RunningAHEAD - Topic: The last 5 miles of a marathon (page 3)

Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 9/22/2008 at 8:02 PM

Quote from Econo on 9/22/2008 at 7:49 PM:

Mile 21 or so! What will you be wearing, ennay? What will your bib say? Do you & srlopez have any requests, like your fav flavor of Gatorade or Gu? Hmm, maybe I should wear something so you can spot me easily. OK, I'll wear my cow print shirt. Moo. I ran Portland last year on low mileage and blew up in the 2nd half. I picked up an anvil at the crest of the St. Johns bridge. (I went out too fast. I'm a dork!)

Havent picked my outfit yet. My bib should say ANNE You know, I should just make my bib say ENNAY in the future, I would hear that name better. I know I'll have a white hat with a turtle on it, but everyone wears a white hat. Lets see....21 miles, if all is going well I should be there right around 10 am.

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

Roses Revenge

posted: 9/22/2008 at 8:27 PM

Quote from Econo on 9/22/2008 at 7:49 PM:

Mile 21 or so! Hmm, maybe I should wear something so you can spot me easily. OK, I'll wear my cow print shirt. Moo.

Hmm. You will have probably picked up your couch and left by the time I come by, but I'll watch for the cow print shirt anyway! (just did 21 miles of the course last weekend in 5:52.)

Marathon Maniac #991 Half Fanatic #58 Double Agent #22 It's a perfect day and I feel great!

xor

posted: 9/22/2008 at 9:35 PM

Hartford? What what what? You're going 3,000 miles to run a marathon? (ok, I ran it last year. It was pretty good. Getting to Hartford at 3a the same day the race started was not so fun.)

Econo

posted: 9/22/2008 at 10:00 PM

OK "Anne". Believe me, if you put something like "Ennay" on your bib, you will get nothing but puzzled looks. People were really flummoxed by "Econo." Roll eyes

OK Rose...can't guarantee I'll be there, true, but I'll cheer for every Rose who runs by! srlopez....you beat me by 1 hour...I got to Hartford in '06 at 2am. Yuck! A few hours' sleep and you're good to go. I DNF'ed that one and will get my revenge this year.

Roses Revenge

posted: 9/23/2008 at 8:47 AM

Quote from Econo on 9/22/2008 at 10:00 PM:

OK Rose...can't guarantee I'll be there, true, but I'll cheer for every Rose who runs by!

Thanks. The bib won't say Rose but I'll probably be the last one by in Marathon Maniac yellow.

Marathon Maniac #991 Half Fanatic #58 Double Agent #22 It's a perfect day and I feel great!

easytarget

posted: 9/28/2008 at 7:56 PM

staying out of running forums during taper would be my advice Wink

DoppleBock

posted: 9/28/2008 at 8:03 PM

In training some of the 20-24 milers, I like to finish the last 6 miles - 4 @ MP and 2 at LAT pace - In the marathon, I tell myself I can back off when I pass out - I get tunnel vision and light headed, but I have not passed out ... yet.

Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 9/28/2008 at 9:21 PM

I think about all the training and how stupid I would feel for going 26.2 miles through pain and knowing I didn't give it all. I don't give much credence to mental fortitude making a significant difference in most races, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt in the marathon. As much as I have hurt in a few it would have been VERY easy to slow down.

"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

Econo

posted: 9/28/2008 at 10:25 PM

"I can back off when I pass out." Surprised

MissPratt

uncontrollable

posted: 9/29/2008 at 11:48 AM

It's tough. I like the idea of a mile for someone. I have plenty of people dealing with far more significant stress/pain than the last 5 miles of my marathon. I have run with people like that on my mind wishing them healing etc. but I might actually pick a person ahead of time for each of those miles & do it for them. Great idea. Normally, I fluctuate - 'catch up to this one' 'try to pass that one' 'push it & you can take a Gu in 2 miles' 'a water stop is only 3 miles away' 'push it pace & recovery pace every other mile vs. just slowing down completely' sometimes depending on pains, temp, conditions, etc... I might push until that set of lights then ease up for 5 minutes & keep doing that - basically pick-ups that keep me from just dropping my overall pace. If you are an ipod person, like me, I keep a playlist called 'move your ass' with my most killer songs on it. Cool

peace

JakeKnight

posted: 9/29/2008 at 11:55 AM

(shrug) The only trick I know for the last five miles is training right, training a lot, and being consistent. It's the single biggest improvement I see when I do it right. I used to always slow down significantly in the last 10k. In good marathons, I don't anymore. I might fall 30 seconds off pace, but not 2 minutes. In my experience, mileage is what does it. In the two marathons where I slowed the least in the final stages, I actually hadn't done many (or any) runs longer than 17-18 ... but I'd consistently put in 50-70 mile weeks. When it works, it works. No tricks needed. If I do it wrong, and the wheels start coming off ... well, I just try not to crash too hard.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

Econo

posted: 9/29/2008 at 12:13 PM

Well, the sad truth is that I just didn't get the miles in....again. Yes, I cross trained a lot and raced a lot. Yes, my PRs continue to come at all distances. But what I am aiming for requires a better base than what I've done. 20 weeks mpw average (not including taper weeks) prior to Portland, my 4th marathon: 23.5. Result = 4:22. 20 weeks mpw average " " prior to Eugene, my 5th marathon: 28.8. Result = 4:12 17 weeks mpw average " " prior to Hartford, which will be my 6th marathon: 31.0. Result = TBA In summary, yep, you're right JakeKnight. Undecided

Base training reveals itself in the last 5 miles.

The last 5 miles of a marathon (Read 1303 times)