can I run a 3:15 marathon with no specific prep for it?

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9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:25pm EST

college middle distance runner. pretty low mileage, 30-40 a week. I'm in my senior year so after the spring season finishes up a bunch of my graduating teammates and I are going to run a late spring marathon. for all of them its no sweat, they're all 5k/10k guys and log 60+ miles a week with solid long runs. for me though it might be a tall order. I will be coming off peak 800m training so pretty much no long aerobic work. I'll do a 10-12 mile long run once a week the rest of the year but nothing longer more than likely. the longest run I've ever done is 16 miles from last summer and I have a 15:4x 5k PR. might be able to sneak in a 16-18 miler over spring break or like 10 days before the race as well.

can I break 3:15? can I finish without hurting myself?

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:28pm EST

re: middy to marathon

For 15:40 5k, 3:15 pace should be basically pedestrian. I think it's too slow for you to have a crazy blow up even on low mileage, but could be wrong.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:30pm EST

re: middy to marathon

How long in duration/mileage are your three longest runs in the last 3 months?

If you're capping them at 90 minutes or 2 hours, you're going to have a bad time on race day.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:30pm EST

re: middy to marathon

middy to marathon wrote:
college middle distance runner. pretty low mileage, 30-40 a week. I'm in my senior year so after the spring season finishes up a bunch of my graduating teammates and I are going to run a late spring marathon. for all of them its no sweat, they're all 5k/10k guys and log 60+ miles a week with solid long runs. for me though it might be a tall order. I will be coming off peak 800m training so pretty much no long aerobic work. I'll do a 10-12 mile long run once a week the rest of the year but nothing longer more than likely. the longest run I've ever done is 16 miles from last summer and I have a 15:4x 5k PR. might be able to sneak in a 16-18 miler over spring break or like 10 days before the race as well.
can I break 3:15? can I finish without hurting myself?

Possibly you can do that. Others have but that doesn't mean you can or that you can't. I'd bet against you doing both but not heavily.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:34pm EST

re: middy to marathon

middy to marathon wrote:
college middle distance runner. pretty low mileage, 30-40 a week. I'm in my senior year so after the spring season finishes up a bunch of my graduating teammates and I are going to run a late spring marathon. for all of them its no sweat, they're all 5k/10k guys and log 60+ miles a week with solid long runs. for me though it might be a tall order. I will be coming off peak 800m training so pretty much no long aerobic work. I'll do a 10-12 mile long run once a week the rest of the year but nothing longer more than likely. the longest run I've ever done is 16 miles from last summer and I have a 15:4x 5k PR. might be able to sneak in a 16-18 miler over spring break or like 10 days before the race as well.
can I break 3:15? can I finish without hurting myself?

No sweat. You got this. Wear super shoes, fuel throughout the race, and go out slow!

Try to get some longer runs in if you can.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:38pm EST

re: Breakfast In Bed

Breakfast In Bed wrote:
How long in duration/mileage are your three longest runs in the last 3 months?
If you're capping them at 90 minutes or 2 hours, you're going to have a bad time on race day.

not close to 2 hours. if I'm jogging the 12 miler I'll finish in about 90 minutes. I usually try and run something like 65 minutes for the 10 miler.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 7:40pm EST

re: HRE

HRE wrote:
middy to marathon wrote:
college middle distance runner. pretty low mileage, 30-40 a week. I'm in my senior year so after the spring season finishes up a bunch of my graduating teammates and I are going to run a late spring marathon. for all of them its no sweat, they're all 5k/10k guys and log 60+ miles a week with solid long runs. for me though it might be a tall order. I will be coming off peak 800m training so pretty much no long aerobic work. I'll do a 10-12 mile long run once a week the rest of the year but nothing longer more than likely. the longest run I've ever done is 16 miles from last summer and I have a 15:4x 5k PR. might be able to sneak in a 16-18 miler over spring break or like 10 days before the race as well.
can I break 3:15? can I finish without hurting myself?
Possibly you can do that. Others have but that doesn't mean you can or that you can't. I'd bet against you doing both but not heavily.

I'm not all too worried about running 3:15, I just wanted an idea of how fast to go out and figured 7:25s was a reasonable starting place. my main goal is to finish and to finish without permanent damage to my legs.

9 months ago 12/09/2024 9:51pm EST

re: middy to marathon

middy to marathon wrote:
HRE wrote:
Possibly you can do that. Others have but that doesn't mean you can or that you can't. I'd bet against you doing both but not heavily.
I'm not all too worried about running 3:15, I just wanted an idea of how fast to go out and figured 7:25s was a reasonable starting place. my main goal is to finish and to finish without permanent damage to my legs.

You're very unlikely to damage your legs permanently but they may be unhappy for a few days afterward.

9 months ago 12/10/2024 12:23am EST

re: probably struggle

probably struggle wrote:
For 15:40 5k, 3:15 pace should be basically pedestrian. I think it's too slow for you to have a crazy blow up even on low mileage, but could be wrong.

Agreed. It's basically just a long recovery run, at that pace he should worry more about having to take restroom breaks than blowing up

9 months ago 12/10/2024 12:05pm EST

re: middy to marathon

I did my first marathon when I was around your age. I ran a 3:15 off of about six months of training with basically no previous running background. I'd also just quit smoking cigarettes a few months prior. You can definitely do this.

9 months ago 12/10/2024 12:31pm EST

re: middy to marathon

You won't likely run a 3:15, but its possible. Why would you want to though? You might actually be able to run a decent 10k or even half. A 315 marathon does you nothing except beat your legs up for weeks because of your training background. I'd do something you can handle than this random marathon to say you've done one.

9 months ago 12/10/2024 12:44pm EST

re: Kvothe

Kvothe wrote:
You won't likely run a 3:15, but its possible. Why would you want to though? You might actually be able to run a decent 10k or even half. A 315 marathon does you nothing except beat your legs up for weeks because of your training background. I'd do something you can handle than this random marathon to say you've done one.

1. the rest of my graduating friends are doing it and I want to be a part of that experience. its sort of a farewell race for all of us together.

2. I won't be well prepped for a 10k or a half either. I'll be better prepped sure, but I'm not gonna run a great time. so if I'm gonna run a slow time no matter what, I'd rather do something I've never done before.

3. isn't most people's reason for doing a marathon (when they aren't competing for the top spots) just to say that they've done one?

4. who cares if I'm beat up for a few weeks, there has never been a time in my life where I wasn't training for the next season until this race. if I take a month off afterwards so be it.

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