PMS: Post Marathon Syndrome

QUESTION: I'm in week 3 of Post Marathon Training, and I've found that I'm about 30-45 seconds- per-mile slower than my normal training pace even though it feels like I'm running as hard as I ran pre-marathon. I'm hoping this is normal. I was supposed to do 5 miles today, but ended up only doing 3.5. When will I regain the speed I had before running the marathon?

HAL’S ANSWER: You're suffering from PMS: Post Marathon Syndrome. It's part mental, but part physical. Here’s what happens. During the marathon, no matter how well you rehydrated with sports drinks you most certainly drained almost all the glycogen out of your muscles by the time your reached the finish line. Glycogen is the fuel used while exercising, where we get our energy. Without a store of muscle glycogen (that normally would be replenished by eating foods rich in carbohydrate), the body needs to go to a secondary source: fats, and in desperate situations, proteins. Unfortunately, fats don’t convert quite as readily as carbohydrates, so it slows us down. Add to that the muscle trauma that occurs in a marathon, the microscopic tears that result when we run flat out, and it is easy to see why you have lost 30-45 seconds from your previous pace.

How quickly will you recover? A high-mileage runner might replenish glycogen in a week. The tears also would repair by then. But for others, it might take 4-5 weeks! That is one reason why I designed a Post Marathon Training program that begins with a Zero Week, with almost no running, then continues with four more weeks of gradually more running. Muscle recovery sometimes is compounded by mental recovery. For at least the time being, we have run out of goals— at least until we focus our attention on another race. So, yes, what you are experiencing is very normal. Just be patient, and you’ll be back at your normal pace when your mind and body heal.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

Rain in the Forecast

QUESTION: I am running a marathon on Sunday, and the forecast is for rain with temperatures in the 50’s. How do you dress for five hours of running in the rain with the temperatures that low?

HAL’S ANSWER: My fastest marathon was on a cold and rainy day. That was years ago, when I was forced to run in a cotton turtle-neck to stay warm. There are so many better options now that allow runners to stay warm if not dry. More important than clothes is to run an even pace. That allows you to maintain a steady body temperature. If you fade near the end and your pace-per-mile begins to slow, that is when you can get cold. But long before the finish line is in sight, you need to think about staying warm (and relatively dry) on the starting line. Bring some throwaway clothes. A garbage bag with holes cut for the arms and head can keep you somewhat dry. A plastic parka would be better.

Second, focus on the appendages. Start with a beaked cap to keep the rain off your face. Gloves to keep your hands warm. Light socks for the feet rather than bulky, cotton socks which will absorb water. Long-sleeved (wicking) shirt? Tights? I might not wear them with temps in the 50’s, so it depends on your comfort level. Hopefully you figured this out during some of your training runs.

Third and finally, think ahead to past the finish line. You will want dry clothes to change into after your race. Cold and rain is not always fun, but it is probably better than hot and humid. If you do everything right, you can run very fast in conditions such as those predicted for your marathon. Good luck doing just that.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

Recovering From Sandy

QUESTION: After training for the past six months and following your novice 1 training program, I was ready to go to New York. Unfortunately, the marathon was cancelled (as it should have been), and I am left with a whole lot of training and no marathon to run. I am currently trying to get into Philly's Marathon in two weeks, but not sure they have a spot for me. If they do, how would you suggest I continue my training?

HAL’S ANSWER: First, let me congratulate you for your attitude. A lot of runners left New York City disappointed, some of them angry on the timing of the cancellation, but as the enormity of the disaster becomes better known (FEMA has had to put 34,000 in hotels and motels!), it is time for us all to move on. I am particularly proud of those runners who showed up in Central Park wearing their orange-colored marathon T-shirts and numbers for an untimed fun run. And even prouder of the runners who took the ferry to Staten Island to bring supplies and help with clean-up. (Everybody put your hands together.)

But to your question: A number of directors of closed races have agreed to stretch their numbers and welcome people like you. I hope you get into the Philadelphia Marathon, and if not, there are plenty of other marathons to race this fall. Jacksonville, for instance, where I spend my winters. Two weeks out? I would simply repeat Weeks 17 and 18 of my program. You’re not going to gain much fitness, but you won’t lose much either. If you (or others) need to choose a marathon three or four or five weeks out, I would simply back up the appropriate number of weeks. Do you or they need another 20-miler? Probably not, but balancing long runs between 12 and 16 miles will get you ready to run. Or forget miles: Between two and three hours.

A lot of runners spent a lot of money and did a lot of training to go to New York and came home with only that orange-colored T-shirt instead of a medal around their neck. But think of it. You get to wear that T-shirt proudly for the rest of your life until it is tattered and laid lovingly into a drawer. Yes, you were there in 2012. Let’s hope the recovery is swift for those left behind in New York and other areas hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

Diminishing Returns

QUESTION: Back in June, I started training for my third half marathon with hopes of finishing in less than two hours. My previous half marathons were 2:17 and 2:03. I looked at your half marathon training plans, but I didn't like the 3-mile midweek (easy) runs. Too short for my enjoyment. And although I might consider myself an intermediate half marathoner, I don't really like speed work. So, I decided to follow your Intermediate 2 full marathon training plan, with a few adjustments: 1) I didn't do the pace runs at race pace, just at an easy pace. 2) My other adjustment was to do the long runs at no more than 15 miles. I ran my race last weekend and finished in 1:56. What do you think are the advantages and/or disadvantages in what I did? If I do this looking ahead to a half marathon in April 2013, will I get diminishing returns from preferring mileage over speed work and pace runs?

HAL’S ANSWER: Diminishing returns? That’s difficult for me to say. If you continue training consistently, focusing mainly on miles, maybe nudging your mileage up very gradually, you should improve—or at least maintain your place. (We all fight the aging curve, remember?) Speedwork works in that it provides a variation that can get you out of the rut of running every workout at the same pace, comfortable though this might be. At some point you will cease to improve—or improvement will be less spectacular than you have experienced so far. Considering your distaste for speedwork, have you tried my Tempo Runs, the gentlest form of speedwork available, allowing your body to dictate how you accelerate (and decelerate) in the middle of a medium-long run?

Also, I'm not sure what you have against pace runs. For someone capable of the mileages offered in my intermediate programs, it should not be that hard to run at least a few miles at race pace. Say, 2 or 3 fast miles in the middle of a 6-mile run. Then play around with that pace: a mile slightly faster, a mile slightly slower, a mile spot on. Of course, this is a distraction from your focus on just getting out there and running a comfortable pace, but you did ask me how to avoid "diminishing returns," didn't you?

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

Risky 50-K

QUESTION: I'm running Rock and Roll USA in March, and it will be my seventh marathon. But two weeks before, I may want to run a local trail 50-K. Last year I opted not to run the 50-K out of fear that it would compromise my performance in the marathon. However, last weekend I slowly shuffled for 30 miles on trails as preparation for a 50-mile trail race, and felt no great soreness afterward—though I needed a good nap. This weekend, I found an 18-miler on roads to be much easier physically and especially mentally. Anyway, the question is: If I run the 50-K, does it create too great a risk of a disappointing performance in the marathon two weeks later, even if I run the 50K very slowly and on a more forgiving surface?

HAL’S ANSWER: Risk? Hey, after seven marathons, you are categorized as a grown-up. You should remove the word “risk” from your vocabulary. Running a 50-K two weeks before a marathon certainly will compromise your ability to achieve a fast time in that marathon. More important: Does it matter? I’m going to suggest that certainly, you can run the ultra, fast or slow, then, given your background, return in two weeks for the marathon. Thus my response: You need to ask yourself, which race is most important to you? If it is the marathon, doing a 50 might not be the best idea. If the it is 50, you can go for it in Race # 1 with the knowledge that you’ll still be able to finish Race # 2 with a smile on your face if not a fast time on the clock.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website.