I ran two marathons this year. Yuengling Shamrock in March (3:22:46) and Chicago Marathon two weeks ago (3:26:03). That is the first time I’ve ever run two marathons in a 12-month period. And I did it using a “train less” approach.
Let me give you some history. Back when I was in college I ran three marathons on minimal training. The Flying Pig in Cincinnati in 2008 and 2011, and the Boston Marathon in 2009. I was young, too busy with school, and unafraid of the consequences that could come with running 26 miles under-trained. My longest runs were 16, 10, and 13 miles for those three marathons. Some people thought and verbally expressed that I was insane. Especially running Boston on 10 miles. But I ran 3:38, 3:31, and 3:23, respectively. And most importantly, to accomplish that I made it to the starting line healthy on each race day.
Fast forward a few years and my next two marathons were Prague 2014 and Boston 2015. For both races I decided to train much more heavily with longer training runs because I wanted to qualify for Boston and then try to break 3:20 at Boston. I had full training plans with running 5-6 days a week and long runs up to 18-20 miles. During Prague training I had major hip issues and on race day, despite the 3:22 PR, I had a major malfunction with my IT band that took me from breaking 3:20 to that 3:22 and change. My knee locked up and I was crying through miles 19-24. Then, my IT band flared up again while training for Boston. I never made it through my 20 mile training run and limped to a 3:44 on race day. That landed me in physical therapy and on over a month break from running a single mile. I thought my days running marathons might be over. I was frustrated and devastated.
Then my husband suggested I try my old college approach. Train less and see how it goes. His logic was sound – if I hadn’t gotten hurt and ran qualifying times when training less, but got injured training more, why not give it a shot. So that is what I did. For the Shamrock Marathon, 16 miles was my longest run and I ran 4 days per week with one of those being a hill or interval day. I ran Shamrock in 3:22:46, 20 seconds off my PR. (It is a flat course so I’m sure that factored in some!) It gave me a huge confidence boost. I finished injury free with a healthy IT band. I was able to return to running light mileage within a week of the race.
For Chicago, 13 miles was my longest run. I had a low mileage base because of the summer traveling, but I still ran 4 days per week with one track interval day. We ran 3:26:03 comfortably and other than some tight hips, finished injury free. I was able to run 5 days later and other than my usual physiological issues, I am OK. Now I have Boston coming up in April and I will probably follow a similar plan with a 16 mile long run and a few more hill sessions.
All of this lead me to realizing that I may just be an anomaly. A RUNomaly. But maybe there are others like me. Those of us who can’t do 70 mile weeks. Those of us who are injury prone but love to run. Those of us who want to run marathons but can’t do it the prescribed way. However, I think an important part of the train-less approach requires considering a few things:
1) I am injury-prone and making it to the starting line healthy is a bigger feat than getting through 26.2 miles.
I have physiological issues with my hips and back that lead me to having terrible distance running form and therefore prone to aches, pains, and injuries. For those with efficient mechanically correct form who CAN run 20 miles before a marathon this may not be as appealing to you and may not be necessary; stick with your training.
2) I have a good base to begin.
This partially works beause I run regularly throughout the year with 8-10 mile runs scattered on weekends. My mind-set is I should be able to sign-up for and finish a half-marathon at any given time and 8-10 mile runs will maintain that capability. If you are starting off with running a few times per week 3-4 miles, or this is your first run further than a half-marathon, then you WILL have to build up your mileage base before attempting a marathon on a train less approach.
3) I accept that this approach will not likely help me get faster, but maintain.
With this approach I will not likely break 3:20. My body and mind are very familiar with a 7:45-7:50 pace and I can pull that off with minimal training. But if I want to break that threshold I accept that I would need to train more; higher mileage at a faster pace. I can’t expect any more of my body without providing it the necessary training to run a 7:30-7:35 pace.
4) I know how to fuel during a race and embrace the mental aspect.
Hydration and fueling are so important to carrying your body through a race. For anyone who doesn’t like gels and goo and beans, etc. getting to 20-22 miles during training may be far more important. But I know that with fueling and hydrating my body can get through the race. And I am mentally tough enough to deal with some discomfort. I firmly believe anything after mile 17 is mental anyway. It is the mind willing the body. Its ok to feel crappy, there is a difference between discomfort/pain and injury. And that last mile, if you are blessed with a runner’s high, is worth every moment of discomfort.
I am not saying this is an approach everyone should take, but it worked for me. For an injury-prone person with good regular mileage, a firm fuel plan, mental toughness, and not chasing PRs (which are still possible, you never know) this approach could be something to consider. It is not the norm. This approach leading to success is the anomaly. But my husband has flat feet, is a toe runner, and looks like body builder AND he ran a 2:52 marathon with minimal training, that’s also an anomaly. So maybe its OK to shake things up and see how they work if the current approach isn’t working. Maybe you are a RUNomaly too!
-Shaina
Running the Chicago Marathon was on my bucket list, along with the other World Major Marathons. Now I have two down and four to go! When my husband and I ran the 
the highlight of the race, by far, was the crowd! They were everywhere covering all 26.2 miles of the course and anywhere there was a drought it lasted .1 miles max and there were STILL a few people there. This race went by so fast because we were paying attention to the spectators. My memories of the race aren’t even based on how I was feeling at this mile or that mile, it was distinct memories of little kids dressed as superheroes and hilarious signage! (And this woman I nicknamed “Muscles” who was in front of me for about 12 miles and had the most amazing back I have ever seen…but I digress) At mile six as we were entering Lincoln Park a girl had a sign that read “Hurry up, you’re missing brunch!” Nothing motivates me more than food so I really enjoyed that one. There was one that Jeremy loved a little later that said “If marathons were easy they would be called your Mom!” We also saw at least six signs that made some joke about Trump like “If Trump can run, so can you.” There were multiple live bands, one were dressed as drag queens and another was playing Sweet Caroline as we ran by. Then there were miles 18-21 going through University Village, Pilzen, and Chinatown where there was non-stop music and entertaining spectators handing out oranges, pretzels, and water. My favorite was a large group of South Korean spectators just going crazy singing and dancing with Psy’s Gangnam style!
The final few miles were really awesome, once we turned onto Michigan avenue. I had a moment when I got teary-eyed, like I have during every marathon so far, as I am getting toward the end and I am both happy to finish and sad that its going to be over. And I am thankful that I am able to be out there running, both physically and economically. Its not something to take for granted and I never want to, so I inevitably have a moment during each marathon where that hits me and I reflect. Also thinking about crossing another finish line together, celebrating our Anniversary, made me a little emotional and gave me an energy surge. We turned into Grant Park with smiles on our faces and raised our arms, hand in hand as we crossed the Finish Line. We had our arms around each other and a medical volunteer asked if we needed help and couldn’t walk on our own! Haha nope, just expressing joy and love. We got our medals and after a traditional photo I asked the photographer if she would take one of us kissing! That’s a framer!
Expo – The Expo was at the McCormick Convention Center which was conveniently located right next to our hotel. Its also right off the Green Line about two miles South of the Art Museum. Its a HUGE complex and there were a ton of vendors. The flow of traffic was a little confusing because you get your bib then walk all the way through the crowd and vendors to get your bag and t-shirt. There is no organization, just a cluster of people walking in both directions. However, there were a TON of freebies and we made out like bandits so ultimately no complaints!
Start – It was very well-organized! The race started at 7:30 (wave 1) and we were able to take a shuttle from our hotel to 10 blocks from the starting line and walked to the final mile to our Gate entrance. There are five Gates with security and from there you go on to your corral entrance where you show your bib to gain access. We had good weather so we didn’t use the gear check option and went straight to our start corral. Well to the port-o-john where we waited twenty minutes to use it and then it was time for the National Anthem. We squeezed into our Corral B just in time to post an Instagram photo (still had service in a crowd of 40,000) and for the gun to go off. It took us three minutes to actually cross the start line. The view of Chicago skyscrapers at the start is stunning!
Post-race – Photographers everywhere, beer a minute after you cross the finish line, and a bag of groceries from Mariano’s fresh market! Ok not literally groceries but a bag of goodies, like actual good stuff, greets you as soon as you get your medal and heat blanket. Then, you continue walking and fill your bag with things like protein bars and protein shakes. Within 30 minutes of the race I had a beer, a beef stick, and a protein shake. Perfect!!! I am still a little bit confused on the medal design…if someone can help me out I would appreciate that because Google and Tweeting failed me. The walk feels like it lasts forever before you get to Buckingham Fountain and can sit and stretch for a minute. I personally lay down on concrete and put my heat blanket over my heat. Once we got back up, the walk continued on to the family waiting area which felt like chaos. We moved through that very quickly and listened to a song from the band before we exited and walked to the Adams-Wabash CTA stop and hopped on to head back to our hotel. While I am sure the post-race would be a TON of fun we really wanted to shower, head to brunch, and site see!
race t-shirt. This year it was a neon-yellow Nike t-shirt. Not the best shirt I have received but they do offer an insane number of Nike products for sale at the expo. There is a free poster, coupons, and of course the medal. There are also beer tickets for the post-race party. It is not the best swag I’ve received (that goes to Shamrock Marathon) but its also reasonably priced for a World Major and there is SO MUCH free food! Plus the digital swag bag has coupons and I was able to get free popcorn from Garrett so I count that as a win!
We grabbed swig of water right at mile 12 and made the turn for the final stretch back to the Washington Monument. My hip was getting tight, and my left hamstring had tightened up a few miles prior, but I am anatomically challenged and things always hurt. Its hard not to try to pick it up at the end of a race and we just took off. At one point I saw a sub-7:00 on my GPS watch, for just a moment! We leaned into the final incline and right before the left turn to the finish line the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. I felt that warmth and was SO happy that my race was about to be over! We dodged 5-miler finishers and a Gator and came across the line in 1:38:15 for a dead-on 7:30 average pace! And negative splits for the last two miles, might be my first time doing that! Job well done and very happy with that as a training run in 92% humidity.
Start – The start line is right next to the Washington Monument and so easy to get to. You could metro to Smithsonian or, if you will pay the jacked up Uber prices, they can drop you off less than a block from the starting line. The race begins with the National Anthem and an address from the Commander of the Joint Navy/Airforce base that puts this whole thing together. Then the wheelchair racers and wounded Warriors start followed by Wave 1 of the half-marathon. Wave 2 goes a few minutes later. East peasy.
Swag – At the expo you get a long sleeve cotton t-shirt (White this year, ewwww), bag of stuff that has a nice SAIC buff, and coupon for discounted Lyft rides. And of course at teh end… a really nice finisher’s medal. I do like the spot on the bib to write-in people you are running to remember. Note: I don’t have any photos of me running during the race because they are not free and you have to pay $22 for an individual download or $40 for the digital pack, its all or nothing. Thanks Finisher Pix :-/
rning – We woke up at 3:30am for Day 1 of the Inca Trail. We loaded up, left our suitcases for storage, and headed out to the Plaz
The second we took our group photo at the entrance…it started raining! That was unexpected! We made it a little further down the road before we had to bust out the raincoats. Around this time I also discovered my camera battery at 2/3 power despite charging it all night. Well shit. But the icing on the cake was at the first bathroom stop when my pack fell off the bench and because it was wet from rain…got covered in mud! I’m not lying, I shed tears at that point. This was not how I imagined this magical trek starting. Jeremy was so kind and sweet though, he reassured me, let me wipe mud on him, and took more weight from me. Seriously, he has been amazing today. I feel like we have re-bonded just this one day on the trail, even more than the rest of the trip. It is just us, in our element, full of love. I adore it! We need more getaways and camping/hiking trips like this!
Afternoon – When we arrived to lunch we realized how spoiled we are! The porters set up a lunch tent. They greeted us with tea and bowls of hot water to wash our hands! We waited for our guide, Juan Carlos, Warren, and Shauna to arrive and had a spectacular lunch! Like actual silverware and real food. Hats off to chef Ronaldo! I’m going to list our meals as I go because they are spectacular!
Morning – After breakfast we came out of the tent to a nearly clear sky and a wondrous view of Salkantay, the second highest peak in the Cuzco Valley. Apparently very hard to summit. We then FINALLY formally met our porters. We were supposed to meet them the first night but due to the two original group members getting sick the first night, and the rain yesterday and me getting sick, we didn’t have time. So we met them today! JC told us a little about the porter system then they introduced themselves in Spanish. I picked up on most of it but where they are from was hardest to understand. 6 of the 9 were from the same region, I got that much.
We set out on our 5.5 mile trek around 6:45 or 7:00. Since we covered 17 miles in the last two days we only have 9 to cover between days 3 and 4. About 150 feet outside the campsite we came across a dog! Small, about 30 pounds, soaking wet, and adorable. JC said she was probably lost, belonging to a villager from Wayllabamba, since there aren’t any dogs allowed on the trail. She started following us, skittish at first but taking to Jeremy pretty quickly. She stayed with us through the jungle, up the ascent to the third highest pass on the trail at 12, 073 feet. We named her ‘Inca’ along the way. It seemed fitting 🙂 I dubbed her our spirit animal, our guide to keep us motivated on our journey.
When we got to the pass, also a campsite, there were three llamas. A male, female, and their male “baby”. I say “baby” because he was larger than his mom. The llamas did NOT like Inca and started chasing her around the campsite! They ran her up a hill and she escaped back to Jeremy and hit behind him. It was hilarious, poor perrito. We went right over the hill to an Inca site for a tour and Inca stayed glues to us. At this site we learned about the history of the Inca and the theories and legends on how they came to be in the Cuzco Valley. So knowledgeable and powerful in just 300 years. Collecting people and knowledge from different civilizations across Peru, like the Nasca and Wari. They actually only resided in the Cuzco Valley, not even the Sacred Valley, until about 1450 when they conquered a Warrior culture outside of Cuzco and used their expertise to continue conquering and expanding. In just 100 years most of the Inca sites we saw were built and the Inca expanded to Ecuador and into Bolivia! Imagine if the Spanish hadn’t come, or had failed!
ng up our jaws off the ground JC walked us to the temple area to give a brief on the site and its significance. The most important fact that stood out to me had nothing to do with the site haha. I learned that the Inca actually did perform occasional human sacrifice. It was rumored until the 1990s when an American archaeologist, after 15 years of searching and summitting mountains in South America, found a 14-year old girl, mummified, at the peak of a nearly 20,000 foot peak! The idea was that the Inca offered female sacrifices to the ‘male’ mountain deity. Anyhow, this site was about 75% original and in amazing shape. We explored on our own after the brief and had fun with photographing llamas 😉
