Something someone said on a thread about marathon training has stuck with me: that anyone, male or female, averaging 60mpw, can do a 330 marathon. I just did 341 and thought I was doing more, but really was averaging 42 mpw for the 4 months leading up to it. And, I want to take some more time off.
What is you average mpw and your marathon time?
current: 40 mpw avg 77mpw…2:52 biggest week 64mpw…2:56 biggest week 40mpw…3:29 biggest week <20mpw…4:31ish only week
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I’d think that anyone with reasonable genetics/body comp can run a 3:30 on <60 mpw.
I ran a 3:32 on 8 weeks of about 25 miles/week with a couple 33 or so weeks.
Lydiard or some famous coach said anyone can run a 2:30 with “proper training”…whatever that means…but I think a lot of people could run pretty darn well if they became runners…people underestimate how much they could improve with 2-3 years of solid running (i.e. build to 80-100 miles/week).
Dave
Well, since Boston in April my running volume has taken a hit to make sure I got more balanced in the other sports, but I’d say through the last 3 months of IM training I have been in the 35 mpw or so range per week for an average.
I ran a 3:14:52 this past Saturday at Baltimore for a hard training day. My other BQ which was my PR was last November and was a 3:12 on around 45 mpw average exclusively running. :shrugs:
depends on age (for both speed and to handle the mileage loads)
65+ MPW = 2:49
~45 MPW = 3:07 and 3:14
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current: 40 mpw 77mpw…2:52 64mpw…2:56 40mpw…3:29 <20mpw…4:31ish
Thanks for the info, but can you give a little more infor on these (and others who posted mileage)? Is this Max week prior to race, average for final month, 3 month average, years average?
Average - 41.24mpw
Min - 28 miles
Max - 60 miles
3 19-22 mile runs.
3:24 marathon - exploded last 3 miles do to knee issues that are still around 10 months later.
on mostly 25 high intensity MPW, dropped intensity upped to 42mpw max, no taper:
3:07
-SD.
Some people just can’t run 3:30 regardless of mileage. My wife has worked very hard in the past year and took a big chunk of time off of her marathon PR but she will probably never break 4 hours no matter how much she runs.
My experience has been this:
20-25 mpw = about 4:30-4:40 (with only 3-4 years of running experience)
30-40 mpw = 3:37
60 mpw = 3:13
OK, dumb question…but how is that mileage allocated throughout the training week?
Is it one major LSD run on the weekend, and several smaller runs during the week? Or an even distance run every night or second night (so that you can have some bike training too)? What is the pattern for these 40+mpw people?
I think past running experience(2-10 year) play a hugh roll along with genetics in determining marathon performance. I was only able to avg maybe 20 mpw since the end of May due to achillies tendonitis. I had two weeks over 26 mpw (32 and 34) with my long run being 21 miles the week before the marathon last weekend. Other than that my longest run was in a 70.3 race, 13.1 miles. That being said I ran 2:37:47 in my first marathon ever the other day. The reason I believe is because I once was a fairly decent runner and put in solid mpw, 60-80 per week for a bunch of years. I think if people really want to be good runners they need to put a bunch of high milleage (40-70mpw) weeks together back to back.
Mike
I peaked at 80 mpw when I ran 2:41. My weekly breakdown:
- 1 long run at the beginning or end of the week
- Doubling 3-6 times a week, usually a 30-40 min supplementary shakeout in the morning or evening
- One speed/tempo workout
- 10x100m striders per day
I tried to keep all my runs between 5:45-6:30 pace with the shakeouts closer to 6:30-6:45.
Everyone’s body responds differently though. Some guys bodies’ can handle the 90+ mpw, others perform just as well at 60-70.
For my BQ attempt last November I followed Pfitzinger-Douglas Advanced Marathoning 55 or less 24 week plan to the letter. I had two max weeks of 55 miles with a lot of 45 - 50 weeks. But when all was said and done it averaged out to about 45 a week for the entire period. I was on pace for around a 3:08 or so but blew it in the last two miles (which were generally uphill) since I was under hydrated big time. Ended up with the 3:12.
My week would usually be off Monday, some sort of speed/tempo/interval on Tuesday in the 8 - 10 range, recovery Weds in the 5 - 6 range, 10 - 14 medium long run on Thurs., usually Friday off, another recovery or general aerobic on Saturday, and my long run on Sunday which peaked at 21 miles.
I basically followed the same plan but the 18 week version for Boston and was trained to run a sub-3 there, but it wasn’t my day and had a brutal run/walk ending up in the 3:46 range.
For my BQ this weekend (which was not intended to be one at all, I was just in the zone and clicking with a friend from another site) I had only done one 18 miler, a few 17’s and most of my other longer runs in the 10 - 15 range. And I didn’t taper for it at all.
OK, dumb question…but how is that mileage allocated throughout the training week?
Is it one major LSD run on the weekend, and several smaller runs during the week? Or an even distance run every night or second night (so that you can have some bike training too)? What is the pattern for these 40+mpw people?
My first marathon was done on 2-4 runs per week. I had only been running for a couple of years and knew jack shit about running then and had no guidance so I’d go out and do 3-5 miles on Tuesday and Thursday and 15-20 on Sunday. I’d always take Friday and Saturday off to make sure I was well rested for my long run and I’d take Monday (and sometimes Tuesday) off to recover after the long run. In short, I was an idiot when it came to training. I managed a 4:40.
My 2nd was slightly better. I still only ran 3-4 days per week (maybe 5 on a big week) but I added a track workout on Wednesday. The group I ran with did the same cycle every month, 400s, then 800s, then 1200s then a ladder workout. It helped a little I’m sure but wasn’t ideal. I was still in the ‘two days off before a long run and one day after’ mindset. I was afraid I’d get injured if I tried to do more. One year after the 4:40 I ran 3:37.
Fast forward 4 years (after a couple more marathons in the 4:00-4:30 range) and I became friends with someone with a lot of running experience and knowledge. He put together a 7 week crash plan to try to get a BQ spot. I rapidly jumped to 6 days per week, maxing out at 60 miles. I don’t recommend increasing mileage that quickly but I did have a decent base of fitness having done an IM 6 weeks prior. I got the BQ in 3:13 and followed it up with a 3:14 in Boston 5 months later.
The way my week usually breaks down is: Monday - 30-45 min. EZ recovery run. Tuesday - 45-75 min. run. Wednesday - workout (could be speed, VO2, strength depending on where in the cycle we are). Thursday - 1.5-2.25 hour med. long run. Friday - off or 30 min. EZ. Saturday - Long workout (10-15 miles). Sunday - Long run (2:30-3:15). We’ll see in New York in 3 weeks how it pays off.
I took this year off from triathlon to focus on running but if I was doing tris I’d bike Tuesday and/or Thursday and Saturday (after the workout). Sorry for the long post but you asked!
I haven’t raced a marathon in a long time, but 23 years ago, ran three marathons in 5 months (Dallas, Houston and Boston) and ran 2:30 - 2:31 in all three.The 2:31 was at Boston and a pit stop at mile 21 cost me 2 minutes plus lost time for not ever really getting back into my pace again after that stop.
Average training week was about 80 - 84 miles for the 6 months leading up to that consisting of:
4 mile easy run every weekday morning
Monday: 6 easy in the afternoon
Tuesday: 10 mile run with 5 x 1 mile at tempo
Wednesday: 6 mile easy run in the afternoon
Thursday: 6 mile easy run in the afternoon
Friday: intervals on the track (6 miles total)
Saturday: 6 mile easy run or 5km to 10km race
Sunday: 16 - 20 mile run in the morning; 4 mile hard run in the afternoon
1st marathon 1999 I averaged 40ish per week and ran 3:38. For several years I ramped it up and chipped away at my time until 2003 when I was averaging 80ish with a couple of big weeks, 100+ thrown in, and I got down to 2:37.
3:26 @IMFL in '06
4-weeks nothingness.
Next 7-8 weeks avg. 32mpw.
3:06 stand alone at the end of January '07.
Oh yeah, n=1 
that’s an awesome improvement! what dis the crash plan look like?
I am at about 40 mpw now, well not this week as I BQd last week, and I want to ‘race’ Boston, as I have done it before with a charity number but now have qualified, so I know what the course is like (also bandited once , I know, I know…)
Ran a 2:42 back in '84 but that was before anyone was measuring watts. Just used good old perceived effort. At age 56, it still works fine for me. Don’t need all those fancy gadgets 
that’s an awesome improvement! what dis the crash plan look like?
**Thanks. It was pretty much planned out like the weekly breakdown I listed above but with some slight variations (only one workout per week for example). **