Marathon Starting Pace?

Training Advice/Discussion Marathon

15 years ago 04/22/2008 9:30am EDT

I'm running my 5th marathon in Cleveland on May 18th. I'm trying to figure out what pace to start at and need some advice. Going into this marathon I'm the fittest I've ever been. I've followed rather closely the Pfitz 18/70 plan with missing a few easy runs/recovery runs due to work and family conflicts. I ran a 17 mile workout with the last 14 which were supposed to be at MGP. I thought I'd be happy if I ran them at 7:38 pace (3:20 Marathon) but i ended up running 7:17 pace. I felt good throughout the workout but I was spent at the end.

I'm a little scared to try that pace for the marathon. My last two marathons I've died pretty hard the last 5-6 miles. If I can do 14 at 7:17 pace do you think I'd be OK to start around 7:38 pace or should I be more conservative? Any advice would be really appreciated!

15 years ago 04/22/2008 9:41am EDT

re: asicsrunner80

I'd say go for it. If you survived (but didn't enjoy, maybe) 14 miles of a 17 mile run in training at 20s/mile faster, 7:38 pace should be a conservative goal pace, I would think. I'll bet that if you carry that pace dead steady for the first 20 miles, you'll be able to pick it up the last six instead of dying slowly and run a negative split feeling good at the end.

15 years ago 04/22/2008 1:56pm EDT

re: asicsrunner80

I was too conservative in my last marathon and could have run it faster. My pace at miles 18-26 were about 15 seconds faster than the first 17. So I am a fan of trusting training "flukes" (which aren't flukes at all) like being able to run at a much faster pace comfortably than thought.

It's great that you ran that pace, but the fact that it was *only* (I know, I know) for 14 miles is worrisome. Did you feel as if you could have run another 12 miles at that pace?

If the answer is no or maybe, you might try splitting the difference -- run the first half at +/- 7:25 and see how you feel at mile 13. Then pick it up to 7:17 and hold it there for a few miles. If you're still feeling great, you can either stay at that pace or start racing and pushing the pace more.

That's what so great and so terrible about the marathon. There's always a bit of mystery about what will happen to you between miles 18 and 26...

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