#54 - Heart Rate Monitor Training/ 9 Mile Marathon
How would you like to know that you can run a marathon and not spend hours away from your family training? In this week’s blog/podcast I share my personal experience with the: The 9 Mile Marathon (Heart Rate Monitor Training) Before we start, I would like to share the quote of the week:
“You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.”
Listen To Podcast
Continue Reading (Scroll Down)
Disclaimer - This post is not an advertisement or has been requested by the author of the 9 Mile Marathon Training Plan. All information is driven by my personal experience implementing the techniques in 90 days from February to April of 2019.
As a father of an active 10-year old that doesn't want to hear daddy is going for a run and it will take me three hours to return. Up until this point, I’ve run 14 half marathons and all of my training has been the old school line of thought. “You have to run further than your goal race or close to it, in order to know that you could do it.” Training week after week, as well as training my beginners to run their first 5k left me exhausted. I was overtraining. I found this out talking to Jeff Galloway at a seminar in Atlantic City, NJ. I started following his training, which was far less demanding. Only 30 minutes of running on Tuesday and Thursday and a long run every other weekend. I really loved the thought of that. I help parents run their first ever races, usually 5k’s. So I saw that there were parents becoming interested in running a half marathon as they saw me do them. I figured if I can show them an easy schedule to follow they could enjoy the same feelings I have crossing the finish line. I had the privilege of watching 4 parents cross the finish line of their first half marathon in October 2019. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to the 9 Mile Marathon Book.
Now I already told you that I’m all about making life easier for myself as a parent along with other parents out there. In the very beginning of the book, they speak right to us as parents. They let us parents know that we do not have to spend hours upon hours training taking time away from our family and friends. I thought; “Tell me more!”
The 9 Mile Marathon Training Plan has been created by Dutch running and triathlon coach Marlies Kort who is also an experienced runner and triathlete. The plan is pretty simple and basically suggests that marathon training for someone aiming for a race time between 3 and 5 hours, can be obtained with a plan lasting 90 days, consisting of only 3 runs per week. Running only 3 days per week has something I was already accustomed to. What blew my mind though, was that the longest runs you will be performing are only 9 miles, or 15 km. Now this is designed to help you run a full marathon. I did not have any aspirations of running a full marathon, I just wanted to see if I tried it, would it help me get a sub two hour half. I figured if it could do that for me, then maybe I could pull off a full one day. I actually knew that I had a full marathon in me, I just wasn’t going to commit to the full marathon old school methods of training with all of my responsibilities.
The 9 Mile Marathon Training Plan has been designed for age group runners that can meet the following criteria:
Have been running for over one year. (I have seen beginner runners complete a 10k in six months. Some may be ready earlier)
The person should be injury-free. (With practicing the run, walk, run…..I’m never injured)
The person should be able to run at least 6 miles in under 65 minutes.
Owns a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor. (Although having the Apple Watch, I still went out and purchased an myzone heart rate monitor)
Can commit to a 90 day training plan with 3 runs per week.
The training is based on research performed by Dutch medical researcher Stans van der Poel, where the training is focused on a specific heart rate for each runner to train to. It allows the runner to stay fresh, with each run being considered more as a quality session.
The Theory Behind The Training
Both Poel and Kort argue the following reasons for the success of the training.
1- Accumulated Fatigue Avoidance (AFA)
2- Energy Supply Switch (ESS)
AFA basically comes down to the fact that allows a runner the ability to fully recover between training session resulting in each successive training session focusing more quality than quantity. It makes sure the runner is less susceptible to injury and overtraining which also ensures more consistency.
When it refers to ESS, it also states in the book the training plan the runner needs to move away from a reliance on carbohydrates. (This is very in tune with my lifestyle as I train for my long-distance races. I go on a round of Whole30 leading into the event.) It is definitely not suggesting carbohydrates be removed completely from your diet but it is suggesting the training plan is trying to train the body to utilize fat as fuel and do this at a higher heart rate.
How Does It Work?
You need to get your Marathon Heart Rate(MHR) which gives you the heart rate you need to be both training at and running your goal race at. The training plan gives full details on how to work out your MHR. First thing you would need to do is to perform a test to obtain your Critical Heart Rate(CHR) or what comes close to your maximum heart rate, you then plug the details into an equation to get your MHR.
For me my CHR was around 188 beats per minute (bpm). I looked up my last 10k race time and it was around 56 minutes. I plugged that into the chart and I fell around 155 (bpm) for training.
The plan starts you off running 5-7 miles the first few weeks, then bumps you up to 7-9 miles for a few weeks. There is one 13 mile run around the halfway point. then down the final stages of the training are 9 mile runs twice a week with suggested speed drills on Tuesday. The final week leading to your goal race, the long run the weekend before is only 6 miles.
With only running 3 days per week you have some flexibility to add some cross-training and core strength work into your training.
My Takeaways:
First, let me tell you that heart rate training is something that you must become patient with. Experienced runners may just want to go out there and run every mile as fast as they could. When you first strap on a monitor it will have you running slower than you are used to. Be patient, your speed will get better as your heart gets stronger. You will start to bring mindfulness to your running experience and learn how to control your breathing in order to control your heart rate. You would become more mindful of keeping a good form, not lifting too high off the ground in order to keep your heart rate within range. You will be tempted to say; “The second half of this run should be faster than when I started so let me pick up the pace.” Then you will burn out and fail. Instead allow your heart rate to dictate to you where you should be. You will be pleasantly surprised how consistent, or outright better you are mile after mile naturally without seemingly putting any more effort into it. You are fresher at the end of every run because you didn’t burn out in the first 3 miles.
I also did a round of Whole30 leading into my race. Switching back over to burning fat as fuel and using this method of training, I hit a 6:58 mile test time before my half marathon on April 26th, 2020. I continued to use the run,walk,run method along the way. I would play around with different intervals that would keep me in the 155bpm range. A lot of practices I was using 80/20 intervals. After completing my mile test of 6:58, that gave me confidence that I could go into the race doing a 2-min run/20-sec walk. The weekend before the big race, I was overly excited for my 6 mile run. In mile one my heart rate spiked to 174 (bpm) and I just knew I was gonna kill that workout. For the first 3 miles, every mile got worse and worse. I didn’t know what was going on that day. At the halfway point I refused to look at the heart rate anymore and I adjusted my interval timer to 5k pace 2:30/15. The second half of that 6 miles was better than the first half, still not what I would have liked however.
Race Day:
Due to the Covid-19 the race had to be done virtually. No fans, no music, no family cheering you on, just me. Well there were the clouds, rain and wind too. I decided to run the event on the day that it was scheduled although I could have ran the race the day before when it was beautiful and sunny out. My race started at 6:30 am. By the time I finished listening to my opening song to get me hype, took a few selfies and the first wave of invisible people started the race…..I didn’t cross the starting line until 6:33am. Every time I wear the pink Nike Zoom Flyknit Next% my body just knows to go fast. My heart rate was at 155 (bpm) within a quarter to a half of a mile in. I told myself to stay here, stay in rhythm, listen to the monitor. I was doing good, there were a few times when I spiked up to 164 (bpm). I told myself it was ok, you are in a race it’s going to be a little elevated, but keep calm. Surprisingly when I reached 4.5 miles (which usually is the turn around of 9 mile practice) I was fresh, I felt like I didn’t even start the race yet. I got to the halfway point in which for the first time I checked my time since there would have been a clock there anyway. My time was 1:01:55, my goal was to achieve a sub 2 hour race. In the past when I got to the halfway point I would see the time say 58/59 minutes and think I got this. Just to come up well short of the goal. Used too much gas early and ran out in miles 11-13.
This time was different. I actually thought when I saw the time, not bad, I may have a shot. At the same time I wasn't worried about it at that time. I was present to the mile I was in. The turnaround brought its own challenge. Now I’m running against the wind and I can’t seem to get my heart rate out of the red 174 (bpm). I told myself that it was ok, it’s not you, it’s the wind causing the elevated heart rate. I focused on keeping the form low to the ground. I focused on my breathing. I focused on one block at a time. I am starting to get closer to the city and I can see the building which represents only 3 miles to go. I felt strong even with the wind and rain. I decided when I get to that building I will switch over to 5k mode. Instead of going all out at 2:30/15, I decided to exercise patience and went with 2:15/20 for two of the three remaining miles.
The Final Mile:
I couldn’t believe I am in the final mile and I still feel strong. A year ago I cried at the end of the half because I finished with a time of 2:02:30, close but not my goal. I had nothing to be ashamed of. That was my fastest time in 4 years. My previous best was 2:00:51. All I could think about is that I didn’t come this far not to get it now. It’s go time!! It’s Magic Mile/Keep Calm Mile Time!!! (That’s the name of the test that we take to see where we fall on the run, walk, run chart and it’s the only time I run a mile straight anymore.) Now I wasn’t going to run this mile straight, and I wasn’t even daring to look at the heart rate! I adjusted my interval timer to 2:30/15 and went for it. The wind picked up to 20mph at least (No kidding). As I turned down the boardwalk, rain in my face, waves from the ocean crashing onto the boardwalk in front of me. I decided to peak at watch….. I’m not sure I’m going to make it…. “Go Go Go”, I said.
As I was trying to get the watch ready to be stopped, I swiped left by accident and music came up…...Get off of here bring me back to stop time. I crossed the line...stopped time and at first it said 2:00:15. Then it said congratulations: You ran your fastest half marathon 1:59:55!!! Sometimes you cross that finish line and it takes you a few seconds to hit your watch and that’s what happened.
What I’m so thrilled about is my last three mile time splits. I have 6 years of running half marathons and struggling in the last three miles and with one 12 week 9 mile training fixed all that. I never even imagined that it would be possible for me to get 8:16 in the last mile of a 13.1 race. I am still in shock what my body was capable of doing that day. It will be a day I will never forget.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you 9 Mile Marathon Training…. I will continue to share this with ones that I work with. Remember the quote from the beginning:
“You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.”
At times we lose motivation or become motivated towards the wrong goal. So we must learn to be disciplined….. in this case, disciplined to listen to our hearts.
Episode #54 - Heart Rate Monitor Training/9 Mile Marathon
We need a favor!
If you found this blog or podcast helpful and informative please leave a comment below and rate and review on Apple Podcast. Your comments help others find our material and can be a game changer for someone.
Thank You - Coach Tadris
NEW 5k Run/Walk Transformation Program
We are only allowing 20 transformations per class. Join now and receive 16 in person sessions, certificate of completion, we sign you up for a local race, along with our comfortable team shirts. Act Now To Take Advantage Of Early Bird Pricing!