Marathon Training Question

RunnerElizabeth

So I'm training for my first marathon on November 2. Because of my crazy schedule I'm currently run commuting with my daughter in her stroller two days a week for 18 miles (easy, faster, downhill 5 in the a.m. and slower, uphill 4 in the p.m.) and I'm working on building that to a third day.

Because the stroller kind of sets the pace, and it will be different than the marathon without the stroller, I can't spend any time on these runs working at any specific pace.

I do have 30 minutes once a week for a solo run where I could be doing a more specific workout if that makes sense for me to do. What would be the most beneficial thing for me to do with this 30 minutes? Since it's only 30 minutes is it a waste of time to try to do a more specific workout? Should I just be running all my runs at a comfortable pace?

My goal is to finish the marathon, but i would like to be around my mcmillan predicted time of 4:25:10 (10:07 pace) based on my HM pr.

Oh and my marathon is rather hilly.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

wombat94

Hmm... I'm also training for my first full marathon, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but what I'm most concerned about is the opportunity for long runs.

With what you describe, your longest continuous run is actually 5 miles (on the way to work)... several times a week.

Does your plan have any place in it for long runs at all?

Three days a week of running to and from work plus 30 minutes would put you at around 30 miles per week which is pretty light for marathon training, especially if you don't have a long run day in the plan somewhere.

Linli_Anne

I think that you need to add in that 3rd day of run -commuting, bringing your mileage up to 27. You will also need a day to devote to the LSD. You can do it with the stroller.

It was my LSD that really prepared me for the marathon - the miles during the week were just that, miles.

RunnerElizabeth

Oh, I just left the long run part out. I do long runs on Sundays, currently 10-12 miles with or without the stroller. And I'll be adding to that as well, building to peak at 20. Any long run over 13 i won't do with the stroller. The plan is to peak at 50mpw, if things are going well in August I'll see if i think i can keep building up my weekday mileage so that I'm closer to 55-60 per week.

_Josee_

Oh, I just left the long run part out. I do long runs on Sundays, currently 10-12 miles with or without the stroller. And I'll be adding to that as well, building to peak at 20. Any long run over 13 i won't do with the stroller. The plan is to peak at 50mpw, if things are going well in August I'll see if i think i can keep building up my weekday mileage so that I'm closer to 55-60 per week.

I peaked at 50-55 miles. But my average weekly mileage for the 22 weeks training cycle was 30.71mi (I had to take a week off, and there was 2 races in there so I had to taper & recover). I felt prepared and it went great.

I think that weekly mileage is as important as long runs. The more easy miles you can fit in, stroller or not, fast or not, the better you will be.

Just my not expert at all two cents.

schmenge55

This ^^^^^. Marathons love miles. Really, they love leg time. If you could do nothing else, get the miles in. If you can get the miles in and a solid long run. So much the better. If you can get the miles and the long and a tempo run, better yet......

DavidMartinez2

I agree with the recommendation of doing the run commute an extra day a week, as shmenge55 said extra miles are good for marathon training. That 30 minute block you are asking about would probably best be used doing a core workout or some PT-type exercises working glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors and some stretching.

Good luck with your race

CarsonRuns

I think that weekly mileage is as important as long runs. The more easy miles you can fit in, stroller or not, fast or not, the better you will be.

Exactly this. The more the better. Yes, there is a point where you can run too much mileage, but I don't believe you are in danger of reaching that point.

RunnerElizabeth

Thanks everyone!! This helps! So the consensus seems to be, don't worry about the speed, getting the miles in is more important. Next week I should be up to 3 round trip run commutes, so instead of adding a 4th day to keep it as a short pace run of some kind, I'll work on gradually building it from a 3 mile lunch run to a 4th rt commute, which will give me 36-40 mon-fri miles and the long run on Sunday.

I'm not trying to get any faster than my fall race season in 2013 anyway, i just don't want to be a lot slower than that. I think i got panicked that my speed is suffering because i ran a 10k the other day and i did the first mile at HM pace, but decided to bring it down to easy pace because it was much sunnier and much hotter (Boston has been a bit behind the curve with temps) than it had been in training and I was afraid I was going to end up walking if i stayed with a faster pace. So i ran a slow pr, not in line with my 5k pr or HM pr and started to think I'm likely to be a 6 hour marathoner. But I'm just not used to warm weather running yet. I wasn't suffering in the race either, it was easy, but races aren't supposed to be easy.

The marathon is in November in New Hampshire anyway, so heat shouldn't be an issue by then... though it is New England, you never know!