Forums >Racing>seek opinions on 20K before marathon
Fight The Future
my schedule (Pfitz 55/70) calls for a 8-15K tune-up race 4 weeks prior to the marathon. There is a 20K race in town on that day, so it's almost perfect although longer than optimal. if you would do it, would you really race all out, or would you think that's a bit too much that close to a marathon? Next day, the schedule calls for a 18M run. If you did the 20K as fast as you could, would you cut the 18 mile run short, or just do it at a leisurely pace?
I'd run the race and use it as your long run day. Train through it. Run 3 or 4 miles ez before the race, the race, then another longish cool down to tack on some more miles.
What he said...
Flip flop the two days. Race + warm-up + cool down on Saturday and what you would have done for an 8-15k race at a nice happy slow recovery the next day,
hey northernman...im not an expert at all, but i thought about your question to the point of thinking what i would do...if it were me, i would use that race as sort of a condensed version of the marathon rather than running 20K as fast as i could could...basically like a dress rehearsal...the way i would plan a 20K tune-up race is a couple miles of warmup as you would during the marathon race, with 10 miles at your marathon goal pace and around the last two at a faster, finishing speed...the hard part to me isnt necessarily dialing into the paces persay, but dialing into those paces during the atmosphere of the race ...as far as the 18 the next day, if i were in your shoes, i would account for that in my dress rehearsal race taking care to remember that i had 18 on the board tomorrow, but still take that one as cautiously as possible at the beginning...
-josh
thanks! good suggestions, i appreciate it!