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Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon?
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My training went way off the rails. Had been doing great, including 57 days of running in a row. Was a real good base coming into April, and then I caught that wicked chest cold that's been going around up here.

Still managed to train through most of it, only missing a few days here and there. But then I changed jobs and it took more time than I anticipated, to the point where 2 weeks ago, I didn't run.

Next Sunday will be my third marathon [Sugarloaf]; pretty sure it's gonna hurt, but would like to mitigate the pain as much as possible. This is the only marahon course I've run, so I'm familiar with it: first 3 miles are dead-flat; next seven are climbing, but nothing extreme just a general up; then a 1/3 mile or so that's an intense drop; the rest of the race you loose something stupid like 900+ feet through some great rollers. Great run.

So here's my issues:
- Was running mid to high 40 mpw, nothing under 30 since February. No swimming and not enough riding to cpunt as anything.
- Chest cold knocked the shit outta me.
- Have several 15~ish milers, but topped out at 18; no 20+ like I prefer. The 18 I was ready to quit at 14.
- Ran a couple of halfs with longish runs the day before: one the day after an 11 miler and one trail half after a 15; felt really good after both (really good being relative... was certainly wiped out after bpth weekends).
- Only ran about 30 this week, and 15 of those were Saturday. Managed to run at what I project to be my marathon pace for 12 of those.
- I'm feeling good, for the most part, but tweaked something in my left hip playing basketball with the boy last week. It doesn't seem to bother while running, but I havent put any speed to it.

My other two marathon times were: 3:37 [8:17 pace] and 3:29 [7:59]. I'd thought I'd shoot for 3:15 this year [7:27], but that's obviously out.
My thought was to drop to an 8 min mile and just cruise it, hopefully getting down under 10k and feeling ok enough to *maybe* kick it up a notch.

My questions: Am I being reasonble? Should I back that time off a little more? Should I just HTFU and run? Should I just relax and take what comes ro me on race day? What should I do in the next couple of days for runs: any speed or keep it relaxed with just some pick-ups?

Any ideas you got, I'm willing to listen!

Appreciate any help you might be able to give... Thank you much!

- Jeff
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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Your instincts are good. You know the course and what it takes to run a good time, there's nothing to be lost by going out and cruising it. You'll be going into this race with more rest, but also more knowledge about the course and how your body feels in those high miles.

You might actually be surprised by how well you do if you do that cruise pace through mile 13, pick it up ever-so-slightly through about mile 16, and if you feel okay by 18-19 (which is where most people suffer the most) then you might have plenty left for a strong final 6 miles.

You've probably got a lot of residual fitness despite not training heavily since February. Your tendons and ligaments have adapted a lot since you first started running long distances. It might be an interesting experience for you to go to this race undertrained rather than overtrained.

Everybody has a slow-ish race sooner or later, in your case it might be sooner, but you might surprise yourself. Good luck!

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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A race is a race.

Just run as fast as you can.
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jimatbeyond] [ In reply to ]
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jimatbeyond wrote:
A race is a race.

Just run as fast as you can.

Haha that could be dubious advice for a marathon. I'd say run as slow as you can the first half, and as fast as you can the second half :)
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [lovegoat] [ In reply to ]
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lovegoat wrote:
jimatbeyond wrote:
A race is a race.

Just run as fast as you can.


Haha that could be dubious advice for a marathon. I'd say run as slow as you can the first half, and as fast as you can the second half :)

Agree. Based on those times and the situation I'd do this... Make sure you run 8s for the first 6, then 7:45ish for the next 7, and then let yourself loose.
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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It's one race. There will be another.

Here's something worth considering. It's not for everyone, but it worked for me. I picked up the 3 runs a week program after missing out on multiple marathons due to injury, It just seemed that at about week 10 of my build up some part of my body would blow up. For me, the answer was to run LESS,

https://www.amazon.com/...SMWS5AHFEA1EKACRZ28B

It worked for me. I ran a PR of 3:12 in Chicago on a 85 degree day at age 57. During my 3 month lead up I never ran more than 3x a week, using cycling as off-day aerobic workouts. It can be done.

Best of luck out there.
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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Take it easy. Run 8's for the first half and with 10 miles to go, go better. There is a very good chance you're going to go in feeling really fresh both mentally and physically, and will run well.
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [SharonMcN] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks, Sharon. I try to be self-aware so as not to do stupid things to myself and end up injured.

I know my base is there, I'm just worried about the higher miles, 20 or so on. 22 has a couple of knolls that hurt, so that's a point that I need to be mindful of.

And I have plenty of slower, disappointing race results. The good news is that those usually fuel me to get better for the next one...

- Jeff
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jimatbeyond] [ In reply to ]
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jimatbeyond wrote:
A race is a race.

Just run as fast as you can.

Hahaha! Yes, that is the goal: run as fast as I can and *actually* finish...
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [rodchaves31] [ In reply to ]
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Really? Very curious...

Seems like that's a bit aggressive and early to start kicking things up? I mean, yes 8's are going to seem slow but it seems like it'd be reasonable out to 20, and pushing early would only lead to bad things? Or am I over thinking things?

I will say, the best planned/executed race that I've run was the Kiawah half marathon in 2014. Was still coming back from a ruptured ACL sp kept it at 8's until mile 10 then races the final 5k. Probably left a little on the table that day but felt great and didn't hurt myself. Guess I'm basing things from that...

Thanks again, everyone - appreciate the advice!
- Jeff
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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i did ironman texas on no runs over 2 hours due to past injuries over the years and being fed up with them. Average mileage of 30mpw, 100% treadmill, no speed work. Ran 5 days a week

Previous marathon best: 4.45 hours (serious) as I walked in a lot of pain

Texas though I was 3hrs 30

You might surprise yourself....
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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Life happens. I've had to run races with little training, coming back from injuries. Just don't push beyond what is reasonable, you'll have plenty of other times to make up for it.

That being said, and like others have said, you might surprise yourself. I was injured in January, ran a snow half marathon in February - it sucked terribly. Ran a 4 miler 2 weeks later, finished first Masters, 6th overall. Can't complain.

Though a marathon is long... ;)
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Re: Just how badly am I screwed for my marathon? [jkstevens] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, so everything went mostly accordingly to plan except for my PRP [Pre-Run Poop]... Round 2 was simply a disappointment, and I know that is never a good sign.

But, stayed at 8's for most of the race, but my lackluster pre-race ritual came back to bite me at mile 20, and ended up losing 4+ minutes there.

Once back on course and back in rhythm (took about a mile), I picked it up and ran my fastest miles of the day: miles 22, 24, and 26 were all 7:30's, with 25 being a 7:41.

Overall, yeah it's not up to what I should be able to do, but the fact of the matter is that it is what I am currently able to do. I'm happy with it and it'll just drive me for the next one.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and encouragement!

- Jeff

TL;DR: 3:32:xx with a 4+ minute pit stop; actual moving time was 3:27:56... very Ok with it overall!
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