Program Description

I. Introduction

Welcome to the Montgomery County Road Runners Experienced Marathoner’s Training Program, now entering its tenth year. The program is designed to help runners with previous marathon experience reach their goals of improving their marathon times, or even just their marathon experiences. The program staff consists of volunteer coaches who share an enthusiasm for both long distance running and working with people.

This program is open to experienced distance runners who have completed at least one marathon. Alumni of the MCRRC First Time Marathoners who seek a more challenging training environment are encouraged to enroll. There are no criteria for speed, and we welcome runners of all paces. Please note though that the weekly quality workouts, long run schedule and recommended weekly mileage will be noticeably more demanding than the training schedule for the First Time Marathoners program and runners considering these programs should take that into consideration. In order to be ready to handle the training schedule for this program, runners should have a strong mileage base of at least 35-45 miles per week at the time the program begins in June in order to be able to safely build to the suggested peak mileage of 50-60 miles per week, and should be able to comfortably run 14 miles as a long run. It is recommended that runners use the time after the spring road racing season to gradually build their weekly mileage and long run distance with primarily easy, conversational paced running in preparation for the start of the program in June. Please feel free to contact the program director, Harold Rosen at haroldrosen@comcast.net to discuss any questions which you may have about the program.

Note: The program director reserves the right in his sole discretion to refuse admission to the program or to dismiss any individual from the program who the program director believes is unsuited for running a marathon, or is unable to meet the demands of the training schedule or is disruptive to other program participants. Those individuals will be denied entry into the program or dismissed from the program as appropriate. The program director also reserves the right to limit the number of participants in the overall program or in individual pace groups.

This program focuses on the cornerstone of marathon training, the long run, along with a harder and shorter quality run during the week at race pace or faster. The long runs and Tuesday quality runs will be done as group runs. Participants will be expected to work three or more additional runs into their schedules each week. The schedule is designed to initially build strength and endurance, then gradually incorporates race specific training. We recommend that you follow the weekly mileage guidelines; however, they are just that – guidelines. While we believe that most runners will achieve improved marathon performances by incorporating higher weekly mileage into their training, everyone responds differently to training stresses and each person’s ability to tolerate higher volumes of mileage varies. We recognize that your body or the other commitments in your life may not allow you to safely run the weekly mileage incorporated into the written program schedule. We will work with you to try to find the appropriate level for you. You must respect your physical limits and strike the appropriate balance with other obligations.

Unlike some training programs such as the club's First Time Marathon Program, we do not have any particular "target" marathons. Our program is suitable for training for a variety of fall marathons during the prime "season", so our schedule includes training mileages and goals for the following marathons since these are the most popular fall marathons among past registrants: Steamtown, Chicago, Baltimore, Marine Corps, New York, Richmond and Philadelphia. The weekly schedules for this program, and the long run schedule are set to provide specific instructions for these marathons where the workouts differ from the regular schedule. If you plan to run a different fall marathon, we will be able to tailor your schedule accordingly provided you inform us of your plans. So, please let us know if your target marathon differs from those included in the schedule.

Each participant in the program will be expected to volunteer at least once during the course of the program to assist with another MCRRC event. The success of MCRRC depends on its volunteers, and this is a rewarding experience. The program will keep track of volunteerism by participants, and participants should inform the coaches of events for which they have served as volunteers.

Once you have registered for the program you will be invited to join a Yahoo group which will serve as the primary means of communicating news and information about the program, as well as the place to find the training schedule, and articles and other information which will be of importance to you in your training.

II. Registration, Program Cost and Initial Orientation

a. Program cost and Registration:

The cost for the program is $100 for members of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club and $150 for non-members. If you are not currently a member of MCRRC, you may join the club prior to registering for the program and pay the reduced member fee. Registration this year is on-line only through Sign Me Up Sports. Please use the link at the beginning of this page to go to the on line registration site. The funds collected from registration fees go directly to the MCRRC (a non-profit organization) to cover program administrative costs and fund other club programs. All of the coaches in this program are unpaid volunteers. Sorry, but once registered there will be no refunds, regardless of the reason.

b. Orientation:

We will hold our initial orientation on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 10:30 am at the Montgomery County Parks Department Building at 6700 Tilden Lane, Potomac, MD 20852. This is about ¾ of a mile north-west of Old Georgetown Road. For information about the facility and a map, see the Tilden Woods Stream Valley Park page on MontgomeryParks.org. There is limited parking at the facility so carpooling will be a big help.

III. Personnel

The coaching staff is here to help you reach your marathon goal, whatever that may be. It will help us immensely to get your feedback and input about both the program and your individual progress as we go along. Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us by phone or e-mail to discuss any questions or concerns you have. If you think you are in a pace group that’s too fast or slow, let us know and we’ll talk about it. If you’re having trouble with any of the workouts, weekly mileage or long runs, please talk to us about this. If there are any injury issues or concerns, we will want to know about them too as early as possible. If we do not know that you have concerns or problems, we cannot help so please speak up.

In order to facilitate easy and prompt access to the coaching staff for all participants, we have set up an e-mail account for use of this program that we encourage all of you to use, 2011xmpcoaches@yahoogroups.com. Those emails will reach all of the coaches, and someone will respond.

Harold Rosen, Program Director. Harold is certified as a running coach through the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). He was a participant in the first year of the program in 2002 and has coached in the program since. Harold has run 35 marathons, including 3 Boston’s. He completed his first ultra this winter---a 100km 3-day staged mountain race across the Andes. This is his first year as program director, succeeding the late Michael Broderick, a founder of the XMP program. (See “In Memory of Mike Broderick” below).

• Stephen Hays is a founder of the Experienced Marathoners Program and has coached in the program since its inception in 2002. He is a perennial Boston Marathon qualifier and has run Boston many times. Prior to the XMP program, he coached with the MCRRC First Time Marathon Program and the D.C. Marathon Training Program. In addition to being certified as a running coach by RRCA, Steve holds a USATF level II distance coach certification along with other level II certifications. Steve is also co-director and coach of the Boston Bound training program conducted in the winter to prepare runners for the Boston Marathon and other spring marathons. Steve is also the head track and field coach and the head cross country coach at Walt Whitman High School. He was named the 2010 All-Met Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Washington Post In addition to being certified as a running coach by RRCA, Steve holds a USATF level II distance coach certification along with other level II certifications. Steve has run over 25 marathons including a recent PR marathon of 2:52.
• Brian Kim began running marathons in 1998. He has since run over 70 marathons including theBoston Marathon each year since 2004. Brian has also completed the JFK 50 miler, several 50Ks, and multiple triathlons, including a Half Ironman. He has participated in the Experienced Marathoners Program since 2003 and joined the coaching staff in 2006. He has also coached with the First Time Marathon Program since 2005. Brian is a RRCA certified running coach.
• Sharlene Deskins ran her first marathon in 1999 and has been a participant in the Experienced Marathoners Program since its inception. Sharlene is certified as a running coach by RRCA and has coached in this program since 2006. She previously coached in other MCRRC training programs. Sharlene has completed over 20 marathons and ultra marathons.
• Marian Zobler has participated in the Experienced Marathoners Program since its inception and has been a coach with the program since 2006. She started running marathons in 2001 and is a graduate of the MCRRC First Time Marathoners Program. Since that time, Marian has run over a dozen marathons, frequently placing in her age group. She has run four Boston Marathons, has twice run the JFK 50 miler and has raced other ultras. Marian is certified as a running coach by the RRCA.
• Renee Bates is a lifelong runner who ran her first 10K when she was 8 years old! She is a RRCA certified coach who has run 9 marathons, qualifying for Boston eight times. She has also completed two ultra distance events. In October 2008 and 2009 Renee was the third place masters award winner at the Wineglass Marathon. She finished fourth overall in the Northern Central Trails Marathon winning the RRCA Maryland State Marathon Championship Masters Division in November 2008. In addition to her coaching experience with XMP, Renee is a co-director and coach in the Boston Bound training program.
• Ken Earley ran his first marathon in 2004, and has since completed fifteen marathons and one ultra-marathon. Ken serves on the board of directors of MCRRC. He is a RRCA-certified running coach, and this is his third year coaching with XMP.
• Ken Trombatore has run multiple marathons including several Boston’s. He ran all of the Rock ‘n Roll marathons in 2009. Ken has also completed the JFK 50 miler. Ken is a RRCA-certified running coach. He has been coaching with the club’s First Time Marathoners Program and is returning for his third year as a coach with XMP.
• Jenny Trombatore ran her first marathon in 2005, training with the club’s First Time Program. In 2007 she joined XMP as a first time participant and has since continued to run with XMP. To date she has run 10 marathons, including Boston and the JFK 50 Miler. In 2008 and 2009, Jenny coached in the First Time Marathon program. She began coaching with the Experienced Marathoners Program in 2010.
• Jonathan Hope began running in 2000 and ran the Marine Corps Marathon that same year. He has since completed 19 marathons, the JFK 50 miler, multiple triathlons and multiple half marathons. He has participated in the XMP program since 2004 and began coaching with the Experienced Marathoners Program in 2010. Jonathan is a RRCA certified running coach.

IV. Pacing Groups

Coaches will assign runners to specific training groups, which include runners with similar levels of pacing and conditioning. In order to assist the coaches in determining the pace groups, the program will require a recent (past three months) 5K or longer race time run at 100% effort so that we have an accurate measure of your current pace and fitness level. If you cannot provide us with a current race time at the beginning of the program, you will need to run a race of 5K to 10K as soon as possible in order for the coaches to assign you to the appropriate pace group.

The size of each pace group will vary depending on the number of registrants in the program and the distribution of people among various running paces. We make every effort to place participants in groups whose pace will provide them with an appropriate training stimulus to reach their marathon goals, consistent with their current fitness as demonstrated by a recent race result. It is important that the groups run at the assigned paces and that they stay together to the extent possible, especially on the long runs. If you are unwilling or unable to run with your group at the assigned pace, do not encourage the group to run at a different pace to suit you. It is not fair to the other group members to have their training impacted by others who do not wish to follow the program. Please come to one of the coaching staff to discuss with us any concerns you may have about the pace group to which you have been assigned if you do not think it is appropriate for you and we will work out a solution with you which does not adversely impact the group.

This program places substantial responsibility on the individual participants to attend, understand and execute the workouts. Coaches will be at each workout to explain the workout and answer any questions. Please speak up if the directions are unclear and the coaches will review them again. Individual coaches are not assigned to run with each pace group, so everyone must take responsibility for following directions and staying with their group for safety reasons.

V. When and where we run

We will meet for our group workouts on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

a. Tuesday evenings

The Tuesday night quality run workouts will be held in three locations. Initially, beginning on Tuesday, June 21st, we will meet at the KenGar Palisades Park at 6:30 PM. We will do our training runs along the Rock Creek Trail. KenGar Park is located off Beach Drive in Kensington, just north of the intersection of Beach Drive and Strathmore Lane/Knowles Avenue. The parking lot at KenGar fills up quickly. You may also go to the first street north of KenGar and park in the residential neighborhood, walking back down the path to our starting spot. There are also gravel pullouts south of KenGar along Beach Drive and a parking lot at Viers Mill Park on Garrett Road, 1/2 mile north of KenGar. It is very important that you do not park along Beach Drive except where there is gravel. Please respect the “no parking” signs as this is a serious issue for residents of the surrounding community.

In addition to runs out of KenGar, we will do some hill runs starting in Rock Creek Park at the intersection of Beach Drive and Old Spring Road. Those runs will also start at 6:30PM

Just before Labor Day, as the days get shorter and we move into another phase of training, our workouts will move to the track at Walt Whitman High School. The school is located at 7100 Whittier Boulevard, Bethesda MD 20817.

b. Saturday Mornings

The location of Saturday morning workouts will vary. Our start times will be at 6:30 AM to beat the summer heat. Please review the schedule weekly. Our first Saturday group long run will be on Saturday, June 18th at KenGar Park in Kensington. Some special considerations should be followed for our long runs. Safety comes first, so please stay with your pace group and please remember to be courteous to others on the trails. Hydration is extremely important, particularly in the kind of weather we tend to get in this area during the summer. Even though we will always run in locations where water is available along the route, the intervals between available water will vary, as will the weather. So-carry a water bottle or hydration pack with you for all long runs! For the point to point runs, you also need to pack some money to purchase your subway fare back to the start. The group also typically eats and socializes at the end of the point to point runs, which finish at locations where food is available.

Capital Crescent Trail: Many of our runs will start and end at the head of the Capital Crescent Trail in downtown Bethesda at the intersection of Bethesda Avenue and Woodmont Avenue, across from Barnes & Noble. There is a large public parking lot right where we meet and parking is free on Saturdays.

C&O Canal: We normally do one group long run on the C&O Canal. We will meet at the Carderock parking and picnic area. Directions: From the Beltway in Maryland heading toward Virginia, take the exit to Clara Barton Parkway/Carderock just before the American Legion Bridge leading to Virginia. (If you cross over the Potomac into Virginia you have gone too far.) Then head roughly west (upriver) for about a mile. You exit the parkway where the Naval Surface Weapon Center is located. At end of ramp turn left and cross over the parkway and into Carderock. Turn right after going through the tunnel under the canal and turn into the first parking area. Another way to get there is to take Falls Road past the entrance to Great Falls Park and onto McArthur Boulevard and Clara Barton Parkway. Follow signs to Carderock, exiting right off Clara Barton.

Shady Grove and Grosvenor Point to Point: These runs involve the use of the Metro system to return to the start. The starting points are the Shady Grove Metro station in Gaithersburg and the Grosvenor Metro station in Bethesda. We meet in the parking lot at the station (for Shady Grove meet in the west lot closest to Rt. 355) and run from there, ending at another stop along the system where we catch the Metro back to the start. For these runs you will need to pack money to pay for your Metro fare back to the starting point, as well as for food at the finish.

VI. The Training Paces

The program training schedule will be released to all registered runners prior to the first group run and shortly after registration. The program schedules contain a number of abbreviations and notations to designate the training paces to be followed in any given workout. Each pace group will be assigned four different running paces. What do they all mean?

The long runs, or “L” distance runs, are normally run at the standard long run pace done on our Saturday workouts. (Later in the schedule, some “L” distance runs will be set to be run at marathon pace.) These group runs, designated as LSD runs, should be at a comfortable, conversational pace. Their purpose is for pure endurance-to train your body to work for the length of time and effort needed to run a full marathon. We often hear complaints that the paces for these long runs are too slow. They are not. The problem is that those who complain are generally running their easy and long runs too fast. These paces are best suited for the specific physiologic training adaptations which we are trying to elicit and it will not help you to run faster on these runs. In fact, it likely will hinder your training. The LSD runs are generally set for each pace group at about a minute slower than projected marathon pace. Anyone not willing to run LSD pace runs at that slower pace should consider other training programs. The XMP program expects all runners to run within assigned paces or be subject to removal from the program.

Marathon pace, or “MP”, is exactly what it sounds like. This designates runs done at your projected marathon pace. These runs are incorporated into the schedule to train your body to run at the pace you will do your goal race, so that you recognize the pace and feel comfortable with it. To realize the benefits of these workouts, you must stick carefully to the pace, as running faster or slower will not produce the desired result.

Lactate Threshold, or “LT” runs are runs done at about your 10-mile to ½ marathon race pace, or about 15 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace. These runs are meant to develop your body’s ability to tolerate and remove lactate from your system, so that you can maintain a faster pace over a longer race distance such as a marathon. Avoid the temptation to run these faster than the recommended pace. Running faster than the correct pace will not only defeat the purpose of the particular run but may also be counter-productive to your training.

5K or “VO²Max” runs will be done at the track, and involve running shorter distances at a pace slightly faster than your 10K race pace. These runs are designed to improve your body’s ability to effectively transport and utilize oxygen, as well as to develop leg turnover and strength. We will only do these runs toward the later stages of the training program as we get into the race preparation and peaking phase.

Strides are incorporated throughout the schedule. These are simply short fast bursts of running at a fast, but not all out pace. They are primarily designed to help improve your form and efficiency, but have the added benefit of actively stretching out your running muscles by taking them through a wider range of motion than you will do in most of your running at LSD or marathon pace. These should be done near the end of a couple of your easy run days.

To do them, simply pick up your pace gradually but steadily until you feel that you are running at something approaching the pace at which you could run an all-out mile. You should have a feeling that you are running fast but that you are still in control. If you are flailing your arms or struggling with your body mechanics to maintain the pace, you are running too hard. You should think about your running form as you do these; are your arms moving back and forth rhythmically to help drive your legs, are you landing just behind the ball of your feet with your footfalls, is your body upright without excessive forward lean, are you breathing deep into your stomach and not just on the top of your lungs? You should maintain the fast pace for about 15 to 20 seconds and then gradually slow to an easy jog to recover your wind, and then repeat. An easy way to do these is to pick out a landmark up ahead on the road such as a telephone pole or street sign and run your faster pace to the landmark. After you have recovered, just pick out another “finish line” to run to. You should try to do 4-6 of these strides on the days they are called for on the schedule.

VII. Rest and Recovery: Important for Injury Prevention

If you look over the full program schedule you will see that we have put together a training plan which is a modestly aggressive one, and one which will certainly require you to work harder than the programs which you may remember from doing a beginning marathoners training program. One thing that this will require is that you use some of the wisdom and experience you have gained from running your previous marathons to listen to your body and pay attention to it. You will get tired doing the mileage and workouts we recommend. This is an inevitable side effect of marathon training. Listen to what your body is telling you, and get some rest when you can. There are specific rest days built into the schedule. They are there for a reason; use them to truly rest and recover. During these rest periods your body actually responds to the stresses you put it through, and rebuilds stronger than before. If you don’t allow for recovery, your body will not get stronger – it will break down. This program may require you to rearrange your social schedule a bit for the next few months, both to accommodate the mileage goals and necessary rest in order to recover.

Aggressive training also means “aggressive recovery”. What do we mean by that? Simply that you need to start preparing your body for its next workout immediately after finishing a workout, by giving it what it needs to replace the resources expended in the workout just completed and the resources to rebuild itself stronger than it was before. Research has shown that your working muscles are especially receptive to replacing depleted energy stores within the first one half to one hour after exercise.

In the harder workouts on Tuesdays and the long runs or races on weekends, we significantly deplete our body’s supplies of carbohydrate energy (muscle glycogen) as well as challenging the muscles themselves to work harder. Immediately after these harder efforts it is important to begin replacing these energy reserves by consuming both carbohydrates and protein. Good choices are fruit juices, fruit, bagels, cereal and other grain products, and protein sources low in saturated fats such as low or non-fat yogurt, peanut butter or soy milk. Many commercially available energy bars will provide a quick, easy and balanced recovery meal. Another easy to use product is a liquid product such as Ensure. Chocolate milk is a very good recovery drink as well.

The important thing is to get some good quality carbohydrate and protein into your system to begin the recovery process as soon as possible after your workout, preferably within the first half hour. This will go a long way, combined with a good balanced diet, to insuring that you have enough energy to complete the workouts in your training schedule.

VIII. Nicks and Dings (injuries and avoiding them)

It is virtually inevitable that some people will experience injuries of one sort or another during a marathon training program. Please report any and all injuries to the coaching staff as soon as you are aware of them. There are many things that can be done to help reduce the chances of injury, or at least to minimize the effects of smaller problems that may arise along the way. What was said earlier bears repeating-listen to your body. It usually has good information that it tries to give you, if you only pay attention. Most injuries are preceded by warning signs, and if recognized and responded to immediately, could prevent a serious problem from occurring. Often this simply means taking an extra day off, or turning a planned hard workout into an easy one. Some simple tips to follow for now are these:

• Don’t run in worn out shoes. If you have more than 300-350 miles on your shoes, get new ones. The shock absorbing ability of the old shoes has been seriously degraded and they are not giving you the protection you need. Go to a good running shoe store to buy your shoes and talk to the salesperson to be sure that you are in the right shoes for your biomechanical needs.
• Eat well and get plenty of rest (see above).
• Stretch regularly. A supple muscle with a full and unrestricted range of motion is less likely to get injured. Do some light active stretches such as shallow squats, lunges and walking with very long strides before your runs to prepare your muscles to work, and then stretch all of the major leg muscles after your workouts.
• Chill out. With ice, we mean. If you feel a bit of soreness after a run, don’t hesitate to grab the ice bag. Many times a quick application of ice to a painful knee, ankle or shin is much more effective than anti-inflammatory medication, and may prevent a minor irritation from becoming something more significant or chronic.
• Do not run two hard workouts back to back. Always follow a hard workout with an easy one or a rest day to allow your body to recover. A run which is longer than 25-30% of your total weekly mileage is a “hard” run even at an easy pace.
• Don’t increase your weekly mileage too quickly. A good rule of thumb is to limit weekly mileage increases to no more than 10%. Our recommended weekly mileages for this program follow that progression.
• Don’t try to run in a pace group for workouts that is not appropriate for your current level of conditioning. Just because you ran a 43 minute 10K four years ago doesn’t mean that you should be running with that group now. Be honest with yourself about your current level of fitness and don’t hesitate to drop back to a slower paced group if that means running the right pace for you now. You will still improve, and will be much less likely to get injured.
• Don’t be a slave to the written program schedule. Things happen in life that may impact your ability to complete a designated workout, or to run as many miles as the schedule calls for. You may also find that your body does not tolerate the weekly mileage volume called for in the schedule. It is important that you do not push yourself beyond your own personal limits in order to comply with a more general training plan. Please remember that the coaching staff is here to help you, but we need your feedback in order to be effective.

IX. In Memory of Mike Broderick

The XMP program was developed by Michael Broderick for MCRRC, along with other coaches, in 2002. Throughout the previous nine seasons of the program, Coach Mike fine-tuned and made it an extremely successful marathon training program. Mike led the development of the program and was the Program Director from its inception until this past fall when he succumbed to lung cancer. Coach Mike is and will be greatly missed. His training and coaching impacted many. We will maintain the program to the standards he set. This 10th XMP season is dedicated to the memory of Coach Mike. May we all “run strong,” as he would have instilled in and expected of all program participants.

X. Assistance and Further Information

For answers to any additional questions about the program, please contact the program director, Harold Rosen, by e-mail at haroldrosen@comcast.net.

XI. Conclusion

This program is designed to take each runner to a new level. It requires commitment. We expect to work with each and every participant to make it successful for everyone.

Send website comments, questions, feedback to: webmaster@mcrrc.org. Send general club information requests to: info@mcrrc.org.

All material copyright © 2012 MCRRC. All rights reserved.

Search