Background:
Training for first marathon (Houston 1/18/09)
End of 18 week plan contains long runs scheduled at 20, 12, 20, 12, 8, marathon.
Currently running 30 miles per week ramping up to 43 miles the weeks of the two 20 milers above.
Trying to determine pacing strategy - would like to hold 7:30 - 7:40 pace but not sure if this is too aggressive.
Last long run (12 miles this past weekend) was done at 8:25 pace w/ 145 HRavg).
Question:
So would a 1/2 marathon be a better idea in place of the first 20 miler I have scheduled? This being my first marathon, I’m not real sure about what pace I should shoot for so I’m thinking a half 5 weeks out might help out with this.
While I agree a half marathon is a good indicator of fitness…IMO without a “marathoning” distance background it means little. You will probably get a false sense of pace that you will be able to hold for the full 26.2…implode in the final 10k…and burst into flames at the finish line. (OK, maybe this is a little harsh…but let’s look at worse case here).
I’d go with the 20 miler and increase pace in your final 4 miles to “goal” pace. I think this will be a better indicater of fitness/pace.
Are there only two 20 milers in your training plan? If I so would strongly encourage you to keep them as is. Why not try some “fast finishes” on you long runs (last 5-6 at MP) instead. Bottom line, you need to learn to run at goal pace on tired legs. Running a half won’t do that as well as picking up the pace at the end of an 18 or 20+ mile run.
While I think that racing a half a few weeks out is a great sub race pace workout, I would recomend it for someone who has done the full distance. This being your first full Marathon, the extra 20 miler with a race pace finish will do more for your mental prep for what running those late miles fast on tired legs is going to be like. The better you know that feeling, the better you will be able to handle it.
I generally agree with the others, but slightly different. Try to run the 20 miles but finish the last 4 or 5 at race pace. Better yet, figure out your goal finishing time and make sure you run at least that long. So, if you want to finish in 3:20 (7:38 pace), run about 2.75 hours at a reasonable pace and then run the next few miles at your goal pace until you at least hit 3:20, maybe even 3:30.
Why not both? 4 miles EZ, building to tempo pace. Race the 1/2, trying to hold better than your goal marathon pace. Then, do 3 miles EZ cooldown as soon as possible after you finish the race. Great strength workout. While it’s easy to blow off the final 3 miles, your marathon will go better if you stick with it.
Agree with the others where this is your first one, more inportant to get the miles in the legs than racing a half. Use the 20-miler to work on pacing as the others have suggested.
If it is truly only a choice between those two, I personally would do the race. Still I think the problem is not the choice so much as the plan.
43 miles per week is really pushing the low end for a marathon. Long runs do not matter nearly as much as simply weekly mileage. Consistent volume over time will make you strong. Any schedule that has you doing half your weekly mileage in one run is not a good schedule.
I would say try to hold your 40+ miles per week for more weeks, if possible. If 20 milers are wearing you out to do that, then have weekends where you do 10 in the AM and 10 in the PM. Get the total volume up there and you will be stronger and that is what will help you most in the last 10k of the marathon.
So would a 1/2 marathon be a better idea in place of the first 20 miler I have scheduled?
Yes.
You have enough time to “fix” your schedule (see JoeO above), so the emphasis should be on getting out the door and putting in mileage at least six days per week, and not so much on the long runs. If you have triathlon goals for the early season next year and need to accomodate swims and bikes, you can fudge a bit with the overall mileage, but make sure you get out there six/seven days per week.
Back to the half vs. 20 miler, do the race but taper minimally (normal mileage and workouts until the last two days before the race), which will give you a better slightly better idea of your marathon potential than a full two week taper before the race. With a 3-4 mile warmup, and a 1-2 mile cooldown, and maybe a couple VERY easy miles in the PM, and you’ll get the “magic” 20 miles too.
Hmmm, trying to run a decent marathon on such low mileage - good luck with that! Hopefully it will work out, but you may be in for a rude awakening in the last 10K.
You’ve still got plenty of time to increase your minimum weekly mileage to somewhere north of 40. 50+ would be even better. The accumulation of consistent higher mileage may be more beneficial than either the second 20 or a half mary race. The additional mileage would all be in the z1, z2 range - easy. Keep your tempo and other speedwork as is.
If you want to Race a half do it in the next month.
As I was recently told, 13.1 is not a long run. You need to be going longer. The half is your check-up and will be faster than your full.
given your goal pace you want to be doing more volume now.
Sounds like I’ll be ramping up the miles to a higher volume than originally planned. I definitely don’t want a meltdown with 10k to go.
Also sounds like the crowd is leaning toward the second 20 miler instead of the race. I’ll plan on doing one of the 20’s as a 3/1 split with the last quarter being at planned race pace as an indicator.