Is Two Weeks Out Too Late for an MP Run?

I hope not, because I'm doing my last marathon paced run tomorrow and I'm running Chicago two weeks from tomorrow.

Honestly, I honestly think it's fine, although I don't really appreciate the impact that altitude will have on your workout - I assume that you'll be adjusting your pace for that just as I intend to adjust my pace for the expected temps of 76 and dew point of around the same (55% chance of rain).

I'd do option two in the option one environment.

If you´re in any doubt don´t do it. Better to do one workout too little than one too much.

Not at all. It's just 10M. Even another such run next weekend could be recoverable. Sounds like David Roche's "power hour" a few days before a race (though I've never pushed it that close).

Option 2, but I wouldn't do that on a track. Road will be better training, plus less likely to injure you than 40 laps on a track

The hay is in the barn

What is David Roche’s power hour?

Touch up at this point wrote:

The hay is in the barn

The hay can rot. Two weeks out, you'd better be doing some MP stuff. Taper doesn't mean sit on your butt doing nothing.

Worn out cliche wrote:

Touch up at this point wrote:

The hay is in the barn

The hay can rot. Two weeks out, you'd better be doing some MP stuff. Taper doesn't mean sit on your butt doing nothing.

‘You’d better’....

Really? My two week workout is a 13 mile run, with 6 tempo efforts. My last M pace run was 5 weeks before my race. Prior to that I’d done two others...If you’ve done them, then they are done...

Smoove wrote:

I hope not, because I'm doing my last marathon paced run tomorrow and I'm running Chicago two weeks from tomorrow.

Honestly, I honestly think it's fine, although I don't really appreciate the impact that altitude will have on your workout - I assume that you'll be adjusting your pace for that just as I intend to adjust my pace for the expected temps of 76 and dew point of around the same (55% chance of rain).

Is that one of your modifications to Plan A...Daniels has the last M pace a few weeks back....

Interesting.... wrote:

‘You’d better’....

Really? My two week workout is a 13 mile run, with 6 tempo efforts. My last M pace run was 5 weeks before my race. Prior to that I’d done two others...If you’ve done them, then they are done...

I've done half marathons are near half marathon pace (10s/min faster than MP) 4 weeks out and felt totally recovered. 5 weeks is way too long.

2 weeks and 4 days out for 10 miles at MP i've done. If you are under 30 years old you should be fine

Dur wrote:

Interesting.... wrote:

‘You’d better’....

Really? My two week workout is a 13 mile run, with 6 tempo efforts. My last M pace run was 5 weeks before my race. Prior to that I’d done two others...If you’ve done them, then they are done...

I've done half marathons are near half marathon pace (10s/min faster than MP) 4 weeks out and felt totally recovered. 5 weeks is way too long.

2 weeks and 4 days out for 10 miles at MP i've done. If you are under 30 years old you should be fine

You’ve done HM’s at faster than HM pace, but only 10 seconds faster than M pace? That makes no sense.

It is this cycle it is, but just by happenstance.

I always move the M pace runs around to dates when I can find a half marathon in which to do them. 2 marathons ago, there was a local half marathon 3 weeks out, so I did it 3 weeks out. This year, the only real option was 2 weeks out.

Having clocks, closed courses, water stations, etc. just makes these efforts feel much more manageable for me.

I did one today. First 13 1/4 miles of a 17-mile run. And that was after turning out 6 straight 1/2-pace miles yesterday. I’m glad I did it.

MP option sounds fine and 2 weeks out you should be ok. Great time to practice pacing and get used to the feeling of running at speed, if you're in shape to run your goal pace. Not a great time to look for big fitness gains, if you're not really in shape to run your goal pace. Too late for that. I'd do option 2 unless you're feeling beat up from the previous week's training.

For my last race my final big workout was 9 continuous road miles at or faster than MP (a 3-mile 10K pace section in the middle), 10 days out from race day. Intended as a confidence boost and to get used to recovering from surges at MP. It worked as intended and I PR'd the race despite dealing with hills and pace surges from rivals.

Hansons has a 10 mile tempo at marathon pace 9 or 10 days out from the marathon.

8-10mi at MP 10 days out has been fine for me prepping for down to 2:28 times. Should feel pretty comfortable . But maybe I would run faster without that workout so who knows.

I'd go with the MP run, but if you're worried about it, err on the side of too little rather than too much. Cut it to 8 miles at MP instead of 10, for example. Either way, your fitness gains at this point will be minimal, so there's a better chance of doing harm than good. Good luck!

Smoove wrote:

I assume that you'll be adjusting your pace for that just as I intend to adjust my pace for the expected temps of 76 and dew point of around the same (55% chance of rain).

Checked it today. It's supposed to be a high of 60, low of 50. Chance of rain 30%. Great temperatures to race. Might be windy but Chicago has a lot of turns so it won't be a real issue.