Sorry to tell you, but you just aren't in good enough shape to do eight minute miles for that distance yet. I feel safe telling you this since I am not in good enough shape to do nine minute miles for that distance.

In the Ironman you are going to have to learn patience. You will have to throttle back to a pace you can maintain all day, and then you will have to maintain it all day. You are also going to have to concentrate more on nutrition and hydration than your projected bike splits.

If you hold everything together for the day except for the last one quarter of the run, you will have a very good first outing. This will be my third time around, and I am hoping to hold everything together for over half the run this time. That will be an improvement.

This sport is a bitch. If it were easy everyone would do it. Bottom line: It hurts.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

If you've never done an IM don't worry about your projected splits. Worry about finishing and having a smile on your face for your finish photo as you cross the finish line. There are way to many factors to try and adjust for with something that takes half the day to finish.

Yes...
This is a really hard sport to do it.... but anyway... I will finish anyway next year !!!!!!

Tom,

Did you get a message that I sent you about a cannondale r1000 aero ?

Thks

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Luiz Eng

       As someone who has run 11 marathons almost always feeling that I was in shape for a PR and only one IM, Lake Placid 99, I can tell you and my friends who are runners turned triathletes agree that a fast marathon is more painfull than an IM paced to finish. Don't lose heart, you were smart to test yourself this early. Keep training, the run is the hardest part of any triathlon, the rest is just the warm up. You should go into your race planning to run the last six miles, not walk them. This will take pacing. You'll start the IM marathon very slowly, even walking if that's what it takes. If you don't burn yourself up in the first half of the marathon, it will keep getting better. You'll find that you are getting closer to you goal pace as the miles pass and you'll hit the finish line running better than you have all day. You have plenty of time to get ready for your IM. Train hard, race smart and remember to try to smile for your finishing photo! Good Luck

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

Hi Luiz,

Exactly a month ago a I run my first Marathon. I run it for the same purpose as you. I didn't want to run my first Marathon this summer during IM Switzerland.
I run the first half in 1:33 (4:24/km) and needed for the second half 1:45 (4:58/km, Overall 3:18 - 4:41/km). I started too fast and hadn't done enough training because my focus was on the IM on July 27th.
During the Marathon when I suffered sometimes I also wondered who it is to run a marathon after 180km on the bike.

My mind quickly recovered and I am looking forward for IM Switzerland. But I know of course that it will be painfull.

Felix, Switzerland

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http://www.weilenmann.ch.vu

Felix,

Congrats... you really a pretty good marathon...
Today I'm very well recovered... ( body and mind )... Thinking better, my worst problem during the race wasn't the pace that I was putting... it was the training before.... 4 weeks prior the race I did my first 1/2 IM , one week later 21km running , more one week a 1/2 Marathon race and week before the marathon I did one specific training of 28km....
But anyway... the marathon was pretty valid to generate some "memory" for my body....

Thanks everybody for all the supporting answers ... It's so important to me participate of this forum.... I've being learning more this year than the other two years of tri racing that I have....

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Luiz Eng

Leng,

No worries. When the canon starts the race, go as hard and as fast as you can for as long as you possibly can. The race really isn't really 140.6 miles as advertised; how could anyone possibly race 140.6 miles? Just go like hell. BTW, please send me a note after your first race, I'd be interested in your results...