Managed a 2 min PR over the 10k distance last weekend. Handful of speed sessions throughout the weeks leading up and intentionally keeping other runs in strict z2 HR to eliminate compounding fatigue seemed to be the ticket. Now building into peak week for marathon next month followed by a half (may convert to full) in early December.
I’ve been having fun programming my own runs and feel its going 'well enough’ however my wife is looking for a bit more structure. Has anyone used any of these AI coaching apps for running that are similar to TR for cycling? Runna and Athletica.ai are the main two in the space.
training vs coaching - good distinction. She’s not after a coach, rather a dynamic plan. Easy to follow one of the various plans on the internet, but how to modify it based on missed workouts and interval intensity specific to each athlete is what we’re after.
I’m training for a half-marathon at the end of November. I’m still ramping up my weekly mileage, but I’m aiming for 60 to 70 km a week (37 to 44 miles) and hopefully a sub-1h30 finish.
I’d like to complement my running with some cycling in order to keep my “cycling legs” for when I switch back to more cycling later on, while also mixing up my training (to keep it fun) and adding a bit more volume without increasing my risk of injury too much. I’ll probably do two rides a week: one endurance ride and another that’s a bit more demanding. What kind of ride would be best? Sweet spot seems like the logical choice, but my legs are already tired from the running sessions. VO₂max work could be interesting to develop my cardiovascular system (and shorter intervals feel easier to me), but I don’t want to overdo it. Any suggestions?
If your legs are sore from running the day before, and you’ll likely have to run the following day, just keep your rides easy. Shoot for using your Z2 HR as a governor on those days, and ride just to get your blood flowing. You’ll still be getting good training stimulus in!
Yesterday was the day of the Berlin Marathon, and it was going to be my first ever Marathon.
Two weeks ago, I was in tip top form. I was really smashing volume and paces I had never done before and was really looking forward to smashing it in Berlin. In one of my last long workouts, I did two sets of 45 minutes at goal pace. During the latter, I started feeling something wasn’t right. I have felt niggles and little pains here and there before and usually done well do just push through. Not this one.
After the run I was in pain. There is good pain and bad pain. And this was bad pain. My first thought was: “Fxxx, I may not be able to run in Berlin”.
The days after I was a the physio every day. I also did a CT scan, and they found I had quite severe ITBS. We build a plan to still be able to run in Berlin. I dialed back speed and volume and substituted with more cycling. I don’t really know if any of that helped anything, but I arrived in Berlin with minimal pain and a fully taped knee.
I had dialed back my expectations massively and was super weary to just not be able to finish the race.
The pain was there the entire way, and a few times my other heel also started hurting.
Between my level of fitness, being carbo loaded to the max, and having trained in warm conditions for months, all the other marathon problems you usually experience, weren’t there for me. At 32k I was certain I could do it, but wasn’t ready to speed up.
I reached the finish in 2:54:02. The moment I stopped, my knee told me to not walk ever again. It was a long and slow walk back to the hotel, but man, I have never felt more proud, although it wasn’t the time I was shooting for.
