Well in anticipation of sticking with this thing called running and becoming addicted to it. I've signed up for (and already paid for) my first marathon to get my first state done . Though my training didn't progress as quickly as I planned and after doing more research on the marathon found out it is a very tough one. My original (aggresive) goal was to break 4 hours based on my (only) HM time of 1:45:52. Though I had a problem walking for a few days after that (it was almost all downhill). My goal now is to finish (though I say that now I know my stuborness will still push me to break it). I think for all of my shorter long runs (10-12 miles) I will try and work hills though I am going to be down in Mississippi for a month work so that may be tough. One benefit of that being my first marathon is that it should be an easy PR to break! Thoughts on how to run the race? I know slow...

Mt. Rushmore? I'd make sure that some of your longer long runs also have some component of hills to them - that looks like a TOUGH marathon! I'd also make sure I run the first half much slower than the second half. If you don't feel like you're going WAY too slow then you're going too fast.

That's a nice 5 mile climb around mile 14. I'd practice some long steady hill climbs of about 4-5 miles (if you can find them near your home) after putting in 5-6 miles of rolling hills/varied elevations. Come to Boone, NC if you'd like some long (and sometimes steep) hill climbs! Good luck! You can make it happen! P.S. Mile 9 looks pretty gnarly, too!

(side note, my PR was at Palos Verdes for awhile. True story.) That last downhill in Mt Rushmore is a bit of an asskicker. It's nice to have a gravity assist in the last miles of a marathon, but Rushmore has some fairly steep sections throughout and your quads will be tired when you hit that downhill - and shredded at the end. You use your quads to climb when it is steep, and unfortunately, your quads come into play as brakes when you descend (this is why people curse downhill races). Also, unless they've changed the course a ton... and they *have* diddled with it at least a little... some of the footing is a bit obnoxious along the way. The area is pretty in that Badlands sorta way. I enjoyed it. Note that they run a different marathon at the same time. Crazy Horse. It has a different start. Race day can be confusing .

Well, ran 20 miles today. I did the first 10 miles of the course (started at a small parking lot that provided a good view of Washington's head) and the turned around and came back those same 10 miles. It was my longest run to date (16 was the longest before this). Overall it went well. It started to get a bit tough at mile 17 but really not that bad. I could have knocked out the last 6 if I wanted to. I feel much better about the marathon. My time for the 20 was 3:38:32. So I could have a shot at breaking 4 during the race. On my 24 mile long run in two weeks I'll hit some long hills and train for the second half. 47 more days of training till race day!

I have several thoughts after reading your post and looking at your training log: (1)- Given your current mileage, race times and the hilliness of the course, it will take divine intervention to get you to the finish in less than 4 hours. If you push for that you will be in serious pain at the end. (2)- Do not run more than 20 miles in your long run. You are running too few miles each week to run the 26 miler you plan three weeks out from the race, and you are going to end up injured or too fatigued when the marathon comes up. Seriously, just three weeks ago your entire week you put in half the distance you plan on packing into one run, doesn't that feel a little nuts? The weeks before that weren't exactly high mileage either. (3)- You can run a 4 hour marathon, but not on this course with your training. I think a 4:30 is a more realistic goal, and that is only if you forget about trying to do a 26 miler three weeks before the big race.

Hmm... I was going of the race calculator at http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%201/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm. The calculator says that based off my HM of 1:45:52 I should be able to do the marathon in 3:43:16 and my 5K time (from back in April) shows that I can do it in 3:59:20. For the training, I have been following the intermediate marathon program at cool running. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/128.shtml None of them have the distance of a mid week run equal to half the long run distance. It also has me running 26 miles three weeks before. Now I will admit that I fell off a few weeks on the long runs and was playing catch-up and probably running a bit more then I should. Is that training program totally off? Is the calculator wrong? Please don't take this the wrong way. I know I am pushing a bit hard but I really did think that I was going OK based on those two things.

Did you do the 20 on a hilly course or on an Air Force base? I have a feeling you are not going to heed anyones advice. 26 miles 365 ft will hurt.Good luck!

The calculators in general depend on a higher training volume than you have, but regardless, they are not designed to be used with a course like you outlined. Plus you are taking your time off a "mostly downhill" HM. That is a hilly mofo and you should go in to it expecting to be slower than predicted. 1) because it is hilly - and at significant altitude. 2) because its your first 3) because even with the program you are following, you admit you are a little behind and playing catch up 4) and most importantly - if you go out for the first half on 4 hour pace you will most likely be very very unhappy around mile 20 or so. There are a gazillion training programs out there. "Correct" is an impossible definition. There is lots of disagreement on the "best way". But I think you will find, in general, most of the people on here who have run marathons reasonably injury free will tell you about the same thing. The midweek mileage you have planned is awfully low for the long run distances. Its like trying to put the roof on the house before you build the foundation. I would agree with most of the posters that you would probably be better served capping your long run at 20, 22 at the most and spending more effort on some of your midweek runs. On the other hand I also know lots of us give out this advice because we ran our first marathon on too few miles. Just trying to save you some of the pain we experienced.