for a 2:50 or slower marathoner? I remember reading somewhere that anything faster than 10K pace doesn't do anything to increase your efficiency at marathon pace? Am I way off base here? It seems most marathon programs even have us slower runners running lots of VO2 max intervals for the marathon.
Anybody?
If you are running VO2max intervals, then you are running faster than 5K pace.
But are VO2 max intervals really necessary for slower marathoners? Do they deserve time in the training schedule?
Thanks.
no they're not really necessary probably, if you've been breaking 3 hours, you can most likely continue to do so off of just doing long miles and marathon pace work at longer and longer distances. an occasional fast work out doesn't hurt though, and can help the shorter races like 5k and 10k, which you should be running from time to time during your marathon prep.
if you are racing shorter distances like 10ks, etc, you may want to have some 5k paced workouts in your training. a good workout would be something at mostly 10k pace with some 5k pace mixed in.
I almost never do vo2max work other than some 200m strides after almost every workout.
citius5000 wrote:
if you are racing shorter distances like 10ks, etc, you may want to have some 5k paced workouts in your training. a good workout would be something at mostly 10k pace with some 5k pace mixed in.
I agree with that, and before the marathon I've always entered in some 5k and 10k and used it as a workout
It gets you used to racing, running surrounded by people, the nerves, pace, helps with speed, practice drinking at water stations, getting used to racing in the morning and a lot more things...
As long as you aren't going all-out and make sure you're doing the workout planned, there's no reason not to. You may even end up like me and PR without knowing it/ trying to