4 Athletes 4 Marathons - Week 6 Diary
Sep 11, 2023
Marathon Blog Week 6
First up we have Keri Pearson who is aiming for a big pb in the Frankfurt marathon on the 29th October:
Monday - AM Group Bank Holiday run around Ladybower. 16.6 miles in 2 hours 6.
Legs felt ok (considering I’d ran 23 miles the day before) but need to up my fuelling as definitely feel a lot hungrier!
Tuesday - AM 4.5 miles in 37 mins, really easy after the bank holiday weekend miles. Legs felt better for a gentle run, followed by some mobility. Dave updated my TP with probably the hardest session he’s given me for Wednesday, mixed feelings about it!
Wednesday - AM Didn’t quite hit the paces set (5 x 3 mins at 5.45 off a 6.15 2 min float) but hit the heart rates and more importantly completed the aim of the session.
PM 4 miles in 31 mins - very easy to shake the legs out.
Thursday PM 12 miles in 100mins - Making the most of the end of the summer holidays and headed off road. Love the trails where I live. Today is the end of August & really pleased with the months training, I’ve put together.
Friday - PM 4 miles in 32 mins. Very easy and relaxed ahead of a big session tomorrow! Started planning the term ahead and setting good intentions on how to manage the work load and training load. First step is a “down” week coming up next week.
Saturday - AM 2,3,4,5 miles off 1 mile recovery was on the plan, however, I didn’t quite feel right so pulled the plug at the 4 mile rep, I know I’m in a good place fitness wise and where historically I would have just carried on, I’ve learnt a lot and now have the confidence to make a decision like that. Also had some company locally this morning, which made the session easier
Sunday - AM 10 miles 82 mins off road & so the easy week begins. We intentionally placed the longer run/ session on the Saturday to give me an extra days recovery.
We have four build up races planned prior to Frankfurt so today marks a mini block of 6 weeks with a more race specific focus to sharpen up now I’ve put a big block of endurance behind me for the last 6 weeks. With the four races, the main aim is going to be standing on the start line after not racing for so long, one is a 5k so will replace a mid week session as a short hard blast and see what the marathon legs can do.
Two are half marathons, one of which will be at marathon effort with some extra miles to practice drinking, the other will be ran the same with a bit of a harder effort included at some point throughout. Doing a long run with marathon pace in a race really helps practice fuelling so by doing this we tick two boxes of specific work and fuelling, then I have a 10 mile race lined up, which will be done as a hard raced effort.
Quite an exciting 6 week block coming up!
Lee Milburn’s account of his week as he prepares for the Yorkshire marathon:
With last week being the last week before returning back to work it gave me the ideal opportunity to crank back up the mileage to that 100+ after an easier week. I also visited Dave this week to have my annual lactate test and catch up with the aim of setting a firm plan for my upcoming marathon. We both waited for the data to confirm any heart rate and paces. My last two marathons have resulted in combustion towards the end, one massively and one manageable but both resulting in losing time and not finishing strong. We both agreed that this next marathon was one we wanted to build into and finish strong. This means averaging a lower heart which is more manageable to then pick it up in the final stages. This brings me to my key session of the week. The remit was 15 miles @157 ish heart rate which the data suggests is my manageable threshold then to pick it up for the final 3 miles. I ran the session on a 3 mile loop so I could continue to practise my fuelling which has been going really well around Lound which includes x3 climbs so not ideal for fast times. I was really happing with my pace overall for the 18 mile session @5.32 which would result in a marathon pb but I was able to pick it up for those final 3 miles (5.16, 5.18, 5.26) and feel strong. The challenge now is to juggle training alongside work and the family.
Next we have Berlin bound Matt and is the first of the team to do a marathon in this block:
Next we have Berlin bound Matt Hamer and his account of his last 7 days training:
A better week of training this week. I started with an upper body strength session in the gym which was a good opportunity to be social with friends and served as the catalyst to get back moving without over thinking things too much. Typically when I go in a group to the gym, I’ll do whatever the group wants to do, as I feel it’s better to train as a group and have fun then go solo. We did some isometric movements on the bench, a circuit and then finished with some sled pushes and pulls.
Getting moving again did the job as later in the day I went out and did a brief 25mins recovery run to stretch the legs.
Finished the week with a 40min shakeout run in London on the Saturday, followed by the half marathon on the Sunday.
Whilst the activity is no where near where it should be at this point - it’s been a great week. And it’s felt good to get moving and be in and around groups of people that want to exercise also.
Finally we have our very own Jenny Blizard who is doing her first marathon for over 10 years in the Yorkshire event:
Jenny Blizard is next up as she prepares for his first marathon in over 12 years:
This was my last week of being patient and running the steadier efforts whilst maintaining a decent volume and long run. The focus for the week was the York Marathon route recce on the Sunday. Being happy now that I can complete a marathon again with the number of 20+ mile runs I have done I wanted to then see how the hills felt on the York course. Having watched from the sidelines 4x now and rode most of the course on a bike spectating it is clear that there are very different strategies and f**kups to be seen because of the two long drags that occur from 14-16 and 18-20ish. After these hills the course is downhill/flat but for many runners the last 6 miles are run slower than the hilly section. Clearly it is easy to stand and watch from the sidelines and it is easy to decide on a pre-race strategy and still mess up on the day (done it many times) so I wanted to run these hills in a relatively fatigued state myself before race day. My pace was around 20 sec per mile slower than my goal pace and I was surprised that my HR didn't sky rocket like it usually does on a hill (and in hot weather). The miles before and after are much faster. Dave had a valid point whilst running, that the few miles preceding the climb were very quick and he got dropped on this section as he let runners go (as some were 30 seconds a mile faster than goal pace) - but then passed lots of them again in the final few miles.
I have been asked a number of times now what my strength sessions look like during this marathon block. My goals for the strength sessions are: -
1) To continue to strengthen the achilles/calf complex to prevent recurrence of previous achilles issues that plagued my previous marathons in 2011 and running in general up until 2017.
2) To condition my legs to tolerate the pounding (super foam shoes now help with this thankfully!)
3) To condition my legs to cope with the instability of the shoes
4) To reduce fatigue during the later stages of the event
5) To maintain a good trunk posture throughout so that I can continue to extend through the hips
6) To maintain a good posterior drive
All the exercises in the week are ones that I am totally comfortable with so that a) i can get them done with no extra mental effort b) I don't pick up a niggle/get sore from trying something completely new c) I know they work for me
These are my main exercises I have chosen: -
1) Double leg calf raise holds with bar 90KG 5x40 seconds (achilles)
2) Single leg slow step up and down with bar 50KG 8x4 reps (leg imbalance)
3) Hip thrusts 45KG 8x4 reps (posterior drive)
4) Lat pull downs 25kg 8x4 reps (trunk)
5) Half kneeling shoulder press 8kg kettlebell 8x4 reps (trunk and leg/trunk imbalance)
6) Military press with 2 x 8KG kettlebells 8x4 reps (trunk and leg power)
7) Drop jump rebounds 6x4 sets (plyometrics for achilles and in elastic energy)
Mini hurdle jumps or pogos (plyometrics for achilles and in elastic energy) Medicine ball squat to standing tall floor slam 6 x 4 sets (trunk and leg power)Then I do the Blizard Run Club club classes to work on the remainder: -
Calf raises
Hip Stability
Banded hip extension
Foot Conditioning
Run drills
Finally for the achilles my bread and butter is ankle/calf mobilisations and 1to4 sets per day of calf raise holds for 4 reps of 20 seconds (these are like magic!!).
One thing I have noticed is that I am now progressively lifting more weight each week/10days, again another marker that this training seems to suit me. Previously I would see big fluctuations in my weights I could lift (I am doing exercises where I am not lifting quite as heavy though). I aim to do my main strength set 2 to 3 x per week and the remainder 2 x per week.
For those who are new to/don't do strength training, for reference 1) I have been doing some form of S&C since 2017 when i started achilles rehab. 2) With strength training anything is better than nothing! 3) MAJOR changes need to be done before a marathon block starts - it is too mentally demanding and physically demanding adding in lots of new/heavy strength work whilst also being in a marathon block. 4) The soreness for some people can be HUGE (i never get sore at all as I am used to it but early on coming down the stairs was unbelievable). So my advice from a physio/runner is do little bits often - just the muscle activation of trying something new will work. The increases in strength you see from starting a training program are NOT changes to the muscles themselves but the improved co-ordination of your nervous system which activates more muscle fibres and in a better recruitment pattern.
Overall then another good week of training and my last higher volume week. The next 5 weeks I will be focusing on a faster mid week session to lift my overall pace and then I have 3 longer marathon paced sessions left. My aim now is to balance the faster paced sessions mid week with not taking myself over the edge, fingers crossed! I have been very patient in sessions and had to really reign in the ego especially the group sessions where I have had to run much slower than I wanted/could for the benefit of the longer term picture.
MON Strength Session. Rest day from running gives me 48 hrs to recover.
TUES 9m @6:57 HR ave 157 (marathon effort). Total 11m
WED Strength session. Group Session 6x800m then 3m at marathon pace. Total 11.5m
THUR 12m off road @7:51 HR ave 132
FRI 4.12m @7:53 HR ave 132. Strength
SAT 10m @7:44 min/miles HR ave 141 - easy run whilst group did session.
SUN 22m @7:16 min/miles HR ave 149, recce around York Marathon route. Strength session
Weekly Totals 70 miles. Another long run with some marathon effort (and my first dodgy stomach 
). 2 x shorter sessions 1 x strides, 40 mins yoga, 160 mins S&C. End of my volume block.
). 2 x shorter sessions 1 x strides, 40 mins yoga, 160 mins S&C. End of my volume block.Now we have Coach Tune’s view of their training over the last week:
“Keri clearly is in the best shape we have ever seen and I set her an incredibly hard session for her mid week which she did not quite make the set efforts but I was happy all the same because she will get the required adaptation from the effort she put in.
She must have been slightly under the weather with hindsight as we canned the planned marathon session on Saturday which I was happy she did as the Keri of old would have just plughed on and dug herself deeper into a hole. She now has an easier week planned ahead of a return to work and a practice race at the weekend where we are using it as a marathon paced effort”
"Lee is very clearly fit and a mid week lactate test was conducted to find some real life data for him to use after his last 2 marathon's have not gone as he hoped by I belive pushing too hard too early even when he felt good. This was then put into practice on our long run at the weekend and was delighted with the results and pace he managed"
Next to report on is Matt who has the shortest time ahead of his marathon in Berlin in 3 weeks time:
“Massive kudos to Matt this week as he has really turned it around after a really tough few weeks and it was great to see him pull a race vest on again and run the the Big Half in London and the race day atmosphere clearly has helped with his motivation”
Finally we view Jenny’s preparation ahead of her return to marathon racing having previously run for England at the marathon distance.
“Another solid week for Jenny as she manages the extra volume well. Our main plan was to do a recce of the York course as part of our long run which settled her a little as I think she was worried it was much harder than it really is!
With only 5 full weeks left before her race I want to reduce her volume and get her moving a bit faster now before the big day!”
Hope you enjoyed the read!
