Chasing a BQ Using the Hanson Marathon Method: the Speedwork Phase
As I finished my last week of base-building using the Hanson Marathon Method, I nervously anticipated the five week speed phase that followed.
I wasn’t worried about the speed workouts themselves. Indeed, I actually love track repetitions and intervals — once they are behind me. And I wasn’t worried about the long runs, either. I’ve always enjoyed those, too, except when I didn’t. What worried me were the tempo runs.
Tempo Runs
In other programs, tempo runs used to be my favorite workout. I’ve always thought that threshold running — cruise intervals at 10K or half-marathon pace — is invigorating. But the prospect of running at marathon pace for 5–10 miles so early in the program intimidated me. How could I last that long when I had not built up my endurance incrementally beforehand? And, given my long period of declining fitness, what if I guessed wrong on what my marathon pace should be?
Turns out my concerns were justified. On my first tempo run, I made every rookie mistake in the book. Forgetting that tempo runs are like races, I failed to fuel properly. Forgetting that high temps and humidity mean lots of fluids lost to sweat, I failed to hydrate properly. Forgetting that excess weight means slower performance, I failed to estimate my potential race pace properly. The result: a complete bonk. So disappointing.
Fuel and hydration were easy to fix, but what about pace? Like many, I would have preferred to set my target pace based on my BQ time, but, knowing I’m way overweight and poorly fit, I had preliminarily settled on breaking the 4:00 barrier for the first time. But my first week of speed work — and especially the bonked tempo run — taught me that was entirely unrealistic. Analyzing my actual performance data, I recognized that a 4:18 target was a challenging but realistic goal. My ego protested, but, determined to reach the finish line this time, I said no to ego. Far better to pursue a data-driven goal than bonk chasing a fantasy!
After the bonk, tempo runs got better. After some experimentation, I conservatively aimed at a 5:52/km (4:07:30 marathon) pace, discovering that I could sustain that pace for five miles in the August heat. Though it bruised my ego to run so slowly, I took solace in Hanson’s claim that a good taper will slash seven minutes on race day, so that I’d at least have a shot at conquering the four-hour barrier.
Tempo runs taught me a lot about my body. It is well known that senior athletes need much more time for recovery, but it is also true that it takes us much more time to get the engine going. I’m used to doing that before a middle-distance run, but used to be able to hit the start button on long distance runs and go immediately to race pace. The magic formula for me now seems to be to go out quite slowly for a 2.5 km warmup, allowing my body to come up to speed ever so slowly before hitting race pace. Still pondering what that implies for race day.
The tempo run ramps from five to eight miles in the fourth week of the speed phase. When I began the program, that was the workout that most intimidated me. By calibrating my expectations based on actual performance, I found a realistic target pace, and discovered to my great delight that the 8-mile tempo run was challenging but doable. Indeed, I began to enjoy tempo runs again.
Repetitions
Historically, I have crushed track repetitions, pressing myself to run each bout at 100% of my ability, which was always faster than prescribed by my training plan. It was agony, but I love running fast. Of course, that meant my aging, exhausted body never had time to recover sufficiently before the next quality session, and I repeatedly failed to reach the starting line due to injury.
This time I considered the possibility that the coaches might know more than me. I trusted the program, restrained myself, and ran repetitions at the prescribed pace. As a result, halfway through a challenging 12x400 workout, I felt unusually confident I could finish it well, and I felt less wiped out after the workout.
The speed work taught me to trust my training. Looking ahead on my calendar, the 4x1200 workout seemed daunting given my fitness level. Running in a driving rain, new-found glute strength powered me through at a steady pace. Indeed, each week I discovered that the training of prior weeks had given me just enough power to conquer the progressively longer bouts.
Business Travel
During the base phase, my regular business travel caused me to miss more than a few runs. That changed in the speed phase. I traveled even more, but learned to add run planning to my travel planning. Before booking hotels, I decided where I would run, and chose hotel locations that balanced the ease of access to my business destination with the ease of access to the trailhead. That made a world of difference. I did not miss any runs due to business travel during this phase.
In Austin, I found a great middle school track. Elsewhere, I ran on trails, using my Runtastic app on my iPhone to measure my intervals via GPS. In Maryland, I found a gorgeous river trail. In Chicago, I discovered Chicago’s lakefront. In Des Moines, I ran the Great Western Trail. I found a greenway in Fort Wayne. With just a little planning, I got all my runs in, and learn to love running along river and rail trails across the country.
Weather
I never noticed how much the weather affects running performance when I was younger. Nothing like a speed phase in August to get one’s attention!
Our unusually steamy summer only conquered me once. Morning temps in the upper 80s and high humidity made any running difficult during a family trip to Columbia, MD. There was no way to execute effectively the scheduled five-mile tempo run, so I turned the workout into an eight-mile easy run.
When the temps dropped, it made a huge impact. Suddenly I ran much faster and more easily. Thankfully, I was blessed by August rain on several of my runs.
Looking Forward to the Strength Phase
Looking back to July, it is good to see how much fitter I’ve become using the Hanson program so far. It’s true that there have been lots of little aches and pains along the way: a knot in my left calf, a sore left quad, a painful lower back, a blister on my right heel, and chronic soreness in my right psoas and right thigh. That said, I lost twelve pounds during the first two phases, and the speed and endurance gains so far have been steady and substantive (see chart above).
I’m excited and confident as I enter the strength phase. I will report on that in my next post.
Happy running!
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