Running on Tired Legs

No bees today, but I did run another 14 miles.  This time, I chose a different route, one that was much hillier.  I normally wouldn't run two days in a row with that high mileage, in fact, it's normally recommended that one does NOT do what I did, but I'm still working out some kinks in my training and I had the time to try out a new concept.

The Brooks-Hanson project defies conventional wisdom in their marathon training program.  Instead of the standard 20 mile weekend long runs, a staple in any marathon training program, they don't have their athletes run more than 16 miles.  What's different is that by the time their athletes reach their weekend long run of 16 miles, they will have already logged long, hard miles throughout the week.

Their reasoning is that they are training their athletes how to compete on tired legs.  In a conventional training program, there is a day of rest right before the long, weekend run.  In doing this type of training, the runner is training him/herself how to run the first 20 miles of the marathon.  The Brooks-Hanson project is training the runner how to run the last 16 miles, when the legs are tired, depleted of glycogen, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.

I'm not trying to do the Brooks-Hanson training plan, but I am still trying to figure out this cramping/electrolyte replacement problem.  I figure that by doing a high mileage week and running on tired legs, I can mimic the effects of late marathon fatigue.  Late marathon fatigue is when you need the electrolytes, carbohydrates, and glycogen the most, but are less likely to take them due to the exhaustion factor.

In essence, I'm trying to train myself how to run when the last thing I want to do is run.  This builds both mental and physical endurance, and both are necessary to do well in a marathon.  Conventional wisdom would say that this is not a great practice to do all the time, as the constant pounding and fatigue could lead to injury, but, once in a while, it's worth it to do it... putting the mileage in "the bank" and then going conservative for a week.

I hope this explanation is helpful in your own training...  Thanks for reading!