You first tip is one of my personal favourites. Consistency has always made a big difference to me. Thanks for the big list of tips, it's great to see the things that's worked for you over the years.
Andy - great vid. You hit on it - it’s “what you do with those miles”, ex. 80/20, % at MP, or really varying Intensity. Lots of runners get stuck in same route, same medium pace and don’t see improvement. Video ideas - dynamic warm up drills (we’ve seen bits of already), nutrition guiding principles (pre & post), recovery routine (rolling and also strength exercises). As what happens around your runs will make you successful too!
Thanks! Yes easy to get stuck in a rut for sure, having a plan really helps mix things up a bit!! Yes I’m going to try and get some other videos like that done as the training progresses so I cover all bases!
Great tips Andy. I especially agree on not ramping up the mileage too much. You see alot of people on Strava doing massive mileage and it' s easy to get carried away by that. But not only is the injury risk higher, but for me too much mileage always leads to the legs feeling "dead". That will negatively affect your sessions and ultimately slow up your progress.
EXACTLY! I think strava is a bit of a cause for this high mileage culture.... if it looks good on strava then people will love it 🤷♂️ rather than “what works for me”.... sadly people think that what looks good to the world is more important than what works for them... to be quite honest I don’t care what people think of my strava 😂
Hi Andy Good, honest presentation (as expected). Enjoyed the interaction between Mr Bird and Mr Wood regarding the 80/20 split. For me, after base training you need your body to get used to your goal 'race pace' - to move relaxed and efficiently, then be prepared to "get stuck in" when you need to achieve the time you have been working towards. This can only be done by putting your body under similar stresses that it will encounter during the race. The key to this approach is not to get injured! Therefore incorporating 'recovery runs' is esssential, as well as strenthening / flexibility work allied with occasional rest days and 'foam rolling massage'. You have to look after your body. It will adapt and reward you with performances within your capabilities as long as you respect it. It seems to me that with your approach (and that of Mr Bird) you do and I can only forsee futher progress. Continue being positive. Take care
Hey! That’s really well written 👏 and yes I agree, the base phase is a great time to get lots of easy running done and work on various elements in preparation for the upcoming training block. However once you’re in that block then running in and around race pace is definitely required! As you said.... not getting injured is key and that’s my number one priority!
I'd say running technique drills and progressive runs were extremely useful throughout my running life. But yes long runs are something else. Grabbing the backpack and going for a 2h long run is still one of my favorite things to do in life. There's so much freedom in it. 😃
You know a video is going to be good when The host uses the words ‘encapsulates’ and ‘amalgamate’:) these are amazing tips Andy. Very useful and a little bit for everybody covering different aspects. 😊 thanks
Nice video. The long run is hugely underrated, even when it’s slow and easy it really develops so many facets. I would also say not feeling like you have to prove anything to anyone. Don’t worry about every session!
Hi Andy, your progress seems like it has sky rocketed recently, I have been watching your vids since 2018, I think your approach has kept you running with hardly any unplanned reductions in volume and I think that is the main reason that your times have tumbled, keep the same formula and hopefully you will reach your lofty long term goals
Thanks so much! Yes hopefully just sticking with things moving forwards and we can get better slowly but surely!! Thank you for watching since back in 2018!
Great tips, Andy. Those marathon and half marathon time progressions are insane, it gives me hope. I have gone from 3:56 to 3:35 in the last year, each year I aim to get PBs across the board. Like you I love my long runs but I never really had structured training, when I go out I wouldn't plan even distances and just go at a moderate pace. That's my change for this year, I'm going to at least try make my training make sense with an end goal. Love the logic behind tip #6, never thought of it that way, also working on my shoe rotation, got great tips from some of your previous videos on the different types or runners you prefer for each session.
Thanks mate! Yes I love in between goal races to be quite loose on the structure but to be fair, when I get focused, I really do find a plan helps keep me on track! Appreciate you watching!
This is where my new coach has me running, I was all over the place doing all sorts of runs that weren’t specific enough for my goal of a sub 3hr marathon, my PB has gone down from 3.40 to 3.27 to 3.18 just using online plans but now having a coach he has me doing a big chunk of my long run around 6.50 pace (this weeks 2easy 10@6.50 2 easy) and my Tuesday sessions slightly faster than that, loving the mew style and I had noticed as soon as he set it me it’s similar to how I’ve always seen you structure your long runs, (very rarely them just being easy runs) keep up the great work Andy its great seeing how you’ve progressed time wise showing me it is possible especially on them days when it’s a tough run, 🏃♂️🏃♂️
Your development over the years has been quite something to watch mate, commitment, dedication and consistency has paid off MASSIVELY. And running with The Cymru Dragon too 😉
My big difference came when I started running competitively with the local running club. It helps you to set running goals and spurs the desire for competition. I’m lucky in that my running club has managed to implement a COVID protocol for our races so we didn’t have any for only a few months early last year. Since about June last year been racing trails and road monthly. Shout out to my Club for working so hard to see that we started running again as soon as possible and for understanding how much running in person races helps to heal the mind. Great topic Andy well done!
Thanks amazing, sounds like your club managed the situation really well!! Fair play 👏 hopefully we will see some more races happening later this year on trails and roads!
Great video as always Andy! People totally underestimate the power of consistency and routine. A lot of people can run a 100 mile week but very few can average 100 miles per week for a year.
Spot on Andy. I do feel that nutrition makes a massive difference to me as I get older. I certainly recover quicker by eating healthier and keeping hydrated throughout the week.
It’s refreshing to hear such good straightforward advice and not pushing a training dogma that so many coaches seem to do. I’m an older runner than you, late 50s, do you have any advice for older runners, especially to avoid injury?
Thanks! I think for me with injury prevention it’s always been about running a sensible weekly mileage to not overstretch so there’s plenty of recovery time!!
@@TheFODRunner Yes I think as I’ve become older recovery is the key, I definitely need longer to recover. Typically I find for me I’ll run 3 to 4 days on the trot but then rest for 2 to 3 days. This sort of happened by accident as I went part time and this fitted in with my schedule but it seems to work. The other thing I’ve found is that I now need a lot longer warmup, typically run walking for 2 to 3 miles before committing to the training I’m doing that day.Thanks for replying to me and I look forward to watching more of your videos, David.
Great video Andy!! Love how we can break the perceptions that we all slow down as we get older. I'm sure it will happen eventually but at this stage I'm happy to be running faster as a 45 year old than I was in my thirties (luckily I don't have any records of my times from school!) Consistency and specificity have definitely helped me achieve some big improvements, and I know there's still more PBs to come
Dope video! I love the fact that you are doing what's best for YOU! Not everything that works for others is gonna work for you and vice versa but giving yourself the chance to explore and figure out how your body responds to different training stimuli is key. Thanks for this video, really resonated with me.
Man, that was just a brilliant comprehension of your running philosophy in such a short time 🥳 so sharp and on point! chapeaux 👏👏👏 also your base of “fartleklongruns” sounds genius to me. Opposite to you I do believe there is a case for fast high mileage increase at a slow pace which I have been experimenting with. I paid with a couple of burnout phases but I could argue it was a good way to get to know myself fast. Also these slow long efforts i believe helped me strengthen my joints and ankles and have kept me from getting injured.
Awesome thanks for watching! Yes don’t get me wrong, the slow mileage is key to help recover and built a really good foundation, I just find when I’m in a training block I need specificity to help me improve on lower mileage 👌
A lot of good point... I went 1h28 on HM running approx 45km / week. That’s 28 miles. Which is what seem to be the starting point for a very new comer in these days of crazy high mileages. You need quality in quantity, and quantity in quality.
The thing you called boring is actually a good reminder for me. My lack of consistency is affecting my running and workouts in general. Thank you for being so honest and open about it. I took all points on board. How much coaching has played part in your training? And would you recommend runners to take it up? Thanks.
Thanks, I forget sometimes the boring parts to me might not be to other people! Well in the 6 years I’ve been running I’ve been coached for 2 months now so I’ll update everyone after my first full marathon block, which is this one 👌
Enjoyed that. Completely agree on shoe rotation. Used to train for a HM in heavy stability shoe then use the same one for race day. Now I just use that for easy R/Runs. The difference putting on something up to 100grams lighter and a "neutral shoe" picks up my leg speeds so much better. Add that to weight loss and gradual mileage increase I'm running my 10k 8 mins faster than last March. Got around 4 pairs I muck around in. Thanks for the advice 👍🏃♂️
Yeah definitely, I used my novablast for my workout this morning, good to mix things up from heavy shoes, speed shoes the reserve the racing shoes for race day!
This is a great video, I’ve watched it X2 already! Your improvement is phenomenal but on a realistic weekly mileage. I definitely see the value in your training plans. Definitely need to start emulating race pace more often, with no races I’ve focused more on mileage and short intervals and strides. I feel fitter, but lost my race edge. I think this Vlog will help the channel 👍🏃♂️
Great video - completely agree with mileage. I've setup monthly mileage goals this year with tiny increments to try and stop me jumping up and getting injured!
Thanks! Just seems a solid way to build yourself up in my opinion 👌 definitely good for building strength without getting injured as much as if you would with bigger jumps!
Great advice mate, because I think we are all impressed how far you've come because I think there are many like me who are way back there at the 4hr marathon mark. But you give us hope for at least some improvement. For me, the longer runs and consistency seems to be helping my fitness levels increase
Thank you! Yeah I think it’s just more a case of what you do with the mileage that’ll really help progress and as you’re finding, long run consistency is just the 🔑
Cheers for the kudos on strava for my run today. Watched this video whilst getting ready for run and decided to change up the run. Not done any speed work for a few weeks so you definitely inspired me to use the saucony endorphin speeds and have some fun doing a fartlek run. Great video
As a fellow desk-jockey and father I really appreciate your perspective on making the most of the mileage before increasing the volume unnecessarily. Time is at a premium. So how many workouts a week do u do? Your comment on 80/20 made me wonder what my ratio is... I’ll calculate that today
Loved this video! I admire you and other faster runners. I know I put in a lot of effort but sometimes doubt myself in being able to get to those faster paces. It's so nice hearing you've done it, and how you did it. Rather than it just being natural abilities, you train well & hard to reach for the next level.
Thanks mate! Yes definitely no natural ability here, that’s for sure! We all have doubts but if we keep ticking off each run one by one we will get closer to our goal!
Good to hear you're able to hit your times on that mileage a week throughout the years. I would have guessed you were around 65-75 miles a week right now. After starting jogging only slow and easy last year, I added tempo runs this year, and just started a stryd training plan yesterday. I'm getting greedy hoping for a sub 3-hr marathon this year, with an 80 min hm first. I was too focused on weekly mileage before thinking that'd help for ultras, but actually a proper marathon training plan with lower mileage is better.
Awesome an 80 minute half is amazing well done 👏 yeah don’t stress about how much mileage, think more about what you’re doing with it 👌 specificity will get you to that sub 3 hour goal!
@@TheFODRunner 93 min unplanned half so far so I have a ways to get to 80 min, but I can't complain. Next step is working on interval stuff. I feel like I can hold my 10k pace forever, but I actually can't run much faster even for only a couple of miles. Was helpful watching your old training plan videos. I give into training plans now!
@@tonybowen455 ah ok cool, well yes that still a great time so going sub 90 first is a brilliant barrier to break, I remember doing that and it felt amazing!!
Cheers Andy, great tips. Watching your progression has made me target long run consistency now, I always make sure I bank a weekly long run of 2 hours minimum ideally with some kind of non-easy paced work in there as well.
Great tips, Andy. This all resonated with me since marathon-pb-wise I seem to be where you were, and I'd love to get to where you are now. Might not happen but I'll keep grinding.
Biggest thing for me has been basically tip #6. I kind of followed the 10% rule and hurt myself about 8 weeks into a training block (this was right before Covid so the race I was training for was cancelled anyways). Now that I'm in a base building phase I find just adding an increment to each session makes a world of difference. I'm running 6x per week, and I just add 0.5km to each run each week. So the amount I'm going up is probably closer to 5%, and it's an extra 2-4 minutes on feet each session, compared to some plans I've followed where that is probably closer to 10+ minutes. My legs feel so much better and I feel like I'm progressing up the ladder in a much safer manner now!
That’s a really sensible and fantastic job 👌 sometimes we need to learn ourselves and it sounds like you did, but you’re doing a really sensible thing, you’ll progress well that way!! Keep it up!
I cannot agree more especially about foam rolling, but I'm guilty that I cannot find the proper time to do it. Being consistent is also important for the body to adapt, I never expected to run almost 50miles/week. Last year I put myself the goal to make 40-45miles, which I accomplished but as you said, taking the next step. I did a 60miles week by end of last year but clearly the body took extra time to recover after that, so I know 😆 Shoes have become something like an obsession, haha, but much needed tool to improve in terms of the terrain and type of workout. And adding one more think I definitely lack: more sleep. But that's another story Great tips Andy!
Yes sometimes when we take a big mileage jump the body needs extra time! Small steps are a great way to progress and adapt quickly!! I know what you mean with the shoe obsession 😂
Since I have added some more shoes into my rotation (used to be a one pair of shoe guy myself too), I have found I can run more often and be more consistent even at low miles. Game changer. Need to work on recovery and nutrition still. Baby steps 😂
Baby steps indeed! 😂 great stuff I’m glad the shoes are helping... as much as it’s a great excuse just to buy more shoes, there really is a good purpose to it!
I found Double days help. Started in late nov/Dec doing 10k at lunch, then 8 or 10K evening, really because of the dark and no streets light near me. It allows me to keep the mileage up for the day, and not use a rest day to keep the mileage quota. (slightly different to the QD but along the lines).
Been watching you for some time Andy and this is the first video which really resonated with me .... thanks for the training tips will def put some into action
Hi Andy great video, I've been focusing on nutrition building daily habits my go to breakfast is porridge, banana and peanut butter I'm trying to drink more water but aswell as I've started elementing strength training and this has really helped me my easy pace has jumped right down over my last training block I was averaging 8.30 - 8.40 for a easy run and couldn't believe how easy 8.25 felt for 10 miles on my last easy long run, hoping to start a new training block soon with hope of better weather circumstances for a 5k pb attempt 🤞🏻
Cheers for this Andy, definitely chimes with my experience too. After seeing some of your long run sessions I started doing them too. Took a month or so but has definitely made a huge difference, thanks for all your great advice 👍
Great video. I too love my long run day and for the past year I have been doing much the same and just mixing the long runs up; sometimes very easy, or progression, or ez and MP. Maybe I should try the fartlek suggestion on my 5k loop that is very undulating. Do you vary how you do the fartlek or run it more structured, i.e 4’ faster, 2’ slower? I also rotate lots of shoes and they last well and I don’t get beaten up. I am a far more average runner than you but good to know I am doing many things in the same way. Good luck for your next goal!
Great tips.. an extra thing I find about shoe rotation is that the different shoes keep your feet/legs working. It means they need to work slightly different instead of just getting into a rut.. the 3 top tips that work for me is veganism (my body recovers better.. but every body is different), and as an older runner, watching TV on the floor keeps my muscles stretching at night and avoid complete rest days.. as an older runner the body gets stiff more easily
Great tips paul! Cutting out meat has helped me recover much better too, been vegetarian for 5 years now and it’s incredible 👌 yes active recovery is a good shout, if I’m not running then I’m walking!
@@TheFODRunner for me there was a benefit going from vegetarian to vegan, but it wasn't anywhere as big as turning vegetarian.. and weirdly it took about 3 months to really kick in, where as the switch to vegetarian was immediately apparent.. a case of diminishing returns
Good stuff, very many of the same things I have picked up over the past year since I started back running seriously. Tip 3 is key to me. Nothing prepared me better for the marathon distance than long runs with workouts at MP or above in them. As you said, aside from the physical benefits, the mental side is huge, you get a massive confidence boost from completing runs like that. I think if I ran all my long runs at easy pace then I would have questions lurking in the back of my mind whether I could run the distance at the higher race pace. Sleep was also the big one for me. Of all the recovery tools, it was only when upped by sleep from 6 up to 8 hours or more that I started to really see improvements and allow further progression. Total mileage really is quite subjective so I agree you cannot subscribe to a blanket statement that running more miles always equals faster times. For me my mileage tops out around 70-80 miles during a block and I will run every day, for me I find active recovery runs work better than having days totally off. Of course it's completely possible I might run just as well if not faster if I ran 5 days a week like you do! Maybe will try that, just not now as I am deep in a training block at the moment...
Yeah I think the question would lurk in the back of my mind too then I’d constantly question “have I gone out too hard, is this too slow” and you don’t want to waste energy in thoughts like that in a marathon! Yeah it is subjective you’re right, I’m sadly not in a position to run much more than I am at the moment due to family and work etc so I need to find a training routine that’ll get the best out of me as it stands 👌
@@TheFODRunner Yeah I understand. I have work and 3 kids at home schooling too. Lots of v. early morning running before anyone is out of bed and an understanding wife helps :)
Some good tips there. You do really well off lower mileage. Only way I managed to get from a 2.44 marathon to 2.30 was upping the miles to about 80-100 miles per week and the key for me was double days.
Awesome to hear mate, I’ll try and do my next block and go for sub 2:35 in October and go for 60 miles so I’ll take the next step for that, then see how much I can squeeze out of myself from there!!
@@TheFODRunner great thing about running though, different things work for different people. Only noticed on your Unived profile that we share a birthday, 14th May. 👍
I agree with the mileage section. I run 5 x a week (40-45M) and can't do 80/20 because then I'd be running only 10M a week at my goal paces while training for a Marathon/HM. I also have certain shoes for certain workouts so typically I will use 4 different shoes a week (2 easy runs, 1 track/1 tempo or hills/1 long run.
running 3-4 times a week maintains fitness, but running 6 times improves if. And sure building up slowly, being patient and consistent etc. More slow runs long run being most important of them. Then 1-2 quality workouts per week. Three week km's 80-80-55 - repeat - repeat 😄. Started from 30-40. This way from 1:55 half to 1:25 in one year.
That’s ok! In those 6/8 miles you can do some 1/2 minutes efforts in there, or 3 miles easy / 3 miles moderate etc, loads to play around with! Strides definitely help too!
The milage you mentioned, is/was that the max in a cycle or just the general weekly total? My weekly is ~45 when building, but I'll peak at 70+ for a marathon before tapering 3 weeks.
Of course.... so my current training plan is geared around running 6:00 per mile for my marathon in April 👌 so if 6:00 is 100% then some runs I might do 85% (6:40 - moderate pace), some runs are intervals at 5:30 pace (110%) and then some other paces in between (except easy runs). So if you watch this weekends marathon training series out Sunday (hopefully) you’ll see my workouts and paces are all within that 85%/110% bracket and all serve a purpose to work around, close to and past my goal 100% pace. This means the paces over time get easier and my 6:00 effort becomes easier as we move forwards
Andy, you should do a collaboration with Kofuzi and Eddbud and make a book on running and training. Claire Maxted (Wild Ginger Running) wrote a book on trail running so I think people would buy this kind of book. There is a market for it, not everyone necessarily wants to read how the Elites and pro athletes train. Sometimes it's refreshing just to see how average and better than average recreational (and semi-pro) runners train.
Yeah that’s a great idea! I’ve had mike on my channel a couple of times and it’s funny because we always clash on training styles, he’s very much easy 80/20 and obviously did MAF training for a while but he bangs out high Miles whereas in the opposite.... much less miles and more “intensity”. I guess the phrase is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”! That’s a great idea 👏
@@TheFODRunner the beauty of collaboration is that you share your ideas on paper and it's good to be different. Like you said, there's more than one way to skin a cat, especially when it comes to running and training! Would be interesting to see their views on it if you ever made a proposal. 👍🏻
Mileage for me. Doubled my mileage when lockdown started to between 40 and 50 miles a week and dropped my best times significantly. Half from 1.50 to 1.42 no taper.
Hi Andy, I have a question for you. Myself Manash from 🇮🇳. Like most books says your long run should be maximum of 25% or less of your weekly mileage, so do you do sometimes over 25% of it? Because I see if you are running around 45-55miles per week which I think is 80-90k, 25% seems only I think 20-21k long runs. So that seems you are doing like 30-35% distance of your weekly mileage in your long runs. Can you please brief it a little bit? Thanks alot.
Yes I do go over it, it’s not a rule I tend to stick to to be honest!! I just do my long runs as I want too, I enjoy being out there for a long period of time! But now I’m in a proper training cycle with a coach that might change
@@TheFODRunner I got it. Thanks alot for your reply. Your work in UA-cam for us is much appreciated. Keep it up. And also good luck for your upcoming performances.
No my half was 1:42 when my marathon was 3:54, my 1:59 half was earlier 👌 target for your first marathon is just enjoy it, I put way too much pressure in myself and it crippled me!
The pressure is already too high as my first was supposed to be Manchester last year and there is no clear sight of when a proper marathon will happen again. And keeping up such volume for so long s difficult.
@@TheFODRunner, so true Andy. Now I am shifting towards there small ultra events. There is a better chance of them happening. I have found a “last one standing” kind of event which takes in only about 120 odd people. So 🤞
Hi, another great video. I managed a 3:11 marathon in 2018 running 30ish miles per week. I'm not entirely sure how?! I now consistentently run 50 miles per week which I feel is more than adequate. I do most runs at marathon pace or quicker, I struggle with easy slow runs. For my level, I don't accept that I should be running 70+ miles per week as other youtubers have suggested.
That’s fantastic on 30 miles a week, a testament to what hard work and well spent mileage can do for you! You’d smash through the 3 hour barrier now at 50 miles if you can do that at 30
I don't think there is evidence that stretching and rolling helps in a meaningful way in recovery or injury prevention, but so many people prescribing it 🤔
I find it’s like “ironing out the creases”, just helps make them feel a bit better! Doing it now actually since I did my session this morning and legs feel good for it 👌
@@TheFODRunner It's like if it makes you feel good, you should do it (and it's not hurting you). I was watching a documentary about a gold medal Olympian skier and he said he needed to eat heaps of candy and gummy bears in order to deal with the training and the strict discipline. In that way it really helped him even though the evidence for gummy bears to become a top level endurance athlete is not there (yet?).
Yes running slow helps recover and build solid foundations and base phases are great for this.... but in a training cycle I can’t remember the last time I can 80% easy and 20% fast
@@christopherbird5886 when you run you should spend 80% of your time running slow, easy pace (conversational) and only 20% fast or hard pace (barely able to speak a sentence.) Volume of runs doesn't matter. If you only run 4 times a week, for instance, one run should be fast and hard, the other 3 slow to very slow pace which would be a 75/25 split.
in my opinion beginners shouldn't try to build a shoe rotation. The problem is that it takes time to know which requirements there are and also when the legs get stronger, they can tolerate different types of shoes. In the beginning perhaps only daily trainers can be worn. However, the most important thing is to know how many miles you have in a pair. Also that what you told in the video that you need to retire a shoe immediately, is totally wrong. The key is to have shoes in different phases of the lifecycle. Let's say that a beginner is running 1000 kilometres a year which makes 20K a week, probably more in summer and not very much in winter. Then it's enough to buy one shoe pair in spring and one in autumn and to alternate the newer and older pair depending on the type of the run. When running a longer one or more fast, then wear the new pair because legs take more bounding that day. Other days can be much more easier like slow recovery runs on dirt roads. Then one can wear the older pair that isn't as fast as it was when it was new and doesn't have all cushioning left anymore. I managed to train like that couple of years. I ran a 3:33 marathon having just two pairs of running shoes that were both heavy and had a lot of support. When I ran 3:18 I already had a light-weight trainer for races and some workouts but in the beginning calves hurt a lot after those sessions. So it took a lot of time before I was ready for lighter shoes. Even that light-weight trainer wasn't very light compared to today's shoes. It was Mizuno Wave Elixir 5, a 275 grams shoe in size UK 8.5. I wore it for 12 races and it was more than 900K in it when I raced in that shoe for the last time. So in my opinion it's very simple in the beginning. One should avoid the situation where he/she runs all runs either in a new shoe or in an old shoe. When the shoe is in the middle of the lifecycle, the older one is probably at the end of the lifecycle if the mileage was divided equally to these two shoes. So when the newer one is in the middle, one should buy a new pair and retire the old pair that is at the end. Then later one can start to add other shoes like a lighter shoe for workouts and races. I for example didn't do any workouts in the beginning. I ran a 4 hour marathon without any training or sports whatsoever and until that 3:33 I did kind of only aerobic base building. After that I started to do workouts and then it was easy to start to add new shoes but it took at least a decade to really to accumulate the knowledge about the shoes and notice the minor differences. I think that nowadays many people see shoe reviews and then they try to buy all kind of new shoes but get injured or disappointed because they don't know which shoe to wear for what purpose, Some of them haven't even built yet the muscle strength and therefore they aren't ready to run in some of those shoes yet. It's a much wiser strategy to keep it as simple as possible when one starts and to get more into the running shoe game when one has the experience that comes with training. Especially low drop is tough for runners with less experience.
Appreciate your honest feedback 👌 for me personally, I wish someone had told me ages ago to rotate shoes, even just 2 pairs is fine, and I have to say that when a shoe starts causing me pain that’s it, they get 3 runs and if they’re all painful the shoe is out of the rotation and retired. As you know I live with trails on my doorstep and my rincons and turbo 2s got rotated on road and trail and both caused a lot of pain.... I’d never then consider keeping them after that
@@TheFODRunner for me it's more about midsole getting too hard, no specific problem zone because of the altered shape of the shoe but issues like shin splints, glute problems etc. because of too hard impact on hard surface. If one doesn't know how many mls he has in that shoe, it might become too hard and cause problems even when there is no visible wear. Therefore it's important always to have balance, i.e. at least one pair that is fairly new.
@@TheFODRunner and sometimes problems are caused when not running. Some runners have running shoes in perfect shape but walk a lot at job wearing the same pair of shoes every day for years. So for a runner it's important to pay attention to that what happens when he is not running
@@TheFODRunner btw the Peg Turbo is very durable. I have two friends that have run over 1000 mls in a pair. One of them says that it has so much pop left after 1700K that he's not planning to retire it soon. 😃
Yes I’ve heard the turbo 2 is very durable.... I had a bubble appear on the outsole where the foam had either split and moved or I’d hit a stone and it had moved it around somehow as my ankle started severely rocking in with the lack of foam on the medial side, therefore I just had to stop wearing them sadly
your progress over the years has been quite remarkable
Thank you so much! Means a lot coming from you 👊
You first tip is one of my personal favourites. Consistency has always made a big difference to me.
Thanks for the big list of tips, it's great to see the things that's worked for you over the years.
Thanks mate! Yes once you get rolling and some consistency back then the rest just clicks in to place nicely doesn’t it!!
Andy - great vid. You hit on it - it’s “what you do with those miles”, ex. 80/20, % at MP, or really varying Intensity. Lots of runners get stuck in same route, same medium pace and don’t see improvement. Video ideas - dynamic warm up drills (we’ve seen bits of already), nutrition guiding principles (pre & post), recovery routine (rolling and also strength exercises). As what happens around your runs will make you successful too!
Thanks! Yes easy to get stuck in a rut for sure, having a plan really helps mix things up a bit!! Yes I’m going to try and get some other videos like that done as the training progresses so I cover all bases!
Great tips Andy. I especially agree on not ramping up the mileage too much. You see alot of people on Strava doing massive mileage and it' s easy to get carried away by that. But not only is the injury risk higher, but for me too much mileage always leads to the legs feeling "dead". That will negatively affect your sessions and ultimately slow up your progress.
EXACTLY! I think strava is a bit of a cause for this high mileage culture.... if it looks good on strava then people will love it 🤷♂️ rather than “what works for me”.... sadly people think that what looks good to the world is more important than what works for them... to be quite honest I don’t care what people think of my strava 😂
Great to hear someone else advocating a different approach. “Run more miles” isn’t always the answer!
Thanks! Yes it doesn’t work for everyone, right now in my life it certainly doesn’t work for me!
I'd argue it's never the answer. The minimum effective dose is all we need to train. Above that is just superfluous increased risk
Hi Andy
Good, honest presentation (as expected). Enjoyed the interaction between Mr Bird and Mr Wood regarding the 80/20 split. For me, after base training you need your body to get used to your goal 'race pace' - to move relaxed and efficiently, then be prepared to "get stuck in" when you need to achieve the time you have been working towards. This can only be done by putting your body under similar stresses that it will encounter during the race.
The key to this approach is not to get injured! Therefore incorporating 'recovery runs' is esssential, as well as strenthening / flexibility work allied with occasional rest days and 'foam rolling massage'. You have to look after your body. It will adapt and reward you with performances within your capabilities as long as you respect it. It seems to me that with your approach (and that of Mr Bird) you do and I can only forsee futher progress. Continue being positive.
Take care
Hey! That’s really well written 👏 and yes I agree, the base phase is a great time to get lots of easy running done and work on various elements in preparation for the upcoming training block. However once you’re in that block then running in and around race pace is definitely required! As you said.... not getting injured is key and that’s my number one priority!
I'd say running technique drills and progressive runs were extremely useful throughout my running life. But yes long runs are something else. Grabbing the backpack and going for a 2h long run is still one of my favorite things to do in life. There's so much freedom in it. 😃
Definitely, my summer mountain marathon training will involve a lot of backpack work and hours on my feet! It’s the most incredible thing
You know a video is going to be good when The host uses the words ‘encapsulates’ and ‘amalgamate’:) these are amazing tips Andy. Very useful and a little bit for everybody covering different aspects. 😊 thanks
Haha big words for me 😂😂 thanks so much!
@@TheFODRunner these are seriously good and practical tips. 👏 one if my favorite running videos ever
Thank you!
Nice video. The long run is hugely underrated, even when it’s slow and easy it really develops so many facets. I would also say not feeling like you have to prove anything to anyone. Don’t worry about every session!
Definitely is! Yes that’s a great point, nothing to prove at all 👌
Hi Andy, your progress seems like it has sky rocketed recently, I have been watching your vids since 2018, I think your approach has kept you running with hardly any unplanned reductions in volume and I think that is the main reason that your times have tumbled, keep the same formula and hopefully you will reach your lofty long term goals
Thanks so much! Yes hopefully just sticking with things moving forwards and we can get better slowly but surely!! Thank you for watching since back in 2018!
Great tips, Andy. Those marathon and half marathon time progressions are insane, it gives me hope. I have gone from 3:56 to 3:35 in the last year, each year I aim to get PBs across the board. Like you I love my long runs but I never really had structured training, when I go out I wouldn't plan even distances and just go at a moderate pace. That's my change for this year, I'm going to at least try make my training make sense with an end goal. Love the logic behind tip #6, never thought of it that way, also working on my shoe rotation, got great tips from some of your previous videos on the different types or runners you prefer for each session.
Thanks mate! Yes I love in between goal races to be quite loose on the structure but to be fair, when I get focused, I really do find a plan helps keep me on track! Appreciate you watching!
This is where my new coach has me running, I was all over the place doing all sorts of runs that weren’t specific enough for my goal of a sub 3hr marathon, my PB has gone down from 3.40 to 3.27 to 3.18 just using online plans but now having a coach he has me doing a big chunk of my long run around 6.50 pace (this weeks 2easy 10@6.50 2 easy) and my Tuesday sessions slightly faster than that, loving the mew style and I had noticed as soon as he set it me it’s similar to how I’ve always seen you structure your long runs, (very rarely them just being easy runs) keep up the great work Andy its great seeing how you’ve progressed time wise showing me it is possible especially on them days when it’s a tough run, 🏃♂️🏃♂️
That’s awesome, sounds like you’re on the road to that sub 3 hour marathon!! Appreciate your support thank you!
Your development over the years has been quite something to watch mate, commitment, dedication and consistency has paid off MASSIVELY. And running with The Cymru Dragon too 😉
Thanks mate! It’s been a really fun journey so far!
My big difference came when I started running competitively with the local running club. It helps you to set running goals and spurs the desire for competition. I’m lucky in that my running club has managed to implement a COVID protocol for our races so we didn’t have any for only a few months early last year. Since about June last year been racing trails and road monthly. Shout out to my Club for working so hard to see that we started running again as soon as possible and for understanding how much running in person races helps to heal the mind. Great topic Andy well done!
Thanks amazing, sounds like your club managed the situation really well!! Fair play 👏 hopefully we will see some more races happening later this year on trails and roads!
Great video as always Andy! People totally underestimate the power of consistency and routine. A lot of people can run a 100 mile week but very few can average 100 miles per week for a year.
Exactly! It all starts with consistency
Great summary of what is needed to run/race fast. This is why you are enjoying success.
Thanks so much 👌
Spot on Andy. I do feel that nutrition makes a massive difference to me as I get older. I certainly recover quicker by eating healthier and keeping hydrated throughout the week.
Yeah that’s a great point I missed off, being well hydrated as well is key 👌
It’s refreshing to hear such good straightforward advice and not pushing a training dogma that so many coaches seem to do. I’m an older runner than you, late 50s, do you have any advice for older runners, especially to avoid injury?
Thanks! I think for me with injury prevention it’s always been about running a sensible weekly mileage to not overstretch so there’s plenty of recovery time!!
@@TheFODRunner Yes I think as I’ve become older recovery is the key, I definitely need longer to recover. Typically I find for me I’ll run 3 to 4 days on the trot but then rest for 2 to 3 days. This sort of happened by accident as I went part time and this fitted in with my schedule but it seems to work. The other thing I’ve found is that I now need a lot longer warmup, typically run walking for 2 to 3 miles before committing to the training I’m doing that day.Thanks for replying to me and I look forward to watching more of your videos, David.
Great video Andy!! Love how we can break the perceptions that we all slow down as we get older. I'm sure it will happen eventually but at this stage I'm happy to be running faster as a 45 year old than I was in my thirties (luckily I don't have any records of my times from school!) Consistency and specificity have definitely helped me achieve some big improvements, and I know there's still more PBs to come
Yeah definitely, age is just a number, look at it as “running years” rather than actual age, we all build stronger with these life time miles!!
Dope video! I love the fact that you are doing what's best for YOU! Not everything that works for others is gonna work for you and vice versa but giving yourself the chance to explore and figure out how your body responds to different training stimuli is key. Thanks for this video, really resonated with me.
That’s awesome so glad you enjoyed it!! Yes definitely got to explore what works for you for sure 👌
I'm a relatively new runner and I definitely find that after my long run days, once I've recovered there is a huge difference for me. Good tips!
Thanks!
Man, that was just a brilliant comprehension of your running philosophy in such a short time 🥳 so sharp and on point! chapeaux 👏👏👏 also your base of “fartleklongruns” sounds genius to me. Opposite to you I do believe there is a case for fast high mileage increase at a slow pace which I have been experimenting with. I paid with a couple of burnout phases but I could argue it was a good way to get to know myself fast. Also these slow long efforts i believe helped me strengthen my joints and ankles and have kept me from getting injured.
Awesome thanks for watching! Yes don’t get me wrong, the slow mileage is key to help recover and built a really good foundation, I just find when I’m in a training block I need specificity to help me improve on lower mileage 👌
@@TheFODRunner also it definitely helps with having a life besides running 😄
Yes it definitely does!!
A lot of good point... I went 1h28 on HM running approx 45km / week. That’s 28 miles. Which is what seem to be the starting point for a very new comer in these days of crazy high mileages. You need quality in quantity, and quantity in quality.
That’s brilliant well done 👏 indeed quality over quantity!
The thing you called boring is actually a good reminder for me. My lack of consistency is affecting my running and workouts in general. Thank you for being so honest and open about it. I took all points on board. How much coaching has played part in your training? And would you recommend runners to take it up? Thanks.
Thanks, I forget sometimes the boring parts to me might not be to other people! Well in the 6 years I’ve been running I’ve been coached for 2 months now so I’ll update everyone after my first full marathon block, which is this one 👌
Enjoyed that. Completely agree on shoe rotation. Used to train for a HM in heavy stability shoe then use the same one for race day. Now I just use that for easy R/Runs. The difference putting on something up to 100grams lighter and a "neutral shoe" picks up my leg speeds so much better. Add that to weight loss and gradual mileage increase I'm running my 10k 8 mins faster than last March. Got around 4 pairs I muck around in. Thanks for the advice 👍🏃♂️
Yeah definitely, I used my novablast for my workout this morning, good to mix things up from heavy shoes, speed shoes the reserve the racing shoes for race day!
I love tip #5. Very overlooked in my opinion.
Thank you 👌
This is a great video, I’ve watched it X2 already! Your improvement is phenomenal but on a realistic weekly mileage. I definitely see the value in your training plans. Definitely need to start emulating race pace more often, with no races I’ve focused more on mileage and short intervals and strides. I feel fitter, but lost my race edge. I think this Vlog will help the channel 👍🏃♂️
Thanks mate really appreciate it, it was a fun one to make but in typical fashion, just cobbled my ideas together with no set structure 😂😂
Great video - completely agree with mileage. I've setup monthly mileage goals this year with tiny increments to try and stop me jumping up and getting injured!
Thanks! Just seems a solid way to build yourself up in my opinion 👌 definitely good for building strength without getting injured as much as if you would with bigger jumps!
Great advice mate, because I think we are all impressed how far you've come because I think there are many like me who are way back there at the 4hr marathon mark. But you give us hope for at least some improvement. For me, the longer runs and consistency seems to be helping my fitness levels increase
Thank you! Yeah I think it’s just more a case of what you do with the mileage that’ll really help progress and as you’re finding, long run consistency is just the 🔑
Amazing, can't believe I've only just found this.. Love your channel.. Thank you 😊
Thanks so much Amanda!
Great advice Andy. Consistency is my main tip. I’ve ran a lot this month but I’ve cut down the daily mileage to allow for the body to adapt.
Thanks claire 👌 that sounds like a sensible decision!
Cheers for the kudos on strava for my run today. Watched this video whilst getting ready for run and decided to change up the run. Not done any speed work for a few weeks so you definitely inspired me to use the saucony endorphin speeds and have some fun doing a fartlek run. Great video
That’s awesome well done! That’s why I have the group, so I can follow everyone’s journey, keep it up!!
As a fellow desk-jockey and father I really appreciate your perspective on making the most of the mileage before increasing the volume unnecessarily. Time is at a premium. So how many workouts a week do u do? Your comment on 80/20 made me wonder what my ratio is... I’ll calculate that today
Desk jockey 👌😂 yeah do typically it’s Monday as moderate, Tuesday workout, Wednesday rest, Thursday workout, Friday easy, Saturday long run, Sunday rest
Good tips, Andy. I introduced doubles in 2020 and aerobically took a step forward after just a few months.
That’s amazing to hear!! Thanks 👌
Loved this video! I admire you and other faster runners. I know I put in a lot of effort but sometimes doubt myself in being able to get to those faster paces. It's so nice hearing you've done it, and how you did it. Rather than it just being natural abilities, you train well & hard to reach for the next level.
Thanks mate! Yes definitely no natural ability here, that’s for sure! We all have doubts but if we keep ticking off each run one by one we will get closer to our goal!
Good to hear you're able to hit your times on that mileage a week throughout the years. I would have guessed you were around 65-75 miles a week right now. After starting jogging only slow and easy last year, I added tempo runs this year, and just started a stryd training plan yesterday. I'm getting greedy hoping for a sub 3-hr marathon this year, with an 80 min hm first. I was too focused on weekly mileage before thinking that'd help for ultras, but actually a proper marathon training plan with lower mileage is better.
Awesome an 80 minute half is amazing well done 👏 yeah don’t stress about how much mileage, think more about what you’re doing with it 👌 specificity will get you to that sub 3 hour goal!
@@TheFODRunner 93 min unplanned half so far so I have a ways to get to 80 min, but I can't complain. Next step is working on interval stuff. I feel like I can hold my 10k pace forever, but I actually can't run much faster even for only a couple of miles. Was helpful watching your old training plan videos. I give into training plans now!
@@tonybowen455 ah ok cool, well yes that still a great time so going sub 90 first is a brilliant barrier to break, I remember doing that and it felt amazing!!
Cheers Andy, great tips. Watching your progression has made me target long run consistency now, I always make sure I bank a weekly long run of 2 hours minimum ideally with some kind of non-easy paced work in there as well.
That’s perfect mate 2 hours is just ideal, I love a good 2 hour long run, so beneficial!!
Great tips, Andy. This all resonated with me since marathon-pb-wise I seem to be where you were, and I'd love to get to where you are now. Might not happen but I'll keep grinding.
Thanks! Yeah mate keep grinding, it’ll happen, patience is key as always!
Hi Andy, just wondering what the time scale was from your first marathon pb to your current pb? Would really like to know many thanks
Bang on Andy. Great watch 👍
Thanks mate
Biggest thing for me has been basically tip #6. I kind of followed the 10% rule and hurt myself about 8 weeks into a training block (this was right before Covid so the race I was training for was cancelled anyways). Now that I'm in a base building phase I find just adding an increment to each session makes a world of difference. I'm running 6x per week, and I just add 0.5km to each run each week. So the amount I'm going up is probably closer to 5%, and it's an extra 2-4 minutes on feet each session, compared to some plans I've followed where that is probably closer to 10+ minutes. My legs feel so much better and I feel like I'm progressing up the ladder in a much safer manner now!
That’s a really sensible and fantastic job 👌 sometimes we need to learn ourselves and it sounds like you did, but you’re doing a really sensible thing, you’ll progress well that way!! Keep it up!
I cannot agree more especially about foam rolling, but I'm guilty that I cannot find the proper time to do it. Being consistent is also important for the body to adapt, I never expected to run almost 50miles/week. Last year I put myself the goal to make 40-45miles, which I accomplished but as you said, taking the next step. I did a 60miles week by end of last year but clearly the body took extra time to recover after that, so I know 😆
Shoes have become something like an obsession, haha, but much needed tool to improve in terms of the terrain and type of workout.
And adding one more think I definitely lack: more sleep. But that's another story
Great tips Andy!
Yes sometimes when we take a big mileage jump the body needs extra time! Small steps are a great way to progress and adapt quickly!!
I know what you mean with the shoe obsession 😂
Great video Andy, very helpful for a relative novice like myself 👍🏻 finding the right shoe too was definitely a massive step forward for me.
Thanks!
Obviously person to person, but I think 50 miles is a pretty good sweet spot after 2-3 years. Really good progress at that point.
Yeah it’s a nice number to run at, not anything crazy high but still a decent number to get some solid miles under the belt
Since I have added some more shoes into my rotation (used to be a one pair of shoe guy myself too), I have found I can run more often and be more consistent even at low miles. Game changer. Need to work on recovery and nutrition still. Baby steps 😂
Baby steps indeed! 😂 great stuff I’m glad the shoes are helping... as much as it’s a great excuse just to buy more shoes, there really is a good purpose to it!
@@TheFODRunner haha I need to keep away from shoe reviews 😂
Nice! Keep up your Great work!
Thanks!
I found Double days help. Started in late nov/Dec doing 10k at lunch, then 8 or 10K evening, really because of the dark and no streets light near me. It allows me to keep the mileage up for the day, and not use a rest day to keep the mileage quota. (slightly different to the QD but along the lines).
Yeah totally get that 👌 hopefully one day I can get doubles in too!
Been watching you for some time Andy and this is the first video which really resonated with me .... thanks for the training tips will def put some into action
Ah that’s cool thank you for letting me know, really appreciate it!
A great variation of different tips Andy, there's loads there for everyone to take onboard 👍🏃
Thanks so much!
Great tips & congratulations on your massive improvements over the last few years 😀
Thank you!
Hi Andy great video, I've been focusing on nutrition building daily habits my go to breakfast is porridge, banana and peanut butter I'm trying to drink more water but aswell as I've started elementing strength training and this has really helped me my easy pace has jumped right down over my last training block I was averaging 8.30 - 8.40 for a easy run and couldn't believe how easy 8.25 felt for 10 miles on my last easy long run, hoping to start a new training block soon with hope of better weather circumstances for a 5k pb attempt 🤞🏻
That’s amazing, the strength work will only help form and efficiency so it sounds like it’s working with your easy pace plummeting!! Keep it up 👌
U can even see the upper body improvement. Great transformation
Thanks, it’s getting there slowly, still lots of work to be done though
Great sharing Mr. Andy, very useful guide to me..keep on sharing your experience and knowlegde..cheers!!
Thanks very much
Cheers for this Andy, definitely chimes with my experience too. After seeing some of your long run sessions I started doing them too. Took a month or so but has definitely made a huge difference, thanks for all your great advice 👍
That’s awesome so glad you’re finding them useful, it makes a massive difference when you start using the long run as a bit of a session👌
Great video. I too love my long run day and for the past year I have been doing much the same and just mixing the long runs up; sometimes very easy, or progression, or ez and MP. Maybe I should try the fartlek suggestion on my 5k loop that is very undulating. Do you vary how you do the fartlek or run it more structured, i.e 4’ faster, 2’ slower? I also rotate lots of shoes and they last well and I don’t get beaten up. I am a far more average runner than you but good to know I am doing many things in the same way. Good luck for your next goal!
Love this video. Thanks for sharing your journey. 👍🏻
Awesome, thanks for watching!
You make a recovery plan for after the marathon yet? I always found that helped get my mind off the race itself during taper.
Yes it’ll be 3 weeks of nice easy running with a few days off after the marathon!
Great tips.. an extra thing I find about shoe rotation is that the different shoes keep your feet/legs working. It means they need to work slightly different instead of just getting into a rut.. the 3 top tips that work for me is veganism (my body recovers better.. but every body is different), and as an older runner, watching TV on the floor keeps my muscles stretching at night and avoid complete rest days.. as an older runner the body gets stiff more easily
Great tips paul! Cutting out meat has helped me recover much better too, been vegetarian for 5 years now and it’s incredible 👌 yes active recovery is a good shout, if I’m not running then I’m walking!
@@TheFODRunner for me there was a benefit going from vegetarian to vegan, but it wasn't anywhere as big as turning vegetarian.. and weirdly it took about 3 months to really kick in, where as the switch to vegetarian was immediately apparent.. a case of diminishing returns
Good tips Andy, will certainly try a few of these in the future
Thanks 👌
Great video Andy, all tips make sense 👍
Thanks mate!
Great tips, explained clearly. Thanks for this
Thanks for watching!
Good stuff, very many of the same things I have picked up over the past year since I started back running seriously. Tip 3 is key to me. Nothing prepared me better for the marathon distance than long runs with workouts at MP or above in them. As you said, aside from the physical benefits, the mental side is huge, you get a massive confidence boost from completing runs like that. I think if I ran all my long runs at easy pace then I would have questions lurking in the back of my mind whether I could run the distance at the higher race pace.
Sleep was also the big one for me. Of all the recovery tools, it was only when upped by sleep from 6 up to 8 hours or more that I started to really see improvements and allow further progression.
Total mileage really is quite subjective so I agree you cannot subscribe to a blanket statement that running more miles always equals faster times. For me my mileage tops out around 70-80 miles during a block and I will run every day, for me I find active recovery runs work better than having days totally off. Of course it's completely possible I might run just as well if not faster if I ran 5 days a week like you do! Maybe will try that, just not now as I am deep in a training block at the moment...
Yeah I think the question would lurk in the back of my mind too then I’d constantly question “have I gone out too hard, is this too slow” and you don’t want to waste energy in thoughts like that in a marathon! Yeah it is subjective you’re right, I’m sadly not in a position to run much more than I am at the moment due to family and work etc so I need to find a training routine that’ll get the best out of me as it stands 👌
@@TheFODRunner Yeah I understand. I have work and 3 kids at home schooling too. Lots of v. early morning running before anyone is out of bed and an understanding wife helps :)
Haha yes early starts is the key with kids isn’t it!!!
Did you try using Garmin training plan?
No never used one of those 👌
Some good tips there. You do really well off lower mileage. Only way I managed to get from a 2.44 marathon to 2.30 was upping the miles to about 80-100 miles per week and the key for me was double days.
Awesome to hear mate, I’ll try and do my next block and go for sub 2:35 in October and go for 60 miles so I’ll take the next step for that, then see how much I can squeeze out of myself from there!!
@@TheFODRunner great thing about running though, different things work for different people. Only noticed on your Unived profile that we share a birthday, 14th May. 👍
Haha that’s epic! Best birthday ever 👊
I agree with the mileage section. I run 5 x a week (40-45M) and can't do 80/20 because then I'd be running only 10M a week at my goal paces while training for a Marathon/HM.
I also have certain shoes for certain workouts so typically I will use 4 different shoes a week (2 easy runs, 1 track/1 tempo or hills/1 long run.
Sounds like we train very similar! As you say, very hard at that mileage to do the 80/20 rule
running 3-4 times a week maintains fitness, but running 6 times improves if. And sure building up slowly, being patient and consistent etc. More slow runs long run being most important of them. Then 1-2 quality workouts per week. Three week km's 80-80-55 - repeat - repeat 😄. Started from 30-40. This way from 1:55 half to 1:25 in one year.
Fantastic progress well done, that’s a big jump!!
My long run is 6-8 miles lol. I also found adding strides to the end of my easy runs helps as well
That’s ok! In those 6/8 miles you can do some 1/2 minutes efforts in there, or 3 miles easy / 3 miles moderate etc, loads to play around with! Strides definitely help too!
I just need longer legs ! And dynamic warm up drills with a tutu on would definitely go down in history !
😂😂😂 I’ll get my weekend clothes out for the warm up drills then 😉🤣
@@TheFODRunner I knew it !!!!
Andrew by weekday, Andrea on Saturday nights 😂
The milage you mentioned, is/was that the max in a cycle or just the general weekly total? My weekly is ~45 when building, but I'll peak at 70+ for a marathon before tapering 3 weeks.
Peak mileage 👌 there might be a couple of weeks where I creep up to 57/58 miles during this current block but most will be between 50/55
can you expound more on your tip 5. from what I got, are you saying that you should be running near your goal pace most of your workouts?
Of course.... so my current training plan is geared around running 6:00 per mile for my marathon in April 👌 so if 6:00 is 100% then some runs I might do 85% (6:40 - moderate pace), some runs are intervals at 5:30 pace (110%) and then some other paces in between (except easy runs). So if you watch this weekends marathon training series out Sunday (hopefully) you’ll see my workouts and paces are all within that 85%/110% bracket and all serve a purpose to work around, close to and past my goal 100% pace. This means the paces over time get easier and my 6:00 effort becomes easier as we move forwards
Andy, you should do a collaboration with Kofuzi and Eddbud and make a book on running and training. Claire Maxted (Wild Ginger Running) wrote a book on trail running so I think people would buy this kind of book. There is a market for it, not everyone necessarily wants to read how the Elites and pro athletes train. Sometimes it's refreshing just to see how average and better than average recreational (and semi-pro) runners train.
Yeah that’s a great idea! I’ve had mike on my channel a couple of times and it’s funny because we always clash on training styles, he’s very much easy 80/20 and obviously did MAF training for a while but he bangs out high Miles whereas in the opposite.... much less miles and more “intensity”. I guess the phrase is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”! That’s a great idea 👏
@@TheFODRunner the beauty of collaboration is that you share your ideas on paper and it's good to be different. Like you said, there's more than one way to skin a cat, especially when it comes to running and training! Would be interesting to see their views on it if you ever made a proposal. 👍🏻
Mileage for me. Doubled my mileage when lockdown started to between 40 and 50 miles a week and dropped my best times significantly. Half from 1.50 to 1.42 no taper.
That’s a good mileage mate well done! If your bodies enjoying that mileage then that’s a good sign 👌
Hi Andy, I have a question for you.
Myself Manash from 🇮🇳.
Like most books says your long run should be maximum of 25% or less of your weekly mileage, so do you do sometimes over 25% of it? Because I see if you are running around 45-55miles per week which I think is 80-90k, 25% seems only I think 20-21k long runs. So that seems you are doing like 30-35% distance of your weekly mileage in your long runs. Can you please brief it a little bit? Thanks alot.
Yes I do go over it, it’s not a rule I tend to stick to to be honest!! I just do my long runs as I want too, I enjoy being out there for a long period of time! But now I’m in a proper training cycle with a coach that might change
@@TheFODRunner I got it. Thanks alot for your reply. Your work in UA-cam for us is much appreciated. Keep it up. And also good luck for your upcoming performances.
Was your sub4 marathon and sub2 half from the same timeframe? Asking as I am trying to set my target for first marathon.
No my half was 1:42 when my marathon was 3:54, my 1:59 half was earlier 👌 target for your first marathon is just enjoy it, I put way too much pressure in myself and it crippled me!
The pressure is already too high as my first was supposed to be Manchester last year and there is no clear sight of when a proper marathon will happen again. And keeping up such volume for so long s difficult.
@@turkeysandwich001 yeah very difficult, I’d ease off a bit until we know what’s going on and when you can confirm a race!
@@TheFODRunner, so true Andy. Now I am shifting towards there small ultra events. There is a better chance of them happening. I have found a “last one standing” kind of event which takes in only about 120 odd people. So 🤞
You neglected to mention the improved aerodynamic phase when you looked like Sir Vinnie Jones? That certainly shaved a few seconds off!
Haha oh yes totally forgot that, might be making an appearance again soon 😬
Make sure easy days are EASY!
Yep! Enjoying my really easy days in this plan!
All lies! It’s just the “fancy shoes” 😁
Sh*t, I’ve been busted 😂😂
Hi, another great video. I managed a 3:11 marathon in 2018 running 30ish miles per week. I'm not entirely sure how?! I now consistentently run 50 miles per week which I feel is more than adequate. I do most runs at marathon pace or quicker, I struggle with easy slow runs. For my level, I don't accept that I should be running 70+ miles per week as other youtubers have suggested.
That’s fantastic on 30 miles a week, a testament to what hard work and well spent mileage can do for you! You’d smash through the 3 hour barrier now at 50 miles if you can do that at 30
I don't think there is evidence that stretching and rolling helps in a meaningful way in recovery or injury prevention, but so many people prescribing it 🤔
I find it’s like “ironing out the creases”, just helps make them feel a bit better! Doing it now actually since I did my session this morning and legs feel good for it 👌
@@TheFODRunner It's like if it makes you feel good, you should do it (and it's not hurting you). I was watching a documentary about a gold medal Olympian skier and he said he needed to eat heaps of candy and gummy bears in order to deal with the training and the strict discipline. In that way it really helped him even though the evidence for gummy bears to become a top level endurance athlete is not there (yet?).
Haha exactly, each to their own! I’m down for eating more gummy bears if it helps!! 😂😂
The 80/20 always applies regardless of your training volume 😉 It is counterintuitive but the science is very clear !
Define 80/20?
Slow running sessions is the key to running fast! Strange but true.
I haven’t run 80% easy 20% hard for a long time 🤷♂️
Yes running slow helps recover and build solid foundations and base phases are great for this.... but in a training cycle I can’t remember the last time I can 80% easy and 20% fast
@@christopherbird5886 when you run you should spend 80% of your time running slow, easy pace (conversational) and only 20% fast or hard pace (barely able to speak a sentence.) Volume of runs doesn't matter. If you only run 4 times a week, for instance, one run should be fast and hard, the other 3 slow to very slow pace which would be a 75/25 split.
How old are u
33 👌
@@TheFODRunner dope
in my opinion beginners shouldn't try to build a shoe rotation. The problem is that it takes time to know which requirements there are and also when the legs get stronger, they can tolerate different types of shoes. In the beginning perhaps only daily trainers can be worn. However, the most important thing is to know how many miles you have in a pair. Also that what you told in the video that you need to retire a shoe immediately, is totally wrong. The key is to have shoes in different phases of the lifecycle. Let's say that a beginner is running 1000 kilometres a year which makes 20K a week, probably more in summer and not very much in winter. Then it's enough to buy one shoe pair in spring and one in autumn and to alternate the newer and older pair depending on the type of the run. When running a longer one or more fast, then wear the new pair because legs take more bounding that day. Other days can be much more easier like slow recovery runs on dirt roads. Then one can wear the older pair that isn't as fast as it was when it was new and doesn't have all cushioning left anymore. I managed to train like that couple of years. I ran a 3:33 marathon having just two pairs of running shoes that were both heavy and had a lot of support. When I ran 3:18 I already had a light-weight trainer for races and some workouts but in the beginning calves hurt a lot after those sessions. So it took a lot of time before I was ready for lighter shoes. Even that light-weight trainer wasn't very light compared to today's shoes. It was Mizuno Wave Elixir 5, a 275 grams shoe in size UK 8.5. I wore it for 12 races and it was more than 900K in it when I raced in that shoe for the last time.
So in my opinion it's very simple in the beginning. One should avoid the situation where he/she runs all runs either in a new shoe or in an old shoe. When the shoe is in the middle of the lifecycle, the older one is probably at the end of the lifecycle if the mileage was divided equally to these two shoes. So when the newer one is in the middle, one should buy a new pair and retire the old pair that is at the end. Then later one can start to add other shoes like a lighter shoe for workouts and races. I for example didn't do any workouts in the beginning. I ran a 4 hour marathon without any training or sports whatsoever and until that 3:33 I did kind of only aerobic base building. After that I started to do workouts and then it was easy to start to add new shoes but it took at least a decade to really to accumulate the knowledge about the shoes and notice the minor differences. I think that nowadays many people see shoe reviews and then they try to buy all kind of new shoes but get injured or disappointed because they don't know which shoe to wear for what purpose, Some of them haven't even built yet the muscle strength and therefore they aren't ready to run in some of those shoes yet. It's a much wiser strategy to keep it as simple as possible when one starts and to get more into the running shoe game when one has the experience that comes with training. Especially low drop is tough for runners with less experience.
Appreciate your honest feedback 👌 for me personally, I wish someone had told me ages ago to rotate shoes, even just 2 pairs is fine, and I have to say that when a shoe starts causing me pain that’s it, they get 3 runs and if they’re all painful the shoe is out of the rotation and retired. As you know I live with trails on my doorstep and my rincons and turbo 2s got rotated on road and trail and both caused a lot of pain.... I’d never then consider keeping them after that
@@TheFODRunner for me it's more about midsole getting too hard, no specific problem zone because of the altered shape of the shoe but issues like shin splints, glute problems etc. because of too hard impact on hard surface. If one doesn't know how many mls he has in that shoe, it might become too hard and cause problems even when there is no visible wear. Therefore it's important always to have balance, i.e. at least one pair that is fairly new.
@@TheFODRunner and sometimes problems are caused when not running. Some runners have running shoes in perfect shape but walk a lot at job wearing the same pair of shoes every day for years. So for a runner it's important to pay attention to that what happens when he is not running
@@TheFODRunner btw the Peg Turbo is very durable. I have two friends that have run over 1000 mls in a pair. One of them says that it has so much pop left after 1700K that he's not planning to retire it soon. 😃
Yes I’ve heard the turbo 2 is very durable.... I had a bubble appear on the outsole where the foam had either split and moved or I’d hit a stone and it had moved it around somehow as my ankle started severely rocking in with the lack of foam on the medial side, therefore I just had to stop wearing them sadly