What to Know about Marathon Pace Before Your Race
April 10, 2024
The word of the next few weeks? Neuromuscular. My inner nerd loves this word.
I slowly built back up my mileage after being injured from my sprained foot (and one week off because of that random hamstring ache), and I could tell that my speed was lacking and my legs fatiguing before my lungs. That, combined with my goal to improve my running form, compelled me to focus the next three weeks on neuromuscular fitness.
What exactly is neuromuscular fitness? By training the nervous system to activate motor units, the muscles learn to contract more quickly, resist fatigue, and generate more running-specific power. Essentially, your form improves, your stride is more powerful, and you fatigue less quickly during fast workouts or hills. For marathoners and half marathoners, neuromuscular fitness complements aerobic fitness in forming the foundation for specific endurance.
Neuromuscular fitness for runners is best improved through the means of hill workouts, strides, and running drills. Neuromuscular fitness is achieved through what coaches like Brad Hudson refer to as muscle training: high intensity, short, anaerobic efforts – not the types of workouts that distance runners like myself orient towards, especially during the off-season.
Since I also need a bit of a aerobic development, I also added one progression run this week as well. My legs came off of a rest day fresh and eager for some speed, so I held a moderate, steady pace over a somewhat hilly route. Over the last 1.35 miles (~10 minutes) I increased my effort to tempo and averaged a 7:29/mile. Not quite true tempo pace, but close to my half marathon pace and a good indication of where my current fitness is at.
I took the same hilly route as the previous day, except I kept my pace much more comfortable and easy. For neuromuscular work, I re-introduced strides and then did drills – high knees, butt kicks, and bounding – later in the evening to warm up for this stability ball workout.
My workout looked like this: 20 minutes warm up run plus drills (high knees and butt kicks), 6 x 1 minute hard uphill with recovery jog back down, and just short of 20 minutes cool down run for a total of six miles. The repeats were challenging but manageable, as I started with a 4 or 5% gradient as too not push too much too soon.
I love running hills. Maybe it’s the variety, maybe it’s the rewarding scenery at the top (tops of hills in East Seattle = mountain views), or maybe it’s the complete release from pace and focus on effort that causes me to enjoy them. I can’t wait to add more hill workouts to my marathon training, since the California International Marathon has a few rollers over the first 16 miles.
Once marathon training begins, runs with Charlie will be added on after my normal run. However, since I’m currently enjoying the more relaxed routine of not training, I decided just to make this short run count as my miles for the day. Charlie set a slow pace and I never want to push him too much, so we ran our three miles in just under half an hour.
I usually opt for a flat paved trail for my long runs, but I’ve enjoyed hillier runs so much lately that I choose a hilly trail for my long run.
Ryan eased up on his running this week to let his foot continue to heal and so we were able to not just hike this weekend, but backpack and camp. We filled up our overnight backpacks and hiked up to Snow Lake. A one-way hike to Snow Lake is only three miles and backpacking felt significantly easier this time than our last trip, so after setting up our tent and eating lunch we hiked on further (sans packs) around Snow Lake. We thought we had hiked up to the next alpine lake, Gem Lake, but it turns out that no, Snow Lake is just really, really large. Apparently, even though we hiked this trail 3 times previously, we never realized that Snow Lake sprawls 153 acres.
The weather was ideal for camping: overcast, cool, and calm winds. The temperatures were in the 50s in the mountains, and there was even still snow patches of snow around the lake!
One of my favorite parts of backpacking is waking up early, enjoying a cup of coffee with Ryan, and watching the sun rise and fog lift over the mountains. Backpacking is so utterly relaxing, but the only downside is that the weekend seems to pass by even more quickly.
We hiked down the mountain early, since Snow Lake attracts huge crowds of hikers on the weekends, and we were home by noon.
Backpacking ramps up my appetite, with climbing up a mountain and carrying a heavy pack. I can’t ignore runger (hiking hunger? no, that just shortens still to hunger) so homemade chicken and vegetable packed tacos (I follow this recipe because it never fails to render flavorful and juicy chicken tacos) and Elysian Immortal IPA beers were the choice of recovery food.
[Tweet “Training neuromuscular fitness and weekend backpacking #running #hiking #sweatpink via @thisrunrecipes”]
Linking with Weekly Wrap!
Do you do your long runs on flat routes or hilly routes?
What workouts made you very hungry?
What was your hardest run this week?
18 Responses
So glad you are back to your regular training and are starting to add in workouts again! Its hard for me to do a long run without some hills if I stay around where I live. Sometimes its nice to drive somewhere just to get a break from the hills!
Thank you! I imagine it is nice to drive a bit to get a break from this hills, especially on harder long runs. But that’s nice that you have them right there for when you want to train on them!
love your hiking photos! I don’t run enough hills because I get lazy with leaving my neighborhood for the hilly sections. I used to live in a really hilly neighborhood but haven’t been back in a few years to run those streets. I should though right?! My long runs make me really hungry for sure right after but once I eat my fave post run meal, I feel much better and satisfied through the rest of the day.
Thank you! You should seek out those hills – definitely worth the extra time and drive to run them. Plus I think the variety of changing routes in nice from time to time!
This weekend my foot was feeling almost 100% back to normal so I added a portion of my fav hilly routes. It felt awesome to push it a little bit again. Can’t wait to get back on the trails and more mountain running. Your pics always make me want to head for the mountains!
I am so glad to hear that your foot is feeling back to normal – yay!! That’s awesome that you could push again and add back in hills. And thank you!
Well, we all know the answer to the flat vs hilly questions, lol. Love me some neuromuscular fitness. We should discuss during our coaching meeting! And, as always, another SPECTACULAR view. You would think nature would run out of them at some point!
Yes we should! I’d love to pick everyone’s brain about how they train it. You would think, but nature just has so many spectacular views! And Ryan and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet – this is just part of the Cascades, we still have BC, Oregon, California, and more of Washington to explore!
I did all my tempo runs on flat routes, but every other run I did were on hills. We live on Sumas Mountain so we can’t really escape them. So when you hiked AND camped, you carried all your camping gear on your backs?!?!?! That’s incredible to me. What a beautiful place though, and I’d love to watch the sun rise in a place like that. I can see why you guys love hiking!
And those hills are one of the many reasons you are so, so fast! I’m listening to your podcast interview right now by the way. And yes, we did hike with our gear on our backs – although Ryan carried the tent and I just had my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, half the food/water, and the campstove. It was such a beautiful place – and so peaceful just to drink a cup of coffee and just be present.
Sounds like you had another great week (and weekend) of training!! Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures from your hike!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos – you should do Snow Lake some day if you can! 🙂
We don’t have hills here, but I do try to incorporate the bridge into my long runs. The pictures from your hikes are always so beautiful. It looks like you had a great week of workouts!
Bridges are just as hard as hills on long runs, especially those ones with the gradual but unrelenting ascent. And thank you!
Since I was injured before during marathon training, I’m a little skittish about doing speed work. I’m trying during this cycle to not completely ignore it. A fast finish mile always feels satisfying to me. I should remember to sprinkle in strides too. I’m not a fan of running hills but since I have them in my neighborhood I can’t avoid them. Your hiking pictures are always so beautiful. Coffee with that view would be amazing. Thanks for linking, Laura!
Good for you for CHOOSING a hilly long run! Usually mine end up the way… but I can’t say it is always intentional! Haha.
Looks like a fantastic weekend out in the mountains. Hiking, hill sprints or speed workouts, lifting very heavy weights, and long runs always make me super hungry, usually the day after.
The photos from the lake and the view of the mountains are just gorgeous!!!! I cannot believe they’re real- it’s like from a postcard! It’s unreal!!!
So beautiful!!!!
And your workouts look pretty intense.
I’ve never done hill repeats- I usually run up a hill or two but I always come down and that’s my route (depending on the route- that’s 5-7 miles long) but reading your post made want to train harder by doing more hills.
Thank you for a great post!!
I love the views- just can’t get enough of it!!
Thank you! I know, that’s what I always say – the scenery in the Cascade mountains looks like a painting! If you’re ever in the Seattle area I highly recommend Snow Lake – it’s a good day hike and the views are even more incredible in person. You should give a try to train harder on hills – it’s exhilarating, fun, and less pounding (quicker recovery) than regular speed workouts.