Question re: Timing of Last Long Run

jaybar

posted: 12/26/2012 at 10:24 AM

I'm tweaking a bit here, please bear with me.

This upcoming Sunday will be 4 weeks out from my marathon. My training partners are planing long runs each of this and the following weekend. As I am following a different plan from them, I sort of only want to do one of them at pace (we try and run them at 8:15 or so). The question is which one..... this Sunday or the next (which would be three weeks out)? We have done 18.5, 19.5 and 21 every other weekend over the last six weeks and, according to that every other weekend schedule, we are due to run long this weekend.

The one I don't run at my pace, I'll probably run with the slowest guy to keep him company.

Personally, I would prefer to do it this Sunday and get it out of the way.

Thanks

Mr MattM

Twitter: @TheGITM

posted: 12/26/2012 at 12:02 PM

Makes no difference.

fellrnr

posted: 12/27/2012 at 8:27 AM
modified: 12/27/2012 at 8:27 AM

Quote from jaybar on 12/26/2012 at 10:24 AM:

I'm tweaking a bit here, please bear with me.

This upcoming Sunday will be 4 weeks out from my marathon. My training partners are planing long runs each of this and the following weekend. As I am following a different plan from them, I sort of only want to do one of them at pace (we try and run them at 8:15 or so). The question is which one..... this Sunday or the next (which would be three weeks out)? We have done 18.5, 19.5 and 21 every other weekend over the last six weeks and, according to that every other weekend schedule, we are due to run long this weekend.

The one I don't run at my pace, I'll probably run with the slowest guy to keep him company.

Personally, I would prefer to do it this Sunday and get it out of the way.

Thanks

I'd go for three weeks out rather than four weeks. There is some (limited) evidence that a two week taper is better than three, and that four is too long - http://fellrnr.com/wiki/The_Science_of_Tapering#Taper_Length (Note that the underlying studies are not typically done with marathon length races, so take this science with a pinch of salt.)

Mr MattM

Twitter: @TheGITM

posted: 12/27/2012 at 8:54 AM

Quote from fellrnr on 12/27/2012 at 8:27 AM:

I'd go for three weeks out rather than four weeks. There is some (limited) evidence that a two week taper is better than three, and that four is too long - http://fellrnr.com/wiki/The_Science_of_Tapering#Taper_Length (Note that the underlying studies are not typically done with marathon length races, so take this science with a pinch of salt.)

The question wasn't when to do the last long run. The OP says that he is going ot do long runs both 3 and 4 weeks out. His question was which one to do 'at pace'.

steve_b

posted: 12/27/2012 at 9:04 AM

I tend to agree with Matt that it makes no difference, though I am curious how much different that 8:15 pace is from your normal LR pace.

jaybar

posted: 12/28/2012 at 7:36 AM

Probably 20 -30 seconds quicker per mile, but it is hard to say. Before I started running with my marathon group, I was doing my long runs 8:45-9:00 per mile. I think I am in much better shape now that I would be a lot quicker.

Question re: Timing of Last Long Run (Read 357 times)