Leg soreness during the Marathon

You're kidding! Your legs get sore running over 26 miles? ;)

If it is not slowing you down, I'd say you are pretty lucky and doing well for yourself. Maybe doing more MP running within your long run could get your legs more used to the pounding.

I'd also be surprised if there is anyone out there that feels fresh as a daisy in the 2nd half. For me, I do get really out of breath and start to feel like I'm going to fall over.

lucky dog! wrote:

You're kidding! Your legs get sore running over 26 miles? ;)

If it is not slowing you down, I'd say you are pretty lucky and doing well for yourself. Maybe doing more MP running within your long run could get your legs more used to the pounding.

I'd also be surprised if there is anyone out there that feels fresh as a daisy in the 2nd half. For me, I do get really out of breath and start to feel like I'm going to fall over.

In my last Marathon I was sore at mile 8. I was reduced to going after road kill at the end but I was not able to advance on anyone who had anything left. Everyone I talk to is feeling great at mile 8. I think if I could do something about it I might be able to cut around 10 minutes off my time which would be huge for me. I do some of my 20 milers in training with the last 10 at MP. Maybe it's not enough and I should do more as you have suggested. My taper is usually 2 1/2 - 3 weeks. Thanks for the reply.

with that kind of mileage during the week you should be fine. You need to ask yourself what you are doing differently in races than you are doing in training, particularly on your long runs.

Are you training occasionally on roads or is it all on trails? Are you doing something like carbo-depleting? Maybe your taper is too long or you're cutting your mileage too much. It can be a lot of things, these are just a few to think about.

................ wrote:

Are you training occasionally on roads or is it all on trails? Are you doing something like carbo-depleting? Maybe your taper is too long or you're cutting your mileage too much. It can be a lot of things, these are just a few to think about.

I'm running mostly on the road. I did do the carbo deplete load thing once but decided it wasn't really for me.

My taper might be a bit too long. I'm always worried about not going into the race fresh enough but of course being sore before 10 miles is not what I'm looking for after the taper. So maybe you're on to something with that. Maybe I'll shorten the taper a little next time. I figure I've got nothing to lose.

are you wearing different shoes? not training fast enough?

That's what I was going to ask. Are you wearing flats on race day or different shoes in general? Are you doing any MP or long runs in those shoes?

Your central governor is shutting you down.

Maybe try doing exercises for the muscles that get sore. Is it all of them, or just some? I try to do exercises for the muscles that get sore and it helps a lot. Leg raises for my upper quads, calf raises for my calves.

i wear the nike zoom milers for marathons. i also train at 9:45 pace and mp is 8:45. i don't really lift weights either.

9:45 pace and you went 2:39? get your numbers straight.

Someone used my handle. I'm not registered under this name.

I ran my last Marathon in my training shoes because I was thinking the same things that you guys were. I wore flats during a previous Marathon and got leg soreness early so I thought that was my problem but it happened again with the trainers.

The soreness is always in the quads and it's really the only thing that keeps me from going faster in my last few Marathons.

I'll try some of those exercises as you guys have suggested. Thank you for the comments.

Practice 10 mile runs at exactly the same pace and so on. If you do everything exactly the same hopefully you'll crack it. Maybe it's a warm up issue - have u had to stand around for a long time before all the marathons?

20-30 lbs. (20-30 reps x 3) (3 times/week)

It sounds like taper issue to me. What does your taper consist of?

I have heard of studies that show that even being mildly dehydrated can cause more muscle soreness, or at least more sensitivity to being sore. Make sure you are hydrating during your taper and during your race.

Could also be the shoes.

Training in 12oz shoes vs racing in 8oz shoes...

.25lb x 180 strides per minute x 150 minutes = 6750lbs of extra force.

Do some long runs, progressive runs, and long tempos in the shoes you plan to race in.

If you are feeling sore at mile 8 it could also be that you are simply going out too fast.

Two common goals in all training:

Practice at the intensity you plan to compete at (ie: marathon pace runs)

Practice at the duration you plan to compete at (ie: long runs)

Practice at the intensity AND duration you plan to compet eat (ie: long marathon pace runs, 10 miles should be relatively easy)

Alan

I've read about people throwing in a chunk at MP at the end of a long run. You run fast in training, and you run far also, but remember, the goal is to go FAR FAST. So you've got to simulate that a bit. Daniels describes "dress rehersals" several weeks out where you do everything like you would the day of the marathon, and do a run at MP for longer than usual. He also suggests doing some threshold stuff during an M-pace run to get your legs tired. here's a sample workout he suggests 6 weeks out from the marathon:

8mi easy+

8mi M-pace+

1mi T-pace+

4mi M-pace+

1mi T-pace+

1mi M-pace

That's one hell of a workout (23mi!), so that should make your legs feel like they will during the marathon.

Circle D wrote:

It sounds like taper issue to me. What does your taper consist of?

Sorry it took so long to get back. Thank you for the advice guys. I'm thinking it might be a taper issue?

The shoes I wore in the last Marathon are the same as my trainers because I was thinking the same thing a lot of you guys are.

I do a lot of progression runs where the last 10 miles of a 20 mile run are close to MP with the last 5 at quicker then MP.

I don't do a lot of MP running on its own in the 10 - 15 mile range. Maybe I should add that to the routine. The legs lifts sound like a good idea. i remember reading about Dick Beardsley beating his quads up two hours at a time before Boston. I don't know whether I will do anything like that but it seemed to work for him that year.

My taper usually begins 2 1/2 weeks out and is rather steep. My weekly mileage goes from 100 to 60 to 20. Maybe I shouldn't drop to 20 during the last week?