14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 10, Session 1: MP Run - FAILED

Twenty-eighth session: Week 10, Session 1: Marathon Pace (MP) Set: 19.3 km (Session FAILED)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

This session is the peak of the Marathon Pace runs at 19.3km. At the beginning of this 14week plan, I was sceptical I would be able to complete this session. But after 9 weeks, and hitting all the previous MP sessions, I was feeling pretty confident and looking forward to this session. Confident enough that I mentally prepared myself for a 21.1km run and record my fastest half marathon.

Palawan Beacg Sentosa

Main Set: 19.3kms in 1:20hrs (pace constant at 4:09 min/km)

We rode to Sentosa before sunrise with the plan to start just after sunrise and enjoy the run in the "cooler" Singapore morning. Each loop of the route is 6km long, so we needed 3.5 loops of the route from Siloso Beach to Tanjong Beach if we wanted the half marathon distance. After setting up our drinks station at the Beach Station carpark (approximately halfway), we started. We clocked 4:16min/km for the first km, but that slowed to 4:25min/km and stayed that way for the next 6km. We knew we were slower than the intended target pace, but both of us didn't have the strength to push faster. Our legs just wouldn't turn over like we wanted them too. And immediately after the 7km mark, I ended up stopping. What started off as a dull pain in my right calf (during the warm up), intensified, until I couldn't deal with it anymore. I like to think I can "eat" a lot of pain or push through pain, but this was too much. Disappointed, I limped back to the Beach Station carpark and spend the rest of the morning stretching and handing drinks to my training buddy during his run. He managed to complete the session, and ran a half marathon at just over 4:30min/km pace. With this as his last run for the week, he ended up with a 90km running week. For me, this was a 55km week after this run, and from zero the week before. I'm betting the increase in volume from our previous week is why we didn't hit the 4:09min/km pace target.

During the 7.0km run
Average Heart Rate: 150bpm
Max Heart Rate: 160bpm
Average Cadence: 188

Session Analysis / Review:

First session I've failed. Legs didn't fully recover from the last session on Thursday night. I had tried my best to use recovery compression, stretch and foam roll, but it wasn't enough. It was hard to get them started, hard to move them to the desired pace, and the legs couldn't complete the distance. This is probably the biggest learning from this plan for me. My legs do not have the muscular endurance to handle the volume. Yes, I was out for all of last week, but I need to be able to cope with those unplanned "breaks". Before the next training block (early July)  for the Melbourne Marathon in October, I'll be including lots of long slow runs and strength training to build the endurance and strength in the legs.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(23/42 sessions completed): 55%,  (1/42 sessions failed): 2%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (28/42): 67%

1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: No. I didn't have the power in the legs to reach the pace (and speed) that I needed to.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: Yes, but I didn't complete the session. Only managed approx 30% of the planned distance, and also at a slower pace (4:25min/km). But it looks like this pace is more comfortable (under my heart rate threshold) as it sits nicely below Zone 3.
3. How well am I recovering: Not as well as I hoped. Will keep up the rest, compression, stretching and foam rolling.