Forums >General Running>20 miler
Dave
I ran a mile and I liked it, liked it, liked it. dgb2n@yahoo.com
Runners run
Chair Warmer
Pfitz reccomends that you start your long runs slow(er), like 90 secs slower than marathon pace and gradually speed up till you're running 45 seconds slower than MP at the end.
I, too, am targeting a 3:45 marathon but I have been running my long runs about 60-90 seconds slower than goal pace. Is there a benefit to running a bit faster during the long runs (say at the 9:15 pace Kimmie mentioned) and then way under marathon pace for the last few miles? Does this open the door to injury? McMillan has me anywhere between 8:37 and 10:29 for my long runs depending on if I plug in my 10K time or marathon time.
McMillan has an article in running times that talks about some variations on the long run. A fast finish is among them -- recommended only once or twice because of potential for injury. On the other hand, you have a big disconnect between your 10k and marathon time, assuming the 10k is faster, which suggests you need the easy miles to build endurance a lot more than you need the fast finish.