Marathon Training (for the rest of us): Recent Episodes
The Shark Deck
This is running for regular people. Johnny Mac is 52. Nine years ago he ran the NYC Marathon. To his surprise, he won the lottery and got in the 2022 race. With a torn meniscus, will his body hold up? Come for a run and find out.
The "slog run" as Johnny Mac calls the midweek run is starting to get long, but Johnny Mac is in a 4-7-4-14 week and the 7 went well...BUT John has lost a toenail.
Johnny Mac completes Hal Higdon's step-backw with an OK 9, where it took him a while to get loose
Whatever you do, no untried gear and no untested diets on race day!!!! Test your stuff out on training runs or you will regret it! Also, digging these Hokas!
After last week's BONK 11, Hal Higdon's plan has added a mile to the long run, but today Johnny Mac is feeling great!
After the recording Johnny Mac looked up the dew point on this one - it was 70!!!!! Well that explains everything, and everything went wrong for this 11 mile basically walk.
Johnny Mac was in Montreal so he climbed Mount Royal's staircases and then ran down the winding trail....it's a lot of heavy breathing as you're along for the run!
68 degrees after two weeks of running in 80+? Johnny Mac shaves 5 minutes off his loop!
Well you don't have a time machine and you can't re-do the first half, but you can try to run the second half faster than the first!
Johnny Mac is on a runner's high and has some initial thoughts about his running gear. Hoka sneakers, in! Nike cap, in! Shorts...hmmm.
Johnny Mac had to flip his schedule around...and then it was hot...and then the phone rang and he couldn't skip the call. Let's call it a 7 even if the odometer said 8.5
Johnny Mac kicked off Week 1 of Official Marathon Training feeling strong with a nice 3.8!
Johnny Mac has nothing, but the long run must happen and part of the fun is figuring it out.
Johnny Mac ran three days in a row, shaking off some unexpected dizziness and then rebounding with a good 5.
Johnny Mac finally finds the long run that he's been looking for! Endorphins and everything! But leave your ego at home because there is always someone faster and she just zipped passed you.
After four days off in a row, Johnny Mac finally gets back into the swing of things and tries to make up his milage with back to back 5s.
Johnny Mac checks his weather app and sees its about to get very hot - so runs out the front door without too much hydration.
Stop being rude. You can take a second to nod, or wave, or say good morning, or even move your hand just the slightest.
Coming off a stretch out and an off-weekend, Johnny Mac finds himself with surprisingly little in the tank.
Johnny Mac stretches out and has 7....but he doesn't have 9....and gets quite stressed about the idiot drivers coming too close.
4 days off for the holiday weekend, combined with some cooler weather and Johnny Mac was able to stretch the Wednesday run out to 5 miles with no problems!
Johnny Mac had high hopes for a 7.6....but trying to run after playing volleyball, he's got nothing.
After back to back rest days, Johnny Mac is not feeling great and his knee was feeling thingy, but he knows he shouldn't take three days off in a row. But in the end, the run turns out ok...
Johnny Mac's new $50 PATH running shorts disappeared in the wash, but the fitness is starting to come back.
It was just a 3.3 but the pollen is killing Johnny Mac....and there's hot weather approaching, when to do the long-run?
Johnny Mac is feeling goodie body and mind and decides to push it and NOT take a day pff after the Long Run.
Johnny Mac goes out for a long-run, struggles on the way out and has a better experience on the way back. This is teh debut of his new Hoka running shoes.
Johnny Mac begins to wonder if his Asics 28's aren't working for him, and tries running in a beat up old pair of Nikes while he waits for his Hokas to arrive
Johnny Mac was not expecting a CONGRATULATIONS email, but he got one. Now he has to actually run the thing. This episode level sets John's experience (ran the same race in 2013) and current fitness (not so much).
Ten years later, can Johnny Mac find it in him to run a second marathon? John is a regular runner like you, come join him on long runs, short runs and all the ups and downs of trying to see if his body will hold up.