I’ve been going out on some long runs lately.  I trained once for a marathon averaging 3 miles a day.  It didn’t work out so well.  That’s what’s hard about training through the winter, and why end of summer marathons are so much better.  Most of my runs this winter have been a race against a sun setting low in the sky.  When you run by yourself, anything else that’s moving serves as a fine training partner.

The massive mileage is wearing me down.  My legs have been heavy and my pace slow.  I’m not recovering between workouts.  I could try supplements but I’ve never been a big fan.  Instead, I’m going to work shorter runs back into my weekly mileage plan.  I’m a big believer in the long run to prepare for the marathon, but there’s no reason I have to run long every day.  There’s nothing magical about super long weekly distance.

I’ll turn 55 years old two weeks before the Colorado Marathon.  There’s no rational reason for training like a kid.  Better to show up race day without injury and fresh than weak and tired.  Might run another long run Sunday but then I’m going to moderate.  I understand that there are no health benefits to exceeding 35 miles per week.  I do feel that I need to maintain at least 50 miles per week to prepare for the marathon, but my legs aren’t in the mood for 70 mile weeks.  I’m changing up my plan.  I’ll be ready.

This is what I look like shortly after running twenty miles.  Thought I’d crowdsource for opinions on what I look like, because my family thinks I look near death after some of these big runs.  I think I look fine.  Felt near death though for awhile.  Probably more accurate to say I crawled twenty miles.  I didn’t wear a watch but figure I averaged an 8:30 minute pace the first ten miles, and maybe 9:30 on the return.

Part of the reason it was so tough was that I ran a fast ten miler Friday afternoon.  Felt like I averaged 8 minute miles yesterday, which is fast for me.  I seriously think I might have found my speed after teaching Ellie strides and sprints for three days.  Might lose it as I increase my mileage, but hopefully not.  I have enough recovery days in this marathon training plan, I hope to be able to maintain some speed on short mileage days.

I enjoy training for a marathon.  It’s an awesome project.  Days like today allow me to test my limits.  I learned today that I am not ready for a full marathon.  Not sure I could have taken one additional step past twenty miles.  Experience tells me that nine weeks from now, I’ll be able to tack on an additional six miles.  Only four more training runs twenty miles or longer.  There will be one super tough, high-mileage week; otherwise I’m starting to plateau.  Completed 68 miles this week.  Next week is 76.  That will be the most until another four weeks when I target 90.  I’m still on track with my plan.

Last year’s Colorado Marathon was a bit snowy.  I ran the 10K and enjoyed the weather, while watching Chris Price qualify for Boston with his stellar performance.  This year I intend to run the whole enchilada, my first marathon since 2015.  I’m excited to be training for a full marathon again.  I forgot how intense the commitment is.

This last week was my first over 50 miles.  Ouch.  Hopefully my muscles will adapt because over the next ten weeks my legs will be running 688 miles.  They tell you to buy a new pair of shoes every 500 miles.  I’m following a personalized adaptation of a Hal Higdon plan, which is to say I’ll alternate weeks with high and low mileage.  This coming week I’ll run 68 miles, then 76, then 75, then I’ll drop down to 68 and finally to 51 miles in week five.  The fifth week will mostly be impacted by four days of snowboarding in Crested Butte.

If I survive that five week schedule, I’ll jump up to 90 miles in week six, followed by 75, then 81 and then I’ll start to taper with 64 miles for week nine and only 40 miles for the week of the marathon.  Hoping to feel fresh for the run on Sunday, May 7th.  The course runs through Poudre Canyon and will be gorgeous.  Hope it snows again.