Forums >General Running>Training Pace
Concerning marathon training, how important is the pace at which you do training and long runs?
My motivation for asking is this: I have decided to train for a fall marathon. I have 5 previous marathons under my belt but none within the last 5 years. So to figure my training pace I used an online calculator. The results were 9:05 for easy/long, 7:15 for Tempo, and 1:40 for 400M intervals. Currently I am a 35mpw runner (4x6mi and 1x10 m). Aside from the 10 miler I run my daily runs between 7:35 and 7:20. The 10 miler comes in between 8:15 and 8:30. So, the idea of running daily at 9:00 just seems too slow. All I read says to run slow so there must be something to it. So, should I slow down for my easy runs?
that really depends on your goal. If you goal is just to finish the distance, just run the long runs at a comfortable pace.
If your goal is to race the marathon, you'll want to mix up the pace/speed in a variety of ways. Fast (MP effort) finish is a common technique used.
Runnersworld.com has some free and fairly helpful training plans for both 1/2 and full marathon. Both plans have some helpful information about pacing for the various workouts.
that really depends on your goal. If you goal is just to finish the distance, just run the long runs at a comfortable pace. If your goal is to race the marathon, you'll want to mix up the pace/speed in a variety of ways. Fast (MP effort) finish is a common technique used.
Actually, the training pace should be determined by your current fitness level, not by your goal. Determining your workout pace based on what you want to do in the race, not necessarily the same with what you CAN do, is a backward approach.
I don't know what calculator you used but 9:05 for long run and 7:15 for tempo run seems a huge difference. And the intervals be 6:40 pace? I don't know how far you're expected to do the tempo run, doing a tempo run of 2 miles vs 12 miles, perhaps more suitable to a marathon preparation, would call for completely different kinds of pace. Unless you're shooting for 3:00-3:15 marathon, 7:15 tempo and 6:40 interval seems lots of fast stuff that most probably won't prepare you to run 3:00 marathon. With the same token, 9:00 MAY seem too slow for you, but running ONLY 10-mile probably won't get you prepared to run a decent marathon either. Suppose you should be doing more like 16-18-miles, then all of a sudden 9:00 pace would be more appropriate.
Also to add one more thing, to run a "long" run of 10-miles plus 4X of 6-mile run may not be that effective to get you to the finish line. You probably wan to to fluctuate a bit more; maybe more like 12-14 miles; 3, 8-10, 3, and maybe 5-7 tempo...something like that, assuming you "only" run 5 times a week. If you're shooting for, say, 3:30 marathon, 9:00 would be appropriate. Tempo should be more like 8:15-8:30.
I don't believe I ever said the training pace should be based on goal time. I only said if the goal was to "race" the marathon, compared to just finishing the distance, that some of the long runs (or portions of those runs) should be done at a faster pace.
SMART Approach
Concerning marathon training, how important is the pace at which you do training and long runs? My motivation for asking is this: I have decided to train for a fall marathon. I have 5 previous marathons under my belt but none within the last 5 years. So to figure my training pace I used an online calculator. The results were 9:05 for easy/long, 7:15 for Tempo, and 1:40 for 400M intervals. Currently I am a 35mpw runner (4x6mi and 1x10 m). Aside from the 10 miler I run my daily runs between 7:35 and 7:20. The 10 miler comes in between 8:15 and 8:30. So, the idea of running daily at 9:00 just seems too slow. All I read says to run slow so there must be something to it. So, should I slow down for my easy runs?
What is your 5K race pace? Plug that into a calculator to determine training paces. If you haven't done one, find one and race the hell out of it.
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
www.smartapproachtraining.com
By the time the target marathon rolls around I will have done 3 - 20 milers and topped out around 60 mpw. The goal for the marathon is 3:40. That time coincides nicely with some recent 5/10k races using any number of online calculators. Now, when I look a calculator like the one on McMillian, I see these target paces:
Recovery Jogs 9:54 to 10:24
Long Runs 8:54 to 9:54
Easy Runs 8:54 to 9:24
Steady-State Runs 7:58 to 8:12
Tempo Runs 7:38 to 7:58
Tempo Intervals 7:32 to 7:48
I guess my question is this. Would training be more effective if I ran my daily easy runs at the given pace or at the 1:00 - 1:30 (the listed tempo pace) faster pace than I am accustomed to?
The training would be better at the faster pace IF you could handle it. My guess is that you would not be able to sustain those paces without getting injured or burned out. I suggest doing your training at the paces McMillan suggests. As the weeks roll by and your mileage and long runs build you will be glad you didn't hammer yourself in the early stages of the cycle. Be patient.
A Saucy Wench
I think you are going to find as you ramp from 35 miles to 60 miles that if you dont start slowing down your easy runs you will have problems.
The question is what are you basing your goal on. You dont select the paces based on your GOAL you base your paces based on your current level.
Most people who run 35 mpw and then do a marathon training program are not going to achieve the predicted time based on shorter races. In other words if you use that same chart a 3:40 marathon is deemed possible off a 46:53 10K or a 1:44:19 HM when in actuality MOST people, especially lower mileage people, have to be faster than that at those shorter distances to hit a 3:40 marathon.
So what is your current level? Can you go run a 10K sub 43? If so then your paces MAY be appropriate.
MTA: ok I see you say you are basing your marathon goal off of current 5K/10K times in which case yes, you probably need to slow down and b) its too soon to set a marathon goal time.
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
Faster running =/= more effective
More effective training = Training that fulfills the PURPOSE of the workout = Training AT THE RIGHT SPEED