This has been the question I’ve been pondering for a couple of months now.
Early on I had come to the conclusion that I had to regularly run marathons at a slightly slower paced than I have done in the past. This is so I get used running the distance more comfortably and can recover quicker.
It is not just about running a marathon. This challenge is about recovering from one marathon to run another the next day and doing it again and again, ten times. I need to get used to running slower and for longer distances, recovering quickly and refueling quickly to be prepared to run the next day.
I have spoke to several previous competitors of the 10 in 10 and have taken the following tips to formulate a training plan.
David Baley, who has twice done the challenge and is going back in 2011 for a third time said good prepartation was to run marathons back to back to get used to running the distance with tired legs.
Jim Meta said he built up his mileage and then about a month before the event manged to run 160 miles in 10 days. He thought if he could do that then he had a good chance of completing the 10 in 10. Well it worked, he completed the 10 in 10 in 2010.
Alison Knowles, do what you can within what you are used to running. Don’t over train beyond what you are capable of as this will burn you out or get you injured.
With these tips in mind, I plan to do the following:-
1. Run regular marathons 1 or 2 a month.
2. Fit in back to back marathons. I did my first in September which went well. I plan one in Jan and one in March.
3. Put together blocks of high mileage to get used to running on tired legs but not too much to course over training or injury.
I have just completed 107.5 miles in 7 days.
I plan to do this again and then about a month from the event follow Jim Meta’s idea of 160 miles in 10 days.
If I do these things around my normal running at my new slightly slower pace (30 seconds to 1 minute per mile slower) then I think I should stand a good chance of completing the 10 in 10 challenge 2011.
