Patience is a virtue, especially in running

[r-at-work]

I wish I had a 44 year old body to listen to..I'm 51... the first 3-4 marathons  (when I was 47-48)really knocked me over and if my husband hadn't pushed me out the door I might not have started each new cycle... I'm in better shape now and last fall I was also more motivated to train through the winter, okay so DC is lots easier than WI...

the worst recovery I had (besides the first one) was in 2003 when I ran MCM and it was hot and I died at 22 and slowed down to below my training pace, my husband suggested that if I felt I hadn't run my race I should find another, I ran Richmond 3 weekds later and THAT knocked me over, but it also was a PR...

so listen to that body, but also as a full time worker and mom of two I can say that sometimes getting out 5 times a week for even 30-45 minutes and just going easy helps renew my energy... of course once I'm out there it ends up to be 60 minutes... and even at my slow pace 5 x 60 minutes is about 30 miles which might bring the long run you  like into a bit better balance...
-R

[Ryan]

Zeke, maybe I have this wrong, I thought you trained for your goal race, peaked at the time of the race then eased back to recover and rebuild.

If training peaks at 70 miles then you recover at  ? miles a week?

You want to hit a fitness, not volume, peak at the time of the race. You don't recover for months. You do so for weeks, maybe a month or two max, then you build your base which is where volume rules. Your volume peak ideally would be before any speedwork starts. That way, you're not piling on everything at once. When the intensity builds up, you can back off of your volume a bit.

[Zeke]

Zeke, maybe I have this wrong, I thought you trained for your goal race, peaked at the time of the race then eased back to recover and rebuild.

If training peaks at 70 miles then you recover at  ? miles a week?

You want to hit a fitness, not volume, peak at the time of the race. You don't recover for months. You do so for weeks, maybe a month or two max, then you build your base which is where volume rules. Your volume peak ideally would be before any speedwork starts. That way, you're not piling on everything at once. When the intensity builds up, you can back off of your volume a bit.

Yep, what Ryan said.  When (most) runners talk about peak there talking about peak fitness level not peak mileage level.  Those are two different things.  

If you just ran a marathon, 30-40 mpw is fine until you're recovered.  But then I think if you want to maximize your performance in June, you have to put in some solid base miles over the winter.  Yes winters suck in WI and MN and other places, but that's what makes them perfect for base-building.  

Can you run 30-40 mpw till March and then crank things up for a June marathon?  Sure.  Will you run up to your potential?  I highly doubt it.

Also, don't take what I originally posted literally.  For example if you want to run 40 miles in 6 days of running you don't need to run 6.67 miles each day.  You can mix it up, like Ryan suggested.  The main idea is that you keep each day's effort relatively similar until you are comfortable with the mileage.

[Anne]

Oops, I didn't realize I wasn't logged in on those other posts.

It will be a month since Columbus next Sunday, everything feels pretty good so I"ll start base building. I'll follow your suggestions regarding increased mileage and effort.

Grandma's,  should I get in, won't be a goal marathon for me. A friend has asked me to run with her for her first marathon, it would be in the 4:15-4:30 range.

My goal marathons are typically in the fall when my work schedule allows me more training time.

My short term goal is to run a strong local 5 mile race in March.   It's my albatross, for some reason I can never  run it as well as I should. I'm determined to change things next time around.

Thanks again for all the input.  It's good to have a plan.