Forums >Racing>HM Pace vs. Marathon Pace
. If a 30-35 mpw runner runs a 20-minute 5k, and then trains for a marathon at 40-50 mpw, they will fall short of what the calculator predicts. This is due to the fact that they were much better trained for the 5k than they were for the marathon, an equivilent amount of training for the marathon for them would be in the 80 mpw range.
Hold the Mayo
Interesting, though the real issue with these projections is people not being fully trained for the longer distance.
"The fact that I focused on the 3:40 – 4:20 marathoner might cause some to suggest that the runners in this study were probably not adequately prepared to run the full marathon. However, I used the most relevant set of data I could find: real runners, running real races with actual results." There were 15% of the runners in my research who had marathon times equal to, or better than the projections from calculators. You might be one of those 15% but then again, you might be in the bottom 15% and should add ninety seconds to your pace. I would suggest that your training mileage would be the single largest determinant in where you fit on the scale.
"You're Not Winning"
Connecticut Runners' Forum on RunningAhead
I've got a fever...
The side effect of this is that the calculators offer an answer to how you would do if you trained for the marathon equivalently compared to how you trained for the test race. The problem is: the marathon is more training dependent than any other race, and the volume of training required is higher. If a 30-35 mpw runner runs a 20-minute 5k, and then trains for a marathon at 40-50 mpw, they will fall short of what the calculator predicts. This is due to the fact that they were much better trained for the 5k than they were for the marathon, an equivalent amount of training for the marathon for them would be in the 80 mpw range. The cold hard truth is that the vast majority of casual runners do not train adequately for "racing" (as opposed to "running") the marathon, and as such the calculators do not work for them.
On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.
Runners run
Lets not kid ourselves, most people are not even close to adequately prepared to race at 5k either, its just that performance at that distance is determined less by training than the marathon is.
Lets not kid ourselves, most people are not even close to adequately prepared to race at 5k either, its just that performance at that distance is determied less by training than the marathon is.
Thanks for raining on my parade , I was hoping that 50-55 MPW would get me through a marathon under 4 hours. I am not in shape for a 20 min 5K, but still 80 MPW
2009 Goals: PR's in 5k, 10k, HM, marathon
What's the 'ideal' mileage to reach potential in all distances? I'd love to learn. Currently, I'm pushing to get up to near 70MPW prior to my spring marathon, we'll see if I get there and what that does towards reaching my 'projected time.'
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I believe that the calculators and VDOT tables were created by sampling enough elite runners and elite masters until a linear pattern appeared, and then projecting downwards onto non-elites....
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
A Saucy Wench
What's the 'ideal' mileage to reach potential in all distances? I'd love to learn. Currently, I'm pushing to get up to near 70MPW prior to my spring marathon, we'll see if I get there and what that does towards reaching my 'projected time.' Best,
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Maybe linear on logarithmic scale
PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.
10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.