Dear Coach:
I am a veteran marathoner who is trying to get back into shape.
I have not run for a couple of years because of a foot injury
that is now healed. I am now 30 pounds heavier.
I know that you say runners should keep their heart rate under
seventy percent most of the time. However, my heart rate goes up
to seventy percent almost as soon as I start running and I want
to stop. What do you suggest?
Greg
Dear Greg:
You need to start somewhere, even if it is a mile at a time.
While I generally see no need to walk during training runs, your
case is the exception. I had to train like this in the middle
1980s after a long layoff and 25 pounds of unwanted weight.
Start your training program by running one mile and walking as
necessary. Do this every other day. Over a short period, the
need for walking breaks should end. Keep your heart rate under
seventy percent. Once you can a do a mile non-stop, then add one-
quarter to one-half mile to your daily run until you can do
three miles comfortably. At that point, add a mile to your long
run and do that distance until it is comfortable while keeping
your daily runs at three miles.
As soon as your long run becomes comfortable, increase it by a
mile until your long run is eight to ten miles. Once your long
run hits six miles, increase your shorter daily runs by a mile.
Don't even think about speed work or racing until you are doing
twenty to twenty-five miles per week.
It will probably take you three to four months to build up your
aerobic base. Meanwhile, you should start noticing weight loss.
You might consider planning a spring 2004 marathon as your
reward for getting back into shape.
Dear Coach:
I had to do a 22-mile training run in preparation
for my marathon, which I hope to run in less than four hours. A
couple of weeks ago, I started out fast and my calf seized up on
me after only eight miles. This week I made it through two hours
and thirty minutes but I was supposed to run three hours to get
my 20 miles in. How am I going to complete the marathon?
Lesley.
Dear Lesley:
I think your problem is that you are doing your
long training runs much too hard and that is why you cannot
complete them. Your goal is a four-hour marathon, which
translates to a 9:10 per mile pace. The pace of your long runs
is 9:00 per mile, faster than your marathon pace!
What you have
been doing is racing each of your long runs and you are not
fully recovered by the time of your next long run. Slow your
long runs to a 10:45 to 11:00 minute per mile pace. Save the
9:00 minutes per mile effort for the race itself.
Dear Coach:
I am a 33-year-old woman who has PRs of 38:20 for
the 10K and a 3:03 marathon. My bread and butter speed workouts
are typically 3 to 4 times 1 mile at 6 minutes with a 3 minute
recovery and a second workout of 6 times 800 meters at 2:55-3:00
with a 3 minute recovery or 400s at 78 to 80 seconds.
All other
easy days are at 8:15 per mile. When training for a marathon, I
increase my weekly long runs to 20 miles and increase average
weekly mileage from 50 to 65. I have been told that I have the
potential to run a 2:50 marathon and sub-37 10K. How do I get
there?
Sheila
Dear Sheila:
First, congratulations on your times. Ninety-nine
percent of runners would love to run so fast. If I were your
coach, there is not much I would change in your workouts except
to have you slow down a few seconds on your 400s, concentrating
on form.
However, you might consider backing off from intensity
once a year for several months and increase your average weekly
mileage at your 8:15 easy pace. The additional miles will build
more leg strength and over time you may pick up additional speed
just from the extra miles.
My second suggestion is to work on
flexibility and strength. There are any number of drills that
will increase your flexibility which in turn increases your
stride length. The longer your stride, the faster you will run.
Yoga is also a possibility.
I also recommend that you do
moderate upper body strength training twice a week that will
help your form and provide additional power in your arms,
shoulders, and back. The only strength training for your legs
would be to run lots of hills. Over the course of a year or two,
this may help bring your times down.
Coach Kirt West is a private coach for motivated adult runners.
Questions can be sent to kirtwest@erols.com.
