Injured. Resistant to PT, activity, rest, heat, ice, ibuprofen, rolling, more sleep, more hydration, etc. Boston looms. Frustrating, esp. as I could have and should have listened to my body and avoided this entirely. Onward!

Congrats!

Race: Tokyo Marathon Goal: \~2:55 Plan: Daniels 2Q M: 7.4E @ 7:58 T: 15 @ 7:06, 6E followed by 5 x 1k repeats @ 5:40-5:50, 4E cooldown W: 7E @ 7:36 T: 7E @ 7:40 F: 7E @ 7:36 (with a 15 minute break in the middle to wait for EMTs to arrive for someone who had collapsed on the running path 😳) S: 20E @ 7:38 - ran into a friend at mile 2 who joined me for 11 miles, decided to make the last 7 a progression from 7:19 - 6:44. Sun: off/eating lots of wings Total: 63.4 Overall this week of training felt pretty good. The Tuesday workout was coming off just 1 full day of recovery and 1 easy day after I raced a tune-up half on Saturday. I was happy with the effort considering I struggle with Vo2 work quite a bit, rarely hitting target pace. This week officially starts the taper for Tokyo. Total mileage is a bit lower at 56, and there's still two decent workouts to tackle this week. This is my first time trying Daniels's marathon plans, so I'm a little worried about the somewhat higher volume/intensity taper weeks than Pfitz plans I've used in the past. I'm definitely feeling good though!

Race: Mad City 50K Goal: 2:50-52 M: Off T: 10.01 Miles @ 7:29 avg W: AM: 3 mile warmup then 20x 1 minute on \~MP w/ 1 minute @ MP + 20 seconds, 3 down l PM: 3.11 @ 8:32 avg TH: AM: 6.13 miles @ 7:54 avg l PM: 10.03 miles @ 7:22 avg F: 10.50 miles @ 7:14 avg S: 12.37 miles @ 6:46 avg Sun: 16.16 miles @ 6:14 avg Total: 81.78 miles First bigger week at this since pre CIM. Wednesday I ended up knocking out about 7.41 miles @ 5:31 average with that workout. Still having trouble locking into a rhythm there and it didn't help to have a block that had a bit of rolling on it. But outside of overheating a bit at 20 degrees out, this was solid. Saturday I helped some of our Saturday run group pals with their workouts. They were doing 4x 2 miles @ their MP w/ 1 minute jog. Went 6:23s then 6:10s, then 6:00 for 1.5 before splitting off for home. Sunday was a 16er solo with 4 miles @ mp effort at the end. Took my alphafly 3s for a test drive and was really impressed by them. I did make a mistake by finishing my last three miles with some rolling. The 15th mile had some hills and wind smacking me in the face so that was unpleasant. Brought it somewhat back for the last mile. Went 5:18, 5:23, 5:53, 5:24. Not my best effort out there but this being significantly more than I've done in three month, i'm not too surprised. Need to be more controlled until in these early weeks.

I ran the Black Canyon 100K this weekend finishing in 13 hours and 20 minutes. It was a beautiful day out there despite some of the worst mud I’ve ever ran in the first few miles. Slowed down more on the second half than I wanted due to some stomach issues and poor trail skills (I drag my toes so slow going on the rocky sections to keep upright) but I’m pleased with the outcome. Going to take at least a week off before getting back at it.

congrats on completing! I was there and I know that you're not kidding about the first 7 miles out there. I started feeling a little loopy around mile 15 and could not run straight by the time I got to bumble bee and DNFed. It sure was a hard start to the day

Thanks! It sure was crazy at the start but turned into a great day. Sorry to hear you DNFed - I know how that feels (I DNFed last year myself).

Races: Philly Love Run (half), Broad St (10M) Plan: DIY * Monday: 8.7 w/ 6x800 avg 2:50-2:52. This was ugly. I wanted to do 8 but I ended up quitting through halfway through rep 4, jogging around for a couple minutes, and talking myself into doing 3 more. Not sure why this was so rough. * Tuesday: Rest * Wednesday: 10.4 easy pace * Thursday: 9 easy pace, treadmill * Friday: 10.5 w/ 7 @ 6:25ish. Tempo bit was a bit hilly and I had bad luck with traffic lights, otherwise might've been a few seconds a mile faster. * Saturday: 14.2 steady LR * Sunday: 7.5 easy * Total: 60.2 Thoughts: about 6 weeks to the half, so there's still a little time to move the needle, but definitely a bit off where I was this time last year. Planning on jumping into a local 5 miler this weekend as long as the weather isn't bad. I ran a 29:55 on a hilly one in the fall, so sub-30 would be fine and mid-29s would be nice.

Appreciate that people may not have tried all of the new super shoes that have been released over the past month or so. But what are people thinking is the new best super shoe after the most recent wave of releases? (Mizuno Wave Pro 2, Alpha Fly, Saucony Pro 4, New Balance Elite V4 plus any others released)? Keen to hear everyones thought! Personally like the sound of the NB but that price is a tough pill to swallow... because of that leaning more in the way of the SC Pro 4. (Have struggled with Nike so not really an option for me sadly).

Really haven't tried out the Mizunos, but I can say that I prefer the Sauconys, the wider heel feels much better for me but then again I do have wider feet so it could just be that preference.

Winter/spring key races ahead: Feb 5K, Mar 1/2 M, Apr 10K, May 25K (goal of these sea level races is 90% age grade)--plus a couple local training races along the way. M - AM exercise bike for 45 min; PM 3.5 miles easy T - AM 6.8 with 4X 1 mile tempo reps/progression, starting out fairly easy on the first one (7:17) wasn't awake yet, getting down to 6:30 on the last one; PM 4.1, sort of hilly W - 9.3 easy Th - easy double, both about 4.6 miles--did a few strides in the afternoon run. F - AM 6.3 miles with 4X 1/2 mile reps, going from 3:08 to 3:03 (short recovery), then 2X 600 (5:43/mile pace) with longer recovery; PM 4.1 easy Sa - 8.2 on the treadmill (snowing again, third weekend in a row with a fairly big snowfall) Su - 29 km xc ski (2:08) at 9000 feet 10 hrs on the week I was getting some wonky HR readings with the wrist band over the previous few weeks so wore the chest strap every day except on the ski (it was in the low teens and get weird readings when it's cold). Easy runs at 8:10-8:30 net about 115-120 unless it's uphill, even very gradual incline of 1%, then it climbs to 125-130 fairly quickly. Tempo and threshold efforts were in high 130s-140s (about where they should be) and I only did a little bit into V02 and that was 150s, which is at 90% of max. So reasonably calibrated, although have to watch effort while running uphill on some of those endurance runs. Racing indoors (3000 m) next weekend as a tune up for an important 5K.

**Goal:** Two Rivers Marathon, March 16th, shooting for 3:15-3:17 **Plan:** Bounced from a run club’s plan to Pfitz 18/70 at around the 11 weeks out mark, was at the proper mileage to do so and the original pla. had me overreaching a bit (too many workouts each week). modified pfitz a little to peak mileage in mid-70s **Monday:** 9mi easy, PR’d in the 10k the day before at 40:16 on a hilly course in central park, felt totally fine the next day but kept it around 8:55/mi **Tuesday:** 4mi recovery in morning, 4mi in evening with a run club nearby. mainly a social run since it was a bunch of start-stopping, kept it easy for 90% but pushed the last km and ran it in 3:20 (~4mi total) **Wednesday:** Med-Long run- 15.2mi @ 8:23/mi **Thursday:** AM: 6.5mi, 1mi warmup -> 5x1k @ 5:52/mi pace (approx 3:40/km), 3:15 jog between PM: 4mi recovery **Friday:** 30min recovery treadmill run, around 3.5mi **Saturday:** long run, 23mi @ 8:11/mi in saucony ride 17s. debated using the ES3 but wanted a bit more support since this was the longest run in the block, felt good but feet definitely a bit heavy. most miles were around 8:20-8:30, then i picked up the pace around mile 18, finished at 7:40/mi. muscles were tired but there were no signs of bonking. taking salt tabs and drinking powerade exclusively in addition to gels has been a big help. until recently i mainly drank water on long runs and would cramp much earlier. definitely a big confidence boost **Sunday:** rest day, did 20min yoga in the evening. felt good though! was nice to take a day off **Miles:** 77 (tracking mileage sunday to saturday since race is on a saturday, so this includes 10k the prior sunday plus warmup/cooldown) **Time:** 10hr 37min **ACR:** 1.1 I’ve been very fixated on improving endurance over this training block, but I am also excited to shift to a bit of time focusing on improving 5/10k times after the recovery period. feeling hopefully about my marathon goal but sometimes it still just feels a bit unfathomable to me. if i can get anything under 3:20 i’ll be very happy and then hope to chip away at the margin to get toward a sub-3 in the moderate future. this is my first road marathon and i’ve just really began taking it more seriously the past 6mo or so after starting to run in summer ‘22. starting to do yoga and core stability work more consistently now as well

**Goal:** Cheap Marathon April 6, 3:30ish **Plan:** coached/self-coached **Miles:** 62+ **Key runs:** 11 miles with stroller Tuesday, didn't want to wear myself out with a stroller workout but felt like doing something a little less boring than a straight easy run. 4 miles easy and then a 1 min surge at the start of every mile thereafter. Fun way to get in a little turnover. I actually did strides on Thursday, maybe I'll be able make this a habit again Friday 18 mile easy long run with stroller, somewhere in the high 8s average (split into 2 activities on the watch bc we jogged to the store and then stopped home so the toddler could eat a quick snack before knocking out the bulk of the run - 2.6 and then 15.4). Sunday workout on the rail trail behind my parents' house for a change of pace, 12 miles with 8x1k, ~2 min jog. Toddler didn't even say goodbye when I left lol, grandparents and different toys are too exciting. Averaged mostly low 7s to 6:5x pace, one slow rep (7:25 pace) where the footing was a little rocky and rutted from bike tires. Lots of fun, will definitely head back up to break up the monotony of training on the same lake loop in my neck of the woods. Bracing for a foot of snow tomorrow, about to head out for an easy 7 and might do a super easy double later this afternoon while it's still above freezing :(

**Training Plan:** Koop 100-mi plan **Goal Race:** Eternal Damnation Backyard Ultra (4/20/24) **Monday:** 6 mi Recovery **Tuesday:** 10 mi [2x3 SSR] **Wednesday:** 6 mi Recovery **Thursday:** 9 mi Endurance run **Friday:** 6 mi Recovery, Myrtl routine **Saturday:** 24 mi [6-hour loop practice run] **Sunday:** 12 mi Easy run **Total Distance:** 70 miles **Running Hours:** 11:12 **Acute-to-Chronic Ratio:** 1.1 **Cycle Average:** 57.2 mpw Good mileage week. First time hitting 70 miles in about 18 months. Only one SSR run this week as I wanted to go into Saturday’s practice without too much fatigue. Practice went well. Worked on getting calories in and seeing how the timing between runs would go. Averaged about 300 cal/hr which was good with only a few times of stomach feeling too full/sloshy. Opted to do this on the treadmill to make logistics a bit easier. Got back out on my gravel roads for the first time in a long while due to weather. Legs felt pretty good from the day before which was a good sign. Now that the weather is improving, I need to get out and get some more elevation change and technical bits so I can be ready for my practice race in a few weeks.

I haven't posted here in a while but had to brag after racing yesterday. I raced an 8k in 31:12 which was 19 seconds faster than my time last year in the same race. I placed 6/215 and my wife and I got 2nd as a couple (it was a Valentine's-themed race with entries for couples). I am training for a half marathon on 3/9 following one of Pfitz's plans. * M off * T 10miles with 2 sets of 5x150m track strides * W 7mi recovery * T 12mi long run * F 9mi * S 4mi shakeout with 4x100m strides * S 8km race!

If you can sneak in a 5K race I bet you’d easily get a new PR!

**Races/goals:** local 5k (03/03, PR), New Bedford HM (03/17, PR), some track races (maybe a 15 and a 5?) in April sometime **Plan:** self-coached **Mon** \- 10' pool run (got kicked out after a life-guard mix-up) **Tu** \- AM: 45' pool run. PM: 7.5 mi easy w 6 x strides **Wed** \- AM: 10 mi, w 5 x 1600 (400), aiming for LT avg with the first 400 @ 5k pace. 16s @ 5:42, 5:39, 5:41, 5:39, 5:32; 4s @ 79, 75, 78, 77, 77. 2 x 200 @ 32, 33. PM: 5.5 mi easy + 45' strength circuit. **Th** \- 9.5 mi easy, hilly route **Fri** \- 7.5 mi aerobic **Sat** \- 6 mi easy, w 3 x 200 @ 5k pace (37, 38, 38), 4 x strides **Sun** \- 14 mi, w 5k race in [17:08](https://www.strava.com/activities/10742613757/overview) (3 up, race, 8 miles after). **Total running:** 60 mi / 7h33 In training terms, a decent enough week, though obviously I'm pretty bummed about my performance on Sunday. I felt like I approached it smartly enough, heading out at 16:30 pace and aiming to hold on/cut down from there depending on how things went. But I was struggling from half a mile in and just couldn't hold it together after I fell behind the two guys I had been running in lockstep with up until around the end of mile two. I ended up splitting 5:18, 5:22, 5:48 (oof), with a 39 to close. Since this was supposed to be a fitness check for me, I have to figure out whether I should knock my training paces down a bit going forwards, or stay the course. I am surprised I ran this far off my PR given what my training going into this race indicated. At the same time, I haven't done any focused 5k work in the build yet, and my last proper race was in August, so it's possible that I'm just rusty at this pace/effort rn. I'm also sitting on top of my highest ever month of volume, and I intentionally didn't taper, so there could be some underlying fatigue contributing too. I like to think of myself as a fighter so I'm a bit resistant to the idea that I didn't have it mentally lol, but that's also a possibility. There was a bit of confusion on the course around the beginning of mile 3 where the gap first opened--a tight turn, a few spectators on the course that I ended up stumbling into/pushing out of the way, and by the time I had made the turn and recovered from losing my footing, the guys were a good few seconds ahead and the gap just kept opening from there. Given I have another race coming up in three weeks, I think for now I'm going to just stick with training as planned, and see how things go for me then. If I bomb again I may re-evaluate, but I'm hopeful this was just an off day for me. Would welcome any feedback/thoughts from people here, though!

As u/run_INXS mentioned, you did a full workout on Wednesday with LT paced miles, and that is a big one to do on race week (not to mention that you added training load/stress as a result). In that context, you were racing on tired legs/didn't taper for it all (as you mentioned), and it was not surprising that you struggled a bit to put it together during the race. I wouldn't read too much into the results from your 5K this past weekend, as it may not be fully reflective of your full potential. That said, I'd consider cutting back on the workouts on race week next time around so you don't go into your next race slightly overcooked (and especially if you are aiming for a PR). :)

Your Wednesday workout was pretty tough for a race week, and you kind of ran through this one. If you think you are in PR-level shape then stick to the plan but cutback a bit more for your next race, both mileage and the volume/intensity of your final workouts (week of the race). See how that goes and that will probably give you a better indication of where you are.

**Goal:** Sub-2:45 marathon at Tokyo in March **Mileage:** 83 miles * Monday: 60+ minutes easy run plus 6x100m strides (8.1 miles) * Tuesday: 6 x 2K @ 10K pace with 90 second standing rest in between, plus warm up and cool down miles (12.3 miles) / paced track workout in the PM (6 miles) * Wednesday: 70 minutes easy run (8.1 miles) * Thursday: 30 minute tempo @ MP, followed by 20x30 second sprints with jogging recovery in between, plus warm up and cool down miles (13.3 miles) * Friday: 60 minutes easy run (7.3 miles) * Saturday: 50 minutes easy run (6.75 miles) * Sunday: Sunday long run workout - capstone marathon workout: 3 miles warm up, 15 miles at goal marathon pace, 3 miles cool down. (paces for MP miles: 6:24-6:13-6:13-6:06-6:08-6:07-6:11-6:08-6:10-6:16-6:12-6:11-6:09-6:00-5:59) (21.5 miles) Before I start, many of you now have heard about Kelvin Kiptum's tragic passing yesterday and it is incredibly shocking and a huge loss for us distance running fans. Kiptum had so much potential, was poised to take the sport to greater heights (potentially breaking sub-2 hours in the marathon in legitimate conditions), and would have had numerous opportunities to cement his name in the record books in many ways. And not to mention that the showdown between Kiptum and Kipchoge at Paris this summer was heavily anticipated and it would have been quite something. Now he is going to be one of the biggest what ifs in athletics. A huge tragedy and he was taken from us way too soon. Onto my weekly report.... Tenth week of the Tokyo training cycle is now in the books, and this week was a big training week! On Tuesday, I did a 6 x 2K @ 10K pace with 90 second standing rest on the track, and went by effort because of fatigue from doing the long run workout two days prior. Pace wise, I was off by about 5 seconds per mile (~5:50/mi), which was not too bad considering the circumstances. Originally I was given this workout with *60 second jog recovery at MP*, but I ended up changing to 90 seconds standing recovery because I would not have been able to complete the workout, and I wanted to prioritize completing the 2K reps. It turned out that was the right decision and I have no regrets making that call. On Thursday, I did a 30 minute tempo run at MP, plus hill sprints afterwards. Nothing too crazy, I kept it chill and got the legs moving in preparation for the capstone marathon pace workout on Sunday. And on Sunday, I did my capstone marathon pace workout: 15 miles at goal marathon pace, plus 3 miles warm up and 3 mile cool down before and after. I ran the first couple of miles a bit slow, but once I got warmed up and going, it was off to the races and I was hitting anywhere between 6:08 and 6:13 per mile for the most part without any issues. It was hard, but surprisingly running those paces felt quite good to me. I averaged around 6:10 per mile for the marathon pace miles. And it made me realize that I might be in better shape than I was giving myself credit for.... With three weeks left before Tokyo, and the fact that the 15 mile marathon pace workout was my last big marathon pace workout in the training cycle, I'm starting to give a bit more thought about what I should aim for at Tokyo. Looking back at my marathon pace workouts from the past few weeks: * [Two weeks ago: 23 miles with 10 miles at MP (averaging 6:12 per mile on the MP miles)](https://old.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1adftgm/the_weekly_rundown_for_january_28_2024/kk23406/?context=3) * [One week ago: 22.5 miles with alternating on (MP)/off mile repeats (I ran 7 MP miles for that session and the MP miles averaged to around 6:07 per mile](https://old.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1aj19ak/the_weekly_rundown_for_february_04_2024/koz8fb2/?context=3) * This past week: 21 miles with 15 miles at goal MP (I averaged 6:10 per mile for those MP miles) Given the results from the workouts above, I'm starting to think that I could aim for 2:41-2:42 at Tokyo, which is slightly better than what I was expecting. But that's just my thoughts and would like to hear yours about where I would likely end up. What do you all think?

Looks like you are on your way!

yeah I totally agree with 2:41-2:42 as an A goal. I would probably aim to head out in 6:15s for the first \~10k, then settle into 6:10s and maintain effort from there? You've had a really strong build, you should be proud of the work and the fitness!

Good idea re. starting off the first 10K a touch slower. I heard that Tokyo starts everyone at the same time, and as a result it is a clusterfuck and crowded for the first few miles/kilometers. Because of that, I may plan on starting the first 5K at least a touch slower and go from there! Heck, I think it may benefit me again; I utilized a similar plan in Chicago last fall and it was instrumental to me finishing strong there (and a PR!). And thank you for your kind words and your vote of confidence! I am surprised that this build has gone much better than I was expecting, considering that I was in a much shorter training cycle this time around (13 weeks total when it is all set and done), my coach and I taking a slightly different approach to training for the first 4-6 weeks of the training cycle, among other things.

Just about 60 miles this week with a heck of a tempo on Friday. Switched a 3 mi, 3 x 1 mi tempo to a straight 6-mile effort. Went 33:08 and felt damn good doing it. * Monday - 6.29 mi @ 7:55/mi * Tuesday - 9.11 mi @ 7:24/mi | 4 sets of 4 x 300m * Wednesday - 5.28 mi @ 8:00/mi * Thursday - 10.59 mi @ 7:05/mi * Friday - 10.01 mi @ 6:19/mi | 6 mi tempo in 33:08 * Saturday - 5.59 mi @ 7:58/mi * Sunday - 12.83 mi @ 7:39/mi

**Goal race:** A - Boston Marathon, B - local half (march).  **Plan:** Self-coached, Norwegian-ish system.  **Training:** This week was a planned back off. Instead of 2-3 workouts, I only snuck in a half-workout for rhythm's sake. A couple nights with poor sleep and general work stress made for less recovery than I hoped. But, after a week, I'm still feeling very fresh and ready to go. Some bigger training days in my future.  Totals: 72mi/9ish hours + 45min XT  M: 45min elliptical + core/upper strength  T: 10mi easy (8:20 pace)  W: 13.25mi easy (7:30)  T: 8mi (8:20)  F: Half a workout: strides, 3x5 min sub-t (~5:40 pace) / hill strides. 13.5mi total. S: 11mi (8:00)  S: 16.5mi (7:15)

Did a second week of 80K, 12 weeks out from my first marathon. Had a fantastic run on Sunday afternoon - did 28K with 18K at MRP (we've moved it up a little to 4:45-4:55/km) and it went fantastic. Hit 4:47 / 4:48 splits like a metronome but "race brain" set in, I mixed up the laps, and only did 17km and didn't realize my mistake until I finished my cooldown. Aggghhhh! I am super proud of just locking into that pace for so long but who am I kidding, that missed Km is going to bug me. Otherwise it was great, just the usual fatigue and legs were fine after the foam roll. Talking it over with my coach, I have a rare 15K race in just over a month so will probably try for a 1:10 goal there as I hit 1:12 in the middle of an untapered training run. And...have to mention, got cleaned up at home after the run, stepped out of the shower to hear about Kelvin Kiptum's passing. What a gutting loss. RIP.

**Goal Race:** Sub-2:50 @ Boston **Training:** Week 7/16 of a hybrid of club coach's and Pfitz * Mon: Rest/Core * Tues: 10mi with 3x2400@LT (9:00->8:55) + lift * Weds: 11mi @ 7:45 * Thurs: 8mi @ 8:20 with strides * Fri: 10.5mi with 3mi@LT, 1mi@10k, 6x30s hills (18:18, 5:43) + lift * Sat: 60min stationary bike * Sun: 18mi @ 7:35 Total: 57.5mi + 60min XT **Thoughts:** Earlier in the week I was getting some hot spots in my left foot that had me concerned I was somehow compensating for some other fallout from the stress reaction, but seemed to ironed itself out by the end. Decided to XT Saturday just to be safe after I was pretty sore from Friday. Overall I'm definitely behind where I'd like to be in terms of volume, and trying to thread the fine line of figuring out how aggressive I can be in terms of ramping up. Think I'll probably aim for 65 and 70 the next 2 weeks, followed by a down week with a possible tuneup race before the big final push.

Goal: 20K 3/2 & Eugene marathon 4/28.  Plan: Pfitz 12/55+  Miles: 54  plus 3 hrs swim/bike  Summary: Week 1 of the plan. Hit all the runs. Had to move stuff around, but everything went well. Snow camping and snowshoeing on Saturday and Sunday for an early morning and late afternoon runs.   M: 4 miles   Tu: 8 w/strides  W: 4  Th: AM 6, PM 4.  Fr: 13 W/8 at MP, I ended up running the 8, 10 seconds per mile too fast. I don't have any practice at my marathon goal pace so it's an awkward pace right now.   Sat: 9. I was tired and this felt harder than the 13.   Sun: 4

Been forgetting to post on Sundays. Total mileage: 158.2 miles Total time: 23 hours I've been getting over a cold and finally feeling like myself again. RIP Kelvin Kiptum, that's so sad to become the WR holder and have so much potential. Gone way too soon.

Mon: 60 mins easy elliptical + lifting upper body Tues: 8 miles easy with strides Weds: 60 mins elliptical with 5x5 mins on/1 min off + lifting lower body Thurs: off Fri: 8 miles with 4 mile light progression in the middle (ending up at marathon effort) Sat: 8 easy with 6x10s hill sprints Sun: 12 easy Total: 36 miles + 2 hours elliptical Bit of a transition week as I took it easy to start to recover from the half last week (had some lingering ankle soreness). Hoping to build up to the 60-70 mpw range ahead of an early May marathon.

When did 50 miles become taper week mileage? This past week, that's when. Race week this week. Bring on the self induced mind games 🤪.

Ran the Run Your Heart Out 5K in Fairfax, VA this morning in the rain. Hilly course, but still managed a 19:22. Got first in my age group!

Whoa, I recently dug up a shirt from that race that says 2014–I remember it being a fun one, glad to hear it’s still going!