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| Will I be ready? (Read 439 times) |
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posted: 8/24/2008 at 6:56 PM |
I need some feedback on my recent decision to run a marathon on Nov. 8th. I said I will wait until my body is ready to try a marathon (ideally I would like to finish around the 4:00 mark). Recently I have increased my mileage and my body seems to have responded well so I think I'm going to try. I'm not super concerned with pace in that this is my first. I just want to finish. The marathon I'm thinking of doing is the Chickamaugua Battlefield Marathon and based on what I have read it seems fairly flat. I live in the Mountains Of Western North Carolina so hills are part of my daily runs whether I want them or not. I hoping this will give me an advantage.
While I definitely am leaning toward doing this marathon I have not completely made up my mind. I certainly value the opinion of people on this board who have a lot more experience then me. Am I overlooking anything? I still have a lot more time and am planning on doing around 4 or 5 more 20+ runs? |
"Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have nature and that is much better."
Juha "the Cruel" Väätäinen |
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posted: 8/24/2008 at 7:24 PM |
| Your running log looks like you've been running 30+ MPW since March. I'm no expert, but I'd guess if you up your mileage a little and throw in some long runs, you may be ready. That is what I did for my (first) marathon not long ago. |
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posted: 8/24/2008 at 7:39 PM |
| You already have 2 runs close to 20 miles... you have two months. You will be fine. |
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posted: 8/24/2008 at 7:41 PM |
You're doin' better than me and my first marathon is in 6 weeks. Go for it!  |
Kirsten
• Ladies Locker Room •
.: 2008 Goals :.
• Run 1500 miles
• October 5 - 1st marathon - Milwaukee Lakefront - in my home state of WI
• PRs: 5k ~ 15k ~ 25k
• 1st trail race |
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posted: 8/25/2008 at 12:14 AM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 12:14 AM |
| Quote from Chris_So_Cal on 8/24/2008 at 7:39 PM: You already have 2 runs close to 20 miles... you have two months. You will be fine.
Oh ya, look at those lovely big blue spikes How could I have missed those...
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| view log Bugs |
posted: 8/25/2008 at 2:38 AM
modified: 8/25/2008 at 2:42 AM |
Hopefully an "advanced runner" with respond to my observations but IMO your mpw is great (many first timers peak at 55 mpw and your at 57) , but marathon pace runs are important too. I didn't see any runs that were averaging 9:10 or above which is what you need for a four hour marathon. Also 20m LRs are great but they take longer to recover from than shorter runs and thus you don't want to do too many and get injured either. Three is all you really need to finish (and that can be a strong finish) but they should be scheduled well.
If I were you I'd race a 10K plug that into a Mcmillan Calculator and use that as a guage for marathon goal, and start running pace runs (about one week) for that goal. Maybe glance at Hal Higdon's Int II plan as a guide to get you to the start line. I think if you do that you'll be very ready.
Good Luck. |
B U G S (Like the bunny, not the bug)
g . b u g s @ h o t m a i l . c o m |
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posted: 8/26/2008 at 1:55 AM |
Thanks everyone for the input.
Bugs- I agree that I need to increase my pace some and plan on doing it. I am trying to be careful right now since I just did a fairly big bump in my mileage. I don't want to do tp much at once. As much as this sounds like an excuse, I think my pace is all screwed up by the elevation changes that I'm running. Asheville is anything but flat and I have some pretty serious hills to contend with just to get out of my neighborhood. At the beginning of the month I was up in Ohio and I ran a 15k. I ran it in 1:14:06 which was I think just under and 8:00 min. pace and it seemed pretty effortless. That is one of the reasons I was looking for a first marathon that was flatter than something I might find around here. With all that said I do hear you and want to start picking up my pace over the next few weeks. |
"Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have nature and that is much better."
Juha "the Cruel" Väätäinen |
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posted: 8/26/2008 at 3:50 PM |
| I think you'll do great. Good luck. |
| "Good-looking people have no spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we're smarter." - Lester Bangs |
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mevi view log |
posted: 8/31/2008 at 7:17 PM |
| Chickamauga is a beautiful marathon course, but it is very quiet. We saw wild turkey and lots of deer last year. The course is more rolling than flat. If you want peaceful, this race is perfect. My friend ran it a week after New York last year and she called it medicine for the soul. |
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