Rest Weeks During Marathon Training

[Joe]

My wife and I are preparing for Boston Marathon. We started our 12 week build up 4 weeks ago. We
did 56-58-60mpw over the first three weeks and then took a planned down week. We only did 23 miles
over the down week so far, deciding to dump today's 12 mile run in favor of resting. I managed to
obtain an a shin splint in my right shin this week which has led me to change my stride, thus
straining my left hip.

Last year leading up to a spring marathon we did a lot of 50 mile weeks, although very
inconsistently. This year I am aiming to break 3 hours and my wife is trying to do ~3:05. Our 15K
and 5K times predict that we are capable of doing this.

I wonder if we overdid it? I never felt like I was drying the well up during the three weeks at all.
In fact I felt a little tired in the middle of the second week and managed to feel pretty good by
the end of the third week. I don't feel overtrained, more like I just need a rest. I have a pretty
good sense of when I'm overtraining and I don't have any of the related feelings.

We've done some tough workouts; 7x1 at 6:30 8x1 at 6:30, 3x3 @6:45, and 8 miles @6:50. We've also
thrown in two speed workouts, and 3 long runs of 18, 19, and 20. All the long runs were sub-7:30
pace and the 20 miler was
7:20. It also has been cold and windy these last couple of weeks, with plenty of snow and ice on
the ground.

Is it okay to take a week down this far in the middle of the big miles? Or should we spread our work
out more. We plan on doing a half marathon 5 weeks out from the marathon to see where our fitness
is. We've also found that a 2 week taper works really well for us.

Sorry for all the information, just curious to see whether we're heading for trouble.

Joe

 

[Donovan Rebbech]

In article <[email protected]>, Joe wrote:

[snip]

made you look, didn't I ?

Be sure to read the followups to your other post (-;

--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

 

[ahass]

It sounds like you're doing fine. Take the rest if you need it although that's quite a drop if you
planned it that way. If you get strung out after three weeks, shorten it to two hard weeks and then
a down week...but if you're work weeks are 50 then your down week will be 35-40. Andy Hass

 

[Joe]

I figure since I don't feel burned out, its not a big deal. I just want to rest. I feel like I'm
putting in some quality work during the 3 weeks on.

As an interesting anecdote. Greg Lemond (Tour De France cyclist), used to train 4-5 weeks really
hard and then take a week completely off; no biking, running, weights, etc. Just rest. He would do
that in the lead up to big races.

jOe

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> It sounds like you're doing fine. Take the rest if you need it although that's quite a drop
> if you planned it that way. If you get strung out after three weeks, shorten it to two hard
> weeks and then a down week...but if you're work weeks are 50 then your down week will be 35-
> 40. Andy Hass