You need to have a realistic target finish time in mind.  A good simple formula is double your half marathon time and add 15 minutes, this will depend on several factors.  My target for my first marathon was 3 hours and at the time my best half marathon was 1:25, I had no doubt I would achieve this and I ran 2:59:27.  So I doubled my half time and added 10 minutes.  Currently my half PB is 1:22 and my Marathon PB is 2:53.  So this Patten is still working for me.

Long Runs, pace and distance – Target for London 2016 is 2:50:00, target pace for this is 6:33 minute miles so I will run at 6:30 minute miles, in theory building up a bank of 3 seconds per mile or 1 minute and 20 seconds by the time I finish..

From the book – Advanced Marathoning

You must get this book to understand the background!  The below applies to me, but put your figures in and it should work for you.  This will be amended as time goes by.

Maximum long run should be 24 miles (Ideally more like 22 miles)

• Long runs should be 10 to 20 percent slower than your TMP, although a few should be at TMP.  These will be races including the Stamford 30k and East Hull 20.

My TMP is 6:30 minute miles.  This is (60 x 6) + 30 = 390 seconds

• 390 + 10% is 429 seconds, this is 7:09 minute miles
• 390 + 20% is 468 seconds, this is 7:48 minute miles

The best strategy for the long runs is to start +20% and build up the pace gradually to +10% during the last 25% of the run.

So roughly speaking starting at 8 minute miles and finishing at 7:10 minute miles.

Considering Heart Rate, long runs should be run at 74 to 84 percent of maximal heart rate.

Using Fetcheveryone, my maximum HR is 182.  Using the simple formula 220 – Age it would be 181.  A more accurate formula is 207 – 0.7 x your age, this gives 180.  I am sticking with 182 as this is real world data based on me.

• 74% is 182 / 100 = 1.82.  1.82 x 74 = 135
• 84% is 1.82 x 84 = 153

So, my long runs should be between 135 and 153 BPM.  I will not run my long runs any faster than 7 minute miles, unless I am specifically targeting my TMP.

If you do a long run the day after a hard intense session or a race, then keep it steady and if you loosen up then keep it at +20% to +15% TMP.

To work out your max heart rate, just find a 600m long moderate hill, do a gentle warm up run three high intensity repeats, jogging back down.  If you run these 600’s flat out your heart rate should be within 2 or 3 beats of your maximum at the end of the third repeat.  Do a gentle warm down.

My various zones are set as follows based on the heart rate intensities for standard workouts.

• VO2 Max 93 to 95% = (169 to 173)
• Lactic Threshold 82 to 91% (149 to 166)
• Marathon Pace 79 to 88% = (143 to 160)
• Long Run Pace 74% to 84% = (135 to 153)
• General Aerobic 70 to 81% = (127  to 147)
• Recovery Less than 76% = (138)

Definitions of runs:

• Long Run – 16 miles or further
• Medium Long Run – 11 to 15 miles
• Marathon Pace Runs – Just that (6:30 minute miles)

• Lactate-Threshold Runs – tempo runs of at least 20 minutes at approximate half marathon pace (6 minute miles)
• General Aerobic Runs – Up to 10 miles, faster than recovery runs, slower than Lactate-threshold runs (approx 8:00 to 7:15 minute miles)
• Recovery Runs – Relatively short runs (8 minute miles or a bit slower)
• VO2 Max Intervals – Typically 600m to 1600m at current 5k pace, recovery typically between half the time taken to run the interval to the full time taken to run the interval.
• Speed training – Reps of between 50 to 150m.  Typically 10 x 100m with acceleration over the first 70m and the float for the last 30m.   100m walk recovery between.

I try to do one or two interval sessions a week but often fail to do this. I race very often (basically almost every week) and this is usually to go for a PB, typically from 5k to half marathon.

I have run 4 road marathons,each one has been under 3 hours and getting quicker.  I am running London in 2016 and will be trying to maintain 6:30 pace from start to finish.

I am a low mileage runner typically running between 150 and 180 miles a month when marathon training, I tend to get injured or ill of I do more.  I would like to run more and will try to increase the mileage to perhaps 50 a week, with a couple of days with 2 runs a week.

Below are the mile splits for the 4 marathons.

*Garmin Errors

Note, prior to 2016 none of my long runs were at the pace I run my marathon at – if I go quicker than 7 min miles on a long run I feel exhausted for a couple of days.

Long runs and pace – for Chester 2011 (RACE PACE 6:49) – Approx average pace of long runs was 41 seconds slower than marathon pace

Long runs and pace – for London 2013 (RACE PACE 6:47) – Approx average pace of long runs was 46 seconds slower than marathon pace

Long runs and pace – for Chesterfield 2014 (RACE PACE 6:40) – Approx average pace of long runs was 23 seconds slower than marathon pace

Long runs and pace – for Hull 2015 (RACE PACE 6:39) – Approx average pace of long runs was 37 seconds slower than marathon pace

Below is 4 months of training for each marathon

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All runners love cross country!  Its like parkrun on drugs!  Great for building up your strength and endurance, watch those PB’s get #smashed in January!

Nothing gives me more pride than wearing my club vest with my team mates and competing against club runners from across the region.  It is even better because the whole family takes part, Rose in the ladies race and Sophie and Caroline in the U11 girls race #PROUD dad x.

• #1 – Clifton Park, South Yorkshire Cross Country League
  

In 2013 I ran the course in 32:23, this year on 11/10/2015 I ran it in 30:50 so some nice improvement as I approach V40.

Doncaster Athletic Club was placed third in the league after the first race which is fantastic.

• #2 – Northern Cross Country Relays, Graves Park

One lap of a two mile course, I finished this in 12:39.  This was my second race of the day having raced at the Doncaster parkrun earlier.  The team comprised Dean Watson 11:05, Peter Simpson 12:43, Wayne Martison 12:52 and Martin James 12:39.

• #3 – Graves Park, South Yorkshire Cross Country League

This time three laps of the same course at Graves Park, in 2013 I ran the same course in 42:32, today I finished in 38:24 – 4 minutes of improvement on a 6 mile course!  Averaging 6:26 minute miles today (compared to 7:07 minute miles two years ago).

I actually covered the first 2 miles 9 seconds quicker than last week lol, I had another 4 miles to go today.

I really want to up my mileage and start running twice a day some times, perhaps twice a week but I am worried about injuring myself before my next big challenge, the druids way challenge.  When this is out of the way the proper training starts!

I have also just entered a 50 mile Ultra with some fellow club mates.

Nutrition – all of you know more than me! What I do works for me….

Supplements – typically none, I go through fads of taking a joint supplement and cheap multi vitamins but usually I don’t bother.

Two years ago I stopped eating crisps, I use to eat one or two bags a day, I love crisps, be them Nick Knacks, Doritos, Monster Munch or anything basically. They are an addictive food and very moreish. But what goodness is in them? Ditch them immediately! Don’t even have them as a treat. Olives, gosh how nice are they! I snack on Olives, I only discovered them a few months ago!

I love chocolate, I like boost bars, mars bars, milky bars, everything. It’s a nice treat no one can deny this. I cannot cut it out, but I can get smaller portion sizes, I like the small kinder bars. I also eat dark chocolate, perhaps 80 to 90% coca content. But again small portion sizes.

If you eat sweets just stop.

Fizzy sweet drinks again are not good, just drink water or you might as well drink a healthy drink like fresh orange juice although not too much and feel free to dilute it. I always drink the squeezed juice of a lemon on a class of water every day.

Everything you eat should give the body some benefit otherwise what’s the point? Small treats are ok. Its sometimes a difficult balance as you need enough energy to run. We need to look after our bodies, energy levels and mind with good fuel.

If I am feeling hungry before a run I will eat some flapjack (an hour before) – (cheapest I can get from Asda) and I will spread thick peanut butter on it. Or I will eat a banana (best to be yellow, not brown).

After a run try to eat something within the hour, brown banana is good or anything which you think is healthy. A sweet fizzy drink would perhaps be a good idea.  This will help your body recover.

Eat plenty of fruit and veg every day, I always have a handful of raspberries and blackberries. I like raw carrot a lot so one a day. Banana mid-morning, apple after dinner. I always have almonds in a tub to snack on, sometimes other nuts (but not the tasty coated ones). Apricots are a good cheap snack.

I use soya milk on my breakfast which is not as tasty as cow’s milk but its ok, I also pot some honey on my breakfast which usually consists of Weetabix or raisin wheat topped with crunchy nut cornflakes (shock horror).

Don’t have massive portions for your evening meal and keep the treats like a pizza to once a month (my favorite are dominoes).

Alcohol is ok in sensible moderation (less than the recommended amount) – perhaps a glass or 2 at the weekend. It might help you sleep better.

Just because you are a runner does not mean you can eat more (ok perhaps a bit), don’t reward yourself with a bad meal!

My nutrition does not change from planning to go to work or running a marathon.

Tune of the week!

In October 2015 I qualified as a Coach in Running Fitness.  I am now able to design training plans for athletes and deliver quality training sessions.  I hope this knowledge will help me develop  Doncaster AC athletes (and myself!).  Thank you to all the athletes that I worked with to practice my coaching on and of course to the other coaches at Doncaster AC who advised me.

I was assessed by the to coach Brian Mackenzie, his website has lots of great information on it.

My assessment record sheet is below.

CiRF Assessment Martin James – 3 October 2015 – Hillsborough College

• 11 October SYCAA XC Clifton Park
• 17 October Northern XC Relays
• 25 October SYCAA XC Graves Park
• 31 October National XC Championships
• 6 November – Druids Way Mutiday ultra
• 7 November – Druids Way Mutiday ultra
• 8 November – Druids Way Mutiday ultra
• 15 November SYCAA Cannon Hall
• 6 December – Edwinstow 10k
• 13 December SYCAA Campsall Country Park
• 1 January – Cleethorpes 10k
• 9 January Yorkshire XC Champs – Light Water Valley
• 24 January Ferriby
• 30 January Northern XC Champs – Blackburn
• 14 February Stamford 30k
• 21 February  Snake Lane 10
• 27 February National XC Champs – Donnington Park
• 20 March Gainsborough 10k

Race 35 of 2015 – My first mile was 6:15, I then ran a few at around 6:20.  I got to 10 miles in about 62 minutes, half marathon in 1:23:30, 20 miles in about 2:08 and finished with a time of 2:53:58, some of my later miles were slower than 7 minute miles.  My stats are a bit lacking as my Garmin crashed on the finish line and lost the data!  I ran the first half 10 minutes quicker than the second half.  I ran to pace but occasionally checked my average heart rate and this was around 160 to 161.  This probably dropped for the last 6 miles as I could not keep up the pace, I felt ok with my breathing etc but the body was breaking down..

I really had no idea how fast to run this one, my training has been fairly hit and miss, but I obviously wanted to PB.  I lost 4 weeks training after a fall on 21 June which explains the low mileage – Don’t despair if your training does not go to plan, just be realistic and believe in yourself  . Total running mileage for the last few months:

• May – 185 miles
• June – 102 miles
• July – 74 miles
• August 164 miles

My long runs (16 miles or greater) were:

• 16 August – 16.02 miles @6:59 min miles
• 9 August – 24.64 miles @7:18 min miles
• 3 August – 16.24 miles @7:30 min miles
• 14 June – 20.37 miles @7:27 min miles

The sensible runners might wonder why I ran the first half in 1:23:30, that’s because if my training had gone well I was fairly sure I could break 2:50 so I set out to do my best.  Until you have run a few miles in a race you don’t really know how it will go and until about 18 miles I was still feeling pretty good.  Past 18 miles my calf’s were cramping up, my hips felt sore etc…  I need to work on my core strength and stretching a bit more (which is currently zero).

I was not really sure of running a PB until about 25 miles, I knew I was very close but struggling.

In terms of the race, can not really fault it, about as flat a marathon as you could hope for (several inclines), many marshals, good support in a lot of areas, big field of runners, fairly interesting route and the weather was spot on.  Drinks every 3 miles (and I had a drink at each one)  Well done to the organizers.

My fueling for the race was wheetabix and crunchy nut cornflakes for breakfast, 5 SIS energy gels (one at the start, 6, 12, 18, 22 miles) and a burger at the end.

Great to see some local runners finishing well including Owen James (Kimberworth), Simon Newton (Ackworth) and Richard Spooner (Barnsley Harriers).  Thanks to Janet Kerry and Rose James for support as well as Warren Clarke.  Also congratulations to Marie-Louise Taylor running her first marathon.

This was my fourth marathon (I don’t really like the distance, running flat out for that distance is very tough from about 20 miles):

• 2011 – 2:59:23
• 2013 – 2:58:53
• 2014 – 2:54:53
• 2015 – 2:53:57

This means I have had my best ever year for running, I have PB’d in all regular distances including 5k, 5 miles, 10k, half marathon and marathon.  I also completed my first ultra of 53 miles.  Moving onto cross country and ultra running for the rest of 2015 (with the occasional half  / 10k I am sure).