[Ivo]

Thanks again for opening up all the COVID-19 support!

I was planning on running the Hamburg Marathon 5 weeks from now. The current status is that it will be postponed, but no alternative date has been given yet. I assume that the delay will be at least a couple of months.

I am training on the 80/20 Marathon program. My question is, should I continue this program until the end and then switch to the maintenance program, or is it better to switch to maintenance now and back to the last 5 weeks of marathon program as soon as I know the alternative race date? Or perhaps continue the marathon program up to the tapering phase, and then switch to maintenance?

Thanks for your advise.

[David Warden]

Ivo, so sorry for your cancellation.

This is tough to answer without a new date for the event, but let me offer a two options, in order of recommendation:

1. Since you are so invested into the plan already, consider following through with the last 5 weeks and performing a marathon on your own, or through a virtual race. By then I hope there will be more clarity for you on the Hamburg date. The advantage of this option is that if you get a new date in 3 weeks, you have not lost any momentum.

2. If you think the postponement is more than 3 months away (and this is likely) then cutting your loses now and switching to maintenance until the new date is confirmed is not a bad idea.

I don’t like the option of ending at the tapering phase and then moving to maintenance.

David

[deanmurley]

Hello,

Since the Paris Marathon was postponed to October, I registered for a race two weeks later and you helped me extend my plan by inserting week 12 after week 15 and then repeat week 15 and carry on to 18.

I’ve just finished the ‘first’ week 15 and it looks like my reserve race will be cancelled. I have another marathon booked which was going to be my ‘C’ race, but now it’s my ‘A’ race.

So, I have just finished week 15 and the new marathon is 9 weeks away. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with this?

Many thanks.

Dean

[David Warden]

Dean,

If I have my math right, you’re about to be on a formal marathon plan for 28 weeks (18 weeks of the plan, plus 1 of the 2 weeks I added with you, plus another 9 weeks). This is a long time to train formally, especially with a run plan. We like to keep it capped at 24 weeks of formal training.

So, I recommend a week off of training as a “firewall” from burnout. Not completely off, but maybe just 2 hours of total running as you feel.

Then, it would be ideal to reapply the plan with an end date of the new A race for the final 8 weeks of the plan.

David

[Dan_Bainbridge]

Sorry to jump in here but I’m in a similar position.

My A race was a half Marathon on the 29th of March which is postponed with no new date given. I have already done two halves this month, my B race was on the 1st, I followed the 15 week Level 2 plan to this date and then another training run with a medal on the 8th.

My plan was to repeat the last few weeks till the 29th have some time off then do a 10k Plan.

Given this change, my plan is to have this week off, I’m away from home for three nights anyway so a relax is easy to fit in. Then follow a 10k Plan for 12 weeks a week off here and then another 15 week half plan which would end in November, which seems a reasonable guess at when a half would take place.

Is that a good way to chain these plans together? I would obviously need to be adaptable given I don’t know when the event will occur.

[deanmurley]

Thanks David. It’s probably futile anyway, as I bet my May marathon will also fall by the wayside. Would you normally recommend a one-week firewall after 24 weeks or longer than that?

Thanks again.

[David Warden]

Dan, I like your plan. It’s flexible, gives you some rest, and keeps you ready to move into heavier training at any time. From the middle of the 10K plan, you can easily jump into the HM plan.

Consider doing a virtual race, or just race by yourself for a PB on the 29th to take advantage of the fitness you have built.

David

[David Warden]

Dean,

I’d recommend at least two weeks of very light training after 24 weeks of formal training. Unless you have another race coming up really close, but that should be an exception.

See https://www.8020endurance.com/topic/training-after-that-big-race/ for more information on this subject.

[deanmurley]

Thank you very much

[Ivo]

Those are helpful suggestions. If Hamburg is going to be held before September, it will likely be too close to the Berlin Marathon which I’m also running.

I think I will take my loss and go with option (1); either look for an alternative marathon in the first few weeks after the original date (unlikely). Otherwise I will run a virtual marathon on the original date and use the experience for the Berlin M.

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