My Messed Up Marathon Training Schedule

TorridCutie

I am currently registered for an overseas marathon (which will be my first ever) to be held on October 16th and have been using Hal Higdon's Novice 1 training plan. I am about to finish week 14 of the 18-week plan. However, it seems more and more like I will not be able to take the trip to run the marathon due to unforeseen circumstances.

I am bummed and do not want all my training go to waste, so I have been looking for an alternative marathon to run, and fortunately there is one here in the city I live on October 30th. This means that I have two extra weeks to train. My current schedule calls for a 20-mile run next week and then it would taper for two weeks. I do not think tapering for 4 weeks is a good idea, so I would like to pick your brain. What should I do in those two extra weeks? Should I repeat weeks 14 and 15 (or 15 and 16) of my current schedule, or try to fit in a run longer than 20 miles, based on how the training plan is progressing?

Also, since I am staying in town and have an extra 2 weeks, do you think it is a good idea to run a half marathon on October 2nd? Normally, I would run 12 miles that weekend. What is an extra 1.1 mile, right? But if I am racing, I wonder if the recovery from the race will impact my marathon training.

What do you think? Thank you in advance for your opinions.

Lynn1315

It looks like your post got lost. I'm a first time marathon runner too (October 23rd!) and using the same program. In talking with some of my friends about my own training schedule that got a little screwy, they advised me to only do 1, 20 mile run and not mulpitle. Their fear was that burn out... so maybe repeating 14 & 15 would be a good idea.

sorry.. that's not much help.

arc918

4 week taper is WAY too long, you'll be totally flat on race day.

What were your long runs the last two weekend and what are planning to do tomorrow?

calderst

Half marathon should be fine-- great chance to practice your wardobe, nutrition, etc. Just be careful not to get carried away with the racing atmosphere and go faster than you would have for your training run.

TorridCutie

Yes, that is what I thought.

Last weekend I ran 18 miles and tomorrow I will run 14 miles. My training schedule calls for 20 miles next Saturday and then goes down to 12 miles the following week, and then to 8 miles the week before the marathon. I am thinking of running a half instead of the 12 miles.

rybo

I would definitely get a 2nd 20 miler in.

Assuming this weekend you were going to run 14 miles
here's what I would follow to the new race date
(i'm using the saturday dates for simplicity)
9/17 - 14 mi
9/24 - 20 mi
10/2 - 14 mi( or you can run your half, but don't "race" it too hard)
10/9 - 20 mi
10/16 - 12 mi (when I run my next marathon, this run here will be longer than 12 miles. 16-18. I didn't like having that many weeks from a really long run to the race.
10/23 - 8 mi
10/30 Marathon

atsteele

I give myself three weeks to taper. Four weeks is too many, IMHO. If you were planning on only having a 2 week taper anyway, I would definitely do another 20 miler. I actually do three 20-milers in my training schedule and always have, even when I was training for my first marathon. (Only I do them three weeks apart with hill repeats in between.) I wouldn't do more than three 20 mile runs though... which I am guessing you are not with the novice program? If it was me, I would do a 20 miler this weekend. Do a fallback week (like 12 or 14 miles) the following weekend. Then do another 20 miler the next weekend. And then taper. Another way to approach it is to do 18 miles this weekend and then the 20 miler the following weekend and then taper. It depends on how much you think you need to recover from the 20-miler.

arc918

Rybo's plan is right on

on those 14s, feel free to push them to 15- 16 if you are feeling good that day

I now use a two week taper for all my races, three weeks is too much for me

runnerdad

I would definitely get a 2nd 20 miler in.

Assuming this weekend you were going to run 14 miles
here's what I would follow to the new race date
(i'm using the saturday dates for simplicity)
9/17 - 14 mi
9/24 - 20 mi
10/2 - 14 mi( or you can run your half, but don't "race" it too hard)
10/9 - 20 mi
10/16 - 12 mi (when I run my next marathon, this run here will be longer than 12 miles. 16-18. I didn't like having that many weeks from a really long run to the race.
10/23 - 8 mi
10/30 Marathon

ditto

TorridCutie

Thank you for the feedback everyone.

I will be running with a group tomorrow and they will do either a 14-mile run or a 16. Maybe I should go ahead and run 16 tomorrow then.

I never thought of having a 4-week taper; that would drive me crazy I think, but wondered if I should fit in a run longer than 20 miles, but I will do as the wise and the experienced say and run two 20-miles instead. Then I will still have time for a 2-week taper.

Not running faster than my training pace at a race will be difficult for me. I love races and get pumped up :-)

atsteele

I would definitely get a 2nd 20 miler in.

Assuming this weekend you were going to run 14 miles
here's what I would follow to the new race date
(i'm using the saturday dates for simplicity)
9/17 - 14 mi
9/24 - 20 mi
10/2 - 14 mi( or you can run your half, but don't "race" it too hard)
10/9 - 20 mi
10/16 - 12 mi (when I run my next marathon, this run here will be longer than 12 miles. 16-18. I didn't like having that many weeks from a really long run to the race.
10/23 - 8 mi
10/30 Marathon

^^^ What he said. Only you can decide to do 18 miles (instead of 20) on 9/24 and I think you'll still be fully prepared for your marathon.