What makes one marathon faster than the others? Marathon training cycle comparisons

I started putting this table together during my taper week for Prairie Fire to show myself that I was the most prepared I’d ever been.  In some categories, it made me feel less prepared though...so goes taper madness! 

The biggest thing that helped me make the jump from Dallas to Prairie Fire was increasing my mileage, and the biggest factor from Bass Pro 2010 to Dallas and Prairie Fire was working with a coach.  The latter also helped me work smarter, not necessarily harder (although I worked plenty hard too!).  I’ve learned a lot about diminishing returns with training and the line between being well-prepared and over-trained.  I also don't quite understand how he does it, but my coach can give me a 60 mile week that I complete feeling amazing after, but if I piece one together I end it feeling exhausted.

All in all, the combination of things that made the biggest positive difference for me at Prairie Fire was:

• Higher consistent mileage.  Even though I didn’t peak as high as I did before Bass Pro, I ran in the 50s to 60s every single week for 20 weeks, aside from the two taper weeks prior to the marathon.  Bass Pro prep was more variable.
• Working with a coach.  He’s better at this than me!
• No “training marathon”.  This was something I worried would hurt me, having not gone the full distance before race day, but I think it was best (see statement about diminishing returns/over-training).
• Fewer super long runs (see statement about diminishing returns/over-training).
• More workouts in long runs.  Runs like the hardest workout ever and 10 mile tempo + 1 hammer paid the bills!
• More tempos and hill work, for more stamina/strength building.
• Less track work.  It’s not a 5K, after all, and I was amazed at how much speed came simply with mileage.
• Two-a-day runs for more endurance and recovery.
• Faster long and easy runs, because apparently you can run your easy runs too slow!
• Fewer workouts and more base pace running, which reduces my injury risk and ends up making everything faster due to more consistent running.
• Less racing, and no tapering/resting for most races, since that decreases consistent mileage.  I learned that I could race fine even if I'd run 10-12 miles and a double two days before the event, which wasn't something I'd done in the past.
• Not using ice baths and compression until the end of the training cycle so my body could better learn to rebuild without extra help early on.
• Strength training.  My legs feel far less beat up after long and hard efforts, so it’s worth it for that alone.
• Being more fit and eating more.  As I discussed here, I was overall more fit.  I wish I had body composition stats to compare, because I was very close in my weight for all of these races, but I think my body fat was lowest at Prairie Fire, while I also fueled myself the best during training for it.

	Bass Pro Nov. 2010 3:03:47	Dallas Dec. 2015 3:01:44	Prairie Fire Oct. 2016 2:58:53
Mileage average (20 weeks leading up to race)	55	44	56
Mileage peak	73	56	61
Tempos	Spotty, mainly raced and called it a tempo; one traumatic 8 mile tempo that I bombed	Moderate amount, including a 10 miler	Staple workout, including 4, 6, 8, 10 and several repeat tempo workouts such as 3 x 2 miles at tempo
Speed work	Nearly every Tuesday track workouts	Often, but not as much as 2010	4 track workouts, and a few fartleks on the road (overall less than other 2 cycles)
Hill work	Minimal	Most long runs were very hilly; 1 hill repeat workout	Most long runs were mildly hilly; 3 hill repeat workouts
2-a-days	No	No	1-2 times/week
“Training” marathon	Heart of America in 3:16 (very hilly course)	Bass Pro in 3:06	None
20+ milers	1.     20 2.     21 3.     22 4.     23 5.     26.2 (race) 6.     20 7.     22 8.     23.3	1.     20 2.     22 3.     20 4.     27 (race+) 5.     20 6.     23.1	1.     20 base 2.     20 workout 3.     22 - 18 base, final 4 at marathon goal pace 4.     24.3 base, with final mile at marathon goal pace
Long run pace (approx.)	8:30-9:00	7:25-7:45	7:15-7:35
Easy run pace (approx.)	9:00	7:30-8:30	7:30-7:50
Tempo pace (6-10 mile tempos)	6:45	6:30	6:25
Race in build-up (in the order raced)	5K 8K 5K 5K Marathon 5K 10K	5K 10K Half Marathon 10K 5K Half Marathon Marathon 5K 10K	10K 5K 5K 5K 10K 15K
PRs during build-up	10K (not certified) in 39:13	Half in 1:24:33 10K in 39:19	10K in 38:43 15K in 59:19
Cross-training	Sporadic elliptical	Strength bootcamp 2 times/week, with elliptical warm-ups, and sporadic swimming	Strength bootcamp 2 times/week with elliptical warm-ups, and extra core work
Illnesses during build-up	Bronchitis in August and October	Cryptosporidum parasite in August (took 6 weeks to get back to full strength)	Stomach virus 11 days prior to race, minor cold during build-up
Recovery techniques	Sporadic stretching, ice baths after most long runs	Daily stretching, ice baths after most long runs, regular compression sock wearing, sporadic foam rolling	Daily stretching, daily foam rolling, used ice baths and compression socks only in the final 6 weeks pre-race
Coach	No	Marshall	Marshall
Training groups	MSU speed work group	Saturday long runs with Jamie	Frequent runs with Missy; some with Casey and Kim
Diet	Vegetarian, excessive sweets on occasion	Vegetarian, clean, but still excessive sweets on occasion	Included fish, chicken, and turkey (generally just at dinner), but otherwise similar to previous vegetarian, clean and ate maybe 3 desserts in 20 weeks
Race day temperature	High 30s-mid-40s	Mid-50s-low 60s	Low 50s-low 60s
First half split	1:32:42	1:29:29	1:29:40
Second half split	1:31:05	1:32:15	1:29:13
During race fueling	3 gels, occasional sports drink but mostly water	2 gels, occasional sports drink but mostly water	3 gels, occasional sports drink but mostly water
Strategy notes	Aiming for 3:05 and overall female; lucked out and was able to pace with Julie and the lead cyclist	Aiming for 2:59 and pacing with Jamie, used an even paced pace band	Aiming for 2:59 or better, used a conservative start course specific pace band, ran the first 6.5 miles mostly with the 1:30 half pace group, then ran 20 miles alone
Place	1st overall female	2nd overall female	4th overall female (9th fastest marathon ever run by a woman in the state of Kansas, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fastest were also run in this race)
Race day outfit	Nike tank with built-in bra and Moving Comfort shorts (started in arm warmers and gloves, took both off)	Nike tank with built-in bra and Underarmour compression shorts	Underarmour sports bra and BCG shorts (started in gloves for the first 5 miles)
Race day socks	Ironman brand	Feetures brand	CEP compression socks
Race day shoes	Asics DS Trainers	Hoka One One Clifton 1s	Hoka One One Clifton 1s
Number of toenails on race day	Probably 8	10!	9, but down to 8 shortly after
Pre-race panic	Moderate	Minimal	Extreme 5-6 days out but subsided to  minimal