Is three weeks out from a marathon a good time to race a half? (Read 819 times)

Normally three weeks out I run my last 20+ run.  However, this year I can do a half at a really good price.  I already have two 21 mile runs in and plan to do two more.  I also thought about doing one last 21 mile run two weeks out and decided that was just stupid.  So my last one will be four weeks out.  I plan to do a two week taper.  Anyway, does doing that half three weeks out sound like a good idea or bad idea?  Should I run it as a race or as a race pace run? 

Any thoughts.  I sure wish this race was four weeks out. 

Racing the Half three weeks out in iteself would not be a problem and in fact a good workout. 

Only issue may be the increased risk of tweaking something 3 weeks out while going 100% and potentially risk your goal marathon, which I assume you are making another run at 3:20. 

Maybe run Half at 90 -95% or better yet run a 5  mile fairly decent warmup and then run half at MP, that way you get 18 miles in and 13 at goal MP (which combined would probably be just as good if not better than 21 miler) while having another trial run to try out any new clothes, fluids etc. for the goal marathon.

If you want to run it, I'd say do it as a progression, starting easy, maybe MP+30-45, down to MP by halfway, then finish hard over the last 3 miles or so.

If you can run 21 miles at MP 3 weeks out from your goal marathon you have not been training hard enough.

Could you expand on this in some more detail, please?  Being new to the longer distances and racing I don't understand the reasons behind these things.

 

 

Could you expand on this in some more detail, please?  Being new to the longer distances and racing I don't understand the reasons behind these things.

 

If you are three weeks out you have just gone through a very tough month at the end of a very tough training cycle with zero taper.  If you can do 21 at MP 3 weeks out either you aren't tired enough from training (another one's point) or the MP goal is soft (Spaniel's). 

Plus it's borderline stupid, asking to get hurt after you have put in the majority of the work.  A 21 mile run with 10 at MP might be beneficial but all 21 at MP would be murderous.  At least for me. 

 

 

Could you expand on this in some more detail, please?  Being new to the longer distances and racing I don't understand the reasons behind these things.

 

I once ran 15 miles at MP 3 weeks out, at full volume with no taper, at a pace that was at the time a very realistic goal given my tune-up races (5:25/mile).  I even ran it in flats.

It was brutal, it was too much, and I would never do it again.  Your body 3-4 weeks out during the peak of your training and your body on race day after a taper are very different, and the effort you can sustain should reflect that.

In addition, I personally believe that using your energy and recovery to run long stretches at MP is not the best way to utilize your resources.  There are much better ways to gain fitness.  MP is in a "no man's land" pace band -- it is not easy, yet it is not tempo or particularly VO2-stimulating.  It is good at:

1- getting used to the pace, but so are shorter and less strenuous workouts;

2- getting you tired and building strength, but so is volume and faster-paced workouts that build VO2 to boot

To be completely honest MP workouts have only one place in my training program.  I do 4Xmile at MP 5 days out from my goal marathon, with full (5min) recovery, in flats, just to cement in my mind what I would feel like on race day as I'm pretty rested by then yet the workout has no impact on recovery or race day.  It has nothing to do with gaining fitness.

I see these long MP workouts as being very resource-intensive and sub-optimal on return.  IMHO you'd be better off running the 21 miles 10 miles at a good effort faster than easy, then cranking it up above MP over the last half so you get 2-3 miles faster than MP.  You will not roast yourself like doing 21 at MP but you should be getting good hurt for 2-4 miles at the end to simulate running fast when you are tired.  Same result, less resources burned getting there.

Good grief BC - didn't you ask something like this last year when you raced two marathons in four weeks trying to BQ for either.

 

You look like you're pushing/shoving the envelope a little hard. How bad do you want that BQ? You look like your sabotaging your own efforts and for what? A hero workout or race with no recovery time.

 

You picked a goal race - stick to your plan - nail said goal race. The faster guys said as much in this post as well last year's.

Augh I don't like it when you are right.  I am a little forgetful okay or hardheaded or both!  Thanks for the smack in the face.  Believe it or not I forgot about that and also about doing Xenia four weeks before the PIG.  However, this year I was only thinking of racing the half.  Alas that does not seem like a good idea either. 

I'm not good at running easy, running MP for 8 miles and then running easy.  So I guess I should run 21 easy albeit hilly since I will be on the PIG course.  Trent don't start with the hilly part!.  If I am planning on running at 7:30 pace is it okay to run at 8:10 pace?  I am finalizing my schedule and taking in all of this great advice.  I'm doing the Heart Mini 6 weeks out which is a 15K.  I believe it is okay to race that one correct?

So it goes like this for my long run.

Week 8  (last week) - 21 miles 8:10 pace

Week 9 - 14 @ MP

Week 10 - 21 (8:00 - 8:30 pace)

Week 11 - 9.3 race

Week 12 - 16 miles @ MP

Week 13 - 21 miles (8:00 - 8:30 pace)

Week 14 - 13 miles (8:00 - 8:30 pace)

Week 15 - 10 miles (8:00 - 8:30 pace)

Week 15 - Da PIG