How fast can a marathon be run off of 50-60 miles/week and what's the best way to do it?

Are you running on concrete and asphalt? You might be able to tolerate more miles if you can run on a grass field. I would suggest two key workouts; a long run, 20 miles, done as a progression run and a long tempo (10 miles). Those are the most important workouts regardless of mpw, but it will be essential for you to get them in consistently. How fast can you go? Well, how much talent do you have, because that is always the determining factor. I managed to run a 2:52 off of mid 30's and am really pretty slow. Best of luck to you and try to get on softer surfaces if you can.

I think 50-60 plus cross training will get you as good a marathon as if you ran 70. Doesn't matter if it's biking or swimming. A treadmill would be your best bet.

ONE THOUGHT WOULD BE TO DO SOME CROSS TRAINING. YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR AEROBIC CAPACITY WHILE PREVENTING INJURY. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT QUITE THE SAME AS RUNNING, IT CAN STILL BE BENEFICIAL. MAKE ALL OF YOUR RUNNING QUALITY RUNNING, AND INSTEAD OF RUNNING ON EASY OR RECOVERY DAYS, CROSS TRAIN INSTEAD...OR RUN ONLY A FEW MILES ON RECOVERY DAYS AND MIX IN SOME BIKING/SWIMMING AFTERWARDS. RUN JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP YOUR MILEAGE UNDER 70 FOR THE WEEK.

KRISTIN wrote:

ONE THOUGHT WOULD BE TO

Another thought would be to quit shouting, tootsie.

Thanks a lot!

I do a bit of biking already (3-4 hours a week)on top of my running, but I really don't think it helps very much. I've experimented with doing a lot of biking and swimming and aqua jogging and doing very little XT and really don't think it helps as much as people like to think. Some people have has great success with it though, so I'll keep it up just for shits and giggles.

Cooler Ethan wrote:

Thanks a lot!

I do a bit of biking already (3-4 hours a week)on top of my running, but I really don't think it helps very much. I've experimented with doing a lot of biking and swimming and aqua jogging and doing very little XT and really don't think it helps as much as people like to think. Some people have has great success with it though, so I'll keep it up just for shits and giggles.

Shits, giggles and aerobic health.

I ran a 2:39 off of about 60 mpw 2 years ago. It was my first marathon. It can be done. I do a lot of cycling and water running. I have had very bad luck when doing a lot of miles.

I ran 2:35 on 50-70 miles earlier this year, and I'm an old man. So you should be able to do that if not better. For a long time I thought I couldn't run more than 35mpw without getting injured. What got me past that was doing as many miles as possible on soft surfaces and constantly varying shoes, routes, etc, to avoid repetitive strain. I didn't get one injury in 16 weeks of training. Good luck.

How fast you can run on how much you run is really dependent on your natural ability. If you can't crack low 30 minutes in the 10K, then you can pretty much guarantee that you aren't running sub 2:40 on only 70 MPW.

What are some of your times on races above 10K? That should be a good indicator on how fast you can run a Marathon on "limited" mileage.

AdamLocked wrote:

How fast you can run on how much you run is really dependent on your natural ability. If you can't crack low 30 minutes in the 10K, then you can pretty much guarantee that you aren't running sub 2:40 on only 70 MPW.

What are some of your times on races above 10K? That should be a good indicator on how fast you can run a Marathon on "limited" mileage.

BS. There are a ton of people who can/ have run sub 2:40 on 70 miles or less per week and don't have 10k pr's close to 30 minutes.

AdamLocked wrote:

How fast you can run on how much you run is really dependent on your natural ability. If you can't crack low 30 minutes in the 10K, then you can pretty much guarantee that you aren't running sub 2:40 on only 70 MPW.

What are some of your times on races above 10K? That should be a good indicator on how fast you can run a Marathon on "limited" mileage.

buddy of mine qualified for the trials in '04 on 50-60 miles per week and never cracked 30 min for 10k.

AdamLocked wrote:

How fast you can run on how much you run is really dependent on your natural ability. If you can't crack low 30 minutes in the 10K, then you can pretty much guarantee that you aren't running sub 2:40 on only 70 MPW.

What are some of your times on races above 10K? That should be a good indicator on how fast you can run a Marathon on "limited" mileage.

this is one of the dumbest post i have ever read. If you can run low 30s 10k, then you should have no problem running a 2:40 marathon on 70mpw and probably should be able to go significantly lower.

I'd guess that most guys running around 2:40 marathons, regardless of mileage, have never come close to 30 for a 10k.

buddy of mine qualified for the trials in '04 on 50-60

miles per week and never cracked 30 min for 10k.

BS. There are a ton of people who can/ have run sub 2:40 on 70 miles or less per week and don't have 10k pr's close to 30 minutes.

Er, okay a 2:40 on 70 MPW was not a very good example of the point I was trying to make. I was wrong.

Running a 2:40 is something like a sub 35 minute 10K according to most predictor charts. The point I was trying to make is that if you're training on 70 MPW to run a 35 minute 10K, then I would guess that you probably aren't running 2:40 on 70 MPW as well. So that's why a 10K (or something longer preferably, like 25-30K) is a good predictor of what you can do at the Marathon on a given mileage.

1. Make sure you have one long run a week--18 miles or so.

2. Make sure you have one tempo run a week--10 miles or so.

3. Make sure you have run something like 4x1 mile once a week--with a mile warmup and warmdown.

4. Run about 8 miles a day as you feel the other days, perhaps one of these a fartlek workout.

As your condition improves, run 1, 2, and 3 faster, but make sure 4 is used to recover. Also, in the months leading up to a marathon, increase 1 to 20-22 miles. Also, introduce some short hill sprints or just short sprints at the end of one or two of the easier days.

Total--66 miles

huh?? wrote:

this is one of the dumbest post i have ever read. If you can run low 30s 10k, then you should have no problem running a 2:40 marathon on 70mpw and probably should be able to go significantly lower.

I'd guess that most guys running around 2:40 marathons, regardless of mileage, have never come close to 30 for a 10k.

You're right, you're right... it was a dumb post.

The intention was to explain to the OP that the only way someone could probably predict "How fast can I run X distance on X miles" is look at previous races ran at previous MPW and that should give you a reasonable indication what is possible.

Do you would show typical week ?

Thanks

gelindo wrote:I managed to run a 2:52 off of mid 30's and am really pretty slow.

Get real. I ran 2.57 off 25-30 at the age of 40. In young days training 80-100 per week I could only run 4.20 for 1500m.

Plenty of guys have run 2.15-20 off 50-70 per week, of course those guys might have been 2.10-12 guys off 100.

Here's the program a guy used to run 2.15.50

Mon -9mls home from work.

Tue am- 6mls to work.

pm- 6mls home from work.

Wed -9mls home from work.

Thu am- 6mls to work.

pm- 6mls home from work.

Fri -6mls to work.

Sat - xc race.

Sun - 13mls.

All runs were over hilly terrain and most done at a good pace, mostly around 6min per mile or a bit quicker.

He had a best of about 14.18 for 5k.

It would also be worth looking up Jack Foster. Jack rarely went much over 70mpw and ran 2.11 at 40 and 2.15 at 45. He ran 2.20 at 50 off about 60mpw.

Derek Turnbull ran 2.38 at 60 and 2.41 at 65. Derek typically did a long run-20-30mls on sunday and maybe one or two 10 milers during the week if he had time after his day of farm work.

Ghost has many posts related to guys who have run well off low volume training.

Just a point, I am not advocating low mileage as THE best approach. I'm just pointing out that you can still run reasonably well without running the big miles. For most of us this is a recreational hobby not our main job.

Strength train. Increase strength and elasticity of muscles and connective tissue = reduce stress fracture chances.

Stress fractures don't happen "just cuz".

Don't you also think the stress of a 3 hour run might also cause another stress fracture?

Fix the cause, not the problem.

Alan