Goofy 2015 - Am I crazy?

[ontheuptick]

There is no need to run 6 days in a row to complete a marathon.

You are ABSOLUTELY correct. I've never said you need to run 6 days in a row to complete a marathon!

But, if you want to run your absolute best marathon, you better be running more than 4 days a week. No ifs, ands, or buts about it - running 4 days per week will not give you your best result.

And for most people, that's fine!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I agree that the more that you run, the more efficient a runner you become (injuries aside). That means more days/week and more miles. I also agree that taking 2 days off in a row sets back my training.

When I started running, I ran 3 days/week. It gradually (over several years) built up to 6 days/week. I can now run a marathon with ease. I am neither tired nor sore an hour after a marathon. When I cut back my training mileage or frequency, I am more tired and sore after a marathon.

That said, I am now 47 and the mileage is taking a toll on my body. I have altered my training strategy to cut back to 5 days/week this running season and am reducing my weekly mileage to 50 miles from 70. I hope to see solid results, but expect to see some decline. Some will be from the training reductions, the rest from my age.

To get back to the 2 days of rest in a row discussion - if I take 2 days off in a row, I can see an increase in my heart rate on my next run every time. My numbers return to normal on my next run, but I still have one run that week with diminished returns because I took 2 days off in a row. I do not see this with one day off. I have great cardio-vascular fitness, and all of the books say that it takes a few weeks to see a decrease if you take a break, but the HR numbers don't lie. For me, it is a problem, so I try not to take 2 days off in a row. Your experience may be different.

 

[jerivera]

Thought I'd give a quick update.

I ran the Austin Statesman Cap 10K today. My first race ever!!

I did better than I thought I'd be able to do! 01:05:36 time, 10:34 min/mile pace is my official time. For me, that's my fastest time ever.

That weird rush of adrenaline at the end, when you start running towards the finish line was weird, though. I did not expect that. I didn't know I could run that fast for that long!

Not going to do Disney on Jan 2015, though. It just won't work out due to financial reasons. I'm planning 2016, though.

And on the training, I totally understand why you'd want to up the # of days training / week. However, I'm going to be taking it easy this first year. Fear of burnout, of injury, family time, and wife also training are several of the reasons why.

So I'm going to stick with Galloway for this year. Or at least for my training for the Disneyland 1/2. It's worked to this point, and run/walk seem to be custom built for recent ex-couch potatoes like me!

I will, however, start using the 2:20 Half - Run/Walk/Run training program next month. I'd like to try to push myself a little bit, without being too aggressive.

If after the DL 1/2 I'm still feeling like running is something I want keep doing, I'll sign up for another local 1/2 marathon (or a full?) and up training to more days a week.

Thanks to everyone for the good advice!

 

[jerivera]

Thought I'd give one interesting update.

Due to having started running, sticking to eating healthy and losing so much weight (55 pounds up to now), I was able to find a hard-ish spot (aka lump) on my right thigh. No idea why I had never noticed it before. I went to the doc last month and, long story short, it's 3 weeks now since the surgery to remove what turned out to be a benign (thank GOD) 5cm (!!) tumor (hibernoma) from my thigh.

I have running to thank for that. I don't know if I would ever have realized that thing was there if it wasn't for the "joy" that is a foam roller. Funny how life works...

As for running update, I'm back at it. I'm now doing > 4 miles / run @ around 10 min per mile pace. Still sticking with Galloway (as is wife now, who is also loving it). And I convinced my wife to do the Jan 2015 Disney trip (barring life throwing a monkey wrench) so we can both run. Her on the 1/2, me on the Marathon. We're already registered.

 

[marivigi]

This is a great update, both health and running wise!

 

[goofeygirl]

Glad you found that bump and are having it taken care of.
Glad you will be in Disney this January running the full.

It sounds like you have just opened another door in your life...going thru that door in your life has already opened other doors for you.

I am not doing the Goofy nor the Dopey but the half.