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Marathon in 3 weeks,only getting 2 runs a week!!! (Read 141 times)

Ethelgould


    Training for LA Marathon march 15. Good training up til 3 weeks ago and only getting 2 runs a week. Tempo or interval and long run. Had done 15-18-6-13 & hoping back up to 20 this weekend. Then what should I do?? Or should I even attempt that?? HELP!!!

    kilkee


    runktrun

      Your course going forward completely depends on your past training, base, pace, current health, why you're only getting 2 runs/week now, and your expectations for the race.  What has your weekly mileage been?  What pace are your workouts and long runs?  How many weeks was your build up?  If you felt pretty comfortable with your 18 miler and have run 18+ in the past (or better yet, a previous marathon), then you could run LA with the expectation that you are not in peak shape but could probably slog through it.  From my perspective, your long run build up alone does not look adequate to comfortably run a marathon now, but I don't know the details.  If you've cut back to 2 runs because you're injured, I would say stop running workouts and decide a few days out from the race if you are healthy enough to cover the distance without re-injuring yourself, or making your current injury worse.  If you are un-injured and can get through your 20 this weekend, I would suggest laying off the intervals and just keep the mileage steady and maybe shoot for another healthy, pain-free 20miler the following week, then coast on easy miles and some marathon pace runs until race day.  You won't need to taper since you haven't been running much.

      Not running for my health, but in spite of it.

      Arimathea


      Tessa

        I would say it depends on why you're getting 2 runs a week. Work schedule or family issues or injured? If injured, I would advise against running LA. Though considering the cost I can understand why you wouldn't want to give up on the race.

         

        If it's outside pressures, I suggest you carve out time to run for the next week or two. Is this to be your first marathon?

         

        BTW you may want to drive to the coast to run, if you're inland. 84 degrees on Saturday is the forecast last I heard.

        Ethelgould


          I've had n unbelievable schedule and have been exhausted. It's my second marathon and I've done lots of 18-22 milers.

          Ethelgould


            I've had n unbelievable schedule and have been exhausted. It's my second marathon and I've done lots of 18-22 milers. I did a half last weekend at 9:30 pace. My long runs are about 10 min miles. My   expectations are to get in under 4:30...hoping for 4:20


            Dream Maker

              Train as you can for the next couple weeks. Get a couple solid weeks in before taper.


              Start the race slower than you think necessary.

              If you've done the long runs, you can finish, but whether you risk injury and a miserable experience is going to depend on how fast you start.  I'd start slightly slower than you run your long runs.  You can always speed up if necessary but you're going in undertrained.  It's not time to hope everything comes together race day perfectly because you do not have the facets ready to come together.

               

               

              joescott


                I think you should seriously consider bailing on the marathon.  With three weeks of virtually no volume, no apparent hope in sight of changing that (that you've mentioned), and only 4 weeks until the race??  Yeah, that is a recipe for a bad bad marathon day experience, I don't care how many long runs you have done.  If you decide to forge ahead, I would worry a lot more about how you can get your overall mileage back up rather than worrying about getting in another 20-miler.  Three weeks is a huge void in training when 7 to 4 weeks out.

                - Joe

                We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.