THE Experiment.

Hugging my kiddos at mile 21 or so. No actions shots!

Purpose: Could I run a sub 4-hour marathon with no long run training and added strength training (crossfit)?

Hypothesis: My first goal was really just to finish. I was doubtful that I could do it in under 4 hours, considering every other marathon I have run was accomplished with a full training plan of running at least 3 days per week, including one long run each week up to 23 miles.

Method:

1. My longest run would be at the track and would be kept to single digits. These runs consisted of extended warm-up, 3-5 miles of hard running and then a cool down to finish out mileage. My mileage these days ranged from 6-9 miles.

2. No other required running. Once in a while I would meet Julie & Courtney for hills on Fridays, but other than that, any running that was done was within a crossfit workout, which is minimal.

3. No running on weekends!!! I had a life on the weekend!

4. Crossfitting 4-5 times/week.

5. Swimming 1-2 times/week.

6. Cycling once/week.....and that is only if I was teaching my cycle class that week.

7. No taper.

Result: 3:31:01 (my PR is a 3:06:xx)

I started out ultra conservative. First mile was 8:40, 2nd 8:20, 3rd 8:40 and kept it in the mid 8's for quite some time. I passed the 9 mile mark expecting at any moment to explode since that is the longest distance I had run. Didn't happen. I kept up a decently conservative pace, enjoyed the crowd AND the absolutely perfect running conditions.

I passed the 1/2 marathon mark at about 1:49 feeling awesome. I sped up just slightly until the 20 mile mark. I didn't hit the wall. I sped up more. My last 5.2 were all done at sub 7 minute pace. I felt like a million bucks.

Conclusion:

I am completely shocked with this result. I was very doubtful I could break 4 hours, let alone feel good doing it. I was convinced at some mile in the teens I would hit the wall and the rest of it would be extremely painful. I was packing ibuprofen just in case! I thought I would be out of commission for the rest of the day. Not only is that not the case, I have been going non-stop since I got home! I can walk down the stairs like I normally do AND sit down and get up from the toilet without pain!

What did I learn from this experience? Much more than I ever thought I would....I learned that I am NEVER going to do long runs for a marathon again. If I ever go for a PR, my runs may go up to 15, but that 's it. I truly believe it's NOT necessary! How you start your marathon is SO important! I have always known this but had to learn the hard way. Being conservative at the beginning and not freaking out about going too slow is key. Increased strength training kept me strong throughout and less sore at the end. Crossfit helped me mentally because even though those workouts are shorter than a marathon, they are the hardest ones you will ever do!

One other conclusion I made was that my body was fresh from not doing long runs and/or high mileage. I wasn't borderline injured like many are that do a lot of miles. My body was fresh and my mind was ready to go!

I don't want to minimize the importance of training here. I trained very hard, it just wasn't specific to marathon. I wouldn't recommend doing your first marathon this way. This worked for me because I have several marathons under my belt and know how to start. I don't know anyone that hasn't had to learn this the hard way. In that case, those long runs will definitely come in handy!

Now, we will see how I feel tomorrow morning!!