Fitness test before marathon

How does that test your fitness?

Test your fitness? What have you been doing during training?

I've been training, paces based on a race in March, in the heat and humidity, with lots of fatigue. I'd like to have an idea of what pace I should shoot for in the marathon based on my actual fitness, not my fitness in March, or the fitness I think I am at.

What have you done in your last 3-4 workouts? What's your average miles per week over that time, and what are some lifetime PRs?

Time trials can help you determine what your goal marathon pace could be. I personally would not do a flat out 10k 2 weeks before a marathon I cared about but a flat-out 5k race is something I recover from. I am presuming that you race enough at the 5k distance that you would know how to manage your race pace, when to start your finishing kick, etc.

My plan had me do a half marathon this past Sunday with my marathon not until the week after Chicago. Because of scheduling, I had to race a 5k the day before. FWIW

I'm a 43 year old dude, about 6'5" and 185. I'm doing the Daniels 2Q plan, 70 miles a week the last 2, not less than 63 in the last month. I've hit the running mileage goals, but have thrown in a bike ride (one 43 mile gravel bike event) or very short swim here or there, sometimes helps the running legs feel better. I've never really just trained for a marathon like I have the last few months.

My marathon PR is 2:52, was training like a triathlete, so 50 was the max and was more in the 35 average per week. I've run a half in 1:20, again...like a triathlete. I've take it easy the last few years and didn't really train seriously for anything or race much. I decided to train again this year, did 35-50 for a couple months and ran a 1:36:40 25K in March. That seems to indicate I could go sub 2:50 if trained properly. I've tried to train properly, pretty much 63-70 miles the last couple months with some good workouts. I did my first XC 10K in 37:35 a month ago, slower than I do a road 10K in...but it was on dirt and some single track. A lot of my training runs have pretty big elevation, not like Chicago at all. Did a 20 miler a couple weeks ago and wrecked legs in 2:54...but it had 2500+ elevation gain. I've had some 16 milers that averaged sub 7, but there was a workout going on, so I didn't really care about the average.

I'd like to go sub 2:50. Chicago is FLAT, I never run flat and sometimes run very hilly. I can do a flat race 2 weeks before to try to see where I am at. Should it be a 5K or 10K? I feel like I could completely recover from a 10K pretty easily, but I'm also not a very experienced racer (if I enter a race I will go 100%). I'd also still be just getting ready to taper for the the "fitness test", so there would still be some fatigue involved...but that seems okay to me. Thoughts?

Skip the time trial. Going sub-2:50 is a reasonable goal. Start out conservative, get on pace, and see how you're feeling after 20 miles. Will any likely result of a 5K be enough evidence that you should aim for 2:45 this time around? Probably not. So just skip the TT.

I agree skip the test.

Just do a few paced workouts.

-4x2 mile or 3x5k near marathon pace on a flat piece of road or track.

If you can’t finish either of those at the desired pace you might want to adjust your goal slightly. They might not be super easy, but you should be able to easily do them.

Thanks for the comments. I have no desire to try to go sub 2:45, even if "something" indicated I could (Runalyze is saying 2:40 and I laugh). Would rather do a comfortable sub 2:50, then can decide if I'd like to try for something more next year. I'll skip and see how my 3 x 2 mile scheduled workout goes. I'll find a boring flat route, but something that can give me an idea of where I am at.