My friend and I are starting to train for a full marathon that is the last week of August. We are both Seniors in College and I was wondering if it would ruin our final cross country season before we graduate. We are hoping to be competitive in the marathon to qualify for Boston and also competitive to qualify for Cross Country Nationals. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
If you are college level cross country runners, I would assume you could run a boston qualifier without any trouble this weekend.
I don't know how much of this is true, but I do recall reading a post not long ago that when 5k or 8k runners change from the usual to something like the marathon it messes up their times. Something weird happens and some can't seem to repeat their previous time before they did the marathon. Like I said I don't know how much of this is true but I'd look into it just for curiosity. GL with your marathon. Like the other guy said, I'd bet you can run a BQ this weekend too given your current condition.
There are a lot of contributing factors.
Tell me your 700m PR and your Social Security number and I will tell you your chances.
tofurkey burger wrote:
I don't know how much of this is true
Well let me know enlighten you: none of it is true.
Are you not running track in the spring and doing Boston instead?
Seems silly to risk your last college season for something you could easily do the following year.
I certainly wouldn't recommend running a marathon right at the start of cross country season. If you care about your XC performance at all, it seems like you would focus your training toward 8K-10K type work rather than marathon work. Even if the race itself doesn't wipe you out (which seems likely, seeing as it is your first one), you are wasting a valuable training block in what will undoubtedly be your last season of cross country ever.
If you are REALLY gung-ho about running this thing, just turn it into a longer-than-average long run. If you are running DI, you shouldn't have a problem breaking 3:05. Even if you are running DIII, it shouldn't be too tough to run 7:00 pace for 26.2 miles. But again, it seems stupid and like a waste of your time.
Cheeseburger wrote:
My friend and I are starting to train for a full marathon that is the last week of August. We are both Seniors in College and I was wondering if it would ruin our final cross country season before we graduate. We are hoping to be competitive in the marathon to qualify for Boston and also competitive to qualify for Cross Country Nationals. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Run it after XC season.
tofurkey burger wrote:
I don't know how much of this is true, but I do recall reading a post not long ago that when 5k or 8k runners change from the usual to something like the marathon it messes up their times. .
This is true. I was doing 5ks one season. Mostly low 20s.
After training for and running a marathon, my 5k times were totally messed up. They went to 17:50s.
You are insane and yes it is a stupid plan. The marathon and 8/10K are very different events requiring different muscle compositions and training stimulus. Biggest differences which will hinder your XC season:
1) More mileage but at slower pace - studies show you need to do a substantial amount of running at race pace (or even faster) to be competitive in the 10K, EVEN DURING BASE
2) You can't both increase mileage AND maintain the speed of your runs without risking burning out or injury
3) For an XC runner you should be doing short tempos and light speed workouts each week during base - marathon is about long runs and long tempos. The two CANNOT mutually coexist
The only way you should even attempt this, is if you do your standard 10K base training without bumping your mileage at all and NOT doing any form of long run over 90 minutes, and just running the marathon cold. Anything you do in addition will by definition take away from your XC season.