Marathon Training - max distance required?
Dragonfly1996
Posts: 196 Member
Hi All
I am running (well that's the plan) my 1st marathon at the end of April & wondered what the general consensus was for the maximum distance I should train to?
I have done two HM the last in November last year but had the 1st two weeks of this year off exercise due to heavy cold/chest infection but been back into the swing of things for the last week.
I am following a plan which is based on minutes, "time on legs", as opposed to actual mileage. On closer inspection at the start of the week the max length of time they show for a long run - 2 of them - (obviously closer to race day) is 180 mins - now that gives me 3 hours equating to appx 16 mi for my pace - I would have thought that to be nowhere near long enough?!! I have looked at another plan from another running magazine & that is similar!!
I am hoping to run it between 5hr & 5hr 15 (although a sub 5 would be lush!!!) & this is now praying on my mind so am thinking of tweaking the plan a little to perhaps include 3 additional long runs over the 16 or 180 mins at say 18, 20 & 22 mi.
Would like to plan this change now so I have a few weeks to mentally aswell as physically prepare myself.
What does anyone who has run a marathon before or currently training for one advise?
Many Thanx
DF :flowerforyou:
I am running (well that's the plan) my 1st marathon at the end of April & wondered what the general consensus was for the maximum distance I should train to?
I have done two HM the last in November last year but had the 1st two weeks of this year off exercise due to heavy cold/chest infection but been back into the swing of things for the last week.
I am following a plan which is based on minutes, "time on legs", as opposed to actual mileage. On closer inspection at the start of the week the max length of time they show for a long run - 2 of them - (obviously closer to race day) is 180 mins - now that gives me 3 hours equating to appx 16 mi for my pace - I would have thought that to be nowhere near long enough?!! I have looked at another plan from another running magazine & that is similar!!
I am hoping to run it between 5hr & 5hr 15 (although a sub 5 would be lush!!!) & this is now praying on my mind so am thinking of tweaking the plan a little to perhaps include 3 additional long runs over the 16 or 180 mins at say 18, 20 & 22 mi.
Would like to plan this change now so I have a few weeks to mentally aswell as physically prepare myself.
What does anyone who has run a marathon before or currently training for one advise?
Many Thanx
DF :flowerforyou:
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Replies
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I'm in the same boat DF. All the "time on feet" plans seem to be based around 10-minute miles, which I'm nowhere near! The longest I saw was 4 hours and I'll finish in 5.5 at best, more like 6.
I've switched to a mileage plan that goes up to 20 miles, and most sources seem to agree with that, and say you can get away with 18. Just translate that to time at your usual pace. I use Cardiotrainer on my phone for mileage, but I usually go a bit further as the GPS signal cuts out every now and then!
If I get ill or injured and have to miss a week or two of training, my "cut-off" time is if I've managed 4.5 hours in training as I reckon I can wing the rest on the day!0 -
I like the Jeff Galloway plans - you can find him free online and download his training schedule. Worked for my HMs. Knee injury postponed my full, but still planning to get back to that - 60 pounds lighter!0
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Only having done one marathon, I could not imagine attempting it with my longest run only 16 miles. I would definitley go 20 minimum.0
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I would suggest following a running plan.
The typical max distance that you will run before the race is 20 miles. That usually happens 2-3 weeks before race day... After that you taper down. Do not skip the 20 mile run... It may seem daunting but it will give you an excellent idea of what the real race will be like.
Good luck.0 -
I'm training for my first marathon and during the course of this 18 week plan I will be running two separate twenty mile runs. I would not feel like I was anywhere near prepared for a marathon if I were training only up to 16 miles. I am concerned about training only up to 20, lol.0
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I just completed my 4th marathon, so I thought I would throw in my advice. I use the Hal Higdon plan. During my marathon training season, I run TWO 20 mile runs. When I ran my first marathon in 2004, I had a leg problem towards the end of training and only got in a long run of 16 miles. When marathon day arrived, I was in AGONY. I literally thought I was going to die starting at mile 17. I made it to the end in 5.5 hours, but I knew that I would have to train smarter.
Some marathoners run further then 20 miles on their training. I think that once you know you can do 20 miles, you will definitely make it to 26.2. Since that first marathon, I have also learned to STRENGTHEN MY CORE. This makes a HUGE difference with fatigue during a marathon. Now, I make sure to incorporate core (pilates, yoga, kickboxing) into my weekly workouts. I also do crunches and Superman crunches on a stability ball.
Just my .02,
Shan
2012 Races:
Jan. WDW Goofy Races - Done
Jan. 3M half marathon - Next Sunday
Feb Austin Marathon
Feb Zooma half marathon
Oct Frankenthon marathon
Dec Decker half marathon0 -
I would say 20 mile min. For my first one, I wish I would have gone 22 miles because my legs started acting crazy after 20 miles. Good luck!0
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Most plans have you doing 20, I'm modifying my plan to do 24. But I also am going to split my runs on those 24 and do 20 in the AM and 4 in the PM or 15 and 8. Mine is more mental, I just dont' think I could muster 6 more knowing I've never done it. When I marathon trained previously, I ran up to 24 in training but did it all at one time. Marathon Nation has a great article on splitting long runs.0
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I just completed my 4th marathon, so I thought I would throw in my advice. I use the Hal Higdon plan. During my marathon training season, I run TWO 20 mile runs. When I ran my first marathon in 2004, I had a leg problem towards the end of training and only got in a long run of 16 miles. When marathon day arrived, I was in AGONY. I literally thought I was going to die starting at mile 17. I made it to the end in 5.5 hours, but I knew that I would have to train smarter.
Some marathoners run further then 20 miles on their training. I think that once you know you can do 20 miles, you will definitely make it to 26.2. Since that first marathon, I have also learned to STRENGTHEN MY CORE. This makes a HUGE difference with fatigue during a marathon. Now, I make sure to incorporate core (pilates, yoga, kickboxing) into my weekly workouts. I also do crunches and Superman crunches on a stability ball.
Just my .02,
Shan
I agree with this. I've run 4 marathons, I'm registered for my 5th in June. Each one I've trained smarter - incorporating a lot more cross-training (specifically weight lifting and core work). It's hard to fight that fatigue the last 10K. For mental preparation I can't imagine not running at least one 20 miler prior to marathon day.0 -
These comments have all confirmed my feeling that 16mi is nowhere near long enough so I am not going mad!! The 2 plans I have started following are obviously ok for faster runners (even though they both say suitable for a first time marathoner!!!) so I think I will look at Hal Higdon & Jeff Galloway websites & tweak my current plan to increase my weekly mileage on my long weekend run up to 20 or 22 mi. Feel better about that. :happy:
I am also doing 2-3 shorter runs / interval trainIng, 1-2 spinning classes, a kettle bells plus 20 mins gym core work in the week!! Oh & a days rest of course!!!!
Thanx for the help & encouragement - I may be back for more advise over the next couple of months though!! :ohwell:
DF:flowerforyou:0 -
I did read an article a few months back that said that 16 is enough if you are doing high intensity runs (i.e., running race pace for the whole run). The intensity is supposed to simulate a longer run. I didn't buy it, but it is one theory.0
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I did read an article a few months back that said that 16 is enough if you are doing high intensity runs (i.e., running race pace for the whole run). The intensity is supposed to simulate a longer run. I didn't buy it, but it is one theory.
It can be enough, but it depends on how you are training. A friend of mine followed the Hansen Brooks method which had her longest run at 16 miles. It was for her 3rd marathon and she PR'd by over 20 minutes.
However, I wouldn't recommend it for your first marathon. I think running that 20 miles is HUGE mentally and you want to be in a good mental spot when you toe the starting line on race day.0 -
Very interesting I was just looking at the Hanson-Brooks plan-longest run is 16
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4447&CategoryID=&PageNum=4
Beat me too it!
Was gonna say this plan, personally, im going for 2 22 millers0 -
These comments have all confirmed my feeling that 16mi is nowhere near long enough so I am not going mad!! The 2 plans I have started following are obviously ok for faster runners (even though they both say suitable for a first time marathoner!!!) so I think I will look at Hal Higdon & Jeff Galloway websites & tweak my current plan to increase my weekly mileage on my long weekend run up to 20 or 22 mi. Feel better about that. :happy:
I am also doing 2-3 shorter runs / interval trainIng, 1-2 spinning classes, a kettle bells plus 20 mins gym core work in the week!! Oh & a days rest of course!!!!
Thanx for the help & encouragement - I may be back for more advise over the next couple of months though!! :ohwell:
DF:flowerforyou:
Hal Hidgon is what I used for my first marathon. I liked it lots and successfully completed my first one in a little over 4 hours.0 -
I did my first full in December and 22 miles was the highest we went.0
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Done 11 mary's and don't even know how many halves...16 miles will make one miserable marathon day. My best marathons have been those times when I ran a 22 miller before. Mentally, that helps because it is only four miles more. "Which one of us can't run four miles any day," was my thinking after that, false thinking but it works. 20 miles is good. If you are really pushing it...18 is doable but only if you are super smart, start your marathon super slow, and at mile 16 don't get adrenaline boost that pushes the pace "that heck I can do this all day" which marathoners get quite often.
The limitation on the time on feet is that it fails to consider that marathon is based on mileage not time on feet. The great thing about time on feet is that it stops people from being so uptight and gets the marathon into bite sized chunks. The core workouts and stretching very important.
Want to hear the story in April.0 -
The plan I am using I will do 4 long runs of 20 or more, (20,23,25,28) with two weeks between each of them. Then a 3 week taper after the 28. I run at about a 10:30 pace right now and my race is the 28th of April.0
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After 24 marathons, I find my sweet spot is ~ 20. I like to do as many 20s as possible (four or five) leading up to the race. I will often run 20s three weekends in a row.
I do run 21 or 22 from time to time, but it is more of decide on the fly sort of deal. If I'm feeling good and I have the time, then I'll gut out an extra mile or two.
The tricky part is you need to run long, but then not be so trashed from doing so that your training is all messed for the rest of the week. You need to hit your log run on the weekend, but then still do your speed/hills and everything else during the rest of the week.
My $.02 - I'd be really careful about going past 20-21 until I had a handle on my ability to recover.
If my training planned called for 25 and 28, then I would just run another marathon on those days.0 -
I'm running my 1st marathon in May and am following a training plan. The longest run is a 20 mile run and from what I've researched, it seems most plans advise 1 20 mile run.0
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I'm running my 1st marathon in May and am following a training plan. The longest run is a 20 mile run and from what I've researched, it seems most plans advise 1 20 mile run.
I think one 20 miler is the BARE minimum. I usually send newbies to Higdon intermediate 1 because that has two 20 milers.0 -
I think you've got to do at least one 20. I'm a Hal Higdon training plan follower, and that what he calls for. I heard it said that 20 miles is the half-way point in a marathon and I agree. That last 6.2 is as hard as the first 20!
One note though:
You really need to plan ahead for water on a 20 mile run. I stash TWO water bottles on my way out, plus the water belt I wear. I drop them in the grass along the side of the road at about 3 and 6 so I can pick them up at 14 and 17. (But I run in rural North Dakota so I can get away with that). Whatever your situation, make a plan!0 -
I'm training on Higdon's Novice plan.I'm running my 1st marathon in May and am following a training plan. The longest run is a 20 mile run and from what I've researched, it seems most plans advise 1 20 mile run.
I think one 20 miler is the BARE minimum. I usually send newbies to Higdon intermediate 1 because that has two 20 milers.0
