My Winter 2020 Training Plan
Prologue
Over the summer, I worked the half marathon plan in Daniel’s Running Formula so I could develop some speed. Then, I I took August off and started a 12-week training cycle in September with a focus on running long again. One of my goals was to run a 15-miler by the end of the cycle and I achieved that in October. Along the way, I averaged about 50-60 miles per week. I ended the training cycle in November by running the 2020 Alexandria Virtual Turkey Trot downtown around the Tidal Basin and Hains Point.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 global pandemic continued. With record numbers of people dying from the virus each day, it felt over-indulgent thinking about starting a training plan this month. But now that vaccines have been created and distributed, I’m more confident that life might look a little more like normal by late spring.
Long-term Goals
My focus is on next year’s Wanda World Age Group Marathon Championships at the London Marathon, still scheduled for October 3, 2021. Now that the United Kingdom has begun distributing the Covid 19 vaccine, I’m encouraged that a fall marathon may actually happen.
Self-assessment
Like many runners, I tend to focus on what I need to improve but recently, I’ve been trying to think about playing to my strengths, as well.
Strengths:
- Injury-free. For the first time in a while, I’m entering a training cycle feeling good and injury free! My blood pressure is under control and the edema in my feet has mostly dissipated.
- Consistency. My lifestyle allows me to run every morning and now that I’m teleworking four days a week, I even have time mid-day for workouts.
- Experience. I learn something new each training cycle and can hopefully, stop making the same training mistakes.
Weaknesses:
- Age. I get older with every training cycle. At this stage, I’m closer to 50 than 50 and am starting to slow down a bit.
The Plan
Choosing or designing a plan
Although large road racing events have not returned, I wanted to approach this training cycle with the goal of being marathon ready by next spring. So, I decided to follow the 18-week, 55-70 miles per week training plan in Advanced Marathoning, Third Edition by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas (aka “Pfitz”).
(I finally bought the third edition this spring. I was excited to see a picture of my former running club in the book! I don’t know how I missed being in that shot!)
Setting a start and end date
I was skeptical about aiming for a spring marathon when current estimates suggest a vaccine may not be available to the general public in the United States until the summer. But, I searched MarathonGuide.com anyway. I narrowed the results to:
- 2021 Salisbury Marathon on April 3rd,
- 2021 Delaware Marathon on April 25th, and
- 2021 Virtual Eugene Marathon on April 25th
I ruled out the last two races because they occur in late-April and I wouldn’t want to risk it being too hot. But I decided to keep the Salisbury Marathon in the back of my mind.
Counting back from early-April, I started this 18-week training program on Sunday, December 6th and will either end it a) a week early to run the 2021 Salisbury Marathon or b) by running a virtual event on Sunday, April 11th.
Arranging workouts
Long runs. For this plan, long runs are on Sundays. In the first week, it’s a 15 miler but the longest in the schedule is 22 miles 7 weeks out from the goal marathon. Roughly every three weeks, the long run has a chunk of marathon-pace miles but otherwise, these will be steady-pace or progression runs.
Medium-long runs. To me, the success of the Pfitz plan lies in the mid-week medium-long run, which will usually fall on Wednesday for me during this cycle. In the first week, the medium run is 11 miles but it builds to 15 miles 7 weeks into the training plan.
Marathon-pace runs, lactate threshold runs, VO2max runs. The early phases of the plan emphasize lactate threshold work. The plan kicks off with 4 miles @ threshold pace in the first week and over the course of the plan, builds to 7 miles at that effort. Mid-way through the plan, VO2max workouts with intervals between 600 and 1000m replace threshold runs. Marathon-pace miles are spliced into long-runs throughout the plan.
Doubles. The plan also has two-a-days starting in Week 8 on Tuesdays.
I entered these workouts into my training plan on RunningAhead and was ready to go!
Contemplating a race goal
My goal is to be in sub-3:40 (8:24 pace) shape for next year’s Wanda World Age Group Marathon Championships at the London Marathon on October 3, 2021. So, I would like to be in sub-3:50 (8:47 pace) shape by the end of this training cycle.
Selecting tune-up races
- Saturday, February 27th
- Saturday, March 13th
- Saturday, March 27th
Other Considerations
Cross-training
Cycling. The Pfitz plan recommends aerobic cross-training activities such as cycling, water running, cross-country skiing, elliptical training, and swimming. Right now, those activities are off the table but I plan to add cycling to my schedule in the spring.
Weight training. In mid-January, I plan to return to the gym for two full-body workouts working my legs, arms, back, and shoulders.
While it’s unlikely I’ll return to work before April, I may have to change when I’m doing cross-training workouts.
Final thoughts
With record numbers of people dying from Covid 19, I am truly thankful for my continued health and hopeful that in the coming months, a vaccine will be distributed widely enough that life will get closer and closer to normal by the end of this training cycle.
Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. – Joshua J. Marine
