ashleyd /

A Low Mileage Marathon Training Program

Greetings, my new running friends!  I’m Katherine and I blog about my
running adventures over at Neon Blonde Runner. I’m excited to be featured as today’s Marathons+Moderation guest post as I advocate something people don’t talk about nearly as often as they should: low mileage marathon training.

 

I’m a 3X marathoner with a PR of 3:26, following a fast love affair with running that started in 2010.

I want everyone to know that you do NOT have to do a high mileage program in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon!

I averaged 32 miles per week training for my most recent marathon PR of 3:26.

Here are my keys to marathon success on LOW mileage:

1)  Take rest days.  Your body MUST rest in order to build back muscle.  Do NOT feel guilty about taking a day off when you’re just not feeling it.

2)  Run faster to race faster.  Don’t be afraid to push your speed at least once per week.  I’ve added in a speed session every week or so and I believe that it really makes a difference.  You don’t even need
to do any formal track work if that idea stresses you out– you can just add a couple “fast” 5K or 10K pace miles into your workouts.

 

3)  Run with a training group.  When you don’t feel like getting out of bed for those early morning runs, you’ll be more likely to do it if you have people waiting for you.  Plus, running with a group or buddy will help you push your pace.

 

4)  Set goals.  Studies have shown that people who set goals have more success.  I don’t always set time goals, but I’ll set goals about what sort of effort I want to put in during a race.  For example, I’ll set goals that I want to negative split or run faster than I did last time.  Or you can have a goal of doing a hill workout once per week.

5)  Make time for non-running activities.  I strongly believe that you need to have balance in your life in order to achieve success in running.  Make time for your friends and family– I’ve never regretted doing so and I think it leads me to be more focused when it is time to run.

 

Best of luck to you in your running journey!  Please don’t hesitate to
contact me if you have questions about specific details.

You can find me on…
Twitter @KatherineHopper
Instagram @NeonBlondeRunner
e-mail neonblonderunner@gmail.com

What are you currently training for?  Does your body work better with high or low mileage? I’m going to run a marathon this fall (TBD) and I think my body works best with low mileage…but I’m willing to try increasing the mileage a little to see what effect it has on my running.

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NYCM Training Week 4: Pump Up Playlist

Last week was fun and I am pleased to have no regrets. But, now that I’m back in New York City and ready to jump into the month of August, it’s time to get pumped up and back on track with my weekly training.

My travel schedule is in place for the next six weeks and work is going to keep me on my toes.

  • August 14th-16th San Francisco
  • August 18th-19th Boston for Healthy Living Summit
  • August 22nd-24th Chicago
  • August 29th-September 3rd Seattle
  • September 4th- 8th Los Angeles

In order to make sure that I am ready for the challenge and in the swing of things before travel ramps up, these next two weeks are a huge focus for me. While I did a great job eating healthy while I travelled last week, I didn’t get the sleep that I need and I definitely enjoyed a few to many alcoholic beverages. These next two weeks I’m pumping up the workouts, increasing sleep, keeping my food in check, taking my daily vitamins, and focusing on foam rolling and stretching a bit more.

Today was a perfect start as you can tell from my lunch and my dinner. The dinner, made at 9:45 when I got home from Pure Barre, was put together from start to finish in 5 minutes using ingredients in our refrigerator and pantry!

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This week’s workout schedule is as follows:

Monday: 5 miles in Central Park+Pure Barre blogger class

Tuesday: cross training

Wednesday: 5 miles

Thursday: stretching and foam rolling

Friday: 14 mile long run+Physique 57 blogger class

Saturday: 4 miles

Sunday: yoga or light, easy run

Anytime I need to focus on pumping myself up I head over to iTunes and build a new playlist. This one is a keeper and kept me moving, faster than normal, this evening as I ran through Central Park with my co-workers! I hope you enjoy it and find at least one song to add to your mix!

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How do you get yourself back into a routine after a break week OR what is your favorite workout song right now?

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NYCM Training Week 3

Three weeks into marathon training I’m still thrilled to be back in the game. It can definitely get a bit overwhelming, especially as my travel has started to pick up again. I find that the best thing to do is take training day by day. Instead of looking out I sort of just focus on today and the next day so I don’t get worried or anxious.

Last week I was able to get all my runs in except one 3 mile run. But considering that I did a hilly 14 mile bike ride with my uncle that day instead, I’m okay with the decision. While I believe that sticking to your plan is important, I also think some level of agility is important, especially early on in the training plan.

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Last week included the following workouts:

Monday: 4 AM miles in Central Park

Tuesday: 4.75 mile PM Progression Run on the treadmill

Wednesday: Body Conditioning class at Equinox (cross training day)

Thursday: 4 AM miles on the treadmill

Friday: 13 mile long run in Vermont + 4 mile hilly,rocky hike in Vermont

Saturday: 14 mile bike ride in Vermont

Sunday: rest day

My total mileage for the week came to 27, not including the bike ride. Overall I felt last week was manageable and I was happy I fit in my long run which was my “priority run” during my vacation.

This week kicks off longer runs during the week which will allow me to safely build up my mileage. For example, this morning’s run was 5 miles versus the previous weeks’ 4 miles. I felt great this morning during my run and in fact almost stayed on the treadmill to pound out a few more miles. Maybe Theodora is on to something when it comes to Mexican fueling great runs. Last night’s tacos from Nada in Cincinnati did the trick for me this morning!

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What fuels your best workouts?

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