Eddie Whittaker: Training for a 2.29 marathon

Uttoxeter’s Eddie Whittaker was for a long time one of North Staffordshire most competitive distance runners.  This is an extract from his training diary in 1987 where over 6 months he improved his marathon time from 2 hours 38 minutes to 2 hours 29 minutes with many tough local races (and extremely good performances by current local standards) along the way.

In his own words: ‘My training log from 4 weeks prior to my 1st marathon in April 1987 through to my 4th and last marathon in September 1987. I didn’t have a coach, trained alone and always on roads. I did have a book titled ‘run a marathon in 12 weeks’ which I used for my 1st marathon. After that it was just instinct and following a routine I had developed. I had no concept of easy, steady or pace runs. All my runs were about 6 minute mile pace unless noted different. All I can say is it worked for me up to a point. In hindsight I trained too hard, never ran easy and ended up injured after my 4th marathon in 20 weeks. Having said that I bloody enjoyed it immensely. Not saying I wouldn’t change anything though.’

Eddie’s training in terms of pace is similar to Rob Deakin’s that I posted recently. However Eddie was a postman, so missed out the daily double training runs (although supplemented with several miles walking), and without Rob’s track training and racing background didn’t have that extra speed reserve to call on. But he was still a fearsome competitor in his day and happy to race anyone as often as he could. Hopefully this training diary extract offers some useful insight into the pros as well as cons of the approach Eddie took at the time. 

Mon 9th March – 6.7 miles – 41 mins (snow and wind)
Tues 10^th March – 9 miles – 53 mins 15 secs
Weds 11^th March – 14.3 miles – 80 mins 30 secs (5min 40s) pace
Thurs 12^th March – 9 miles very easy
Fri 13^th March – 9.2 miles incl. 2.3 miles jog / 2×1 mile @ 4.50 pace / 4×0.65 mile in 3 mins / 2.3 miles jog
Sat 14^th March – Rest
Sun 15^th March – STAFFORD 20 – 1 hour 51 mins 31 secs – 12th place

Mon 16^th March – Rest
Tues 17^th March – 6.7 miles easy
Weds 18^th March – 12.8 miles – 77 mins
Thurs 19^th March – 7.3 miles steady
Fri 20^th March – 9 miles ‘pacy’ – 55 mins
Sat 21^st March – Rest
Sun 22^nd March – 20 miles comfortable just over 2 hours

Mon 23^rd March – 5 miles
Tues 24^th March – 6.7 miles – 39 mins 30 secs not bad
Weds 25^th March – 12.8 miles – 72 mins 38 secs – marathon pace
Thurs 26^th March – 6.7 miles – 45 mins easy
Fri 27^th March – 6.6 miles – 2 miles in 10 mins 43 secs – 4.6 miles easy
Sat 28^th March – Rest
Sun 29^th March – 14 miles incl. 13.35 miles / 72 mins 28 secs fast

Mon 30^th March – 5 miles easy
Tues 31^st March – 2.3 miles jog, 1×2 miles @ 5.15 pace, 2.3m jog
Weds 1^st April – 6.7 miles
Thurs 2^nd April – Rest
Fri 3^rd April – 5 miles
Sat 4^th April – Rest
Sun 5^th April – WOLVERHAMPTON MARATHON. I hadn’t a clue what to expect. I reached 22 miles in 2 hours 2 mins so on track for 2.26. Hit the wall and completed last 4 miles@ 9min pace to finish in 2h 38 mins 10 secs.

Mon 6^th April – shuffled 5 miles, legs very stiff
Tues 7^th April – Rest
Weds 8^th April – 6.7 miles – 40 mins good run.
Thurs 9^th April – 8.5 miles incl. 4 miles @ 5mins 15 secs pace
Fri 10^th April – 6.7 miles – 43min steady
Sat 11^th April – Rest
Sun 12^th April – STAFFORD HALF MARATHON. 1 hour 11 mins – 16th place

Mon 13^th April – Rest
Tues 14^th April – 7.3 miles
Weds 15^th April – 7.3 miles
Thurs 16^th April – 12.8 miles
Fri 17^th April – 6.7 miles all above 4 @ 6 min mile pace
Sat 18^th April – 3 mile jog / 6×1 mile avg 4.50 pace
Sun19th April – Rest

Mon 20^th April – 6.7 miles
Tues 21^st April – 7.3 miles – fast 41 mins 2 secs (5.36 pace)
Weds 22^nd April – 9 miles – 57 mins 30 sec pace
Thurs 23^rd April – 7.3 miles
Fri 24^th April – 6.7miles
Sat 25^th April – Rest
Sun 26^th April – MAXIMS 7 – 37 mins 17 secs (17th)

Mon 27^th April – Rest
Tues 28^th April – 7.3 miles
Weds 29^th April – 9.3 miles timed (time not put down)!
Thurs 30^th April – 7.3 miles
Fri 1^st May – easy 5 miles
Sat 2^nd May – Rest
Sun 3^rd May – UTTOXETER HALF MARATHON – 1 hour 11 mins (2nd)

Mon 4^th May – 6.7 miles
Tues 5^th May – 7.3 miles
Weds 6^th May – 9 miles incl. 7 miles @ 6 min mile pace / 2 miles @ 5 min mile pace
Thurs 7^th May – 6.7 miles
Fri 8^th May – easy 5 miles
Sat 9^th May – Rest
Sun 10^th May – LEEK HALF MARATHON – 1hour 13 mins 44 secs (5th)

Mon 11^th May – Rest
Tues 12^th May – 9 miles – 57 mins easy
Weds 13^th May – 11.8 miles in 65 mins 17 secs (5.32 pace) fast
Thurs 14^th May – 7.3 miles
Fri 15^th May – 2.3 miles jog. 4×1 miles (4.48/4.52/4.42/4.49) 2.3 miles jog
Sat 16^th May – 5 miles, 3 of them fast
Sun 17^th May – 22 miles, 2 hours 12 mins. My longest ever training run.

Mon 18^th May – 7.3 miles
Tues 19^th May – 9 miles – 54 mins
Weds 20^th May – 7.3 miles fast in 40 mins 30 secs
Thurs 21^st May – 9.5 miles – 57 mins 30 secs
Fri 22^nd May – 7.3 miles easy
Sat 23^rd May – 6.7 miles
Sun 24^th May – 18-19 miles easy

Mon 25^th May – Rest
Tues 26^th May – 7.3 miles in 42 mins good pace
Weds 27^th May – 9.5 miles in 53mins 2 secs hot fast pace
Thurs 28^th May – 7.3 miles
Fri 29^th May – 6.7 miles
Sat 30^th May – Rest
Sun 31^st May – DERBY RAMATHON – 1 hour 11 mins 20 secs (30th out of 3000)

Mon 1^st June – 5 miles easy
Tues 2^nd June – 11.8 miles @ marathon pace
Weds 3^rd June – Rest
Thurs 4^th June – 7.3 miles
Fri 5^th June – 6.7 miles easy
Sat 6^th June – Rest
Sun 7^th June – MICHELIN 10 –  52 mins 37 secs – 4^th

Mon 8^th June – 6.7 miles
Tues 9^th June – 6.7 miles
Weds 10^th June – 8.6 miles – 52 mins 30 secs
Thurs 11^th June – 5 miles easy
Fri 12th June – 5 miles easy
Sat 13^th June – Rest
Sun 14^th June – POTTERIES MARATHON – 2 hours 30mins 13 secs (5.43 pace) 13th place

Mon 15^th June – Rest
Tues 16^th June – 7.3 miles – 46 mins steady
Weds 17^th June – HOLLINGTON 3.5M RACE – 17 mins 28 secs – 1^st – fast
Thurs 18^th June – 8.6 miles – 53 mins steady
Fri 19^th June – 6.7 miles easy
Sat 20^th June – Rest
Sun 21^st June – LITTLEOVER 10 – 54 mins 20 secs – 4^th

Mon 22^nd June – 5 miles
Tues 23^rd June – Rest
Weds 24^th June – 7.3 miles
Thurs 25^th June – 7.6 miles
Fri 26^th June – Rest
Sat 27^th June – 5 miles easy
Sun 28^th June – STAFFORD 10k – 32 mins 34 secs – 2^nd

Mon 29^th June – 6.7 miles fartlek!
Tues 30^th – 6.7 miles with fast 2 mile
Weds 1^st July – 7.5 miles
Thurs 2^nd July – 9.5 steady
Fri 3^rd July – 5 miles easy
Sat 4^th July – won the carnival mile race
Sun 5^th July – Haymaking all day!!

Mon 6^th July – 6.7 miles
Tues 7th July – 6.7 miles including fast 2 miles @ 9 mins 50 secs
Weds 8^th July – 7.3 miles steady
Thurs 9th July – 5 miles easy
Fri 10^th July – 5 miles easy
Sat 11^th July – Rest
Sun 12^th July – SANDWELL MARATHON – 2 hours 32 mins 18 secs – 1^st

Mon 13^th July – 5 miles very easy
Tues 14^th July – 6.7 miles – 40 mins
Weds 15^th July – 6.6 miles
Thurs 16^th July – JCB 5 – 25 mins 35 secs – 1st
Fri 17^th July – 7.3 miles
Sat 18^th July – Rest
Sun 19^th July – CHEADLE 4 – 20 mins 31 secs

Mon 20^th July – Rest
Tues 21^st July – 9.5 miles – 54 mins
Weds 22^nd July – 7.3 miles
Thurs 23^rd July – 6.6 miles (2 miles @ 9.30)
Fri 24^th July – Rest
Sat 25^th July – 20 mins easy
Sun 26^th July – POTTERS ARF – 70 mins 49 secs – 4^th

Mon 27^th July – 6.7 miles
Tues 28^th July – Rest
Weds 29^th July – 2.3 miles jog – 2×4 mins uphill fast. 2×3.5 mins downhill fast 2.3 miles jog
Thurs 30^th July – Rest
Fri 31^st July – 7.3 miles
Sat 1^st Aug – Rest
Sun 2^nd August – MILTON 10k – 33 mins 5 secs (38th)!

Mon 3^rd August – 9.5 miles – 55 mins steady
Tues 4^th August – 7.3 miles – 44 mins
Weds 5^th August – Rest
Thurs 6^th August – 13.8 miles – 76 mins (5.30 pace)
Fri 7^th August – Rest
Sat 8^th August – 7.3 miles steady – 43 mins
Sun 9^th August – 15 miles – 92 mins

Mon 10^th August – 7.3 miles – 42 mins 30 secs
Tues 11^th August – 9.5 miles – 54 mins 30 secs
Weds 12^th August – PLOUGH 5 (short). 3.5 miles warm up – 24 mins 56 secs – 1st
Thurs 13^th August – 6.7 miles
Fri 14^th August – 5 miles easy
Sat 15^th August – Rest
Sun 16^th August – INTERCOUNTIES 20 Darley, Yorkshire. Mid 80s scorching 2 hours 2 mins – 22^nd

Mon 17^th August – 40 mins on grass
Tues 18^th August – 7.5 miles – 45 mins
Weds 19^th August – 10 miles – 58 mins
Thurs 20^th August – 25x sports field fartlek 9 miles approx.
Fri 21^st August – 7.5 miles – 45 mins
Sat 22^nd August – 10 miles 57 mins 30 secs
Sun 23^rd August – 18-19 miles 1 hour 50 mins

Mon 24^th August – 7.5 miles – 43 mins 2 secs
Tues 25^th August – 10 miles – 56 mins 37 secs
Weds 26^th August – 10 miles – 58 mins 40 secs
Thurs 27^th August – 7.5 miles  – 43 mins 30 secs
Fri 28^th August – 7 miles – 43 mins
Sat 29^th August – 25 mins very easy
Sun 30^th August – RUGELEY HALF 1 hour 9 mins 28 secs (2nd)

Mon 31^st August – 7 miles – 41 mins 18 secs
Tues 1^st September – 7 miles- 40 mins 30 secs
Weds 2^nd September – 12 miles – 66 mins fast
Thurs 3^rd September – 30 mins grass easy
Fri 4^th September – Rest
Sat 5^th September – 5 miles easy
Sun 6^th September – 16.5 miles – 1 hour 40 mins

Mon 7^th September – 5 miles easy
Tues 8^th September – 7 miles – 41 mins 30 secs
Weds 9^th September – 9 miles @marathon pace
Thurs 10^th September – PULLED SHOULDER MUSCLE!
Fri 11^th September – 5 miles – cautious shoulder improving
Sat 12^th September – Rest
Sun 13^th September – HUMBER MARATHON – 2 hours 29 mins 41 secs (16th).

5 miles: 28.07
10 miles: 56.33 / 28.25
15 miles: 85.40 / 29.13
20 miles: 113.59 / 28.19
25 miles 142.30 / 28.30
Last 10k – 35.41

Eddie’s postscript: ‘After the Humber Marathon I was plagued with niggles. I raced many times in subsequent years but my body wouldn’t let me do the marathon distance again. It was fun but I know with the benefit of hindsight that I was capable of a lot better. That’s where a coach would have been invaluable.’ 

All content in this article copyright of  Eddie Whittaker and High Performance Runner 2020