Post-marathon thoughts: Training

Miles, miles and more miles.

In case you missed it, I finished the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday. It's always something of a feat to run 26.2 miles, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disappointed I didn't finish with a better time.

But, let's be honest: My training just didn't support a faster marathon. Even the Yasso 800s I ran a few months ago suggested a 4:30 finish time. When it came down to it, the mileage and speed just wasn't there.

So, what happened?

First off, the Freep wasn't this year's "A" race, believe it or not. My main goal was my first 70.3, Michigan Titanium in August. Some of that extra time that could have gone to running went to swimming or biking instead. And when I was tired at the end of the day, it was most likely my run that got skipped.

I did do a tri last August, and it was only a week earlier in the year than my 70.3. But the difference in time spent on the bike on Saturdays was significant. A regular day for me last year was three laps of the park in about 2.5 hours; this year, I regularly did four and five laps and spent close to 4 hours on the bike. I'm sure this didn't help my energy levels.

My swimming volume was about the same this year compared to last year, and my run volume was a little less this year. I nailed all my long runs, but, like I said above, if I were to skip a workout it was most likely the run.

So, what to take away? If the marathon is my A race, I need to prioritize running miles and speed work. If it's not, and I'm still OK with a 4:30 marathon, then what I did worked perfectly fine. I would have liked to run faster, but I only have so many hours in the day. And the 70.3 was my first priority.

My race reflected my training, and I'm OK with both. I feel like I did the best with what I had at the time. And in the end, that makes for a successful marathon in my book.