Best running & jogging books according to redditors
We found 692 Reddit comments discussing the best running & jogging books. We ranked the 164 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
17. Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard
5 mentions
Meyer Meyer Sport
OP, as a new runner your focus should be exclusively on increasing the duration and the frequency of your runs, at a minimum, until you are running more than 25 miles / 40km per week.[1] And ALL of your running should be at an easy pace. Easy meaning "conversational" - you could talk to someone next to you while you continue to run.
In Running Formula, Jack Daniels goes into deep detail about the science behind building a "base" of easy mileage. One essential nugget is: cardiovascular adaptations will often outpace muscular skeletal adaptations for a new runner. Meaning, your heart and lungs will be able to accommodate a faster pace quicker than your joints and bones. Your joints and bones will get there too, but they need time and mileage. Daniels also lays out the forces on your knees/joints increase exponentially as running gets harder for you. Additionally, higher intensities tend to manifest imbalances in your gait. Your knee pain, right now, is a manifestation of these factors. You've pushed it hard two days in a row. It's not "too much, too soon", it's "too fast, too soon."
That doesn't mean you should never do hard running. What's important is that you first establish a base of easy running to prevent injuries, and then going forward, you continue to maintain it while you add higher quality work and races. Elite runners, whether they are milers or marathoners, will all do >80% of their weekly mileage at an easy pace.
People here saying: "it depends on your goals" are uninformed. Unless your goal is to get sidelined with an injury, trying to push the pace up every time you run is not a valid training protocol, for any goal.
Running with Buffaloes
If you are looking for more structured training, I recommend Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing. It covers all the types of training needed for road races between 5k and half marathon, and provides sample training programs.
You may find it much harder to go from 42 to sub 40 than it was from 49 to 42. The difference is bigger than it seems.
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger is my go-to recommendation.
My advice is start with either Jack Daniels' or [Pete Pfitzinger's] (http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-Edition-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=19PK2FVW02JWZ7FA2WGX) books. They are quick reads that have everything you need to know to get started on racing a marathon (or half). Both books are organized well so you don't really need to read them cover to cover. They cover both the science plus have appendices with exact daily plans to follow.
I guarantee you that you will be much better off spending <$20 on one of these books then wasting a lot of time trying to piece together free info on the internet.
I'm a fan of Daniels' Running Formula. I'd suggest picking up a copy and following the Red or Blue plan for a season, then trying the 5-10K Training plan. Joining a running club would also be a good option. Good luck!
If you know nothing about marathon training, buy Pfitz's Advanced Marathoning or Daniels' Running Formula and give it a read. Either of those is a good starting point, but I'd probably suggest Daniels' if you're used to shorter races. Pfitz has only marathon info (for the most part) and Daniels has everything, so comparing his marathon info to his shorter info might be helpful for you in particular, since you probably have a decent understanding about the shorter races and can use that as a baseline comparison.
Given your background, 6 months should be okay, but starting at 15mpw is not going to help. I'd look at two months of base building followed by a 4 month plan. 2 months is not a lot to ramp up to 50mpw, but again, if you've done 100mpw in the past, you should be able to go a bit more accelerated than most and still be safe.
I wouldn't even set a goal yet, to be honest. It could be anywhere from 2:30 to 3:00 depending on how you handle getting back up there in mileage.
A backpack should be the very last thing you buy since it carries all the other stuff.
Hiking shoes or trail runners + socks + insoles should be the first. They must fit you perfectly and don’t go cheap
The second thing to buy for only $10 is https://smile.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/
So. . . In the process of taper I've been arming myself with info on planning the next couple of cycles. (Happy to report that I STILL have not filled in any training beyond a few weeks of recovery post-Boston!) Tying up Healthy Intelligent Training on Lydiard principals at the moment.
One thing stuck out with me was a statement (below) re: VO2 max training. As an endurance monster, average runner - re: not a speedster it really stuck out to me. I looked back at the VO2 that I did do this training cycle and I would say as soon as I hit interval times around that 5min mark - my recovery for that type of workout was definitely on the high end. I bailed early in the 3 x 1600m so I can't speak to the after effect ultimately but that would have put me in the 6:45-ish range for each interval had I executed it well. And that might very well have been too much based on this.
To the more experienced and coaching type folks: Merit to applying this type of 'max time' principle to VO2 work akin to the 'diminishing returns on LR greater than 3hrs'? It seems logical to me . . .
>The most effective work bouts or intervals for running appear to be longer than 2 minutes or shorter than 5 minutes, with equal or shorter recovery, depending on fitness. Any longer than 5 minutes at VO2 max pace and it’s too near being a race in intensity, without the adrenalin, to have training value.
Livingstone, Keith (2012-03-01). Healthy Intelligent Training, 2nd Ed (p. 149). Cardinal Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.
PS I totally think we should do a Symposium on the 'Running Laws of Diminishing Returns'.
They are all broadly similar in that you run a whole bunch of miles. There will be an increase in the number of miles you run in a week (called weekly volume) and a increase in the longest run of the week with most peaking at 20 miles in a week as a nice round number. Sometimes the plans are described in how many weeks they take to complete and what the peak weekly mileage will be ie Pfitz 18/55 is an 18 week plan with a peak week of 55 miles.
A plan will normally have a recommended base - this is the amount of miles you are currently comfortably running in a week. This might be something like 25 miles a week. Then over the 18 weeks (or however long the plan is) there will be a progression from the base mileage to the peak which is normally 10-14 days before your race. The last week or so of the plan is normally called a taper and it is when you do a little less volume to get your legs rested. The progression of the plan is normally balanced so that you get a rest week every 3 weeks ie you run a little less to give your body a chance to recover.
So that is the basis of most plans - they will tell you how many miles to run on a certain day. Variation comes in when different ideas of training come into play and each flavour of a plan will be a little different. A simple Hal Higdon plan will typically have a strong bias towards the long run in that most of the miles ran in a week will be in one run. Some people consider that to be an injury risk. It is a good starting point because the initial weekly volume and long run is quite low.
A more complicated plan like Pfitz will balance the long run with higher weekly volume - as a general guideline most coaches say your longest run of the week should account for 20-30% of your weekly volume. Pfitz also likes to do a midweek run that is longer than your average run but not as long as your longest run.
These kind of complicated plans will also introduce different types of runs like recovery (run super slow), intervals and marathon paced runs.
A plan like Hanson has similar mileage to Pfitz but with lots of runs at marathon pace to get you used to the speed you will run at. It also caps the long run at 16 miles but has an emphasis on 'cumulative fatigue' meaning your long runs are always ran on tired legs to replicate the last part of the marathon. But it is still basically similar to Higdon and Pfitz in that you are running a bunch of miles.
The purpose of all the different types of runs that the more advanced plans have is to train your body to behave in certain ways that will benefit you during the marathon. This is really the main difference between a complex and a simple plan and the difference between a successful marathon and surviving a marathon. You train more specifically for the stresses put on your body whilst running a marathon.
For me Hanson is a perfect blend of simple but specific to marathon training. If you want to get hold of their plan and have more information about the purposes of all the different types of runs then I recommend their book Hanson Marathon Method. The Pfitz plans are found in Advanced Marathoning. Both books cover similar information and are a great resource.
I hope this helps? Don't forget to come back if you have some more questions
It is mostly contained in the books I've read. I have been out of the backpacking scene for a while so I may be a bit rusty on the exact details and perhaps his methods have fallen out of favor. Some of his weight cutting techniques are a bit extreme by my taste such as only taking an umbrella and tarp instead of rain gear and tent. However, my father and I cut quite a bit of weight in our week long trips. We were starting with packs around 40 pounds and wearing big hiking boots and eventually got to around 20-25 pounds and would just wear a nice set of running or trail shoes.
Some of his books:
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Life-Jardines-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/0963235974
This site mentions him and a quick Google search with his name and 'water filter' brings up quite a few references as well: http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/water-purification.html He's by no means an end-all authority but the ultralight backpacking he pioneered was pretty widely known.
Bona fides: I'm running 15 marathons in 12 months this year, including Chicago and NYC myself (with MCM in-between). But I also run 63-100 miles/week. I ran my marathon PR in Feb (3:08, previous PR was a 3:12). The vast majority of my training miles have been recovery pace, for me that's 9:05/mi. The second bulk of my miles are general aerobic, typically 8:20/mi. If it's enough time between marathons and I'm feeling recovered, I'll do an 8 x 1K session @ 8K race pace w/600M RI. I occasionally do some marathon pace running as part of my medium and long runs. I'm doing very few tempo runs.
My approach for each race has been a game-day decision. I generally go out aiming for 3:25'ish (7:49) and if I'm feeling good a couple miles in, pick up the pace. Most of my races I've finished 3:15 +- 2 minutes. One race it was exceptionally warm, so I ended up pacing another runner to a 3:42 finish. Another race I blew up and ended up at 3:32.
So anyway, I'd recommend that she prepare for Chicago using her choice of marathon training schedule, including full taper, as if it will be her only marathon. If everything feels great that day, weather is good, etc, then she should go for a PR at Chicago. Then she should use a multiple-marathon schedule to prepare for NYC, and just run NYC for fun. Advanced Marathoning has a bunch of multiple-marathon schedules depending upon weekly mileage and time between races. I can post one later today for 4 weeks.
edit: 4 weeks between marathons schedule - scale mileage as appropriate. Or she could just run all recovery mileage, getting in one 15 miler if possible if her only goal for NYC is to complete it after a successful Chicago.
OTOH, if things aren't right for a PR at Chicago, say it's warm, or she missed a week or two of training, etc, then she should use Chicago as a long-run. She should run well below her marathon pace, possibly using a walk-run scheme. For example, in the past I've set my watch to kilometers, then run ~ 9:00/mi for 1K, walk for 30-60s, repeat. You'll still end up below 10:00/mi doing this, which is around a 4:20 marathon.
Then, she should go for a PR at NYC. There's 4 weeks between the races, so she could run all easy/recovery the first week after Chicago, then follow the last 3 weeks of her schedule again to prepare for NYC. I did something like this in 2013, using Grandfather Mountain in early July as a long-run, finishing around 4:20, then getting my first BQ in early September (3:12, prior PR was a 3:22). I realize that's 8 weeks instead of 4, but it's a similar idea.
BTW, sub-4 is ~ 9:09/mi. You write that she running most of her miles at that pace. Easy miles should be 15-25% slower than MP, so she should really be running her easy miles at 10:25-11:20/mi. Her volume is also low for a marathon that's 13 weeks away. And she likes to cross train. You might look at the Run Less Run Faster schedule which is 16 weeks, using NYC as the target marathon, and just fitting in Chicago as an over-distance long-run, going easy there as I described, then possibly skipping the speed work the first week after Chicago and just doing equivalent easy mileage.
(I've used RLRF + Crossfit successfully. That's what I ran my 3:22 off of. But I think I padded the mileage by about 10-15 miles a week with additional recovery miles.)
$0.02.
Hal Korner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning has some shorter plans for 50k up to 100 miles. I used this book as the basis for my first 100-mile training. ( https://www.amazon.com/Koerners-Field-Guide-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon/dp/1937715221)
Also, Krissy Moehl's Running Your First Ultra has some good, long-term plans. ( https://www.amazon.com/Running-Your-First-Ultra-Customizable/dp/1624141420/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0/135-5115591-8160359?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1624141420&pd_rd_r=062b53c6-91ad-4cc2-a0c6-9225587ac7ea&pd_rd_w=jBSfT&pd_rd_wg=aenPJ&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=HAZJPT342BYJYTMBPYP9&psc=1&refRID=HAZJPT342BYJYTMBPYP9)
you're not going to get tons of feedback because you've essentially asked this sub to help you steal from our favourite author.
buy the book
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600
Long run I would start at maybe 8:45, and then work down to 8:15ish. If you are going to do 1000 repeats, aim for your current 5k pace or maybe 5 seconds a mile faster with 3 minute rests. I would focus more on tempo runs for the summer, so 3 miles at a 7 minute pace, or 2x2 miles with a 2 minute rest in there and a couple mile warm up/cool down at easy pace.
You might check out summer of malmo, it is pretty much designed for someone like you doing summer work. Also check out Daniels Running Formula, and faster road racing. Daniels is where I pulled the training paces from, and faster road racing has base building plans which would help a great deal. You might be able to find them in a library, but I haven't seen them personally.
This book is good to help you learn about more about the science and ways to measure progress. It also includes some workouts and training plans. I believe that once you understand the "why" behind your training plans and runs, it will help you be a more focused runner. Advanced Marathoning
Why shouldn't you do that much speed work without much rest in between? Think of it this way - are you more likely to give 100% effort if you focus in on one speed session per week or five speed sessions per week?
Since we're all human, there's no way you can recover fully between each speed session if you don't rest adequately - so you end up doing each speed session at 75% of your max effort. Even though you're "working hard" by getting out here five times a week, you can see that each session doesn't get the full attention and effort it deserves - and this is sub-optimal for training.
From Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning, you need the following number of rest days for each type of workout:
So a sample workout for a marathon in aerobic development phase might be:
I highly suggest you read Advanced Marathoning. I'm trying to qualify as well, so good luck to you!
Training Essentials For Ultrarunning, by Jason Koop
Most importantly Listen to your body. I can promise you that you are pushing yourself hard enough but you may also be pushing yourself too hard. Here's some advice to improving your 5k times since you asked:
Resources:
Healthy Intelligent Training guidelines from an olympic caliber coach Arthur Lydiard I reccommend this book, though it doesnt' give you a training schedule it explains how to, most efficiently, improve your times and achieve your running goals no matter the distance
How to Use Fitness to Create Mental and Physical Strength for Life - Brendan Brazier is pretty great. The thrive in 30 series is easily digestible and full of fantastic information for the athlete within
What is VO2 max? nice summation of the physiology of high performance excercise
Metabolic acidosis lecture (Warning! Techincal!)
Natural running form
I hope this post can give you something to take away! Though I have given you information that you may feel is beyond where you want to go these principles will help you achieve whatever your goal is in the quickest and most efficient manner. Don't be intimidated this is all about fun and challenging yourself in a healthy way!
Sounds like you're ready for Pfitz. Many runners on here have used his book, myself included, to excellent results. Additionally you mention wanting longer runs than 16M, the backbone of Pfitz's plan is a LOT of long runs. He's known to drop "medium-long runs" on a Wednesday that are like 12-15 miles and then throw an 18-20 miler at you on the weekend.
The workouts aren't insane, but he definitely gets you with those long runs. If you stick true to the plan, choose the mileage that's right for you and come into the plan with the right base...you'll crush with Pfitz.
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger
Fun fact, I chose the name for this subreddit based on his book which I first read when I was 17 and training for the Marine Corps Marathon. Also a fun fact, I do not recommend getting into marathons at age 17. :)
I cannot recommend Jack Daniel's book enough! It has fantastic explaining training concepts and making it understandable. It also has specific training plans for every distance from the mile to the marathon.
The 2Q plan dictates two hard workouts per week. One is usually tempo or interval work, one is a long run. Other than those two workouts you just run easy whenever to meet a certain distance per week. I workout hard Tuesdays and Saturdays and then the rest of the week it doesn't matter which days or distances I run ... as long as I get my mileage for the week in.
Ones I have read and recommend:
Jack Daniels
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0X7U2S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1
Pfitz
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510544635&amp;sr=1-1-spell&amp;keywords=Pfitinger
Yessis
https://www.amazon.com/Explosive-Running-Science-Kinesiology-Performance/dp/0809298996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510544911&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=explosive+running
Noakes
https://www.amazon.com/Lore-Running-4th-Timothy-Noakes/dp/0873229592/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=3QK52ZDHZVX4K6QW383Q
Fitzgerald (one of several)
https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Training-Runners-Revolutionary-Endurance-ebook/dp/B000VMHHBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510544985&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=brain+training+for+runners
Ones I have not read but have heard good things about:
Hansons
https://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Your-Fastest-ebook/dp/B01C6FBGHW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510544663&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=hansons+running&amp;dpID=51L6b5-M7OL&amp;preST=_SY445_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch
Bill Squires
https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Endurance-Bill-Squires/dp/0977250504
Peter Coe
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Running-Successful-Racing-Training/dp/1852239972/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510544703&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=peter+coe&amp;dpID=51lmDYFDyLL&amp;preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&amp;dpSrc=srch
There is also an out of print (I think) book by Arthur Lydiard that is really good. And for that matter, I am not sure I linked the correct Bill Squires book. One is really good, while the other is an awful, watered-down version.
I have a pretty similar background. I ran in high school, then DIII in college, quit running for many years, got back to it as a pre-masters/masters runner. People kept asking me questions, so I started coaching for free. Then on a spare weekend, I got certified as a USATF level 1 coach, which is really fun. I really recommend it, since you're a T&F fan.
I have been told Higdon plan is not the best for a BQ time. I am currently trying for BQ as well and have been using Pfitzinger 70/18 plan. It's really rough because the first week you start is 53 miles. It tops out at 70mpw which is more than I have ran in a week before. I have been told maybe people have either lowered their time significantly or BQ'd using his plan.
If you are interested, here is an idea how the plan works. To get more in depth about his workouts (which ones are tempo and how fast to run on certain runs) I highly recommend his book. I've been running for about 4 years and learned so much after reading it.
>Do you think my initial goal (3:10) was unrealistic based on my mileage in training?
This question is based on the individual, however increasing your weekly mileage safely will not hinder your performance. There are plenty of people who run much faster on less mileage, but this does not mean that you can.
>Did I simply go out a bit too eager and pay the price?
The marathon is hard. Each race day is different, and with longer distances small things like a few degrees temperature difference take a toll later in the race. General consensus is that if you're running the second half slower than the first you went out too fast.
>If training could have yielded better results, would you put performance drop down to slight illness?
I'm sure getting sick didn't help, but knowing how much it may have slowed you is impossible to know.
>For next marathon, what would you recommend I do differently? I suppose more smart mileage.
Your previous PR times seems to scale pretty well, so I don't know what specifically you should do differently outside of the normal advice that more miles won't hurt.
The Higdon plans are pretty good and I've used them myself in the past. You'll find that many runners here in /r/AdvancedRunning "move up" to the plans in Advanced Marathoning , and Daniel's Running Formula. Advanced Running focuses more specifically on marathons, while the Daniel's book pretty deep into explaining the science being training.
Edit: spelling
read these:
I highly suggest picking up Jack Daniels Running Formula. It will describe what different running workouts are, what they will do for you as a runner, and will provide some training plans. As a coach you need to know your shit, so get to studying. Also, you need to be a leader, so you need to start running as well :)
Second Pfitzinger Faster Road Racing. Personally I think that's the best place to start.
Start with this, I would recommend you buy Healthy Intelligent Training by Keith Livingstone and Running with Lydiard by Arthur Lydiard.
Whether or not you hit the wall not only is a matter of training but also having and carrying out a solid in-race nutrition plan. The wall hits people because their lower bodies run out of glycogen, and they haven't sufficiently re-fueled those stores with carbohydrate during the race.
Matt Fitzgerald and the Hanson brothers are among the few experienced running writers who seriously get into fueling during races, and they may be worth a read for finer points.
But in general you need to work on fueling during long runs. Thankfully, Chicago's drink stations use Gatorade (which contains carbs; low-cal drinks like Ultima do not), and if you prefer to fuel that way you can practice hitting the Gatorade every 1.3 miles during training runs. You could also practice with gels or gummy-style fuel like Shot Bloks, but that gets a lot more pricey than Gatorade, and Gatorade has the added benefit of also rehydrating you.
Again, others get into the finer points of marathon fueling much better than I just did, but that's a place to start if you want to avoid the wall.
For the physiological underpinning of training, I second Science of Running and Daniel's Running Formula. That said, you can find a lot of info that's in the Science of Running book on Steve Magness's blog...which is also called Science of Running.
If you're looking for books that are more geared towards specific training plans for races, check out Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and/or the Hanson's Marathon Method (for marathons, duh). For shorter races, Pfitz also has Faster Road Racing and Road Racing for Serious Runners.
My favorite book on training -- from both a physiology and a specific training plan standpoint -- is Healthy Intelligent Training by Keith Livingstone. It's a very understandable and relatable interpretation of the Lydiard training philosophy, especially considering that Lydiard's own books were fairly vague and contradictory. Lydiard-style training sometimes gets a bad rap because it's "old" and "all long slow distance," but the underlying principle (push your fitness up from below with relatively lower intensity aerobic development while also maintaining constant leg speed drills) is still employed by most every serious coach and every serious distance runner -- especially at the professional level of the sport.
What's your normal training schedule like? Are you comfortable running 30 miles a week? 40? Do you want a plan to finish a marathon or a plan that will kick your ass for 18 weeks and set you up to race a marathon to the best of your ability?
The two most common plans are found in books (check your library): Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning 18/55 (18 weeks, peak mileage of 55 miles in one week) plan always gets solid reviews but if you've run once I don't know that you're ready for it.
Haonson's Marathon Method has a few differences but their beginner plan is effectively 13 weeks long and goes from 39 miles up to 57. Technically it's 18 weeks with the first 5 taking you from 10 -> 39 miles of easy running per week but I've yet to hear from anyone who relied on that.
In the just getting it done department, there is always Higdon check out his intermediate plan for something that runs from 23 -43 miles per week if the Novice looks too easy.
Has anyone checked out Training for the Uphill Athlete? It's geared towards running and skiing, but I wondering if it's also useful enough tool for backpackers before I drop $20 on a copy.
The best "Standard" deal is the
Platinum Annual
24 Credits/Yr.
You pay $9.57 per credit
$229.50 per year
That's always available and offers the most credits at the cheapest price per credit.
If you follow the Audible sub then you'll find signup deals on there from time to time. The last I took advantage of was the
Discount Gold Annual
12 Credits/Yr.
~$8.29 per credit
$99.50 a year
You could sign up for that one until April 5th. Sometimes if you call and ask you can still sign up for one of these deals, but I haven't done/tried that so I can't say much about it. I don't know of any sign-up deals going on right now, they usually happen around holidays.
Depending on the genres you enjoy, your best bang for your buck might be a Kindle Unlimited subscription and then picking up some cheap audiobooks through whispersync. You can pick up a KU subscription for $0.99 for two months (https://www.techbargains.com/deals/amazon-kindle-unlimited-membership) and if you hunt around you can find a bunch of good books for $1.99. It's mostly Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but as a few examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGX5GI/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SLWQGUM/
https://www.amazon.com/Thru-Hiking-Will-Break-Your-Heart-ebook/dp/B00W4RICAM
Those aren't endorsements, just examples (I've only read the first one, which I would endorse if you like Sci-Fi)
Beyond that if you like classics you can usually find some of those cheap:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Siddhartha-Audiobook/B07HK6JZSC
On occasion, if you go to cancel your subscription you'll be offered a deal to keep it. I haven't signed up for any of those, and don't know what those deals are, but it's an option.
Last but not least, you can just buy more credits. If you've run out of credits (or if you contact Audible Support) you can usually buy 3 credits for $36 ( I think that's the correct amount). I generally wouldn't recommend this option, it's a bit more expensive to buy the Gold Plan, but you get a year's membership with that. Whereas buying credits straight out still leaves you paying a monthly subscription as well.
Runner's world. Ugh. Stay away from that garbage, and definitely don't pay for anything from them. You won't get to sub 3 that way.
I know plenty of people use Pfitzinger (you'll see references to Pfitz 18/55 or Pfitz 18/70- 18 weeks, 55 or 70 miles a week). His book is only 14 bucks.
Also, I don't know if there are rules here against linking to letsrun, but there is some good stuff there about training & marathon training (more so in the past...these days, there's more garbage than good training advice).
Marathon training
Key marathon workouts from a Canova training program
You have to buy the book.
I started running in June with a 21:20 or so 5k, and I got down to 18:42 in October. I think I would have been low-18s in November, but I didn't manage to race.
What I did is: buy Daniels and follow it as closely as I was able. That's it.
Can't promise it will work work for you, but it did for me.
I went vegan this time last year and have since run 3 marathons. I don't take any supplements, but I recommend Daniel's Running Formula. I was surprised to learn that training for a marathon entails more than just packing on miles. Good luck.
Advanced Marathoning
has an incredible amount of information. I would have said my Garmin 410 was mvp, but i have a 6th place overall finish and 2 BQ's with a $10 Timex because of this book.
I recommend the plans in the book "Advanced Marathoning" by Pfitzinger. The plans themselves are simple, but definitely challenging. I think the lowest mileage plan peaks at about 55 miles, but the more mileage you are able to handle, the faster you will run the marathon. I first started out doing the 55 mile plan back in 2011 and ran a 2:52 marathon. The following year I tried the 85+ (peaking at around 110) and ran a 2:34 at Boston this year.
http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-Edition-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600
Skurka's 2nd edition book is excellent.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=dp_ob_title_sports
Hi!
I am new to this as well. I've found a few different websites that have been very helpful for me.
Andrew Skurka's blog - Has a lot of great information in it. If you have some extra cash I highly recommend his book The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide
Paul's blog - Gives a different perspective on things. Has budget friendly lists to work with.
I also have really liked the reviews from Man Makes Fire it has helped me tremendously with my gear selection.
/r/running has some excellent advice from regular users, many of whom are quite fast and experienced. They just don't take well to random posts like, "I ran my first 5k today!" and "How do I stop having to poop mid-run?!" and "It's cold out what do I wear?" and "My shin hurts, is running not for me?" The weekly threads are where it's at, in particular Super Moronic Monday (posted on Tuesdays) and the weekly Training Thread (Sunday? I can't recall).
For more specific, constant training advice, /r/advancedrunning, no question. There are professional runners on there, as well as no shortage of national-level sub-elite runners (all distances generally 800m+) and regional/local elites (for running this would mostly correspond to men ~16:00 in the 5k, women ~18:00 in the 5k... so still athletes with loads of competitive training experience).
I'd recommend that OP pick up Daniels' Running Formula, an excellent resource with plenty of information on 800m/1500m training, as well as training for longer distances.
Science
Training
This is a very very basic question and there aren't any real "tips".
Your best bet is to following a training program and see how it treats you. Most people recommend Jack Daniels or Pfitzinger.
there are a lot more training options other than Hal Higdon!
Pfitzinger
Daniels
Hansons
to name just a few
A 4-day training schedule?! Mine took 12 weeks! :-)
It's possible your pace was simply too high, causing you to deplete your glycogen stores. How did you choose your goal pace?
Did you refuel and rehydrate during your first marathon? Can you give details, e.g. how many gels or sports drinks you consumed during the race? A common recommendation is to take one gel per half hour if you're drinking water, or less if you're drinking sports drink.
What plan did you follow? What was your peak weekly mileage? Increasing your weekly mileage is the most straightforward way to improve marathon success. If you have time to run 5-6 days per week, check out the Hansons Method. They emphasize high mileage, but mostly easy runs.
The two you've found are great first reads. Definitely pick those up!
Are you interested in stories as well as tips? I really enjoyed "Thru-hiking will break your heart" by Carrot Quinn.
Cam Honan has a book list you might check out: http://www.thehikinglife.com/resources/books-for-hikers-and-backpackers/
Before hiking in 2016, I read Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart and Hiker Trash both of which I thought presented accurate descriptions for what it's really like to hike the PCT. Not the most thrilling reads, but worth it if you're considering doing the PCT.
If you like going for day hikes, I strongly recommend this book.
It's full of walks that can be done as a daytrip from London; routes are usually point-to-point from one train station to another, so no car needed. We've done several walks and have loved them - my favourite is the Boxhill one.
Two great books with excellent marathon training plans are:
Both have good intermediate plans in the ~50-55 mpw range that take 12-18 weeks. They also both contains tons of good info for a new marathoner.
Good luck!
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning is what you want. It covers all the important things to be competitive and put together a great training plan. He's also a coach for many top level ultra athletes, like Timothy Olsen.
It doesn't provide out of the box plans, but it describes plan creation in details and with examples so you can make your own.
Pfitzinger Advanced Marathoning is what I base most of my training on. The first time I did one of his plans is the major turning point from me being "meh" to actually kind of decent at marathons.
Daniels' Running Formula is a staple, with a wider focus. I tend to lift specific workouts/weeks from his plans.
Hansons also has a great reputation, but I haven't used it personally. They mainly approach it as trying to train you to run the last part of the marathon.
Hal Higdon has good plans if your goal is to just finish and not die.
Most of these guys have plans for various levels of runner. The "easiest" Pfitz plan peaks at about 55 miles per week. Daniels is more "you pick your peak mileage, and then adjust according to a % for each week". It is pretty important to not bite off more than you can chew. As you learned, the most important thing is to get to the start line healthy.
There are a variety of different training plans. The two I think are best are either Pfitzinger or Daniels depending on your preference.
Pfitzinger really pounds out the miles, but does so in a way that makes the miles count. There's a logic behind the madness. With Daniels the 2 quality workouts get really specific. The book goes into detail what the E, R, H, T, & M paces mean, why its important to run at each pace, and the logic behind the structure of the workouts.
I followed the training plan in this book for my first marathon:
http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1322771448&amp;sr=8-1
My best recommendations are for you to respect the distance and not ramp up your mileage too quickly.
Edit: Words
First change is you need more variability both in your pace (easy runs should be A LOT easier), and you should vary your weekly mileage as well. Every 3rd week or so do a week of lower mileage to let your body recover.
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Plug your most recent 5k into this calculator https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/ , and you'll see your correct training paces.
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I'd keep ht monday 5miles with 3 at tempo (your tempo pace is close to where it should be based on your 5k time), but for sure add in some much slower easier runs (perhaps on non-recovery weeks you can do 1 longer (10+ mi) easy run and a few shorter runs instead of a bunch of moderately hard runs in the 5-8 mile range).
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Check out a book like Faster Road Racing (https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Road-Racing-Half-Marathon/dp/1450470459) for programs, or even an online program like Hal Hidgon if you want to do a half marathon with a training plan
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> I am not sure if just running 5km each day and slowly getting faster is the best way to go?
This is a common mistake, since it seems like it should work. It won't. Training like this will lead you to plateau very quickly. If you do break 18 using this method, you probably could have gone much faster with smarter training.
Check out Pete Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing: http://amzn.com/1450470459. Follow the section on building up a base and then choose a 5K training plan based on your goal mileage. Get a heart rate monitor and follow Pete's advice on run pacing. It's a lot of information to digest, but sub-18 is a pretty big ask and requires smart training. Even if you don't break 18, you'll know more about running and racing than most people.
Good luck!
Read Pfitz. You can totally kill that PR.
For your mornings, there's a few options for shorter hikes in the front range. Flattop mountain from Glen Alps Trailhead might be tolerable in the morning (crazy crowded on a nice summer evening). Near Point is another good, relatively quick hike.
For your several days free, I'd recommend shelling out a few bucks for 55 Ways (Amazon link), it will save me typing and the inevitable omission of good suggestions.
I will say, if you're on a moto, you pretty much gotta head out toward Glennallen, past the Matanuska Glacier and Lion's Head.
I learned too late to save me any money but if I knew then, or if the one thing I wish I'd known; go UL (ultra light). The lighter and smaller your kit the more places you can go. My current set up can be put into a backpack and making ten or twenty miles a day on trail. Put into water proof stuff sacks and strapped to my mountain bike or slid into the cargo holds of my kayak. Add my fly fishing kit and throw it all in my Jeep.
If this sounds good then I would read Andy Skurka's gear book.
I'd recommend picking up a few books. Ultralight Backpackin' Tips by Mike Clelland, and Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka for starters. These will help you a ton.
Then, what was just said, ask yourself with each item, "Am I packing my fears?" "Do I really need this?" and "What would realistically happen if I left this at home?" I'm seeing a ton of unnecessary and/or redundant stuff, not to mention all the heavy stuff.
For example, paracord, multitool, lantern, lots of heavy stuff sacks, an ultra-heavy water reservoir, full bottle of soap (you only need a few drops of that stuff), 3 heavy knives (a tiny swiss army classic or even a razor blade would do the trick), tons of excessive, heavy and redundant clothing (use a simple, versatile layering system with no redundancy), etc. Your first aid kit weighs almost 13oz! You can easily make a good one for under 3. You have a space blanket and two redundant fire starters (emergency only items) when you are carrying a gas stove and a sleeping bag (actual versions of the things your survival kit is supposed to improvise). The list is quite long.
Also, I'd take a serious look at some of the UL/SUL hammock guys on YouTube and get some ideas from their videos on how to dramatically simplify and lighten your hammock system. It seems incredibly complicated and heavy to me, esp. based on what I've seen online from other Hammock guys. For instance, a +6oz gear pouch? A suspension system that weighs more than your actual hammock? Yikes. Definitely take a look at lots of the lighterpack links you see in people's flairs on here too and just get some ideas for how to simplify, reduce, and eliminate items in your gear list. YouTube is your friend. There are tons of UL and SUL guys on there who camp in Hammocks. Learn from their experience and save yourself from having to re-live their mistakes.
Good luck and have fun! I know it probably seems overwhelming now, but just whittle down one thing at a time and you'll get there. You're already off to a good start with having all your gear in a list online to create accountability and show you the true weights of everything. It's fun to see how light you can go with your gear list and your back will thank you for it!
As a newb, and with slightly different goals (more interested in motocamping, than backpacking, personally), I may be mistaken, but I don't think there is a list. Identify your goals and your needs, and that will inform your gear decisions.
I'd recommend checking out Andrew Skurka's book. It's well-written, and informative. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1505101910&amp;sr=8-1
There's also some good info on his website if you want to save a few dollars (I haven't looked too much into the site, so I don't know how much the site and the book differ).
The sidebar here has some links that look really promising, and there are plenty of shake-down requests you can read to get an idea of what you might want.
You should check out Jack Daniels Running Formula, it is a wealth of information for training and covers almost everything you're asking about including breathing, pace, cadence, as well as training plans for runners of all paces. You can find it [here] (http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836) on Amazon for about 20 bucks!
Daniels has some "Running for Fitness" plans in his book. I highly recommend it.
Daniels' Running Formula has a chapter on 1,500 to 2-mile training. That book is pretty well respected in general, but I've never trained for those distances so I'll let others speak to the quality of the specific mile training advice he gives.
I highly suggest reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/Koerners-Field-Guide-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon/dp/1937715221
It will provide you with way more information than I can. It even has training plans.
But, my advice to you is: just focus on finishing. It is your first ultra distance race, there is no need to go out super hard. Also: eat fruit, peanut butter, and other simple foods while training. These foods will be available at the aid stations during the race.
https://www.amazon.com/Training-Essentials-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon-Performance/dp/1937715450
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This is the only one I know of by a coach. The other ultra books are usually by elite athletes, which, while interesting, usually only offer up what has worked for them (which is not always the best idea for amateurs/not always backed up by data).
Have you heard of the Hansons Marathon Method?
Hansons First Marathon: Step Up to 26.2 the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715795/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F-b2CbYJDP0PT
Hansons Half-Marathon Method: Run Your Best Half-Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715191/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w1b2CbF4SNEZR
Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nSb2CbR4V7518
Once you get into the longer distances, it's worth buying a book on the program you will use. You can find the plan online for free but it's best to understand the ins and outs of a program so you are following it correctly. The hansons marathon method is amazing. The book is structured to help you understand what running does to your body, how to adapt your body through the various workouts (how to do the workouts and which paces) and the concept of cumulative fatigue. It goes over goal selection, the workouts, schedule modifications, diet, rest, cross training, etc.
Luke Humphrey has online community forums (Facebook and elsewhere) as well as blogs and podcasts that help to reinforce the content of the book.
I was amazed at the quality of the program and I'm a full believer in the program. I used this program for my first marathon and I'm starting it again in July for the Philly marathon.
This Timeout book has some really nice walks in it and they are all designed to be accessible by train in around an hour from London.
Get the Time Out Book of Country Walks - lots of good options and it was written for just the question you have.
They also do a really good book of walks in London, which is a brilliant way to see the city that will make you better informed than most Londoners.
UK store links for those interested.
There are some plans in the following two books:
I personally didn't follow any plan but made sure for the training to be specific - on trails similar to what I expected in the race and with similar elevation gain per mile. I focused on back to back long runs on weekends, a lot of climbing, and less on the distance. I don't think I ever did more than may be 45-50 miles per week for any of my 50 milers or 100K races but made sure to hit close to 8,000-10,000 ft of gain per week on my peak weeks.
For my first 50-miler, I used Hal Koerner's plan that can be found in the back of his book--and also with a quick Google search.
Basically, his plan had me doing an hour of running each day (6-9miles) during the week. And, then the weekends were back-to-back long runs.
I usually run everything under 12miles at about a 7min/mile clip. On the weekends, I'd find my way to the trails and work on slowing down and just covering the mileage, but even then, my pace was no slower than 10min/mile.
Since I live in such a flat location, I told myself I would run faster each run to make up for the lack of elevation & altitude training. And, it worked. I got to the start line on race day and felt amazing. I finished that day and my legs still felt really great (I had other issues, but it was due to my poor eating). If you need a race recap, here's mine.
I would highly suggest Hal's plans, as I just used his to attempt my first 100-miler in September. I had to quit at mile-77 with a pretty badly sprained ankle, but my legs were feeling great. I really think his plans are quite good. I'm modifying his 100-mile plan right now to take another shot at 100-miles in December.
Grab Jason Koop’s book, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance
I'd take what I say with a pinch of salt since I have no professional experience in this space. Could explain why you understood half of what I said. I may have only made half sense! ;)
Anyway, EB does give you reading material and a brief rational behind why he programs the week and quarters into the way he does. I don't think there is much on Zones. Well, he uses colours to denote intensities. So similar to a Zone based system. Zone intensity systems have mixed definitions. I was referring to the classic and popular 1-5 system. Where 1-2 you can still hold a conversation, 3 you are hitting your aerobic capacity limit, and 4-5 you are hitting your lactic threshold (anaerobic zones).
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As to books, this isn't crossfit and is heavily geared towards endurance based training but I am currently reading this and loving it as it breaks down a lot of what goes on internally when you start to slow down: "Training for the Uphill Athlete" - https://www.amazon.com/Training-Uphill-Athlete-Mountain-Mountaineers/dp/1938340841
Former 400: 52, 800: 156, 1609: 427 runner here.
I'm guessing your season starts in about March so I wouldn't make any big changes. Running miles in the morning can be useful if you're prepared for it. I'd be interested in what your mileage is before recommending doing morning runs.
Calisthenics is a great idea, getting more speed is always a plus. Coach jay johnson is great for strength training for running. http://coachjayjohnson.com/
I'd make the calisthenics apart of your weight lifting routine. Also be careful with the weight lifting if you are inexperienced. Lifts that are good for the 800 are important to do properly. Squats, cleans etc. I'd stick to box jumps, weighted step ups, calf raises, air squats, lunges (weighted or not weighted), push ups/pull ups.
Sleep, i'm sure you've heard it but this is pivotal.
Stretching is another one that can get overlooked.
I wouldn't do anything to crazy 2 months out. But after your season is over I'd take a look at some different training books. Jack Daniels book or peter coe's book and take some advice from those.
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Running-Successful-Racing-Training/dp/1852239972
https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Jack-ebook/dp/B00F0X7U2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1485570976&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=daniels+running+formula
> In short, any rep range will build some strength, hypertrophy and endurance.
I think this is an incredibly important statement. As a runner for over 30-years now I've had many people tell me things like "yeah but that's just building endurance" which is totally false. As I got in to better running shape my speed and strength naturally increased as well. No, running 5-milers isn't the most efficient way to train for the 100m but yes your speed at the 100m will increase (up to a point) as you get in to better distance shape.
Citation: https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-Jack-ebook/dp/B00F0X7U2S
Read Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing, have some coffee, go to the gym and get on an spinbike, swim and work on that core that always gets overlooked.
A lot of people around here recommend Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning. I just started one of his plans so I can't speak too much on how much improvement I've made personally.
He lists specific heart rate zones for every type of workout that you will do on his plan. It takes out the guesswork of always trying to run a specific pace. Basically, your heart rate dictates the pace you run each workout.
I've noticed that I have to run slower than usual to keep my heart rate in the correct zone (just like OP says in his blog.) After just 4 weeks I've noticed that I'm running faster at a lower heart rate and my resting heart rate is almost 5% lower.
I'm a bit rusty on the science and don't have my trusty copy of Advanced Marathoning with me but I'll give it a shot!
>But what's the point of that mileage? I prob don't reach the fat >burning (over glycogen) point that I would from a long run
>(17+miler).
Becoming more efficient at burning fat can be important but it's not the purpose of most your long runs because if all goes well, you shouldn't have to burn fat in the marathon.
Really, marathon training is getting your body storing as much glycogen as possible while burning it at efficiently as possible. That's because when you run out you start burning fat (requiring a lot more O2) and you hit the wall.
>It's also not helping with speed.
Real speed work is barely featured in marathon training. In the last couple of weeks leading up to the marathon you'll see some 400s etc as a sharpening workout but otherwise it's pretty useless because you'll never see it i the race. Longer intervals like mile repeats, 2 mi, 5k are useful to improve aerobic efficiency. I'll usually do one workout a week like this.
>And intuitively, I would think that taking a day off would be better for >recovery than doing a short and easy run.
>Wouldn't I run better/smarter if I prioritized each of my workouts (my >long runs, intervals, tempo) and gave it 100% rather than struggle to >complete them b/c of fatigue for instance?
Ah but marathon training is about running when you're not fully recovered. How else do you teach your body to recover more quickly? How else do you encourage it to store more glycogen and use it more efficiently? How else do you learn to run on tired legs? Don't take me wrong, you shouldn't be struggling to complete them but you shouldn't feel fresh either.
edit: Check out the weekly marathon training thread over at LetsRun to see what type of training people are doing. You'll see guys who are OT qualifiers and others who are like you shooting for Boston. Pay attention to the easy mileage they're running compared to the workouts.
I used a modified version of Hal Higdon's for my first half marathon. Actually I pretty much just ran 5-6 days a week with one long run a week, adding a mile each week and topping off at 12.5 miles a few weeks before the race.
I would suggest reading Pfitzinger's Avdanced Marathoning and adjusting the training schedule to be for distances for the half. A 12 week program might be enough for the half.
Try and run on segements of the course for some of your long runs and if you can't make it to the course try and train for the same elevation profile as the race you'll be running. Best of luck, with 3 months to go you should have no problem racking that 7 mile long run up to 12+
+1 to the library (that's how I first got a hold of the plans), but FWIW, I've had great success with Pfitz's training plans and think the $18+ for the book is well worth it, given the price you'd pay for other quality training plans out there.
For the 5K (and shorter than marathon distance), there's Pfitz's Faster Road Racing.
For the marathon distance, there's his Advanced Marathoning.
It's very doable to aim for 5-7 hours of sleep and be plenty rested for that regimen. Also "50+" is a huge range, and there's a massive difference between the needs of someone running 50MPW (which is still on the border between a 'casual' and 'semi serious' runner) and someone running 100MPW. I was recently reading about one of the authors of this book who was averaging 70 MPW and peaked at 125, all while working 45+ hours per week and freelance writing. So it's totally possible to make the time even if you're busy. It's just a matter of what you make time for in life.
It all depends on the kind of shape they're in. This included my own mother when she was sedentary and wanted to get into shape like the people I coached. She was overweight and about 60 at the time. In one year she went from couch potato to finishing a half marathon in 2:45ish with no injuries and maintained that on her own after for several years.
For someone who is healthy, active, and only 23: read up on the best way to race a 5k, then go run the 5k. You should feel like you are about to vomit and fall over right after you cross the finish line. From there you can put together a good baseline.
Check out Daniels Running Formula for a chart/graph that you could then use for all sorts of paces. It's one of the best books for medium distance I found. If you want to specifically go for marathons, after you've done your first transition to Advanced Marathoning for some amazing training schedules.
Maybe check out Advanced Marathoning and pick a plan that best suites your desires and ability.
Running for My Life-Lopez Lomong Amazing true story from being one of the Lost Boys of Sudan to Olympian.
Running with the Buffaloes-Chris Lear A look inside one of the countries premier cross country programs
Two Hours-Ed Caesar History of modern marathoning and the quest to go under 2 hours.
The Science of Running-Steve Magness For if you want to take your training to the next level!
You may find this book useful. Or you can do some research here, here, or here.
Here are some hikes that fit what you're looking for. I'm going to assume "mild" elevation means under 1500 feet of gain.
There are things you know you know... 1+1=2
There are things you know you don't know... square root of 1 is?
Then there are things you don't know you don't know... I wasn't even aware there was a hiking trail going from ME to CA.
Yeah, it can be hard finding out that 3rd one. As a college student have they taught you how to google?
I'm not joking: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+hike+the+pacific+crest+trail
> Any tidbit of advice
Yes, read the PCTA's FAQ which answers all your questions... https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/
Read Ray Jardine's book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931
Read the 1000's of other books on how to backpack.
Watch the tons of hiking "movies". https://www.backpacker.com/stories/the-best-books-movies-about-thru-hiking (that is a tiny portion of all the content out there)
Read the dozens of posts on this very forum posting gear lists (aka "shakedown") for their upcoming thru hikes: https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/search?q=shakedown&restrict_sr=1&t=year
Read this forum's sidebar of links. One of the most helpful ones are these annual surveys of thru hikers: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/pacific-crest-trail/
So I was drafting a blog post on books this weekend. Copypasta:
Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide - Andrew Skurka
Ultralight Backpacking Tips - Mike Clelland
Lightweight Backpacking and Camping - Ryan Jordan
Trail Life: Ray Jardine's Lighweight Bapackpacking
Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking
Here is one option:
Pick up Andrew Skurka's book on gear.
The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide, Second Edition: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail https://www.amazon.com/dp/1426217846/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kbrSAbAWHJAHE
Since you have the running background and are interested in improvement, I'd recommend picking up a book from one of the better known coaches. Two very well-regarded resources are Pete Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing or Jack Daniels Running Formula. For more information on different training plans, check out the Summer Series from /r/AdvancedRunning.
Not only will you find training plans for various distances, but you can read about the philosophy behind the training: What is the purpose of each run you do? How do you structure a training plan for optimal performance?
Edit: And now that I see what the bot linked, I HIGHLY recommend reading /u/itsjustzach's Bicentennial Race Report.
They're all terms from Daniel's Running Formula, a fairly technical book on run training.
1 - I just finished Running for Fitness (recommended on the wiki). What is a peak as in the program here? Is this the same as a tapering phase? If so then what's happing here between the peak and the taper?
2 - According to Running for Fitness you can run a 5k or 10k just about every weekend. Since you tend to reduce mileage towards the end of a program would I continue that reduced mileage if I want to continue racing every 2-3 weeks or so? How about 1-2 months?
3 - Is Running Formula a good book to learn about running 5k and 10k (I plan to really only run these)? Any other recommendations?
I definitely think you can get it or come pretty close. You clearly have some solid natural talent and those lifetime miles always help, even if its been a while. Plus the fact that you haven't put on weight helps too.
I think it depends on what type of training you respond to best, but from reading Daniels and Pfitz books recently, there are sort of the 4 types of training that are important for the 5K. Easy aerobic runs/long runs, tempo(about what you could run for an hour or so), interval/V02 max(3k-5k pace) and repetition/speed(about mile pace or so). I think tempo and V02 are more important than the speed in the 5k so those should be the focus.
For a 5k time of 17:00 you want to be hitting tempo workouts around 5:54. Things like 4-6x1 mile with 1 min rest, 2-3x2 mile with 2 min rest, or a 4 mile tempo run. For the V02 stuff you want to be at around 5:25 mile pace or 2:42 800 pace. Workouts like 8x800 with 2 minutes jog. 6x1000 with 2-3 min jog. 5x1200 with 3 min jog. The shorter faster stuff is around mile pace. so 75 and under for 400 or 37 and under for 200. Workouts like 200 repeats with 200 jog or 400 repeats with 400 jog.
Maybe try to do any two of those workouts each week and a long run and you can get there I think. One week do a tempo workout and speed. Then the next week V02 and tempo. The week after V02 and speed. Try to get all those systems working. I would say try to make sure you can get your long run up to 10-13 miles or so.
These are what you should be running for a 17 min 5K, so its fine that you work into it. If it means slower pace or less reps, cool. These are just some benchmarks that to shoot for as you get closer to the race. Obviously if you can't handle the 2 quality sessions and a long run right now, back off a little and stick to the tempo and V02 stuff once a week and alternate them maybe. You can always do strides after runs or 200s after tempo workouts to keep some turnover going.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a book if you are serious about it so you can understand why you are doing these workouts instead of listening to me on the internet haha.
http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
http://www.amazon.com/Faster-Road-Racing-Half-Marathon/dp/1450470459/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1456842179&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=pete+pfitzinger
Good luck. Keep us posted.
The purpose of long runs is to build mitochondria and capillary beds. This takes time. You won't see immediate results. How long have you been running and how long are your slow runs?
A general rule of thumb is that 80% of your running should be at a slow pace. But this rule applies to runners who have built up their base mileage. You need to go base to square 1 and continue building base mileage by strictly running easy runs. Probably your 10 min per mile pace, but as long as it is in heart rate zone 2 (aerobic) or lower, you're good. These easy runs are critically important for building aerobic capacity and strengthening your skeletal system (including tendons/ligaments/joints). If you skip this base building phase, your risk of injury can be dramatically higher. All new runners should be running all of their runs at an easy pace. I can't stress to you how important this is. If you want to get faster or be a lifelong runner, the month or two this will take is a drop in the bucket in terms of time.
Speed work during this base building phase can be done as strides. Add them into your easy runs once or twice per week. Strides are 15-20 second bouts that are run at mile pace. They are NOT sprints. You won't be running on the balls of your feet. After each stride, you'll recover over the course of 90-120 seconds. Long enough that your heart rate settles. Then you can start the next one. Do the strides at the end of your easy run. Start with 5 strides once per week. You can begin increasing the number and frequency that you do them each week. These will help improve your running economy and get your body accustomed to running at faster paces.
You can safely add 10% more miles each week. Get your mileage up to 25 miles per week for a couple weeks, then you can begin doing other speed work like intervals and repetitions.
I'm speaking to you as someone who followed these rules to a T since May of this year. When I started in May I was slow. Frustratingly slow. But I stuck with the plan and got my miles up. Then I added speed work. Here's my progression since May.
Month | Mileage | Avg Pace (min/mi)
-----|--------|--------
May | 24| 11:18
June | 51| 11:02
Jul | 91| 10:22
Aug | 119| 9:44
Sept | 162| 9:43
Oct | 103| 9:01
Note that the average pace listed is the average for all miles run during that month. I just ran a 5k over the weekend in 19:46 (6:22 min/mile). I'm not young either, 36.
Be patient. Slowly add miles. Train smartly and you won't get injured.
If you want a book to follow, get Daniels' Running Formula. He lays everything out that you need to do. Once you get your base mileage down, he has speed workouts in there that will kick your ass and make you faster.
It sounds like you're taking enough recovery then. If I were you I'd also look into buying the Dr. Jack Daniels running book; https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Jack/dp/1450431836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502830279&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Jack+Daniels+running+book . This will give you a good idea of what splits should look like for certain paces across most workouts and races. Just seeing the runners world plan means you're just seeing basically one out of 70 plus columns from the book with no reference of what your splits are actually suggesting you are capable of. This book is truly a running bible and will help you better understand your training now and into the future.
Gotcha. Well, you have the benefit of not having a hard deadline to meet these goals, so that pressure is off!
Hope that helps.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I have read a lot, so I will give you some of my thoughts based on my readings. However, I highly recommend you research this yourself, and thus draw your own meanings. My two favourite books are Road Racing for Serious Runners by Pete Pfitzinger and Daniels' Running Formula by Jack Daniels.
For your "high quality" long runs, Pftizinger recommends doing them twice out of every three long runs (so take it easier every 3rd week). His quality long run is the progression run, where you start ~1:30 slower than your marathon pace and end the run ~45s slower than your marathon pace.
Daniels in his half marathon training plan has a number of different quality long runs. One is 10% of your weekly mileage at marathon pace, while another is a variety of intervals of easy, marathon, and threshold pace.
As a word of advice, don't do your long runs at your half marathon pace. Generally, tempo runs are run at 15k-half marathon pace and you would never do a tempo run for that long. Doing your long runs too hard will force a longer recovery, and your other workouts will suffer (according to Pfitz).
Faster Road Racing: 5K to Half Marathon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1450470459/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-R6bAbHH6CD30
Of course not!
I'm using a bit of a hybrid of a a 5K training plan and a half-marathon training plan from Faster Road Racing (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Road-Racing-Peter-Pfitzinger-x/dp/1450470459)
Typically six days a week, Monday a rest day. Typically two proper speed work sessions during the week. This week, for example, on Wednesday I did 1,200m, 800m and 800m off 50% interval time recovery, x2. I swapped out today's speed work for actually 'racing'. But yeah, two proper sessions a week (with a longer endurance run at the weekend, although when I move into the more half-marathon focussed stuff there tends to be a couple of longer runs with one of the speed sessions during the week being replaced by a longer run).
https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Road-Racing-Half-Marathon/dp/1450470459
It never hurts to add a faster day a week if you feel up to it - and that can be the 4th short run OR the middle section of a longer day - but mostly I meant to simply add more easy mileage. You can look at Higdon as linked above, or even some of the more advanced, structured plans; those though you'd need to work up to consistently running probably 25-30 MPW over 5 days per week before jumping on to them.
You might want to invest in a copy of Pfitz's Faster Road Racing, where the lowest volume half marathon plan starts at 30 mpw and a 10 mile long run.
I am no expert, but I have read several different plans now. I think it's fair to say that with ~20 mpw currently, you would likely be happier come race day if you prioritize building up gradually (~+10% mpw) but fairly steadily (recover/consolidate every 4th week) to 35-40 mpw instead of your target 25-30 and spread over 5 days instead of your target 3-4. You can do three quality runs a week at this volume -- a couple of threshold/tempo intervals/runs (might want to base one on hills) and a long run -- with the others be easy/recovery runs. The other runs can incorporate some strides.
A valuable part of a formal training plan is getting the taper right, but you can probably piece this together from internet sources.
It's in Pete Pfitzinger's Faster Road Racing. It has a ton of other helpful information, exercises/stretches, and training plans, but if you just want the plan pm me and I can send it to you when I get back to my apartment later tonight. I know there's a pdf of the book floating around somewhere though, I remember finding it but I don't remember where unfortunately.
Definitely possible. I went from 290lbs couch potato to 230lbs full marathoner in 11 months. Big help was "The Non Runner's Marathon Trainer"
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823
Someone on here recommended The Furnam First program to me.
Here's a PDF
but I ended up picking up this book:
Run Less, Run Faster
I've only just started after doing a half marathon just a hair under 2hrs... my goal is to get a bit more comfortably under 2hrs now.
The main crux of it is pushing your body faster so it adapts to running faster. 3 runs a week: Speed run, tempo runs and long runs.
I did the first tempo run on Sunday and bailed after 2/3rd's because it was hot as shit and I couldn't do that pace in that heat. Did some speed work at the track this morning and bailed again after 2/3rd's because I had to get home and get the kids up!
I'm probably not selling it but the idea interested me so I'm going to keep going and see what happens... I have another half in December
Some questions in regards to the no stretch and no cool down: how are your performances? How much have you improved since you started running? Do you have any justifications for not? Also there is some research on the less is more theory. There is actually a whole book on it.. called [Run Less. Run Faster](
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1609618025/ref=mp_sim_p_dp_3?pi=SL500_SY125&amp;qid=1347257908&amp;sr=8-1)
I think this article is great. The author asks a lot of interesting questions. Then he postulates some theories around what is known and what is practiced. I'd love to see some research on the cool down effect planned over a periodized season. I would think the people who put in cool downs after intervals, tempos, races, etc will be more prepared for end-season tapers and championships than their non-cooling down counter part.
It depends on your goal. You have plenty of time to train properly for a December Marathon, if you desire the challenge of moving up in distance. On the other hand, some people prefer to work on their speed at shorter races before moving up in distance. That's less common these days, but it's a legitimate strategy.
Higdon, Pfitzinger, and Hanson have good books that offer training plans. You could do well with any of them.
thank you very much for your detailed response, this totally sounds like me and wow your race times sound fantastic to me, I will be giving the 18/55 a try I think for my next serious marathon (phuket in June) perhaps I can cut the first week of the 18/55 plan to make the timeline fit.
i am assuming you are talking about this book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600
I will get that and have a read and then probably do the 18/55 first before trying the 18/70
1 More question on a practicality side, I have tried plans from books before and have never found a simple system of transferring everything into a readable format that I could pin on the fridge. do you tend to create a excel spreadsheet of simply copy the page in the book (I am assuming sometimes dates and rest days have to be shuffled around cause life gets in the way) or do you not keep a log that way?
thanks again for your help :)
Am I shooting too high??
I'll try to keep this question as short as possible..
For my PRs I was at 25 miles per week, currently I am at 35ish and building. Added to that, I have been focusing on triathlon 'til now (and will continue to do so to some extent) and have gotten 2-3 miles swimming and 50-80 miles biking in per week.
Just over a year ago my untrained (as a runner, I played lots of ice hockey) PRs were:
I bought this book (Advanced Marathoning) an plan on following it as closely as possible, with some triathlon modifications, but my main focus is going to be running.
This will be my first marathon, but I've done a couple half-ironmans so I do know what suffering at the end of a race feels like, although I understand that marathon suffering can be even worse if one does not train properly. So /r/running... am I setting myself up for disappointment or is this an ambitions yet realistic goal (the kind I like)?
Its a period of time in between a microcycle (e.g. a week) and a macrocycle (e.g. 5 months marathon buildup and recovery).
Pfitzinger splits a macrocycle into 5 mesocycles for the marathon. Each mesocycle focuses on a particular aspect of preparation for a race.
Running with the Buffaloes was an inspiration for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Running-Buffaloes-Wetmore-University-Colorado/dp/0762773987
If you're into NCAA XC, you should check out Running With the Buffaloes. I'm (obviously) biased as fuck, but it's a great read, even if you aren't a CU fan.
I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Running with the Buffaloes -- this should easily make it into your top 5.
I had the same question recently. Apparently you can get it in your local library. I personally wanted to own it.
The Trail Life version is (from what I’m told) an updated version of Beyond Backpacking. Which you can get USED for around $10.
Here:
Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardines Guide to Lightweight Hiking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0963235931/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KECMDb5JW62JC
It’s worth getting. Even just for the first few chapters about Rays take on the compounding gear philosophy: lighter gear let’s you travel further which in turns changes your gear needs enabling you to carry less and in turn hike even further and more comfortably.
(Tbh IMO the book should be required reading for r/UL whether you agree with everything in there or not).
I appreciate your enthusiasm. I'd first gear up the mind by browsing (amazon) Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. And, Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking. I have personally gained allot from both of these books.
The first has some good info on survival techniques. How to think in survival situations. Building shelters, finding water, food etc...
Rays book focuses on a minimalist approach to back country camping. He does a lot of gear redesign. Using hi-tech materials and simplified gear to reduce unnecessary weight while allowing you to have a less burdensome back country camping experience.
If you are new at camping, wrap you hands around that idea and start off learning the basics while car camping. Get your gear setup. Dial it in. Give yourself a lesson or two to learn each time you go. Once you get the basics down, then move on to some more advanced stuff.
Learning edible plants is a great skill to have. Also remember, some plants can kill you! 20 miles deep in the woods, slightly dehydrated with a bad case of the runs, and a cold front coming in spells ugly. Just sayin.. please be safe.
Read Skurka gear guide before you buy anything & Ultralight Backpackin' Tips to get you in "UL mode', there rest will be sort of easy..
Learn to love trail runners - it changed everything for me
the bible
Your mileage may vary with that.
Perhaps a better option, I've always liked the idea of hanging topo-maps on my walls when they aren't in use, just never got around to buying an actual map (so much more convenient to print it from caltopo).
Most of the stuff you mentioned will depend on the hiker's personality and what they like - I don't have a use for keychains - even if they are cool, they will end up in a drawer and I won't feel bad about that. On the other hand, I would adore a book thats simply pictures of various trails around my area, doesn't even have to have words (though a rough idea of the area they were taken at sure helps for when I see those amazing views and want to go inspect up close). Still, my hiking buddy is the exact opposite.
^^You ^^seriously ^^can ^^never ^^go ^^wrong ^^with ^^park ^^passes ^^though
Wildland firefighter here. I like to hike/walk my dog and/or run about 4-5 days a week all winter. I work out in the gym 2-3 days/week, focusing mostly on legs. Upper body is kinda 'meh' I just aim to be able to do like 15 pull ups. I'd suggest Daniel's Running Formula if you're starting totally from scratch.
daniels' running formula
its more than a training plan...its science.
https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-Jack/dp/1450431836
Googled
Also, if anyone is interested in learning more about vo2 max stuff and/or especially running training, I highly recommend you check out Jack Daniels' Running Formula (the physiologist not the distiller). He lays out all that stuff pretty well and it's very readable.
So the shared links are gone, and I couldn't find out what they were, but you can buy the book it's based on here, or you can also....arrrr. Except it's on one of the alternative sites, not...arrrr.
A couple options to check out:
There’s a book
http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836 buy this. do what he says.
This is the book for you, assuming you want to geek out at charts and numbers
There are a few ways to determine it.
Personally I go by heart rate, using a chest strap (the wrist based are too inaccurate to rely on IMO). Once you do a max heart rate test, you can use that to set zones 1 (easy) through 5 (hard). Zone 1 is too easy to really be used much except for recovery runs. Zone 2 is where I do the bulk of my training. It's a somewhat easy, conversational pace. For me this works well because I like to run on trails most of the time, and pace will vary depending on hills, sand, grass, rocks, etc. This way I can run off effort rather than a specified pace. My Z2 trail pace ends up averaging around 10-11 min/mile, even through my road 5k pace is 7 min/mile. On the road, my Z2 pace is around 9:30 min/mile. Z3 doesn't get used too much. Z4 is a threshold/tempo or other "comfortably hard" effort. Z5 I really only hit during intervals or a 5k where I'm going all out.
The other way would be off pace, if most of your running is done on relatively flat roads. Jack Daniels VDOT calculator gives some estimates of training paces. Based on your most recent 24 min 5k, assuming that was pretty much all out:
Easy: 9:48-10:46 (bulk of miles)
Workout paces:
Marathon: 8:44 (can be used for long run efforts)
Threshold (5-15min efforts): 8:10
Intervals (3-5min efforts): 7:31
Reps (1-2 in efforts): 7:07
Notice the big gap between easy runs (9:48) and the start of the workout paces (8:44). Between that are sort of "junk miles" and because they aren't targeting any system in particular, they don't increase fitness as well as other paces.
Keep in mind, these numbers are going to change pretty fast as you increase your race performances.
Lots of great books out there on running, and most tend to follow the same general approach, with the small details being the difference.
Matt Fitzgerald 80/20 - a good primer on why slower running mixed with hard efforts can work really well https://www.amazon.com/dp/0451470885
Jack Daniels - A much more specific book on figuring out a good training plan. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1450431836
Daniels' Running Formula
http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
I'd recommend getting this this book. It shows you how to set up an entire training plan based on your preferred distance, and the author has two PhDs in physiology.
His philosophy is the least amount of effort for the greatest amount of improvement.
Your legs will adapt to the stresses of running if you give them time and don't demand effort levels that they're not ready to provide yet. I agree with the "slow down" advice that others have posted. If you are a total beginner, you cannot expect to run with Meb Keflezghi levels of endurance. If you are feeling tired, slow down a bit to a sustainable pace. Mix in walking breaks if you feel like you need it.
However - and this has been really useful advice for me - slow running has its place, and fast running has its place. I'm going to take a page out of Coach Jack Daniels' book here: whenever you go for a run, you should know the purpose of the workout. Is the point of your run to develop a base for further training? to develop the heart muscle? to develop resistance to injury? to adapt to the stresses of running? Then run slow and easy. Is the point of your run to develop the ability of your aerobic system to utilize air? or to develop speed? Then run fast and hard (in a controlled way, of course).
The point is that running at an easy effort is very good for you and not something to be looked down upon. It is also a good idea to mix easy effort runs in with quality workouts (i.e., high-intensity interval workouts).
Given what you've said, it sounds to me like you're at the point where most of your running, if not all of it, should be at an easy effort level. Consider doing some sessions where you walk for a few minutes to warm up, then alternate running for a few minutes and walking for a few minutes to recover. After a while, that will get easy. Then you can gradually increase distance, pace, etc. Just build up slowly.
I'm not an expert on 5K plans, but generally speaking, I like running 5-6 days a week, with 1 workout day, and 1 long run day. The rest are easy runs. For my schedule, I do workouts on Tuesday and long runs on Friday, but you should find what works for your schedule. So you don't want to suddenly increase to 5-6 days, but see about adding one easy day to what you're doing already. Make sure the effort is easy and I'd probably start it shorter than your normal runs. Sustain that for a few weeks and make sure you're doing ok, and if so, then either add another day (if needed), or start adding a little mileage on your easy days.
I saw someone say the other day that there are three key areas to think about when increasing your training...total volume, speed, and number of running days. At most, only increase one of those things each week as you build up. And feel free to hold for an extra week if you don't feel you're ready for another increase.
If you really want to get better answers and structured plans, I'd look into getting this book
They’re in his other book:
https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Road-Racing-Half-Marathon/dp/1450470459/
As someone who only recently got into running I was given this: Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer to help me out. It's a 16 week training program designed to train you to complete a marathon. It starts out slow so that your body gets used to the trauma of running, hopefully preventing the stress fractures that you've had issues with in the past.
For shoes, you need to go to a real running shoe store. They will analyze your gait, and show you the type of shoes you need. They should give you a handful of the "right" (for you) shoes to try on, and let you spend some time on a treadmill in each pair, allowing you to ask plenty of questions. The shoes should be pretty big, since over a long run your feet will swell. You should at least be able to press your thumb (width) between your toes and the end of the shoes.
Regarding stretching, there ARE a lot of schools of thought out there. I am sort of lazy about stretching beforehand, but I recommend doing dynamic stretches (not the static kind) ... marching in place, jumping jacks, body twists, things like that.
I also recommend (strongly) stretching afterwards ~ these can be static.
For your first marathon, I can't recommend strongly enough this book. I used it, and know at least 5 others who did, as well. Every single person finished their first marathon injury-free.
If you DON'T get the book, the rules I consider to be unbreakable are:
Breakable rules, but still good to follow:
Good luck and have fun :)
Once you can run for 30 mins straight you are ready to start a 15 week program to run a marathon, (26.2 miles) for reals!
This book is a great next step.
Running three days a week and cross-training at least two is the basis behind the book Run Less, Run Faster. The authors have you doing speed work on a track instead of the hills you're running, but you're fairly close to the "FIRST 3-plus-2" programme already. The book is not well-regarded by others on /r/running (in spite of the fact that the authors did studies which show it's effective) but I'm about twelve weeks into their "novice marathon" programme and it's treating my injury-prone legs very well.
You don't need to buy the book, the high points is that the two days a week of intense cardio will pretty much compensate for the aerobic base you normally achieve with extra miles at an easy pace.
Oh, and be sure not to do your long runs too fast. Run Less, Run Faster has them faster than most plans, it usually has you running them at only 9 to 28 seconds per kilometre slower than your marathon pace. But 6:30/km is only 7 seconds slower than your marathon pace for a 4:30 finish.
1.) Everything I'm taking is from this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Intelligent-Training-Principles-Lydiard/dp/1841263117/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1382049219&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=lydiard
2.) According to this book, when you run too fast for your current fitness level, your body produces lactic acid which puts your body in a state of "Acidosis." This acidosis negatively affects your aerobic endurance and the rate that your muscles recover.
So, that doesn't mean it's bad to run faster than aerobic speed, it just means that you can only train at hard, fast paces for a limited amount of time before it makes you less fit. I had two team mates that ran an 18x400 with a 1 minute rest and they averaged 64 seconds per 400...they ran 4:42, and 4:44 in the 1600 season. In contrast, in 2011 I saw Sam Chelenga do 12x400 at 65 seconds just a few weeks before winning nationals.
I'm trying to condense a lot of physiology into the basic idea that you need to practice being relaxed while running fast and hard in training, so that you have an extra gear to give in your races.
If you want to go out by train for the day, Time Out published a book of walks you can easily get to in the home counties by train. GPX Downloads available here
Check out Hansons Marathon Method.
Higher weekly mileage than your typical beginner program and a much shorter taper and you don't ever come close to the full marathon distance in training.
I used the Hanson Marathon Method (HMM) for my second marathon. I did a much longer breakdown of how it went and my previous training here: http://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/nb53z/44_minute_marathon_pr_after_following_the_hansons/c37q09f
TL;DR that long post: I didn't bonk at 16 and finished feeling as good as could be expected. After I found out there offered custom training schedule and such I started using their online coaching service. But, they've also published a book that I highly recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856
> I should probably train more
>I have no idea what I am doing
Learn how the body do and you'll thank yourself for it.
Before the snowfall I was doing a lot of trail running. Now that winter is full on I'm doing a lot of road running with some snowshoe running & snowshoeing up mountains in the Adirondacks thrown in on the weekends. My 50k training plan I based off the Ultraladies 50K training plans.
As for the reading, I'm devouring Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultrarunning. I'm usually reading nonfiction, Sarah Vowell's crass style and her blending of history and memoir make for entertaining reads. I'm looking forward to getting into her Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.
I think my problem was actually the opposite of what you describe, although the crux of the issue is the same. Trying to take in all of the calories via tailwind wasn't digesting well for me as things got hot (so intake slowed), which then meant I started lacking in electrolytes and actual fluid intake.
&#x200B;
So now when it starts getting hot (or right from the beginning if it's a really hot and muggy morning) I switch to putting plain water in my bottles, taking salt stick electrolyte chews regularly (but not as regularly as their dosage suggests, that's too much salt for me), and then getting calories from a variety of sources (gu, chews, pretzels, etc.). Learning how to adjust exactly how much I take in of each of these variables is still a learning/experience process, although there are general guidelines: https://trainright.com/iaaf-statement-nutrition-analysis-ultramarathon-runners/ to use as a starting point.
&#x200B;
Being able to tweak each of these variables independently helps me immensely the longer and hotter the runs get. If any particular source of calories isn't working well I can swap it out without any effect on hydration and/or electrolytes. And vice versa. The tailwind approach is great when things are going well, but it can quickly have a cascading effect because instead of just "oh I'm not getting enough calories" it is actually "oh I'm not getting enough calories or enough electrolytes or (potentially) enough water." Or as you said it could be too much of one of those things.
&#x200B;
Jason Koop talks quite a bit about all of this in his book Training Essentials for Ultrarunning if you're looking for something to read: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Essentials-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon-Performance/dp/1937715450
Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MC1QzbJFVENZQ
This is easy to follow and myself and some friends have had success with it.
Based on the Advanced plan in Hansons Marathon Method
Here's what I put together: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e8jA8rkztZCARBXYecGUSjmfsuSQyxU_08Az4LhADeQ/edit?usp=sharing
The sheet uses some formulas to add up weekly mileage -- specific workout distances are further to the right
I definitely recommend reading their book . Even if you end up going with a different plan, the book has very valuable information on the different types of workout and the science behind each of them.
She'll want to be a good recoverer and come back stronger than ever. Get her this book, to ease in to as appropriate: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Uphill-Athlete-Mountain-Mountaineers/dp/1938340841
Some suggestions for things you can do in Toronto to prepare:
Once you are "mountain fit" and have the basic book learning done, there are a couple of ways to actually get on to a mountain. One way is to take a multi-day course offered by a guiding company that includes an ascent of a mountain. This will cost in the ball park of $1000 for the course itself, plus travel to get to the mountain. This teaches you many of the skills you need and gets you onto big routes quickly, but costs more.
The other way to is learn the basic skills of crampon usage, self belay, self arrest, camping in the snow, etc. by finding people willing to show you. A common source of those people are climbing clubs (the Mountaineers in Seattle, Mountain Ascent Association in California, I'm sure there are plenty in Canada). This also gives you a way to meet people to climb mountains with in the future. You could also take a 1-2 day skills course from a guide company, these will generally be cheaper (~$200-400) but probably won't involve a summit climb and you'll still have to figure out how to find people to climb mountains with in the future. Then once you have those basic skills you start small and easy and build up your skillset yourself over multiple trips to the mountains. This takes way longer to get to big impressive mountains, but many people get more satisfaction out of climbing a mountain if they aren't relying on a guide to get them there safely. You could probably do a lot of this early learning in the Whites as mentioned elsewhere in this thread before moving on to the ranges with bigger routes.
One thing I like to do is pick a goal mountain that you really want to do. I personally love climbing climbing the Cascade volcanos so my first goal mountain was Mt. Rainier. Lots of stuff in the Rockies, both in the US and Canada, the Sierra in California, Coastal range in Canada. Just find a mountain that inspires you. Hard to give recommendations since there are just so many options if you include all of the US and Canada and its largely personal preference of what you are looking for.
If going with the first option of taking a mountaineering course, often you can find one that includes your goal mountain and you are done, move on to a bigger goal mountain. :)
If going the second route, research the common/easiest route up that mountain and see what skills you need to climb it. Then find some routes that teach you the skills you need but don't have but are still within your comfort level and go climb them. Rinse and repeat. I think the hardest part here is finding people that are just a little more advanced than you are to do these routes with and learn from them. As you do more climbs your network of people to climb with will grow.
The workouts in Daniels Running Formula are all time-based, that was what got me doing it. An added bonus I've realized is that running by time means you don't have to run the same routes consistently, you can change it up as much as you want and still get the same workout.
Read Daniels' Running Formula, especially Chapter 10: 1,500 to 2-Mile Training.
I'm a runner who lifts, though I still haven't found my optimal balance between the two. I tend to focus on lifting in the winter, and running in the warmer months.
For lifting, I've had good success building a base with SL followed by Texas Method, though I've found my upper body numbers tend to stall quickly. I think I need more volume to keep making progress. When it comes time to up the number of running days I'm considering making a switch to 5/3/1 or another 4 day split because last summer I found my legs couldn't handle rep maxes on Friday, followed by long runs on Saturday. I just wasn't recovering fast enough.
When it comes to running, everyone always plugs Higdon and his plans. I agree they're good for beginners, but once I had a couple of races under my belt I really learned a lot from Daniels and Hudson & Fitzgerald. I think both books are really worth it it you're looking to become a better runner.
For better or worse I've become sort of a follower of Pete Pfitzinger. His book Faster Road Racing has become my go to resource for all things training. His break down of nutrition is only 1 chapter but I found it very helpful when I transitioned off of a Keto diet and into fueling my running. It also explains each type of run. The reason for each type of run. The proper paces and goals for each. I use the Half Marathon training plan as my daily schedule. Following this plan and the information in the book I've gone from a 2:20:xx half in May, to a 2:09:xx in July to progression runs under 2:00:xx a few weeks ago. I'm hoping to go sub 1:55:xx in 3 weeks but we'll have to wait and see on that one.
There are also some other books that come highly recommended on the nutrition front. Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald comes to mind first along with all of it's follow up cook books and web sites. I don't buy into all of his ideas but a lot of people do and some of it is really pretty sound advice.
Do they have Faster Road Racing on Kindle?
Edit: It would appear as though they do
Novel:
https://www.amazon.com/Thru-Hiking-Will-Break-Your-Heart-ebook/dp/B00W4RICAM
Informational:
https://www.amazon.com/Backpacker-Long-Trails-Mastering-Thru-Hike/dp/1493028723/
Check out the Hansons Marathon Method(https://smile.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Your-Fastest-ebook/dp/B01C6FBGHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550500168&sr=8-1&keywords=hanson+marathon+method+book) or Hansons First Marathon(https://smile.amazon.com/Hansons-First-Marathon-Step-26-2-ebook/dp/B07KBH67DP/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550500168&sr=8-3&keywords=hanson+marathon+method+book). I used the former to get my first BQ at 47 years old.
This is the one we have and have been on a bunch of the walks from
You're probably OK distance-wise, you need speed.
I would find the lowest-level plan you can that includes some speedwork.
I like Hanson's: http://www.hansons-running.com/training-plans/beginner-training-plan/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856
Long Slow Distance burns a higher percentage of body fat as fuel.
NOTE: I did NOT say "Burns ONLY stored body fat as fuel." At 60% V02 max, your body utilizes stored fat for 45% of it's fuel vs 55% carbs. At 80% VO2 max, your body relies much more stored muscle glycogen: 75% vs only 25% stored fat.
Which makes sense. The more intense the run, the quicker the muscles need fuel so the body utilizes a higher percentage of easy to reach glycogen. For slower, less intense run, the body can utilize more fat for fuel.
Taken from the Hansons Marathon Method
I used Hanson's to train for my first marathon. I thought it was a good plan and would recommend it. You can find the basic plan outlines online but I'd recommend reading the entire book as they go into the individual workouts in more detail.
http://smile.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856/
I follow the Hanson Running Method for Marathon based off http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856
If anyone is interested to run a Marathon in less than 4:15:00 in April, can follow https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/0p8c4ojstad9eqqllqa7gln4f4%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=0p8c4ojstad9eqqllqa7gln4f4%40group.calendar.google.com&amp;ctz=America/New_York
The calendar is still WIP and will update with pace info in sometime, so downloading the iCal after a week will be more useful
I would suggest that you use a plan, it will help you not overdo, something quite common when you start running.
I've used Hanson marathon program (https://www.amazon.fr/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856). There's plenty of others
It has good info and the programs are achievable. In my case, I shaved off 30 minutes from my usual time on marathon. The biginner plan is good too
when you train for a marathon, the fact that you're fine to do more one day doesn't mean you should. It's a construction, you build up capacities, speed, strengh, endurance... Rest and easy days are part of your training.
For example, If you do an interval run, something that improve your maximum speed, the next day, you shouldn't do a long run, otherwise, you'll just hurt yourself. But instead, do an easy slow run
Also, if you have knee problems, check if your shoes are right for the job or if they're dead.
When I did my first race, I was 110kilos, my shoes were for some guy weighting 70... It didn't end well
I haven't read it, but I would check this one out: https://www.amazon.ca/Koerners-Field-Guide-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon/dp/1937715221
I have read "Daniels' Running Formula" which is very very good: https://www.amazon.ca/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Jack/dp/1450431836/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469153523&amp;sr=1-1-spell&amp;keywords=Daniels+runnnig
I also recommend "Advanced Marathoning" which is a better all purpose "how to be a runner" book than Daniels, but a bit less scientific.
Both have training plans for beginners. And like people mentioned: getting good quickly is easy... it's not getting hurt that is tough!
I too agree with /u/DieRunning. I would only add you could always pick up Hal Korners book, Field Guide to Ultrarunning. He gives some quick tips along with two training plans.
http://www.amazon.com/Koerners-Field-Guide-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon/dp/1937715221
Congrats on making more time to run and getting into the trail and ultra scene. I would encourage you to get out as many races as you can in a volunteer, crew and pacer role and learn from others in the sport. Be patient in your progress. remember endurance training (and ultrarunning) takes years and decades to build. SO, just be patient with progress. there are a number of good books an resources out there including my book and blog as well as ultrarunning magazine.
Yeah, a quick ultrasignup search for central Ohio only gave me two spring ultras and they were both closer to Cleveland.
I've read both of those books. I like Powell's more. Koerner is obviously a great runner but his plan was intimidating to me when I read it. Krissy Moehl has a "beginner ultra" book, too, but I haven't read it. I just read Jason Koop's book as well. That's more about specific ultra training than the other books. My advice is really to just keep reading and running. The more knowledge you have the better off you'll be.
If you’re a fan of sweat elite, I could also recommend you look to the NOP (I know, unpopular opinion) training logs, it’s quite the opposite. Their sample week is something like . Additionally, training for a marathon, and training more specifically for 10-mi and down are two different things.
Also, the easy pace isn’t an indicator of race performance, obviously. It’s an indicator of ability to handle work volume (see Daniels , Hansons , Heinonen & Heinonen , Fixx , and especially Noakes ), which actually supports your statement about the intersection between speed and endurance (threshold runs, tempo-oriented intervals, etc - is at least what I’m assuming you’re talking about).
Furthermore, as I stated in an above comment, this is casual pace. I could tape a one-person podcast at these paces. Granted, because I’m running the audio quality wouldn’t be that great; but these paces feel like a trot. I’m painfully bored, and barely exerting. I’m never above an 11RPE on the 6-20 scale.
Thank you for the notes and article recommendation, though.
EDIT: All About Road Racing link addition.
It is important to note how they explain the paces for each of the runs. There are mixes of easy/hard runs for a purpose and you should make sure your easy runs are actually easy. Use a recent race to determine your training paces using a calculator like VDOT or McMillian Running.
Another option is to join a running group. Many running stores such as Fleet Feet or Jack Rabbit offer marathon training programs. They will provide you with their own plan, running routes for the plan, and coaches and more experienced runners to gain advice from which is valuable for things like knowing your paces and learning about fueling. Plus it is much easier to run 20-milers when you are talking to others.
Welcome to the journey! Have you considered Hanson’s? It’s an absolutely fabulous plan. Very solid theory and science, a great community on FB, and once people try it they’re raving fans. It’s based on the concept of cumulative fatigue during training. As a result the longest long run is only 16 miles.
Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OFPcBb30SPJ11
You might really like this book Training for the Uphill Athlete. It really does a great job covering the physiology of endurance sports. It's a followup to New Alpinism and it's more targeted for running and skiing. It talks a lot about targeting aerobic adaptions, why you need to slow down to gain those improvements, heart rate training, and a lot more.
https://www.amazon.com/Training-Uphill-Athlete-Mountain-Mountaineers/dp/1938340841/
I’m not the FKT holder, I reposted this from r/ultralight. In the comments of the original thread, he does go into his training routine and mentions this book.
That said, I am embarking on my own E2E in a couple days so you can wish me luck!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LPICJ82/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1
I liked this book and I know there is some chatter about style differences between Hal and Pfitzinger.
Going from 17:20 to 16:30 is a much bigger jump than 19 to 17:20 but adding tempo and interval sessions to your week should help push you through 17 at least.
Take a look at Faster Road Racing which has some good plans and guidance you will find helpful.
Advanced Marathoning is dense with great information!
The first 2/3 of the book covers everything from mitochondria and glycogen to heart rate ranges for various types of training runs to how much water your stomach can digest over time and how to drink on the run. An endless number of gems really, I love to just open the book up and read a page and see what I learn.
The last 1/3 is the various training schedules based on your weekly miles...up to 55/week, up to 75/week, and beyond.
Ive bought other running books but this is the first one that was full of information you don't naturally encounter on the web.
$13 at Amazon
Yeah, Pete Pfitzinger wrote the definitive guide to marathon training, it's considered to be the bible on /r/running and /r/advancedrunning... http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600
In the book there are sample training regimens for all sorts of scenarios, weekly milages, skill levels, etc. Hal Higdon also has this sort of thing on his website, but I think Pfitz does a better job with speedwork.
Advanced Marathoning - 2nd Edition
Its a worthwhile read both for pacing for the plan and overall how you should be training for the marathon.
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600/ref=asc_df_0736074600/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312067454590&amp;hvpos=1o2&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3170337343675217601&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=m&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=1018127&amp;hvtargid=pla-523949029352&amp;psc=1
Buy that. You’re asking questions that have already been answered by experts in the field. My honest assessment is that if you’re saying you ran 1:42 “without pushing yourself” and can crank out 8 min miles as recovery pace while still asking about strength and eating then you’re nowhere close to BQ. Learn the basics of marathoning, get a plan, and be patient. I’d say you’re 18-24 months away if you do your research and dedicate yourself.
The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Nutrition by Matt Fitzgerald is a good book that talks mainly about nutrition. Some people say it was written as a marketing ploy by Matt Fitzgerald, however there's still some great info in there about nutrition for training and race day.
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger is also a great resource for all things training. Ignore the training plans in the back as they're likely too advanced for your first marathon, but the rest of the book has amazing information about physiology, cross-training, recovery, nutrition, types of workouts... Highly recommend. Then, if you get to a point where you want to take your marathoning to the next level, you'll have some great plans to work off.
Another great online resource is fellrnr.com (i've linked you straight to the marathon section) -- this guys has compiled A LOT of data if you're a data nerd, and there's also a lot of good info in there.
Just a note on using different resources -- you'll see that sometimes they can contradict each other. For example, Matt's book and fellrnr both speak to the benefits of fat loading during your pre-race carb load phase, but Pfitz's book writes this off as not necessary. This is normal, and don't get too caught up in what's right and what's not. The point is that everyones different, and you need to find what works for you.
This sub-reddit is also a great trove of information, with many people willing to answer specific questions about anything running related, so never hesitate to ask!
Good luck with your training and race!
Honestly I'd say that with a 1:57 half and five months to train, 4:30 is a pessimistic time. You'll just have to make sure to get some good long runs in, and don't jump into things too fast after the half (to avoid getting an injury).
I would look at the Hal Higdon intermediate plans or (more preferably) one of the lower mileage Pfitzinger plans from Advanced Marathoning
Just to give you the flavor of Pfitz, the peak distance week of the 18/55 plan has you running 88km (55 miles) split up as:
Mon: Rest / cross-train
Tues: 10K w/ strides
Wednesday: 19K
Thurs: Rest / cross-train
Fri: 19K w/ 11K tempo
Saturday: 8K
Sunday: 32K
Here's the amazon link
I ran in college, had no idea how to train for a marathon, and just sorta winged it for a couple marathons before someone recommended me this book. I've never had better results than the season I followed the training in this book to a T. They have all kinds of distances too, so if you want to do a high mileage training season, they have that, or if you're looking for a 50-60 mile season, that's possible too.
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Marathoning-2nd-Pete-Pfitzinger/dp/0736074600
Aside from the plans themselves this book covers everything. It's a great resource. Diet, pacing, stretching, and the science behind all of it. It goes into heart rate training and everything. Highly recommend.
Most marathon training books will have everything your looking. Probably the most commonly recommended is Advanced Marathoning but there are quite a few.
This the one? Advanced Marathoning?
Running with the Buffalo's. A story about a Colorado college Cross Country Team. It was really good. Even for people who aren't runners, its a good read. Does a great job of explaining the hardships and torture that semi pro runners put themselves through to achieve success. It also has a great sense of achievement for the characters and the reader can feel it each page of the way.
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Buffaloes-Wetmore-University-Colorado/dp/0762773987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301885478&amp;sr=8-1
My girlfriend was a track athlete in college, one her favorites was Running with the Buffaloes, which follows the 1998 season of the University of Colorado's men's team. She said the book absolutely blew her away.
Fly into Anchorage armed with this book: http://www.amazon.com/55-Ways-Wilderness-Southcentral-Alaska/dp/0898867916
Local Alaskan here. Mid-May can vary a lot in terms of weather so you need to be prepared for winter-summer hiking. We've had multiple feet of snowfall at sea level in May, so you can imagine how it is at elevation. Here's the most popular local guide for Southcentral Alaska:
http://www.amazon.com/55-Ways-Wilderness-Southcentral-Alaska/dp/0898867916
My favorite spring hike is Crow Pass but it's not really a full week trip, more like 3-4 days tops depending on how slow you take it. Spring is good for that one because you ford a river and the height should be low.
I can't much comment on minimal bike touring, but I can suggest this book by Ray Jardine. It details his method for hiking the US triple crown (about 12,000 km) with something like a 10 pound base weight.
He suggests things like a tarp instead of a tent, a quilt instead of a sleeping bag, and dozens of other things. Might be worth a read for some ideas.
This is the early edition I have, which is the one I'm referring to in terms of historical context. Years later he released an updated edition of it with some changes and a different title. If I remember right, it's less focused on PCT planning and more about taking his philosophy on any trail. Then years later he released a version of that one with color photographs and a few more updates and a new title. So it depends on if you want the version with historical interest or the one with more updated info or the one with updated info and color photographs.
All the data says pepper spray is more effective than guns in bear attacks, so I'd lose that right quick. Second, read Ray Jardine, Justin Lichter, and Andrew Skurka.
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341345684&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=ray+jardine
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Tested-Thru-Hikers-Insights-Backpacking/dp/0984855009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341345701&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=trail+tested
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide/dp/1426209207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1341345724&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=andrew+skurka
You will find every suggestion we could come up with on here and more. Personally I find ponchos to be a shitty option, and sleeping bags and quilts are very nice. If you're on the Kenai, you will want a bugproof shelter, too.
I was in a similar position four years ago. For some things I regretted not going lighter, for other things I regretted not getting something more durable and functional. But for the most part I was and am happy with my gear.
Some random tips I wish I knew 4 years ago.
I saw it on sale at Amazon today.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426217846
Has anyone applied the concepts and formulas from Daniels' famous book to other endurance sports?
This book really helped my distance running in college, but now that my knees are getting a little dodgy with age, I wonder about using the advice for cross-country skiing, etc. Or even using them to structure gym training on the exercise bike, elliptical, etc. to maintain cardiovascular fitness for health benefits.
Check out Daniel's Running Formula, it's what my coach used and it felt pretty effective to me at least.
I would suggest a lot of Interval paced training, assuming you already have a strong base to work with. Speed workouts when it counts of course, but from what I remember, Interval pace is the bread and butter of mid-distance events like the 800.
Sure! I just picked up this book: https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Jack/dp/1450431836/
I read through most of it (there is a ton of information in the book), but the 40 mile 2Q marathon plan was the one I ended up choosing. It seemed to fit best with my current commitments and was also challenging for me without being too intimidating.
This also seemed like a good comparison between marathon plans: http://fellrnr.com/wiki/A_Comparison_of_Marathon_Training_Plans
I don't have experience with many of those plans, so I'm basically taking the author at his word. I assumed I would fit into the "Improver" or "Enthusiast" category and went from there (even though I had never run a marathon before).
Good luck!
1 - I'd say your times are pretty decent. For reference a sub 20min 5k is quite good and a sub 17min 5k is elite.
2 - For training tips, I recommend this book: Daniels' Running Formula
It has training programs from 800m to marathon and it is a very useful resource.
Or you can simply just add speedwork into your weekly routine to get better at sprinting.
> Any advice in training for a 5k/10k?
Here are some 5K training plans to choose from.
Daniels' Running Formula will make you knowledgeable so you can be a smart runner and train in the most effective way.
Or you could just buy the book.
i started on hal higdons and ended up not liking it. too much just running, not nearly enough quality to make me feel like i was improving.
i picked up Jack Daniels Running Formula and really, really like it. it has plans from general fitness to 800m to full marathons. i recently PRed my half after doing his blue fitness into an HM plan, all the while i was getting faster on my easy days. the book teaches a lot about programming weeks, which i consider to be the most important thing one can take away from this book. its worth checking out imo.
Saint Jack's book will answer these questions for you. It's an easy read.
Sure, probably should've included that. I have been running competitively since 1992, and have raced every distance from 400m to marathon. From 2004-2008, I was coached by Jack Daniels in Flagstaff, AZ. I draw heavily upon that experience and Daniels' Running Formula in my training. When I'm physically sound, I train 80-100 miles per week.
My training has been sporadic the last three years as a result of a sports hernia. Surgery last summer left me slightly improved, and a follow-up surgery last Wednesday will hopefully put me in a position to be more competitive. Leading up to last week's surgery, I was training ~60 miles per week.
Last month, I ran my first race in 3 years - 5k, 17:02. Not where I want to be, but I was satisfied given the circumstances. PRs at other distances: 2:51 marathon; 1:17 half; 34:22 10k. I'm not setting any records out there, but I worked hard for those times and I'm proud of them.
I have no formal experience as a coach, but I have provided training plans and guidance to many friends, family members, and coworkers over the years. Also, I recently went through a program offered by NFHS and USATF, and am now a certified track and field coach.
To put it in perspective... I can go 16 mile long runs in the 5:50s, but I can't go sub 4:30 in a mile.
So, try and get to at least 40-50 miles perk week. Buy good shows. Get new shoes every 300 miles. Log your miles on your shoes. Try to get your regular training pace below 7min. A GPS watch is amazing. Then, once you are at 40mpw, which could take a new runner a few months to get to (try and add a few miles per week), then throw in workouts like tempo runs, fartleks and intervals. You can google those and find out what they are. Want a book? http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
In reference to your edit, I think a great beginner/intermediate running training book is Jack Daniel's Running Formula. Some stuff in it may already be familiar to you, but if you want to know enough about running training to plan/understand your own workouts (which I assume you do as a former good cyclist) it's a really good start.
I'm not going to go too indepth on training (that's what the book is for, plus I wouldn't even make a dent in really talking about training) but I will make a few points just from what you've said here.
> I've been doing around 3 miles a day for the past two weeks and can usually hold an 8 min pace for a 5k effort. My heart rate is through the rough and it doesn't seem like it is going to get any easier.
Slow down. I know, it's going to be a blow to the ego, but running is a fairly specific activity and it's going to take some time for your body to adjust. You'll still see improvements without grinding every single run. The good news is with your background, you should see quick improvement as your running economy begins to improve, as a lot of the cardiovascular base is already there. This will be a nice change after being elite at cycling (where so much work is required for even a minuscule improvement). If you want to go fast, set specific workout days, and even those should have an easy warmup and cooldown.
>rack up some serious mileage in the future months/years to come.
Just a warning to not do too much, too fast. A huge difference between running and cycling is the amount of wear that the impact of running can put on your body. Slowly ramp up your mileage over time, giving the joints and tendons time to adapt, or else you'll end up hurt (like me....). It's tempting to pour yourself into this new sport with as much intensity as you put into cycling, but you can't be running 100+ km weeks right off the bat.
>been doing around 3 miles a day for the past two weeks
I'd take a rest day once a week. Maybe go for a swim or bike on Sunday's instead. Even when I was running 8 times/week I still took Fridays completely off.
Feel free to ask if you've got any other questions I can try to help with!
When I first started training for a full marathon, I used the book Daniels Running Formula to develop a plan.
Were I stating out today I'd DL the Runkeeper App on my cell and pay for the year membership - doing so adds some bells and whistles but importantly it adds a customizable training plan for marathon training.
It literally can't be simpler, and the app tracks your progress.
I'm currently really enjoying Daniels' Running Formula.
You could read up on it. More knowledge is better. Everyone here seems to like this book (mine arrives today):
https://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-Jack-Tupper/dp/1450431836
Sounds like you should read http://www.amazon.com/Daniels-Running-Formula-3rd-Edition-Jack/dp/1450431836
Hey, I know I'm late to the party but I wanted to help. I highly recommend two things:
Good luck!
First of all, congratulations! I'm not sure it's necessary to take an entire week off, but it might be helpful to reduce your mileage and throw in some slow recovery runs for the next week or two.
Depending on what your goals are, it might be helpful to further build up your base level of aerobic fitness by increasing your weekly mileage before you begin training for your next half. I just bought a copy of Faster Road Racing by Pete Pfitzinger, which has a number of great training programs for building up base mileage (as well as for specific race distances).
Ich kann Ihnen auch "Faster Road Running" empfehlen. Es tut mir einfach Leid, dass ich nicht weiss, ob es auf Deutsch kommt oder nicht. Es hat mir viel geholfen, Beide beim Theorie und auch mit Praxis. Ihr Englisch ist einfach wunderbar, höffentlich ist mein Deutsch mindesten verstandbar!
ETA: Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Road-Racing-Peter-Pfitzinger/dp/1450470459
alles gut beim Laufen!
Splodge
I'm really hoping I get the book Fast Road Racing for Christmas.
Does he have a buff?
I'm about to start week 7 of my C25K program and I'm really enjoying it. I'm looking for other programs after I finish this one. I put in a request for my library to buy Faster Road Racing by Pete Pfitizinger. I wanted to check it out before buying a copy. I know they are about $10 but still, unless someone has a copy they don't need anymore...and would like to donate. I've noticed a better feeling in my breathing. Backstory, when I was 13,14, and again at 19, I had a spontaneous pneumothorax. Twice my left side and once on my right. Eventually, I had surgery when I was 19 to adhere my lung to my chest wall to prevent any further collapses. The result however had limited my lung capacity permanently, something I didn't really know was controversial at the time. I saw a very cocky specialist years later that wanted to point that out to me... but I can't really cause them so I've always moved on and done what I could. But lately I've noticed a bit less pain and these weekly runs are improving my lungs.
Broadly speaking there are several reasons to choose a plan:
There's a LOT of half plans out there. Hanson obviously has two, Higdon has 7, Pfitzinger has at least one. FIRST has one. And that's just the 'big names'. Every running plan generator and running website will have a plan - most only subtly different from the ones already linked.
Regarding 'easy'. You should be fully in the aerobic zone, able to hold a conversation (I talk to myself occasionally to prove I'm going easy enough).
Your current mileage is fine for individual runs, but most plans will have you training more than 3-4 times a week, be that runs or cross-training. So your first step needs to be:
a) Making sure you have time for that
b) Gradually building in another short run in preparation for a plan.
Congrats on taking the plunge to Marathoning! I am new too, but I wanted to suggest this book, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer (used, loved, and suggested to me by a 5x marathoner) it's pretty much a 5K to marathon 16 week starters guide with excellent tips on nutrition and hydration, stretching and cross training, mental strength for the long runs, and of course the mileage plan, goal to finish without injury. It suggests 4-day per week running (Mon, Wed ,Thurs, Sat for me) starting at 15 miles (3,4,3,5) and increasing 1-2 miles a week until week 13 where you start to taper. Week 12 and 13 are 5,8,5,18.
It is not a 4 hour plan but is pretty much guaranteed to get you to the finish
I personally feel that visualization and a positive attitude go a long way. If you dread it to begin with...it's going to suck. Sounds silly and simple but it works for me. Other than that, I totally agree with increasing your mileage. Not only will you hit your stride later on, but you will enjoy once you do and that will make you look forward to your next run. I recommend a fabulous training book (even if you're not training for a marathon). It got me past the initial "this sucks" period.
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1314227232&amp;sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823
Run a marathon:
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
(Just to be clear: I am in no way affiliated with the authors.)
It's one of those things that you think that you can't do, but this book shows you that you CAN do it. It teaches you to think positively. It teaches you to keep your goals realistic - yes, they make running a marathon realistic. I just ran my first 10 mile run today and I feel that I can do ANYTHING. Doing this course has helped me with work, with my personal life, you name it. I've started eating better, sleeping better... I know I'm sounding like an informercial, but an endorphin rush does that to you.
It sounds to me like you need an experience of persevering and succeeding. So run a marathon :)
Get this book Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. It will take you from couch to marathon in 16 weeks (I believe) and I used it to complete my first marathon- granted I probably started off in better shape than you but I recommend it highly.
Cheers for wanting to do a marathon- and good luck.
Congrats on your 100 days!
On a side note, if you don't have a plan for your marathon training, check out The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. I signed up for one on a whim after getting out of a long hospital stay and this book was great. It's not for serious runners but it was just what I needed to get me through my first one.
I used The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer and it worked wonderfully. It includes info on training schedule, taking care of your body, and mental preparation.
Training schedule can be halved to work with 13.1 but I have a feeling you'll do a full soon. Actually I would guess you could train for a full now. This book is a 16 week schedule.
If you are just interested in completion and not pace, I highly recommend The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett
Holy moly, 30 pounds since February is awesome!! That is absolutely awesome and I look forward to hearing about your continued success!
I hear you on meditation. Perhaps not meditation per say, but a few months ago my girlfriend convinced me to go to bikram yoga and I found it to be tremendously helpful for all the fitness stuff. Not really because of anything physical as much as the mental fortitude and discipline it requires. I actually REALLY enjoyed how the meditation/introspection of those sessions trickled into my every day.
Honestly, my view on running is that it is 80% mental. I remember training for my first half marathon, someone told me "if you can run 6 miles, you can do a half marathon" which sounded insane to me. But I think they were absolutely right-- those remaining miles are a mental hurdle far more than a physical one. Right now I am training for the NYC marathon and honestly most of my training is on regulating my attitude while working out. I know you're doing the 5k program, but you may enjoy the meditative aspects of the book I am using to train-- The Non Runners Marathon Trainer. It's ALL about how to approach running from a meditative, psychological standpoint. While the physical program is for a marathon, the mental training program is (I think) 100% applicable to anyone who slips on their sneakers and hits the pavement :)
The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. worked like a charm. had just enough perspective and information on all the crucial topics to get me through all the injuries and doubts.
If you're regularly running a sub-30 5k, you'll be fine to step up the distance. I'd recommend Run Less, Run Faster; with paces programmed from your best 5k time, 3 x runs per week (fartlek, tempo, long) and 3 x cross training days, I found it the perfect way to train for longer distances.
The usual rule of thumb for marathon training is 50 miles per week at the height of your training. If you can't reach that during the week because of commute times and such, I would just run like you do for your half marathons during the week and make sure you really utilize the long run over the weekend.
Long runs are the most important training run for a marathon. During your training if you can hit between 20-24 miles consistently for a few weeks then you should be fine for a marathon.
I hesitate to say you should run to work because carrying too much stuff while running may change your gait too much and end up in an injury.
The hardest part of marathon training is reaching the starting line injury free.
You should also read the book run less run faster.
http://www.amazon.com/Runners-World-Faster-3-Run---Week/dp/1609618025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457113381&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=run+less
It doesn't detail a marathon training plan, but it does cover interesting research where runners would only run 4 times a week and make improvements on their mid to long distance race times.
A quick summary is, the most important runs during your week are, the long run, and interval training/speed work.
Awesome you'll do great! The two books I used to get an idea of my custom training plan were https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Running-Stronger-Training-ebook/dp/B00IIVFAEY , Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary 3-Run-a-Week Training Program https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609618025/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_tgoNybD4BWG66 and you could use the running chapters from Be Iron Fit: Time-Efficient Training Secrets For Ultimate Fitness https://www.amazon.com/dp/1599218577/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_AhoNybMDF2E54. I'd recommend reading and then blending to make a plan that works for you. I didn't agree with all the run fast tips so blended with others. Also try and get these in paperback as there are charts and such that are hard to read via ebook version.
Good luck!
Maybe check out Run Less, Run Faster 3+2 plans? I had to wrestle with the same sort of question as my main race this year will be age group nationals (olympic distance) in August.
However, I still wanted to PR in the marathon this April. Last year I followed a similar schedule but dropped biking and swimming completely with around 7 weeks left before the marathon. This year I've just boosted the volume significantly. With six weeks left I'm just over where I was last year for running mileage, but my overall training volume is significantly higher (137.25 hours compared to 94.25 hours over the first 13 weeks of training). This equates to an approximate increase of 3.25 (7.25 to 10.5) hours per week. I've also dropped intensity significantly, adopting a more polarized approach.
We'll see how it goes.
Got it. A one mile effort is run basically at your maximal oxygen capacity, or VO2max. To increase your VO2max, you need to incorporate some kind of interval training to your runs. This stimulates your cardiovascular system to adapt, increase your maximal aerobic capacity, allowing you to run at faster paces for a longer period of time.
For specifics, both for your goal and running in general, I recommend Daniel's Running Formula, or if you don't want to buy the book, there are tons of summaries online. It's a well validated, evidence based approach to running and training. PM me if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help in any way I can.
Source: Am Exercise Physiologist