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Chicago Marathon Preview

Training Reflections and Race Prep with Reed Fischer

Today we welcome Reed Fischer to The Hammer to check in on how his training has been going ahead of the Chicago Marathon. Reed has been hammering out some great miles over the past couple months of this build, getting up to 115 miles during his peak training week. After hitting his last key workouts and tune-up races, he’s finally reached the well-earned taper phase heading into race day. In this interview, Reed delves into the details of his training - the structure, workouts, mileage, and his overall thoughts on how everything went. He also shares his goals for the race and how he handles the pressure that comes with those high expectations. Before we dive in, here’s a quick recap of what Reed has accomplished in the marathon up to this point:

• 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials (Atlanta, GA) - 97th place, 2:24:48

• 2021 Chicago Marathon (Chicago, IL) - 9th place, 2:14:41

• 2022 B.A.A. Boston Marathon (Boston, MA) - 16th place, 2:10:54

• 2022 TCS NYC Marathon (New York, NY) - 10th place, 2:15:23

• 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials (Orlando, FL) - 9th place, 2:11:34

Hey Reed! Fill us in on how training has been going! Any difference in how you feel during this build compared to last time you prepared for Chicago? 

Right now we’re in the ‘hurry up and wait’ phase of the build. The race feels like it’s an eternity away, but also it’ll be here before I know it. Training’s been going well. It’s funny, this build has closely paralleled my Chicago build in 2021, but gone better on the whole. That fall, Christine and I bought our first home and were navigating closing and moving in the midst of training. This fall, Christine and I bought our second home and were navigating closing and moving in the midst of training. So I’ve been busy, but it’s all good stress. And on the plus side, I’m much fitter and more experienced at the marathon distance than I was in 2021, when Chicago was effectively my debut.

What are some of the key workouts you’ve done so far? What are your thoughts on how they went?

We’ve had a few good ‘fitness test’ kind of days, and they’ve all gone smoothly and indicated that I’m in shape to run a (hopefully sizeable) personal best. A few weekends ago I had a 12 mile tempo where I was pretty locked in to 5:02/mile for the first 9 miles, then worked down to 4:42 for my last mile. That capped off a 115 mile week. For me, being able to turn over late into a workout like that at the end of a big week is a great indicator of how my legs will respond in the last 10K in Chicago. I also did a tuneup race at the USATF 20K Championships on Labor Day, where I finished 6th in 59:58. Another good indicator that I’m in solid shape. On the whole, it’s been an encouraging block. 

One major difference for the whole team this year was the addition of double threshold training. Has this been integrated into your marathon build at all? If so, what did you think of it?

Yeah, to be fair I haven’t done too much double threshold, but I’ve dabbled in it. Early in this block, when I was still building into fitness and mileage, Coach Hunter had me doing some Double T. It’s a nice way to split up the volume of a big workout and get in some hefty mileage for the day, for sure. I find, as a marathoner, I build more confidence from running one bigger single session like 15xK in a 18 mile run vs. breaking that up into two sessions. Mentally, I feel like it simulates the marathon fatigue a bit better. That, or I’m just stubborn and don’t like working out twice in one day. Connor’s been doing lots of Double T in his buildup for CIM, so it’ll be fun to compare our training, results, and feelings about how our builds went.

You’ve had a lot of experience with racing the marathon yourself and even coaching others. How much of your current training is based on your own expertise, and how much is from Joan? What was the push/pull of this process like when creating your training plan for Chicago? 

There are definitely elements of my training that I bring into my coaching and vice versa. I think there’s certainly a delineation between the training a pro can tolerate compared to a dedicated runner with a 9-5, and I work to recognize that gap. It’d be ‘easy’ to just copy-paste my own build to my athletes, but each athlete brings their own training history, personal preference, goals, and mindset to the equation. And all of that needs to be reflected in their training plans. 

What’s fun about being coached while being a coach is that Coach Hunter and I have formed a very collaborative relationship. She’s a really curious and inquisitive person, so she’s often looking outside of her own philosophy for new workouts and training methodology, but she also makes an effort to ask for my thoughts on those workouts and methodologies. The result of all of that is a training program that feels like it brings the best of Coach Hunter, myself, and the greater running space together into a tailormade blend that we believe in. And if I’ve learned anything in my nearly 20 years of competitive running, it’s that you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing if you want to be successful.

What are your goals for the Chicago Marathon this year? Seeing as you’ve had strong placings in several of the U.S. majors so far, how does the importance of time rank now over just competing well? 

I’m ready to run fast. I made a conscious effort in the past few years to focus on competition over PRs in preparation for this spring’s Olympic Trials. I knew PRs didn’t matter in Orlando, it was all about placing as high as possible. As a result, my current PR is 2:10:54 from Boston in 2022. I think I can shave well over a minute off of that if the weather plays nice in Chicago. The A Goal would be 2:08:XX. We think the fitness is there for that, now it’s just about executing.

The marathon can come with a lot of pressure, especially when you must execute on a given day after such a long build. How do you mentally prepare for this pressure and the challenges that will undoubtedly occur in the race? What specifically do you do beforehand to get your mind ready for race day?

Yeah, the marathon will always be daunting for that reason. Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, there’s no guarantee of success and you’ve poured 3+ months of your time, energy, and body into one single result. But it’s also my job. This is my ‘quarterly review,’ where I need to present my case and prove that I’m good at my job like plenty of people do at their jobs. My performance review is just significantly more public than most people’s.

I think viewing the race as an opportunity to put my hard work on display is helpful. Racing is a culmination and a celebration of the sacrifice you and your loved ones have made to arrive at the start line. That’s true for everyone from the winner to the final finisher at every marathon. For most people, it takes work to frame the race that way instead of a stressor. I’ve found that shifting my focus from training to spending more intentional time with the people I love in the week or two before the race really helps remind me that there’s more to life than the time on the clock. It helps me remove the ‘obligation’ of a successful performance and reframes it as an opportunity to honor the people who love and support me. For me, I always thrive when I’m running (and living) from a place of love, fulfillment, and gratitude. When you’re running with that, it feels like you can’t lose.

Tune in on Sunday, October 13th as Reed lines up for the Chicago Marathon. For weekly insights into his training and journey so far, make sure to follow along on Instagram @reedfisch!

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