovery.
- Thursday, 12Km Easy + Core Drills
- Friday, 12Km Tempo + Core Drills
- Sunday, 21Km Long + Core Drills (Happy Halloween!)
- Weekly Mileage: 45Km
Race Week. We do easy runs just to keep the legs active but do it light and easy. Good luck.
Week #21 (Nov 2 - 8), The Marathon Run
- Tuesday, 12Km Easy + Core Drills
- Wednesday, 12Km Easy + Core Drills
- Sunday, 42Km Race, The Philippine International Marathon
- Weekly Mileage: 66Km
349 kilometers of running in 42 days and then a 42K marathon run. That's more than the 342Km I have ran from Week 1 to Week 14. It looks like I will trim down to 140pounds with this workout load. I do hope I'm really ready for this. Good luck to me.
After this schedule, a 2-week rest. That's almost the whole of November.
Filing of Certificate of Candidacy
With this article now going public. I just formally announced my willingness and sincerity to be a full-fledged marathoner. Don't vote for me. They say marathoners are a crazy bunch.
Hi Jayson. Nice take on your marathon sked and training. Good luck on your marathon. Ang bilis mo!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rico. After Ondoy, I'm back to full training mode. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. See you at the races. Regards.
Keep it up Jayson... great potential in you.. you're fassst...
ReplyDeletesee you on the road!!!
junrox
Hi Sir JunRox.. Thanks for dropping by. I'm training hard so I can keep up with you on the road. :)
ReplyDeleteTraining Update:
I have finished Week #16 with 3 runs and a boxing cross training workout. Had an 11-11-21K runs for a 43Km weekly mileage.
This week, Week #17, I have a 47Km mileage schedule. Unfortunately, I was not able to register fot the Milo Finals and the Race for LIFE race was moved to October 24.
To make up for it, I will do an easy run on Friday (5-10K) and then a 27K long run on Sunday.
For the long run, I plan to do three 7K-loops on the Silang Oval + back and forth run from our house to Silang proper.
Next Sunday, Oct 18, I will do my first Silang-Tagaytay (Emilio Aguinaldo Hiway) long run. I plan to run for 35K on this day as my preparation for the Pasig Marathon on November 8.
Week #17 Recap
ReplyDelete11Km Intervals - I almost puke. Worked so hard to improve speed and increase my capacity to run under maximum oxygen consumption and beyond - the anaerobic threshold. Set a 400m training record of 1:04.5 minutes (2:41 min/km pace).
5Km Race Simulation - Anther successful workout. I was able to beat my previous 22:57 minute 5K training PR twice. My new 5K training PR is now 20:47.7 (4:09 min/km pace).
Skipped the Friday easy run and cross trained. I boxed for 40 minutes with the punching bag.
27Km Long Run - Just finished my longest ever run. Finished at 2:54:25 (6:28 pace).
No races for this week. The Race for LIFE was moved to Oct 24 and I was not able to register for a 21K race on the Milo Finals.
Week # 18 Recap
ReplyDeleteYey! Another training week in the books. Week 18 was nothing short of special.
Basketball - After a tiring 27Km run last October 11, I needed to rest on Monday and Tuesday. The calves hurt and the left knee is still partly shaking. Running at this time would be very painful and foolish. Wednesday, I joined my colleagues to play 2 hours of basketball. We played 3 full court games. My legs haven't fully recovered yet and I felt it on the second half of the last game. It was tolerable though, thanks to the 2-day recovery period.
18K Tempo - As the marathon race draws near, I had to run closer to my race pace as much as possible. To finish the marathon in less than 4 hours, I have to run at 4:40 min/km pace. That's just what I did. And a negative split too. Yey! I had a 2Km warm up followed by a 6Km tempo run in 32:53 minutes. I then took a hydration break, 100 Plus isotonic drink. A 1Km jog followed by another 6Km tempo run in 32:34 minutes. Then a 1K cool down.
Boxing - I skipped the easy run and did boxing for 7 rounds in 40 minutes. It lets me rest the legs better and still be able to train anaerobically. I still believe I'm going to run better with burst modes (hence, anaerobic trainings) rather than running steadily (aerobic running).
Core Drills - Three times a week, I work my core muscles. I do three sets of 30 crunches, 35 bicycle rows and 10 reverse crunch (raising the straight legs to work the lower abs instead of raising the upper body). Then planks, superman, bridges and side planks. I can run stronger with less muscle pains with these exercises as compared to my weekly runs without them.
35K Long Run - The endurance training. Started at 5:15am. 6th Km @ 0:28:++, 9th Km @ 0:47:++, 20th Km @ 1:50:++, 25th Km @ 2:21:++, 30th Km @ 2:50:++, 32nd Km @ 3:04:++, 35th Km @ 3:27:26 hours. Average Pace: 5:56 min/km.
I loved the run from Silang to Tagaytay City. The fresh cool air felt great. The terrain was very difficult though as it was uphills after uphills after uphills. Kakaakyat mo lang ng uphill, matatatanaw mo uphill na naman. It just never ends. From the 45th kilometer post of the Agunaldo National Hiway up until the 56th kilometer post, it was all uphills. Pero masaya pabalik ng Silang, downhills naman. Hehe. Next time ulit Tagaytay!
I finished stronger than the 27K long run from the previous week. However, I still ran at a much slower pace after the 20th kilometer. For the remaining weeks before the marathon, I will be training to get stronger on the second half of the marathon distance.
Week #19 Recap - Race for LIFE
ReplyDeleteWhat was supposed to be a 98km week was changed to 38km. Two reasons: 1. Pains in the left foot and the left knee from a 35km long run on Week 18. 2. I had to prepare for the 5K Race for LIFE.
It was very difficult for me to run this week. The recovery of the foot and the knee was the priority - I had to take two days off from running.
Wednesday - I ran for 3km. Only to test if my knee and foot have healed. One happy running day as I was able to run again.
Thursday - Did 4km Tempo. Did it under 4:00 min/km pace, so I thought I was ready to break the sub-20 minute for the 5K.
Saturday's Race - The lack of training and the injuries this week caught up with me. I did not have the stamina nor the strength I needed to stay within 4:00 pace for 5Km. I was easily tired after 2km of racing. Plus the fact that I really made a big mistake of running as fast as the elite runners from the start.
I finished the race at 21:24. Not bad.
Sunday - Did a 26km long run against the sun's heat. I failed to wake up before 5 and had to start running at 9am already.
I was tanned by the heat. It burns! Hehe.
The run also revealed that my foot isn't ready yet to take the challenge of Tagaytay. After a week, the foot healed. Then after this 26km long run, the foot hurts again.
Tagaytay uphills really isn't for me right now. So for the last few running days remaining, I will be training on flat course.
I am now too excited to run the marathon. ;)
Week #20 Recap : Marathon Simulation Runs
ReplyDeleteLast week, I had lots of fun by tweaking my marathon schedule to meet my marathon goals. Despite the aches and pains on the foot and knee, I managed to finish the training runs with a smile.
First off.. On my 14Km marathon simulation run, where I practiced the 21-10-8 strategy in 1/3 Mode, I had troubles with my belt bag. I was limping with my left leg as I struggled to protect the aching left foot. Then I was a little pissed off with the belt bag shaking and moving up and down just above my butt. What a nightmarish simulation run. Things I did not want to happen during the race.
That's the beauty of a simulation run.. You get to see, check and double check on the probable problems you'll have on race day. Yes, there are no starting gun fired, no competing runners, no hydration stations, no audience, no freebies and no medals regardless of what distance you covered.. But on a personal running level, you get to focus on your running self.
Adjustments - Tightened the belt bag to fit around my waist perfectly for my next runs.
So where's the fun? I get to run with my Digi Running Team. We were there running for our own different races, but we were together in spirit. Team Support. I get to see the frowns, smiles and the bedazzled faces of spectators wondering what am I doing running around for so long. :D
Next off. On my 21Km marathon simulation run, the 21-10-8 strategy in 1/2 Mode, I still had the left foot pains plus a bonus hurting right knee. How can I be happy right now? I remembered a funny and yet effective advice how to cope with pains while running. When in pain, think of other body parts that does not hurt. "Well, my index finger feels great!"
Adjustments -- Found a way to run softer to lessen the impact on the aching left foot. Shorter strides, only faster. Shorter so as not to overextend the foot and lose control on the landing. Faster as to minimize the contact between the foot and the road. Quick to step in and fast enough to strike off the ground.
I finished both simulation runs right on my target finish times. I'd very much like to finish my first marathon in 3:20 to 3:40 hours. The 1/3 simulation was finished in 1:07 and the 1/2 in 1:47 hours. Despite the troubles, there's still a bright sun shine. The marathon is just a few days ahead.