Half marathon 2 weeks before marathon - advice wanted

Consider it a workout.

Run at the same pace as your goal split time for the first half of Thon.

Ultra Bear wrote:

I'm racing a Half marathon 2 weeks before full marathon. Planning on 3 WU - 13HM - 3CD so still get 19 miles in.

I'm aware from searching other threads the advice is do not race the half flat out as it will jeapordise your marathon.

My question is how fast can I run it so I get the lowest time possible but be reasonably confident I should have recovered.

Race estimates/hopes - Half marathon pace 5:21, Marathon pace 5:41 (Weekly milage 100)

Is 5:30 to close, just easing off 9 second per mile (2 mins total time over)?

TIA

No chance I'd run 13 miles faster than marathon pace (+6 WU/CD) 2 weeks before a marathon. At 100mpw maybe you'll recover from that but I think your marathon will suffer a tad. I would go no faster than marathon pace if I were you. Honestly I'd probably do something like 5:50 pace.

I usually do a 15K marathon-pace run about 10 days before my marathon, so you can probably run 13.1 at marathon pace 2 weeks out and be OK, but I wouldn't want my goal race to suffer for an effort that won't be close to all-out anyway.

@Film Rep thanks for the reply but surely this is a bit soft (as you're 100% certain to be recovered from 13.1 miles at MP 2 weeks out) If I said I wanted to be (in quantifiable terms) 80% sure I'd have recovered how much under MP would you push it?

TIA

@birdbeard cheers for the reply. Maybe I've underestimated the impact of MP in the legs. I'm certain that MP wouldn't jeapordize 2 weeks later but thought I could go under but first replies seem to suggest I'm wrong (I'm not an experienced runner so happy to admit I could be in the wrong).

Cheers

how about run the first 10 miles at marathon pace (5:41)or around 57 minutes and then go have some fun the last 3 miles, pass some people at 5:20-5:25 pace?

@chgray cheers, sounds like a reasonable thing todo.

I know it's wrong to race, everyone with some experience and a brain says but got a devil on my shoulder saying just race it (without much of taper). I've got the week off before the marathon so afternoon naps could help recovery.

I'm delusional tbh #facepalm

My advice would be to run the race that is the most important to you. If it is the marathon then I would skip the half marathon. Why do you have to do both? Is someone forcing you to do this?

How fit are you? If you're mileage ready and have socked away lots of road races week after week for years, no problem. Do the half all out and just be sure to observe the taper-down couple days before the full.

Might be a good way to shake out prerace nerves.

Is it a true 2 weeks? A Saturday half & then Boston on Monday gives you a little extra recovery time if that were the case. I think 13 @ marathon pace is plenty 2 weeks out. If you've been hitting high mileage and haven't really gotten into the taper, it might be challenging enough to run marathon pace for 13 miles.

I would say 13 @ marathon pace or 10 @ marathon pace + 3 "go" miles. I think you need to be ok knowing that you have nothing to prove at this race. It's a chance to put on your race day kit, get in some hard miles, and practice nutrition.