I am mainly doing 70.3 races. I usually suffer during second part of the run. Muscles are usually gone after the race and need about a week to recover. I am wondering if this has to do with the length of my training workouts.
In my training weeks the long runs are mainly between 0h50 and 1h20. Since last year I had only 2 longer runs prescribed. My average time for the run in a race is 1h50-1h55. So that is a lot longer.
So wondering why I do not get longer runs prescribed and if I should do more longer runs (and how long or how often) to be more prepared for the run time in the race.
What I found was that just going and doing longer runs made the coach start prescribing longer runs. When an 80 minute run is scheduled go for 90 or 95 if your schedule permits. When it starts scheduling 90 minute runs go for 95 or 100 if you can. The coach will notice and adjust future runs.
I noted this thing yoo and i manually increase duration of my aerobic runs. Normally i increase 10 minutes per week till 2 weeks before the race when i set, for a 70.3 race, a session of 2 hours (just did yesterday). Than i slow down to 1 hour in the two weeks of tapering
Exactly as @Prato and @jhbuchholz has done. IF you are confident that you can handle more volume/longer runs without injuries and overtraining, override by extending it little by little so Athletica can see you are handling longer runs well, and it will give you more duration in the future.
@Marjaana@Prof
I understand the idea, but in my opinion this is not what I expect from coaching. I expect the plan to be adjusted automatically or give me a warning that my plan is not optimal preparing me. Not to run longer then prescribed.
I have been following my running length mostly and now it turns out I need to run longer then the prescribed time to increase my load to be prepared for a 70.3. Why does the AI not adjust my plan throughout the year to longer runs over time? Or am I missing something?
Hey @Antonie ,
I totally agree! A human coach would make the necessary volume recommendations in his plan. One would expect AI to predict the necessary volumes as well when it knows the goal being pursued. I had the same problem with my preparation for a 140.6: too little volume both on the bike and on the run.
On the other hand, if your muscles hurt that much during and after, it’s because you’re sorely lacking in volume and race tempo in your preparation.
I’ve never finished a race, be it a half or a full, with severe post-race soreness.
I don’t know this as I can’t check on my plan currently - but did you try the “duration” option on the workout wizard at all? If you feel good on most days you have the option to go longer.
I will be checking this after I race this weekend as I face the same issues as you. Luckily I have experience of doing different lengths of races so I know roughly what I want to run each weekend.
Yes, but the alternative is that it could tell you to do too much mileage and you get injured or don’t complete it all.
Even with a human coach there is the need for some dialogue regarding these types of things… The workout wizard is that dialogue (if it does allow you to extend)
No one - not human or AI - knows exactly how you are feeling apart from yourself.
Fyi if it helps give you some confidence in the plan I just completed a marathon on the weekend and set a PB.
Longest run the plan had me do was 24k.
I opted for one progression run at 35k about 6 weeks out which was not planned but other than that just stuck to the plan. Tbh I think the 35k got me sick so I missed the next two weeks with no exercise at all.
Yet despite this I had only minor issues with fatigue in the race, and almost certainly from being sick and not running for 2 weeks.
My point is, you probably don’t have to do as much as you think you do in terms of duration. I think it’s more a case of consistency more than anything.
Good luck
In my experience as a runner and coach to many marathon runners, the risk of injuries and illness is much greater with long runs. It is a fine balance between gaining confidence from a long run (s) and the higher risk that comes with pushing towards 30K+. I can’t tell how many times athletes have gotten sick/injured after that “I need that long run for confidence”.
In my own experience, 28K works well for me. Occasionally I push it a little bit longer but I think my longest ever training run has been 32K.
Athletica wants you to stay healthy and keep logging those miles and so keeps the runs conservative. If you have the experience of dancing on the tight rope and can listen to your body’s signals - lengthens those runs - but as is already mentioned, consistency is far more important.
If you are fading at the end of a triathlon, consider pacing issues on the bike. It could also be that you neuromuscular fatigue slows you at the end, and you could incorporate strategic strength training, and “fast finish” runs to combat that.
