Exercise and Fitness - Marathon edition

[zelticgar]

I just looked through 8 pages of General Chatter and could not find the E and F thread so i am starting a new one. We clearly have a bunch of lazy slugs around here!

I just scored a number for the Boston Marathon and i only have 5 weeks to train. I keep my weekly mileage up around 30 per week but i really have not gone more than 10 or 11 miles since early fall. I've done marathons before but I tend to get injuries (ITB and Achilles). I've gotten much better about prevention over the years but i am still a little nervous about stretching the long runs out without a lot of build up. I'm thinking of just doing a few 13 or 14 mile runs and relying on my general fitness to take me to the finish. My main goal was a half iron man this summer but i cant pass up the chance to run Boston. I am planning to ramp up the distance on my shorter runs so I'll net about 50 miles a week and swim distance on my off days. Can anyone tell me if this a is realistic approach?

I'm also thinking of going to PT as a preventive measure and have them massage the ITB and achilles just in case?

[lessthanluke]

Getting a PT massage is always a good idea! Good luck with the marathon training :) not my idea of fun but I can admire the effort it takes. My training is being amped up at the minute as I am preparing for a national comp, hit a few prs today :)

[Starkess]

My half marathon is one week away! Yikes!

I have only missed one day of my training plan over the past 8 weeks, though, so I am feeling pretty confident. And excited. And nervous!!

[Tears of Lys]

I'm mad jealous of you guys. Best of luck!

[UVA]

I am planning to ramp up the distance on my shorter runs so I'll net about 50 miles a week and swim distance on my off days. Can anyone tell me if this a is realistic approach?

I'm also thinking of going to PT as a preventive measure and have them massage the ITB and achilles just in case?

Congrats on qualifying for Boston! I competitively race triathlon in the Olympic and half Ironman distances. I'm going to the 70.3 World Championship in Vegas and the USAT Age Group Nationals this year. Yeah I know I'm tooting my own horn. But I too have nagging ITB and Achilles problems that often sabotage my training plan.

Is your goal a PR at Boston or in your half iron? I wouldn't go crazy on the weekly mileage so as to avoid further aggravation of your issues -- rather train more in the weaker discipline. Thirty miles a week is a great target for a half. Of course if your 'A' race is Boston then do the ultra mileage.

PT is good for a short time. I usually go to get the exercises then do them at home or gym. Also, I don't know if you've ever used one but a foam roller is a must for ITB issues, a must.

Best of luck and again congrats on qualifying for Boston -- that's an accomplishment!

[UVA]

My half marathon is one week away! Yikes!

I have only missed one day of my training plan over the past 8 weeks, though, so I am feeling pretty confident. And excited. And nervous!!

Best of luck and race well next week!

[baxus]

my half-marathon is some 6 or 7 weeks away and i'm yet to start with my preparations.

i'm not out of shape, cause i've been working out on stationary bikes, rowing machines and in the gym, and did some running, but not enough to challenge my last year's result (1:45:50).

we'll see, there is still time.

@Starkess:

best of luck in your race.

don't forget a detailed post-race report ;)

[Gus]

Good luck to all the long distance runners and to Luke with the strongman competition. I think workout videos can be boring even if the weight is impressive but I usually find strongman videos inspire me the most. I hope I can mix in some strong man inspired stuff during the spring. I'm never going to be really strong but it looks fun.

My strength is increasing but my cardio and mobility is lacking so I know what I need to focus on. My foot hurts some days even if it is 10 months since my Achilles rupture. Hopefully with the snow melting I can start sprinting once a week.

[RaceBannon42]

I am calling LA Fitness today to complain.

I've been going to Sunday Morning spin class for almost a year now. Every week unless I'm out of town. This week I get to the gym a bit before 9 for the 9:15 class. There were half a dozen people on bikes, and every other bike in the room already had a towel or water bottle on it. I should not have to come 25 minutes early just to get a bike. They really need to fix the bikes that are broken and have been sitting there all winter. At least they need to limit how early you can "reserve" a bike. No saving bikes for people when the class is full, or something.

[Whitestripe]

I am calling LA Fitness today to complain.

I've been going to Sunday Morning spin class for almost a year now. Every week unless I'm out of town. This week I get to the gym a bit before 9 for the 9:15 class. There were half a dozen people on bikes, and every other bike in the room already had a towel or water bottle on it. I should not have to come 25 minutes early just to get a bike. They really need to fix the bikes that are broken and have been sitting there all winter. At least they need to limit how early you can "reserve" a bike. No saving bikes for people when the class is full, or something.

That really is rude. Were the bikes all taken by people in the spinning class? They should either fix the bikes or limit the class to the bikes available.

[RaceBannon42]

Yeah, by resereving I mean saving a bike while you are off doing something else before class. There are probably 30 or so bikes, and only half a dozen had people on them when I got there. The other 25 had towels or waterbottles on the to "save" them.

I ended up doing elliptical which I hate.

[Tempra]

Yeah, by resereving I mean saving a bike while you are off doing something else before class. There are probably 30 or so bikes, and only half a dozen had people on them when I got there. The other 25 had towels or waterbottles on the to "save" them.

I ended up doing elliptical which I hate.

If they aren't there in 3-5 minutes, they lose their spot. Nothing frustrates me more than idiots trying to hog 2-5 stations in a commercial gym.

[Ixodes]

I ended up doing elliptical which I hate.

Since I started swimming two weeks ago, I've found all my hatred directed at the pool. It's been far more difficult to get used to the pool than any other type of exercise I have tried.

I'm finally making some small progress but learning to correctly breath has been an absolute challenge. My mind doesn't want to keep my head down to exhale in the water. It is positive I am drowning so each lap is a battle to prevent thrashing about in a water panic attack. It's all about maintaining form and this is just incredibly difficult. My wife makes it look so damned easy.

So yeah. It's a work in progress and it's not pretty. I need to find some type of training geared for people like me, trying to do their first triathlon with no formal water experience. To all you swimmers -- you have my absolute respect.

[Whitestripe]

My mind doesn't want to keep my head down to exhale in the water. It is positive I am drowning so each lap is a battle to prevent thrashing about in a water panic attack.

Don't be hating on my beloved pool! How many arm strokes are you trying before you breathe? If you just do 2 or 4 you don't have to exhale in the water. Turn your head, breathe and hold your breath until you turn your head again.

[Ixodes]

Don't be hating on my beloved pool! How many arm strokes are you trying before you breathe? If you just do 2 or 4 you don't have to exhale in the water. Turn your head, breathe and hold your breath until you turn your head again.

Thanks for the advice! I try to take 4 strokes then breathe so I'll try to modify it. It's just been hard to keep my head down and breathe smoothly when trying to fight my natural inclination. My mind doesn't want to accept that I'm not going to drown. I need to practice alot more. My hope is that one day I'll love the pool as well, but we've had a rocky start to our relationship.

[Liffguard]

I finally completed my commando tests last week. They were conducted over four days, one test per day.

- Endurance course, run with 21lbs plus 10lb rifle. 2 mile cross country circuit with tunnels and water obstacles followed by a 4 mile run back to camp, to be completed in under 73 minutes. Did it in 63:05.

- 9 mile speed march, with same weight as above. Run at a set pace of 10 minute miles in formation. Passed.

- Tarzan assault course, again with same weight. High-ropes obstacle course, followed by assault course and finishing with 30 foot wall ascent, to be completed in under 13 minutes. Did it in 10:12.

- 30 miler, run with 40lbs plus rifle. Cross country route over Dartmoor to be completed under 8 hours. Final time 7:50. Finishing this test was literally the most tired I've ever felt.

I'm sore now.

[baxus]

Don't be hating on my beloved pool! How many arm strokes are you trying before you breathe? If you just do 2 or 4 you don't have to exhale in the water. Turn your head, breathe and hold your breath until you turn your head again.

i always found it easiest to take a breath every 3 strokes and exhale while my head is under water.

that way i alternate sides i turn my head to, make sure no water comes in through my nose and get the most air when i go out for air.

also, it helps me concentrate on keeping the rhythm steady and even.

@Liffguard:

congratulations on passing your tests.

[UVA]

It's a work in progress and it's not pretty. I need to find some type of training geared for people like me, trying to do their first triathlon with no formal experience.

Swimming is 98% good technique -- speed and endurance follow once you are using a proper stroke. You need to be doing a lot of drill work at first. You might to join a local Masters program, there you can get some very good instruction and coaching.

You can do this. I came to triathlon as a swimmer -- I swam for a Div I program and I thought that triathlons would be an easy transition. I won't go into how hard I've worked to improve my bike and run but open water swimming was a very different experience than staring down at the black line all my life. OWS is like swimming blindfold at first. So I had to work hard at that as well.

I don't know what distance you're racing but if it's a sprint the swims are typically no longer than 400-750 meters -proportionately is much smaller than the bike and run portion of the race.

PM me if you'd like. I can link you to some good sites and provide a few training plans with lots of drills. I really enjoy getting geeky about swimming.

[Whitestripe]

i always found it easiest to take a breath every 3 strokes and exhale while my head is under water.

that way i alternate sides i turn my head to, make sure no water comes in through my nose and get the most air when i go out for air.

also, it helps me concentrate on keeping the rhythm steady and even.

I only turn my head to the right when I swim... and mostly exhale under water. I am most comfortable with six strokes per breath, unless I am very tired, then it's less.

[The BlackBear]

I can't swim worth a damn and there's no way to improve without looking like a tit first.