Schedule
- Goal Race: 3:30-4:00 Berlin
- Plan: Pfitz 18/63 by thebottlefarm (Unofficial)
| Date | Day | Workout | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | Monday | Rest or cross-training | Yoga and mobility drills |
| 2025-06-10 | Tuesday | General aerobic + speed 12.9 km w/ 10 X 100 m strides | 9.4mi/15.10km, 6:22/km |
| 2025-06-11 | Wednesday | Recovery 8.0 km | 6mi/10.20km @ 6:52/km |
| 2025-06-12 | Thursday | General aerobic 19.3 km | 11.90mi/19.15km @ 6:14/km |
| 2025-06-13 | Friday | Recovery 8.0 km | 6.88mi/11.08km @ 7:14/km |
| 2025-06-14 | Saturday | Recovery 8.0 km | 7.57mi/12.18km @ 7:19/km |
| 2025-06-15 | Sunday | Medium-long run 27.4 km | 17.03mi/27.40km @ 6:10/km |
- Totals:
- Expected: 52mi / 83.69km
- Actual: 59mi / 95.11km
Thoughts
After maintaining an average weekly distance of 90km, I decided to switch from Pfitz 18/55 to modified thebottlefarm’s 18/63 plan which is a nice middleground between the first and 18/70. I took into account the absence of injuries and missed runs in the past three weeks as signs that I was ready for this harder workout schedule.
I kept all the recovery days at least 10km with intensity at the lower end of my easy paces. I applied the same principle to the general aerobic days but did a bit faster (10% less than my target marathon pace) on the latter part of the Thursday run because I felt well.
The last workout of 27.4km was my longest run so far as a runner and honestly it was intimidating because of a lot of variables that could go wrong: the summer heat, my shoes suddenly feeling uncomfortable, poor nutrition and stomachaches. I made sure to eat sufficient meals and drink lots of water that Saturday and sleep at least eight hours to be ready for Sunday morning.
Fortunately it went well during the two main blocks:
- 1/4 @ 20% slower than MP
- 3/4 @ 10% slower than MP
I bought one 250ml soft flask of my homemade energy gel based on Run with Perseverance’s recipe and two small packs of gummy bears. By this time I already adjusted the amount of pectin versus thickness I wanted and the level of sweetness from the table sugar (my fructose powder hasn’t arrive yet when I was cooking this batch). The candies were for variety and additional distraction during the workout.
The first half went well while I listened to the soundtracks of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Shock Treatment. The heat wasn’t a problem because I’m used to it now and applied a ton of sunscreen on my face, neck, shoulders and arms. I was able to meet my paces and kept my focus on staying at the lower end to midpoint of the target paces.
Since it was my first run beyond 25km, my legs felt heavy and tired by the 22nd or 23rd kilometer. It wasn’t on the painful side and I knew that this is now part of the challenge where I needed my mental strength to take over. It didn’t help that my Puma Deviate NITRO 3s were at end of their life (nearly 470mi/750km by this time) and I felt the NITRO foam lifeless and worse not cushioned anymore by this mark yet I still used them because they always feel great to run in the first ninety minutes of a workout. I was able to overcome it and finish the entire thing as planned but I knew that I will need the rest of the day and the next to fully recover.
I am proud of this run, learned at lot about myself and what I can do as a runner. There’s 30km and 32km long runs in two or three weeks so I will use all what I have observed today to make those two successful and let’s start with long-run friendly shoes and an extra flask of enery gel!