Training for a race this year? We recently hosted a Twitter chat with running coach John Honerkamp and New York Road Runners, where Coach John fielded questions about race training, training on a treadmill and the TCS New York City Marathon.
So much helpful info was shared that we couldn’t keep it all to ourselves! Here are his answers, without the constraint of 140 characters.
About Race Training
For a first marathon, how many weeks/months should I plan to train? I’ve seen 16-week and 12-week plans— what’s the ideal length?
NYRR offers 20-, 16-, and 12-week training programs. Runners can start training before they start these programs, but the running should be more casual with less structure. It’s tough to follow a strict training program for more than 20 weeks without feeling “burned out” or having your training get stale.
After I run my first half-marathon, how many training weeks will I need until I can run my first marathon?
If you’ve completed a half and are injury-free, you can build toward a marathon after one to two weeks of recovery. Plan on a marathon buildup of from 12 to 20 weeks.
How slow should “easy” runs really be? How can I control the pace to keep it easy on those runs?
Easy days should be really easy! Many runners, especially new runners, run the same pace for every run. NYRR teaches pace separation, which is a pacing range. For example, if you run 7:00 pace for a half-marathon, an easy run should be about two minutes per mile slower, so around 9:00 pace. But you should also judge by your perceived effort—which, again, should be very easy.
Any tips for runners who overeat easily?
Work on eating more times each day but in smaller amounts. Don’t eat so much that you feel really full. Drinking a few glasses of water with your meals can help you feel full and prevent overeating.
Any tips for attempting to run in warmer months?
Try to run in the early morning or the evening to avoid the hottest hours of the day. Hydrate, hydrate, and, hydrate. Wear light-colored clothing made of “wicking” fabrics. Wear sunscreen. If it’s really bad out, try to get access to a treadmill in a nice air-conditioned gym.
What percentage of speedwork a week do you suggest when compared to weekly overall mileage? If you had to pick one strategy, should it be shorter/faster or longer/slower? What’s better for increasing speed: hill repeats or flat repeats?
Speedwork should be done 1-2 times per week—no more than that. Hill repeats, flat intervals, tempo runs, and fartlek all will help your speed. Generally, the longer the race you’re training for, the longer and slower the speedwork should be. You don’t need to do repeat 200-meter runs to train for a marathon, but they’re great if you’re training for a mile.
If I had to choose just one of these workouts, I would pick track intervals (400-meter or 800-meter runs) for a 5K and a tempo run for a marathon, but that’s personal preference.
I’m doing a race in April that I struggled in when I ran it in 2011. It’s in Nashville and is very hilly. Any tips?
Err on the side of going out too slow—you have plenty of time to find your groove and ideally run a negative split. On the uphills, maintain your effort rather than your pace.
What’s the most important thing you can do to run a personal best?
Train smart and stay injury-free.
What’s the ideal taper length for either a half or full marathon?
Typically 2-3 weeks for a marathon and 1-2 for a half-marathon, but everyone’s a little different. Try tapering for different amounts of time before several half-marathons and see what works best for you.
How much time should you allow for recovery between races?
Recovery time depends on the race distance and the race effort. A common rule of thumb is to rest a day for each mile you race. So, if you raced a half-marathon, you would rest for 13 days or 2 weeks. Many variables go into rest, and it can be very individual. Listen to your body.
If I’m doing back-to-back race weekends (mostly halfs), do you have any recommendations on recovery?
My recommendation is to use some of these races as long runs and not give every race an all-out-effort. Over-racing can lead to injury, fatigue, and, burn-out. If you’re running half-marathons on two consecutive weekends, either use the first one as an easy training run to prepare or the second one, or race the first one hard and then cruise the second one as a fun-run.
For a half-marathon, is it possible to train much less, but still PR?
It depends on what you’re currently doing. I do know runners who have performed better after reducing their weekly workouts to one speed workout, one long run, and one tempo run, with four complete rest days. Often, less is more.
What do you suggest for people who would mostly walk a half-marathon but are able to run a little bit?
Alternating walking and running is a good way to complete a half-marathon for beginning runners. Try alternating two minutes of walking and one minute of running; if that seems easy, make it two and two; if it’s hard, make it one and three.
About the Treadmill
Is speed work still beneficial?
Yes, absolutely. The distances and speeds are closely comparable to running outside. But be careful not to fall off–safety first.
I do the same run on a treadmill most mornings. What’s a good way to change it up?
My favorite way to break up treadmill running is doing 10 sets of (one minute fast, one minute easy). This workout can break up the monotony of treadmill running. You can also do a “ladder”: for instance, one minute hard, one easy, two hard, two easy, three hard, three easy, and then back down: two hard, two easy, one hard, and cool down. There are lots of variations that will keep you interested and get you fitter, too. You can do the same kind of progressions with the hill function, too: for instance, keep the pace the same, but do one minute on the flat, then one at a 2% grade, one flat, one at 3%, et cetera.
You can also “change it up” more radically by getting off the treadmill now and then, of course!
About the TCS New York City Marathon
I’d love to know what miles proved most challenging for veteran marathon runners. I’ve heard that 18-23 are toughies.
Personally, I feel that mile 22 is the toughest: It has a slight uphill from Marcus Garvey Park to the East 90th Street entrance to Central Park. Many runners feel that the bridges are tough, but if you pace yourself properly I find them to be a nice break from the flats. Running uphill and downhill requires using different muscles, which can be a much-needed break on the muscles that you’ve been overusing.
What’s the average time finish time for runners in the TCS New York City Marathon?
The times that people run are influenced by the conditions each year. In 2013, the average time was 4:28.
About Coach John:
John Honerkamp has coached runners of all ages and abilities for 15 years. A 1998 graduate of St. John’s University (Queens, NY), Honerkamp was an eight-time All-Big East and six-time All-East (IC4A) athlete. He earned 12 Big East All-Academic accolades and was the youngest semifinalist in the 800-meters at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. He is an eight-time top-10 finisher at the U.S. Track & Field National Championships and a member of the American record-holding 4×1500-meter relay team. John ran the 2010 ING New York City Marathon in 2:44:22, and the Long Island Half-Marathon in 1:12:24. (Honerkamp practices what he preaches: he trained for the 2011 Berlin and ING New York City marathons using the Official NYRR Training Plan.) Honerkamp also paced celebs Apolo Ohno and Summer Sanders to great times in their recent marathons.
The TCS New York City Marathon takes place on November 2, 2014. Its route touches all five boroughs of New York City— Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan— crossing five bridges and finishes in world-famous Central Park. More than two million spectators line the sidelines.
Registration for the TCS NYC Marathon closes on March 18th at 11:59pm EST. You can find TCS NYC Marathon or Half specific training plans, as well as generic training plans along with many other tools for runners at www.nyrr.org.
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