It’s funny that I just completed my final long run before taper week on your Marathon training plan and then this video popped up 😃 I switched from distance and pace based training to zone and time based training thanks to your channel, in particular since I committed myself to your Marathon training plan. I never look back since then! You’re spot on about specifity in training. Honestly I was a bit doubtful because the training plan looked a bit “forgiving” and less demanding than my previous plan purchased from different online coach. But as I watch more of your videos and learned the science behind it, I can say that I am fully onboard with it. And as I embarked the training, the progress has been definitely tangible and obvious especially after Week 8. What matters the most is that I felt no niggles or I never got myself injured in the process. Just had my predictive marathon pace last week and it looked like I am gonna cut my Marathon PB by 10 mins even though my training hours were reduced by 15% or so (most likely I overtrained on my previous training cycle 😂).
Excellent tips...agree 100%. As a sub3 runner and coaching experience and passion understanding physiology is so underrated. Great video 🎉. Cheers legend.
Hey Dr. Will, just wanted to say that your zone and periodization videos helped me run my first ever half marathon yesterday in 1:32. I started running in may of this year and adopted your training philosophy about 18 weeks out from the race. My preparation phase consisted of doing a threshold pace run during the week and a race pace workout on my weekend long run, peaking with a workout with 40' @ threshold and a long progressive run with ~70' @ goal pace. My goal and training paces changed constantly during this training, as I improved a ton very quickly, I even saw my resting HR drop from 65 to 55 bpm. Thank you so much!
I do a lot of grey zone junk training because I have hills that I cannot even WALK up without my HR going above Zone 2 or even 3 sometimes but they are not long hills. Takes me 8 minutes to do it and I'm on a 3hr session with an average HR of 120. Not ideal but I have a hard time calling it "junk". I already have a pretty massive aerobic base as 90% of all my training in below LT1 . . . I now just need to stronger and faster because I can do low HR all day every day.
Thanks Dr Will - been waiting for a new vid, watched all of your content in the leadup to Melb Mara next week! Q: This is my first mara and based on my data I think I can run a 3:20 or slightly faster, but I want to pace myself like you’ve outlined in other vids. Do you think it’s better to anchor to the 3:20 or 3:30 pace group at the start?
Hard to say without seeing how comfortable you are at 3:20hr pace. I’d suggest starting with the 3:30 group for at least 10km to set yourself up for a good race either way. They'll be running slightly faster than 3:30hr pace (they always do). Melbourne isn't flat, and the hills come late, so you want to be in good shape when you hit them.
I am running a marathon in 1 week! I have following your marathon plan on Tp and I feel very ready. My HR has been really dropping though and worried I have been running too slow for my runs. according my zones I’m barely hitting zone 3 on my now “goal pace” for the marathon. Does that mean my zones are wrong? Or I’m not pushing hard enough? Or am I getting way fitter than when I started? Im really struggling to know what pace to go for. All I know is I love your program. I’m fully vested in it and I love the science. It really works.
It probably means you're way fitter than when you started. If you've been running to a “goal pace” in training, stick with that pace for the first 10km. From 10km, assess your HR and speed up by a few seconds if you're still under Z3.
Dr. O'Connor, I have been watching you for a few days now and trying to find videos on your zones. I have watched a few but this is over my head. How do I find 75-88% of my LTH? I've used your calculator but I am still confused cause my max HR is 191, but your calc said it can go all the way to 216...did I do something incorrect? Am I misreading it? And do I need a lactate reader to measure the percentages? All I've known is Zone 2 HR is 60-71% of your Heart Rate Reserve which seems far different than what you have been teaching. Trying to understand, but I am missing it. Can you advise? Thanks! *Edit - I don't have a power feature on my garmin, so IDK how to calc power.
Dr will - I need you to help me here rather quickly. I have a maratjon in 12 days time and my head is wrecked with the decision to attack sub 3 or hold back and aim for where I feel I am and thats sub 3.10. Heres my stats. My garmin watch says my V02 max is 57. However, I dont believe I have lived up to a 57 v02 max from my times. I am 6 foot 2 and weigh around 80 pounds. My PBs are as follows Marathon (2023 - 3 hours 27 - with no clue what I was doing in training and around 60 to 80k weekly mileage. 400m - 1.13 (thats all out) 800m - 2.42 1k - 3.23 5k - 18.52 10k - 39.40 Half marathon ( no clue as my last one was way before last years marathon and i got 1.39) Now, my garmin keeps telling me my fitness is " productive for the last 4 weeks " and my estimated times are 5k - 17.41 10k - 38.02 Half marathon 1.23 Marathon 3.02. Now, probably all guns blazing and with the right specific work ye I could maybe at a push get around 17.58 but I cant see these times in me? I can hold 3.58 pace for 10k but no idea after wards. Now, my "max heart rate kept getting adjusted down every dam run" - does this mean im getting fitter or worse? My new max heart rate is 193 which for any sort of tempo run puts me all in zone 5 lol even though I am not falling around the place, but yet v02 max keeps going up??? My zones are calculated 90 to 100% for z5 80 to 90% z4 70 to 80% z3 60 to 70% z2 And the balance below. What does someone of your exepertise think I could achieve or go for in this marathon in 12 days? Please help will! Cheers
I know you asked Will, but incase it helps as I've ran a fair few.. I would say go for 3:10 pace as you've trained for until 32k then push last 10 and see what you have left at the end. Better to finish fast and feel good than end up jogging it in, hating it and and being dissapointed. I would say from what you have said above sub 3 might be pushing it a bit, but sounds like your defo on the right path for getting it soon though. I know when I did sub 3 the first time my 10k and HM times where a bit faster closer to low 37s 10k and 1:21/22 HM and it was still v.tough.
@@runtwoDot1465-s1s amazing thanks. My head agrees with you. Heart was saying faster but i have plenty of time. Ill work on that! Mich appreciated! Will update in 2 weeks :)
It’s funny that I just completed my final long run before taper week on your Marathon training plan and then this video popped up 😃
I switched from distance and pace based training to zone and time based training thanks to your channel, in particular since I committed myself to your Marathon training plan. I never look back since then!
You’re spot on about specifity in training. Honestly I was a bit doubtful because the training plan looked a bit “forgiving” and less demanding than my previous plan purchased from different online coach.
But as I watch more of your videos and learned the science behind it, I can say that I am fully onboard with it.
And as I embarked the training, the progress has been definitely tangible and obvious especially after Week 8. What matters the most is that I felt no niggles or I never got myself injured in the process.
Just had my predictive marathon pace last week and it looked like I am gonna cut my Marathon PB by 10 mins even though my training hours were reduced by 15% or so (most likely I overtrained on my previous training cycle 😂).
Mate, thank you for such a great review! I’m stoked you've found my info helpful. Can't wait to see what you can do at your race 💪.
Rabbit hole, rabbit hole, rabbit. Loved this one. So many questions........I look forward to digging deeper and learning more.
Excellent tips...agree 100%. As a sub3 runner and coaching experience and passion understanding physiology is so underrated. Great video 🎉. Cheers legend.
Hey Dr. Will, just wanted to say that your zone and periodization videos helped me run my first ever half marathon yesterday in 1:32. I started running in may of this year and adopted your training philosophy about 18 weeks out from the race. My preparation phase consisted of doing a threshold pace run during the week and a race pace workout on my weekend long run, peaking with a workout with 40' @ threshold and a long progressive run with ~70' @ goal pace. My goal and training paces changed constantly during this training, as I improved a ton very quickly, I even saw my resting HR drop from 65 to 55 bpm. Thank you so much!
100% agree, his system truly works and by following his threshold test to set out the 7zones made training specificity crystal clear. Thanks Dr Will!
That's so cool. 1:32 at your first half! I’m sure people will be jealous reading that. Sub 90min will be in the bag at the next one 🏃💨
Good luck pal 👊🏽
Awesome!
Glad you think so!
I do a lot of grey zone junk training because I have hills that I cannot even WALK up without my HR going above Zone 2 or even 3 sometimes but they are not long hills. Takes me 8 minutes to do it and I'm on a 3hr session with an average HR of 120. Not ideal but I have a hard time calling it "junk". I already have a pretty massive aerobic base as 90% of all my training in below LT1 . . . I now just need to stronger and faster because I can do low HR all day every day.
Yeah you really need some speed 😭
Thanks for another great video. What target pace should the 1' on/off Z6 training be?
5km race pace. Sometimes GPS can be a bit slow. So, as long as you're within a few secounds of 5km pace you be all good.
Thanks Dr Will - been waiting for a new vid, watched all of your content in the leadup to Melb Mara next week!
Q: This is my first mara and based on my data I think I can run a 3:20 or slightly faster, but I want to pace myself like you’ve outlined in other vids. Do you think it’s better to anchor to the 3:20 or 3:30 pace group at the start?
Hard to say without seeing how comfortable you are at 3:20hr pace. I’d suggest starting with the 3:30 group for at least 10km to set yourself up for a good race either way. They'll be running slightly faster than 3:30hr pace (they always do). Melbourne isn't flat, and the hills come late, so you want to be in good shape when you hit them.
Thanks mate, love your work
I am running a marathon in 1 week! I have following your marathon plan on Tp and I feel very ready. My HR has been really dropping though and worried I have been running too slow for my runs. according my zones I’m barely hitting zone 3 on my now “goal pace” for the marathon. Does that mean my zones are wrong? Or I’m not pushing hard enough? Or am I getting way fitter than when I started? Im really struggling to know what pace to go for. All I know is I love your program. I’m fully vested in it and I love the science. It really works.
It probably means you're way fitter than when you started. If you've been running to a “goal pace” in training, stick with that pace for the first 10km. From 10km, assess your HR and speed up by a few seconds if you're still under Z3.
Dr. O'Connor, I have been watching you for a few days now and trying to find videos on your zones. I have watched a few but this is over my head. How do I find 75-88% of my LTH? I've used your calculator but I am still confused cause my max HR is 191, but your calc said it can go all the way to 216...did I do something incorrect? Am I misreading it? And do I need a lactate reader to measure the percentages? All I've known is Zone 2 HR is 60-71% of your Heart Rate Reserve which seems far different than what you have been teaching. Trying to understand, but I am missing it. Can you advise? Thanks!
*Edit - I don't have a power feature on my garmin, so IDK how to calc power.
I think the issue is that you've input your MaxHR rather than your threshold HR. If you have an average HR for a recent 10km race. Use that.
Dr will - I need you to help me here rather quickly. I have a maratjon in 12 days time and my head is wrecked with the decision to attack sub 3 or hold back and aim for where I feel I am and thats sub 3.10.
Heres my stats.
My garmin watch says my V02 max is 57. However, I dont believe I have lived up to a 57 v02 max from my times.
I am 6 foot 2 and weigh around 80 pounds.
My PBs are as follows
Marathon (2023 - 3 hours 27 - with no clue what I was doing in training and around 60 to 80k weekly mileage.
400m - 1.13 (thats all out)
800m - 2.42
1k - 3.23
5k - 18.52
10k - 39.40
Half marathon ( no clue as my last one was way before last years marathon and i got 1.39)
Now, my garmin keeps telling me my fitness is " productive for the last 4 weeks " and my estimated times are
5k - 17.41
10k - 38.02
Half marathon 1.23
Marathon 3.02.
Now, probably all guns blazing and with the right specific work ye I could maybe at a push get around 17.58 but I cant see these times in me?
I can hold 3.58 pace for 10k but no idea after wards.
Now, my "max heart rate kept getting adjusted down every dam run" - does this mean im getting fitter or worse? My new max heart rate is 193 which for any sort of tempo run puts me all in zone 5 lol even though I am not falling around the place, but yet v02 max keeps going up???
My zones are calculated 90 to 100% for z5
80 to 90% z4
70 to 80% z3
60 to 70% z2
And the balance below.
What does someone of your exepertise think I could achieve or go for in this marathon in 12 days?
Please help will!
Cheers
I know you asked Will, but incase it helps as I've ran a fair few.. I would say go for 3:10 pace as you've trained for until 32k then push last 10 and see what you have left at the end. Better to finish fast and feel good than end up jogging it in, hating it and and being dissapointed. I would say from what you have said above sub 3 might be pushing it a bit, but sounds like your defo on the right path for getting it soon though. I know when I did sub 3 the first time my 10k and HM times where a bit faster closer to low 37s 10k and 1:21/22 HM and it was still v.tough.
@@runtwoDot1465-s1s amazing thanks. My head agrees with you. Heart was saying faster but i have plenty of time. Ill work on that! Mich appreciated! Will update in 2 weeks :)
if you don't put this in a week calendar seems like a mess.
If intervals Z4/Z5 were time based rather than distance based, would that be better long term as mileage will increase?
Yes. The exception is when you're building toward a race with a specific distance. I.e. If you're racing a 10km you need to be running 6-8km hard.
Hey would you ever consider turning the music down a bit. I find it hard to concentrate on what you are saying.