I'm following the 2Q marathon training plan in the 3rd edition of Running Formula, 41-55 mpw (although my milage is slightly higher). I'm getting closer to my goal race. Two weeks out from race day Jack has me doing the following workout:
1 E + 3 × (2 T w/2 min rests) + 60 min E
I'm thinking of replacing that workout with a 10k race, perhaps with a longish cooldown afterwards.
Would anyone care to share some advice/experiences?
Haven't done it personally, but most of the Pfitz plans have a 10k a couple weeks out from goal marathon day.
A week out I wouldn't do it. But 2-3 weeks out, there is a good chance you PR that shorter distance race. I'd be very, very flexible on the long cool down, though. If your legs feel more beat up than you expected, just go super easy and push your last medium long run back a couple days. Don't do the miles just to do the miles. If anything, I might do a longer warm up. Maybe 5 miles or so.
I think that is a fair substitution as far as getting the desired physiological benefits of the workout goes.
A couple of other thoughts:
- I wouldn't substitute a race for this workout if having a subpar race might make you doubt your fitness or otherwise have a negative psychological effect. Jack ramps the mileage down gradually over the last month, but the big taper really comes over the last 2-3 weeks of the cycle. So when you run this race, the effect of the taper really won't have taken hold and you will probably be racing on fatigued legs. Sometimes people pop good races under these circumstances, some times they have off days. I usually fall into the latter category, but that really doesn't bother me. But if it might bother you to see a 10k performance a couple of VDOT scores away from the VDOT score of your goal marathon pace, you would be better off not racing.
- If you are feeling at all banged up, I would skip the race in favor of the workout as the race will be more demanding. Not point in risking a marathon cycle in order to get in a 10k race.
Thanks to both of you for the thoughtful advice!
As anyone who has done a cycle of 2Q knows, the workouts are quite demanding. I've been able to pull off most of the workouts fairly well (not too far off my VDOT), but the workouts are challenging, and I've gotten used to feeling pretty trashed the days after a Q session. In fact, on pretty much all of my easy runs I start off feeling worse than on my Q sessions. So, I go pretty slow (except for the occasional strides) on easy days to be sufficiently rested to handle another Q beating. :)
I'll see how my legs feel and take a late decision.
Also 2Qing, Week 11 here. Those threshold workouts are killer. 2-3 weeks out sounds good for a 10k, padded out with easy miles for a cooldown. Daniels advises if you do any races, to drop the Q2 session for that week.
Q1: 1 E + 3 × (2 T w/2 min rests) + 60 min E
Q2: 4E + 1T + 2M + 1E + 1T + 2M + 2E
If you want to go by the book, you'd drop Q2. Honestly the 10K sounds more similar to the Q1 workout, so I think you're good to replace Q1 and still run Q2 that week. Just make sure you're recovering enough between the two. Plenty of sleep and calories and you'll be fine.