Marathon Ready

tturley

Can a person stay "marathon ready" all the time?

I've run a couple of half marathons and I'm training for a full. I'm at 20 miles now. It seems to me that a I should be able to return to a normal running schedule and do a couple of long runs each month, like a 15 and a 20 and stay in shape. Would this be enough to keep me ready to run a marathon at any given time?

pobalita

I just read an article about this last weekend and wish I could cite the source!! From what I understand, the answer is that you shouldn't for the long term. You can stay "marathon ready" during the running season with a maintenance program, but you need an off season to avoid overuse and injury. During the off season, you can maintain a high level of fitness through running, but not at the mileage that you would run when training for a marathon.

Check the internet for maintenance programs. I use Runner's World Smart Coach (phone app) and has a nice maintenance program. I'm sure there are many others out there, too. (I haven't used the maintenance program yet because, like you, I'm training for my first marathon.)

ThickMcRunFast

Depends. Are you planning on racing each event, or just running for fun? I know plenty of ultra runners who run marathon distances every week. However, if you keep up this level, don't expect to PR every race. Most runners will keep a base level of fitness, then work up to an "A" race, maybe capitalize off of that fitness with a "B" race a few weeks later. I could probably run a decent half at any given time, and work up to a marathon in a month, but I wouldn't be 100% for it. To actually try for a marathon PR I would need 2-3 months. I embrace the off season. Its a time to lift, work on speed, and give my mind a break.

arc918

It all depends on how quickly you recover. I have friends who run a marathon every weekend, sometimes two in a weekend (no kidding). There is also a debate over quality vs. quantity. Can you run your fastest if you run one every week?

I'm running my 26th marathon this Sunday, but I don't run them too often anymore. In the past, I have used marathons run at easy pace as training runs for goal races.

These days I like racing halfs much more.

As will all things running, each of us is an experiment with a sample size of one. Just got to figure out what works best for you. Accordingly, I reject any rules of thumb that tell me what I can & can't do.

Happy running!

tturley

Thanks for the feedback, so far.

I'm never in any hurry. I sometimes push myself for shorter distances but at any given time my goal is to improve on my last run.