A question for successful marathoners

Anyone?

Probably. Is this RLRF?

Yes. I can do a 20 miler at MP+1 min at pretty much any time.

The 7 mile MP tempo is a little tougher, but still very doable most of the time.

20 miles @ MP+60 seconds: Yes. (7:00/mi for 20; MP was 6:07)

13 w/7 @ MP: Maybe, but it would have been difficult, and I never did it solo in training during my PR days. Obviously fairly easy in a race situation, though (like a half marathon). Or maybe with a training group.

Also, much depends on where you are in terms of fitness progression. If you're relatively out of shape now, you'll see tremendous gains in 18 weeks, so goal pace would be very difficult at the moment.

Thanks for the replies. I’m coming out of a strong base building season and was hoping those workouts would be a good sign for race day. Sounds like they might be but also might not be.

I never had time goals but nearly all of my runs were at marathon pace or a bit faster. So, sure.

I could run 7 miles at goal marathon pace in a 12-mile run at pretty much any time. I could probably do 20 miles at marathon pace + 60 seconds, but that would be the harder workout for me. I'm not much of a marathoner, though.

lookingforaPR wrote:

Last time you ran a successful (for you) marathon and hit your time goal, could you have done the following two workouts 4.5 months out from your goal race?

Run 20 miles at MP+60 seconds

Run 7 miles at MP in the middle of a 12 mile run during a high mileage week (i.e. not tapered)

I could have run those 6 weeks out, while at peak mileage and with plenty of fatigue. No idea about 4.5 months (18-19 weeks) out - my training cycles aren't anywhere near that long. Generally, at that point I'm on a break or just coming off of one, so the answer would probably be no.

darkwave wrote:

lookingforaPR wrote:

Last time you ran a successful (for you) marathon and hit your time goal, could you have done the following two workouts 4.5 months out from your goal race?

Run 20 miles at MP+60 seconds

Run 7 miles at MP in the middle of a 12 mile run during a high mileage week (i.e. not tapered)

I could have run those 6 weeks out, while at peak mileage and with plenty of fatigue. No idea about 4.5 months (18-19 weeks) out - my training cycles aren't anywhere near that long. Generally, at that point I'm on a break or just coming off of one, so the answer would probably be no.

+1

lookingforaPR wrote:

Thanks for the replies. I’m coming out of a strong base building season and was hoping those workouts would be a good sign for race day. Sounds like they might be but also might not be.

Define " strong base building season"?

Easy bro. 5:20 MP, Regularly did over 20 miles under 6:20. Maybe 8 times (every other week was a long run, 20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26)

Over 7 at MP. Not easy. Got up to 10 at MP in the middle of a 14. Wanted to get to 12, but never felt comfortable enough at 10 to try it. Over 7 miles 6 times (long tempo every other week, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10)

4.5 months out? nope...

definitely not the 20 miles at MP+ 60 seconds... no way, no how... would probably have to be closer to 6-8 weeks from race day to knock this out

maybe on the 7 at MP in the middle of 12, but it would have been a very tough workout... could probably have nailed this one 10-12 weeks out

if someone can run 20 miles at MP+60 four months before their goal race, they probably need to shoot for a faster goal

lookingforaPR wrote:

Last time you ran a successful (for you) marathon and hit your time goal, could you have done the following two workouts 4.5 months out from your goal race?

Run 20 miles at MP+60 seconds

Run 7 miles at MP in the middle of a 12 mile run during a high mileage week (i.e. not tapered)

Doesn't the Pfitzinger Plan have a workout a little tougher than workout No. 2 as the Sunday run in week two (i.e. untapered at the end of a long week)?

lookingforaPR wrote:

Last time you ran a successful (for you) marathon and hit your time goal, could you have done the following two workouts 4.5 months out from your goal race?

Run 20 miles at MP+60 seconds

Run 7 miles at MP in the middle of a 12 mile run during a high mileage week (i.e. not tapered)

2:26 marathon.

20 miles - could easily do, wouldn't do 4.5 months out, way too early.

7 miles MP - harder, but no problem if need to. But would never do that workout so far out either.

yes I could, but I wouldn't have.

These 2 workouts typically happened about 9 or 10 weeks out for me.

I've done three marathons over the course of a year (having done none before) and the third was a success (BQ). 4.5 months outside of the successful marathon, I could do the 20 miles at BQ MP + 1min and the 7 miles at BQ MP, but I certainly couldn't do this 4.5 months outside of my first and second marathons. It takes a while to get there, but can get there.

Why would you even attempt these 4.5 months out? I'm either on break as other runners have said, or base building with nothing resembling those runs.

Yes to both questions. 4.5 months before NYC I could do a 20 mile Long Run at MP+ 30 seconds. I could also do a 10 Mile Tempo Run between MP and HMP with a 2 mile warmup and 2 mile cooldown.

My guess is that OP is trying to gauge whether their marathon goal 4.5 months from now is too aggressive.

I'm a little surprised by some of the mixed responses, especially from 2:26. I've run 2:28 and I feel like I could run 20 miles at 6:40 or faster almost any day of the year. 7 miles at 5:40 is much harder and I'd only be able to complete that if I'm in a training block.