I agree with Coach. You have many good years left to run. I wish I were running when I were 30. A 3:08 is a decent PR, and you have plenty of time to go sub-3. Rest, train, enjoy some easy runs, and get ready for spring.
I agree with Coach. You have many good years left to run. I wish I were running when I were 30. A 3:08 is a decent PR, and you have plenty of time to go sub-3. Rest, train, enjoy some easy runs, and get ready for spring.
Redemption wrote:
Loosely followed a Daniels Plan A for 24 weeks 40-60mpw. Ran a 1.23 half, two weeks before the marathon. Expected 2.59 in the full (maybe better?)
Completely botched the marathon and ran a 3.17. Multitude of excuses/reasons.
Perhaps the training is not preparing you well for the marathon. At 3 hours, you have plenty of room to experiment.
You didn't mention your pacing, but my guess is that you couldn't keep the pace in the second half of the race. Also this means that you should recover relatively quickly. However, if you want to improve, perhaps focus on improving your training first, before aiming to better your marathon time.
As to how close they can be, I ran my fastest time, then just missed it by seconds 3 weeks later in a 2nd place effort (due to not getting any splits), racing the weekends in between. The main thing is to first recover, get back into a good training routine (depending on recovery and upcoming races), taper, then race. I usually took a full week of easy running after marathons, and my taper was usually 3 days off 95-98 miles a week, though a friend of mine tapered for a full week off lower mileage.
I think you will be fine with 4 weeks, and recommend an 18 mile pace run at 2 weeks at an even 7:10 pace, no faster then that, because you only have 2 weeks to recover, plus shorter supplemental training designed to loosen you up for the marathon.
Redemption wrote:
Ran a 1.23 half, two weeks before the marathon.
This was more of a problem than the wedding. Pack it in for a few months.
J.R. wrote:
Perhaps the training is not preparing you well for the marathon. At 3 hours, you have plenty of room to experiment.
You didn't mention your pacing, but my guess is that you couldn't keep the pace in the second half of the race. Also this means that you should recover relatively quickly. However, if you want to improve, perhaps focus on improving your training first, before aiming to better your marathon time.
As to how close they can be, I ran my fastest time, then just missed it by seconds 3 weeks later in a 2nd place effort (due to not getting any splits), racing the weekends in between. The main thing is to first recover, get back into a good training routine (depending on recovery and upcoming races), taper, then race. I usually took a full week of easy running after marathons, and my taper was usually 3 days off 95-98 miles a week, though a friend of mine tapered for a full week off lower mileage.
I think you will be fine with 4 weeks, and recommend an 18 mile pace run at 2 weeks at an even 7:10 pace, no faster then that, because you only have 2 weeks to recover, plus shorter supplemental training designed to loosen you up for the marathon.
J.R - I felt that I made a good leap when I followed Daniels for 12 weeks and went from 3.32 to 3.08 so I'm keen to stick with Daniels, for the time being. I feel as though my performance was very much linked to the days leading up to the race, rather than the training.
Appreciate your advice on getting in shape for another race. I've got a couple of races coming in the next few weeks (a half and some xc relays). I'd like to defer/withdraw from these and then perhaps follow the last 4 weeks of Daneils plan A again. I can't remember exactly what that will entail but hopefully that would get me to the start line in reasonable condition.
Out of interest - do you follow any particular plan?
As for racing a 1.23 half, close to the marathon - it probably was a bit close for comfort but struggled to get a race close by etc.
I've seen friends try this and it never works out. Face it, your marathon is done. Had you dropped around 16-18, maybe you could do this plan, but you just need to recover and start planning for your next race.
Improving your prerace preparation should help quite a bit, and not using up your energy in a half.
The main thing is to keep doing what works for you, and then keep improving on it.
So, I decided to give it another shot. I ran a 2:59 at the weekend. Went through halfway in just under 1.29.
I recovered for most of the week (no sessions, just easy running). Ran a half marathon in 1.24. Then followed the last three weeks of Daniels Plan A.
The upshot of all this is that I achieved my sub-three goal but really should have gone a few minutes quicker. (2:51:-2:54). I knew that going for those times in the second attempt would have probably led to a massive bonk.
I also know that running the half was probably not a good idea but it was a race I really wanted to do.
Now, I don't have a place in any spring marathons so I quite fancy trying to improve my 5k/10k 18:19/37:02 before going back to the marathon, next Autumn.
I am impressed. Couple years ago, I ran 3:30 in Chicago the year it was 90 degrees. I felt I was in sub 3:00 shape and did not want to waste the training so I jumped in another marathon 2 weeks later. I was on 3 hour pace at 18 miles when the wheels fell off so I bagged it. Maybe the extra 2 weeks were key for you or maybe you are just a stud and will run sub 2:50 next year. Either way, you beat the odds for sure.
Congratulations =)
Thanks, all.
I think 2 weeks might have been too much of stretch but 4 weeks felt as if the first marathon was well behind me.
Next time, I'll be sure to avoid making the same mistakes in the lead up to the goal race. Fail to prepare....