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Vermont City Marathon

Ryan M.
Ryan M. Sendmail

Training

posted over 2 years ago | Report

We're less than 18 weeks away. What's everyone using for a training program? I'm going with Hal Higdon's novice program.

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  • David C.
    David C. Sendmail

    Once I heal my left shin, I'll be training with a custom made program, based on Hal Higdon's methods. The closest program to mine, that he offers, is his Boston Bound program. I dropped tempo runs in favor of doing mile repeats, and I've switched pace runs to heart rate based training. Marathon pace runs are good for people that haven't run a marathon before, so you get used to running the pace you intend on racing. The last marathon I ran I kept my heart rate at a particular level, and it worked out better than any pacing I've done in the past.

    posted over 2 years ago | Report

  • Patrick P.
    Patrick P. Sendmail

    what heart rate? are you basing it on % of MHR, or something else? I recently ran with a 49-year-old who does all HR training with long runs in the 128-138 range (ssllloooowwwww....) yet ran Bay State in 3:07. He has trained with an Irish Olympian who does the same thing.

    posted over 2 years ago | Report

  • David C.
    David C. Sendmail

    Using this calculator: http://www.sarkproducts.com/targetzonecalculator.htm

    I plugged in my approximate resting HR (55) and my highest sustained value ever reached on my HRM (210) to get the zones.

    I use 154-172 for HR training (my aerobic zone 3), and I've found that running right in the middle of zone 4 (182) for marathon racing allows me to finish strong. Every other marathon I've gone too close to zone 5, and bonked.

    My 3:07 at Disney was at an avg 178 HR. I plan on pushing that to 182 at VCM to see how much harder it gets.

    posted over 2 years ago | Report

  • Patrick P.
    Patrick P. Sendmail

    OK, with this calculator the values come out a little higher but the concept is the same. Long runs in the aerobic zone and then lactate threshold training (zone 4) for a strong finish. I'm trying the same thing. When I run in the middle of zone 4 (155-160 for me) I also can keep going with no bonk.

    posted over 2 years ago | Report

  • Ryan M.
    Ryan M. Sendmail

    Bump. How is everyone.

    posted about 2 years ago | Report

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