Difficult to Argue with 2:21 (Read 387 times)

I think I got injured just reading the article.

Hmm, maybe I should start doing all my practice runs at a 6 minute pace.

I think the take-away -- 'practice runs'? Allen Iverson is not impressed -- is to pick up the pace a bit and that there is something to be said for making it a little snappier, even on easy runs.

6min pace isn't exactly "hard" for a guy racing marathons at 5:30 pace.  But it is certainly a moderate and non-recovery pace.  It is notable that he does not seem to do many or perhaps any really hard workouts, so that perhaps explains it a bit.

I did a similar thing training for one marathon.  I only had 6 weeks to train so I focused on running some sort of quality every day.  It was not something I could have kept up long term but it took 7 minutes off my PR.

lately i've been breaking towards the Hudson view, that masters runners should only run 3-4 days a week.  okay I exaggerate, but initially i was pretty offended when I first read his masters plans.  however, now after struggling to hang on the a Pfitz marathon training program for the 2nd time in 6 mos, I think more rest may be in order.  and i really do enjoy the 6-8 mile med-hard runs better than any other workout.  4-5 of these a week and i wonder what would happen to my 5k times.

oh and aint talking bout a game, we talking bout practice.  AI was 32 when his career effectively ended (DEN), he never got remotely close to 42.

 

Then I log stalked schneider and runweitecha and kinda think the article is a bit of a red herring. Those paces are no big deal for 2:2X marathoners. It just feels like a big deal for the rest of us, which is most of us.

Pretty much.

"Back in the day" when I was running 10Ks in line with this individual and at last planning marathons close to that range...and doing workouts much more challenging than he claims to...I was fine with "easy runs" being anything down to 6:20....but under 6:20 it would be clear on the next hard workout that I'd not recovered.  If I was not doing those hard workouts and spreading the effort across the other runs....now we're down to 6:05-6:15.

Is this a chicken and the egg argument? Do you run 6 mile training paces because you are a 2:2X marathoner or do you run a 2:2X marathon because you can run 6 min training paces regularly without getting injured?

Translate it as, what would I have to do to run regular runs at :30-:45 slower than my MP?  Unless you are a 2:2X marathoner, the math will not work out to 6min pace.

The runs are moderate, not hard. MP+30-45s is sustainable for a certain type of runner. Looks to me like he is an aerobic beast, especially if you compare his marathon to his shorter distance times. The guy has been training for 20+ years and is experienced and talented. He is doing what works for him -- for marathoning.