Forums >Racing>Marathon This Sunday, 5K Three Weeks After; How Best To Prepare?
Proboscis Colossus
I'm running OKC this Sunday - my goal Spring marathon.
Roughly three weeks after that, I've got a 5K that I'd like to do as well as possible in. I figure I've got a shot at a PR, since (theoretically) I'll be in about the best aerobic shape of my life for OKC (I'd better be, as intense as this cycle has been).
Any advice on how best to maximize this over the three weeks in between? Obviously I plan on taking a few days, maybe a week, off after the marathon. But what after that?
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
Northstar Running
There isn't much to work with in that timeframe. I would take a couple of days off after the marathon and then get a couple of high intensity (5k race pace equivalent intesity) workouts in on your bike to get your lungs ready for the 5k and then work in some strides or tempo work in as your marathon recovery allows.
Personally, I think the biggest thing you can do to help your odds is to just make sure you are healed from the Marathon by the time you take the line for the 5K. I'd take at least 1 week off before resuming the easy running leading up to the 5k.
My 10K PR came years ago exactly 3 weeks after a Marathon. In fact, while running that marathon, I even talked with the pacer of our group about this exact same issue and that was the advice he gave me. As we talked about my marathon training he pretty much predicted a PR as long as I was smart about it and I let my body recover - and he was spot on.
Looking at your log (which, is full of some pretty sick miles - good job Man!!!) you have the speedwork mixed in so I think you are in great shape heading into the 5K. As for a regimen, of what to run leading up to the race, you obviously run plenty so you'll know what you can handle, but I wouldn't try to "add" anything to your fitness level during those 3 weeks. Less is defintiely more in terms of training at this point. Good luck!!!
Thanks, guys. And Adam, thanks for the compliment on my log! Like I say, it's been the most intense cycle I've put in yet, and I think I've found the limit my body (and life) can handle as far as weekly mileage. Thinking improvement for the fall marathon will come from an increase in pace, rather than mileage.
Anyway, yeah, I should probably clarify: I know there's not much I'll be able to do to improve in the time between the marathon and the 5K, but I want to do what I can to keep from losing any fitness. Sure, if I can squeeze a bit more VO2 into my max, I'd take it, but mostly I just want to see what this booger of a training cycle will get me for a 5K PR.
I like this. I bought a bike during this cycle (hah!), and I got a few rides in on it, but mostly it's been sitting there, sad-looking, wondering why it's been cursed with this new owner who never pays it any attention and just runs instead.
Everything I've pretty much read has said that no fitness is lost and no muscle atrophy even starts until 3 weeks, so in theory you should be just as strong as you are heading into the Marathon. This is why I'd be more focused on getting to the line healed and fresh. I bet you nail the 5K.
As you know, I'm this is why so many training plans have the taper starting 3 weeks out. Max time to heal and recover from many weeks of pounding, without any loss in developed fitness during the many previous weeks of training.
Mmmmm...beer
I agree with focusing on recovery. I just PR'd my 5k time by :29 a month after my first marathon, with no speed work during my marathon training, I think you're in a much better position with the workouts you've been doing. I kept the mileage low and easy for a couple of weeks after the marathon and felt great.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
You couldn't squeak out another 1/2 mile the week of April 7th?!!
I couldn't have lived with myself getting that close to 100 miles and not making it!
Pretty impressive mileage, do you think all the little 1.3 and 1.4 running with the dog miles have helped much? If nothing else it seems like they could have gotten you some active recovery time in and that could have been what helped you hit those higher miles.
P.S. - Good luck Sunday. My niece will be running it hoping to go sub 4 hours.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
You couldn't squeak out another 1/2 mile the week of April 7th?!! I couldn't have lived with myself getting that close to 100 miles and not making it!
Lol, I know, right?! The story there is, I had a 19-mile long run on the plan for that Sunday the 6th, but bad weather, a big project at home, and feeling poor conspired to keep it from happening that day...so it happened on the next day, the 7th. I then proceeded to get in my other hard workouts in that week, along with the easy miles. So, those 19 miles were supposed to be on the week before, but went on the following week, resulting in the 99.5 (I'm considering changing the date so that Futuremab411 remembers this for planning purposes). And I didn't get around to uploading the workouts to RA and seeing the total until after that week was done - too late for me to go run around the block and make it an even 100, which I totally would have done. Oh well, maybe next cycle I don't ever want to run that much in a week again.
I definitely know what an overuse injury feels like now - starting almost exactly the following Monday, this pain magically blossomed in my right quad, freaking me out because I'm so close to the goal. Rested it that day, felt fine before the next day's tempo run but not after, skipped the next day's run, and it's been fine ever since. I don't feel too bad about the resulting low mileage for that week - most sane plans/runners would be tapering that week, anyway.
And oh, the "dog runs." *sigh* This may shock some, but I hate running with my dogs. But, they need the exercise, and DW doesn't take them out, so out of guilt I integrate them into my runs when I go out from home (first one, then the other). I just subtract that 1.3 or 1.4 from whatever the run is I have planned for that day.