First week fine. Week -16:

S: Rest

M: 8 GA w/ 8 x 100 m ST

T: Rest

W: 10 GA

T: Rest

F: 5 R

S: 13 w/ 8 @ MP

Marathon pace is sub-7:30. Sounds brutal, but based on my numbers, I should be able to do it.

Very soon after I wrote that previous post I realized that it won't work. First, jumping into 50+ weeks from a 41 peak with workouts and all and with only one transition week is brutal. Second, we went to Maine for the week. We flew there and drove back in a small car, so I only brought running clothes for 40+ degree weather. Which occurred probably like once the whole week. Plus the day of flying, and the two days of driving back: it was impossible to fit in the larger volume.

So this cycle will be another 55 mpw one. That's fine. Let's see if I can do a better job to be consistent. There is always more time between a spring and a fall marathon, so for the fall of 2025 I can run a flat one (like Monumental), and try to BQ.

I already started my week. I'll keep the Sunday week start, because the marathon is on a Saturday, and I like the Sunday rest day. I ran my Monday LT run already, and it went pretty well. (I can probably train at 49 VDOT.) But more on that after the week is over.

S: Rest

M: 8 w/ 4 @ LT

T: Rest

W: 9 GA

T: Rest

F: 4 R

S: 12 MLR

I may shift the 4 R for Thursday if we have a Thirsty Thursday.

Recovery week #5 went fine. I have not only finished my 41 miles with no issue, but I had a rather strong medium long run (12 miles) at an 8:00 min/mile average pace. Well, maybe not exactly entirely voluntarily: The group was very fast, and the slowest runners were still going a bit too fast. When I turned around at mile 6 (most people went on), I slowed a little but not that much. From mile 7.8 to 10.5 the course in constant uphill, which added to the challenge (fun).

I guess I am officially recovered. In fact after a bit of slacking (no running at all on the first week after the marathon), I did the 70-mile schedule recovery to build mileage faster and stronger. I got a bad cold on week #2, so I skipped 5 days, but then I continued the recovery without any adjustment.

I have a week before starting the schedule for the KDF, but if I really want to do the 18/70, even Pfitzinger says that I should have run at least 45 miles the week before, and a long run that is close to the first long run. (But then why does the recovery end at 41 MPW/12 miles?)  So no workouts, but I'll need a longer week.

Transition week:

Keep it simple. ~6.5 miles/day for 5 days, plus a 14-mile long run. Since Saturday is forced rest, I'll run every day. Long run will happen based on vacation schedule, because we'll be in Maine.

The rest of the schedule:

12/22: Week -17

12/29: Week -16

1/5: Week -15

1/12: Week -14

1/19: Week -13

1/26: Week -12

2/2: Week -11

2/9: Week -10

2/16: Week -9

2/23: Week -8

3/2: Week -7

3/9: Week -6

3/16: Week -5

3/23: Week -4

3/30: Week -3

4/6: Week -2

4/13: Week -1

4/20: Race week

Recovery week #4 went fine. Pretty cold the whole week, and unfortunately my asthma is back, but I seem to be faster than a few months ago. My 11-miler was done barely over 8 min/mile, and I didn't push it very hard.

Recovery week #5.

S: Rest

M: 6 R

T: 8 GA

W: Rest

T: 9 GA + 8 x 100

F: 6 R

S: 12 MLR

Total: 41 miles.

I'll have to double check, but I think I can do a cutback week after this, before the next 18/70 cycle. Yes, 18/70. I'm still about to try that.