Marathon training without LONG runs?

ImissSpicey wrote:

PatrickSebast wrote:

No one on the HTFU-side has even bothered to give me a reason as to why I NEED to long run 4-5 weeks out. It is just a repetitive insistence that I do it anyway.

They don't need to. They have decades of successful marathon training plans (both elite and non-elite) behind them. You're asking about something that's pretty unorthodox. Thus it's not up to them to prove to you why the orthodox method is correct. It's up to others to suggest why an unorthodox method might actually work.[/quote]

Surprisingly crisp response for a Letsrun thread.

I'll post it here instead of starting a new thread or post but when did the phrases "shakeout", "workout", and "doubles" come into the running vocabulary? It was just run twice a day, hard runs, intervals, easy warm ups etc, back then. There was no real distinction, it seemed, just get out and run, get in a hard run, interval workout, long run, easy run etc.

ImissSpicey wrote:

They don't need to. They have decades of successful marathon training plans (both elite and non-elite) behind them. You're asking about something that's pretty unorthodox. Thus it's not up to them to prove to you why the orthodox method is correct. It's up to others to suggest why an unorthodox method might actually work.

I'm not really interested in "everyone's doing it" anecdotes as my decision making point. The discussion was never whether or not going over 2 hours was optimal. There was no claim made a that an unorthodox method was correct. I simply asked for the best substitute for a four week period that might not even end up cold enough to need it. And some posters gave really good suggestions so I don't know what continues to enrage a select few.

The only possible response to this thread; just wait, hahahaha and hahahaha

Won't cut it son.

14-15 is your midweek single.

If you can't do a long run in temps in the 30's,

You shouldn't be running a marathon.

Very sad.

Common sense guy wrote:

Throw in a double day.

This. Or multiple two-a-days. Preferably as many as possible.

Sebast, stop worrying about your GD #s and run; where would you be without your heart monitor, GPS watch and "prescribed" easy runs?

I'm sure you're a troll preying on the generosity of the LetsRun "knowledge base" but your willful arrogance and ignorance deserves far less.

Waaaaaah, it's cold.... Waaaaah, what will happen if...

The reason you'll fail is your attitude. You aren't willing to do whatever it takes to get your training done, whether that's a long run in the cold or on the treadmill.

Look, young padawan, when you publicly post a question, you get answers from the public. It is up to you to read them or not, to pick one as correct and forget about the others. And most likely you will be served anecdotes. This is not a science congress.

People will tell you what they have positive experience with, and if they have no experience, what they have heard or read. If you don't want the former, and also not want people to refer standard training methods, you may just want to read Pfitzinger, Daniels, or in your case maybe preferably Hansons, for yourself.

There is sufficient evidence that the optimal marathon preparation includes doing long runs. No, it is not absolutely necessary. Actually, no running preparation is necessary at all, since almost every healthy adult will be able to walk the marathon distance in 6 hours.

If you don't want to do long runs, fine. But don't expect people to support your hopes that you will be doing as fine as with standard training.