Weekend long run vs. club runs

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BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm training for the London Marathon and I've rejoined my running club to give me a boost. The club meets every Sunday morning for 1.5 hours and focusses on speed and quality, such as hill sprints, mile repeats, a steady 5K, improving on your own time over a loop and racing with people of a similar ability, etc. I love the club, my fellow members and the coach, and find it highly motivating. There's no question it makes me push myself far harder than I ever could alone.

My dilemma is I can only realistically do my long, slow Marathon training runs at the weekend. Because I'm slow, I'm aiming for 5.5 hours and my long runs will go up to at least 4.5 hours. I'm currently up to 7 miles and my plan has the distance increase for two or three weeks then drop back for one week.

I'm a bit of a slow, rubbish runner and I generally try to avoid running two days running, as it were. I'd find it almost impossible to do two hard sessions (whether hard because of increased distance or speed) over a weekend.

Should I:
a) Man up and do my long, slow run (LSR) on Saturday and the club on Sunday
b) Incorporate the club into my LSR. It's usually 3 miles in total so I could do a couple before and after, but it would last a long time and be leave me knackered!
c) Drop one or the other
d) Juggle it some other way.

Thanks in advance, might army of MFP runners!

Replies

  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    Sucks that your club run is at the weekend...

    My opinions:

    a) Man up and do my long, slow run (LSR) on Saturday and the club on Sunday
    - You will be fine after the shorter LSR's but the long ones will most likely knock you out for the next day at least. Try it and see.

    b) Incorporate the club into my LSR. It's usually 3 miles in total so I could do a couple before and after, but it would last a long time and be leave me knackered!
    - Bad idea: You should be exhausted at the end of the club session or you're not doing it right!
    c) Drop one or the other
    - You must do the long runs if you want to get marathon ready. If you time it right you can meet with the club for a social after...
    d) Juggle it some other way.
    - If you have time midweek for a long run, do it - this is the best option - might mean some stupidly early starts though.
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
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    I agree with mikeyrp. Perhaps whilst the LSRs are a little shorter you could perhaps do both and then drop the club stuff when they get longer, otherwise I'm afraid it's either find time in the week for a LSR and keep the club run at the weekend, or drop the club run and do your LSR at the weekend. I suppose it depends whether you can fit in the LSR in the week, and how much benefit you feel you're getting from the club. Tricky!

    I can't run two days in a row so I feel you on that.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Thanks, I knew my expert running pals would be along to help!

    As this week is a drop-back long mileage week (7 miles to 5 miles), I'm going to only do the club run to gauge it and I don't think I'll lose anything. Then I'll try both until the LSRs get longer, then suck it and see. If I do the LSR Saturday, at least I can see if I've got anything left for the club. I wouldn't want to do it the other way round and not feel fully refreshed for the LSR.

    I did actually used to bump into the club when my membership lapsed and joined them for whatever they were doing mid-run, so I could keep up with the social side there.

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