RunningAHEAD - Topic: Running races during marathon training

mb197314

posted: 8/6/2008 at 8:27 AM

I am going to be starting a marathon training program in October...In late November my schedule calls for a 15 miler on a particular Saturday, however, on that same Saturday is a half marathon race I would like to run...My question is: Is it ok for me to substitute a half marathon race for a 15 mile training run that day? This will probably be the only race I do during training so all other runs will be done accordingly...Thanks.

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 8/6/2008 at 8:47 AM

13.1 miler plus a warmup and cooldown = 15 miles substituted for a 15 mile long run...sounds perfect to me! Seriously, these schedules are not written in stone. Your legs will not fall off at 23 miles into the race because you deviated slightly from the plan. Even if it was a 10K you wanted to run instead, racing a 10K and doing a long cooldown then omitting the 15-miler would be ok. Racing during marathon training is a good thing, just don't overdo it and no closer than 3 weeks to the marathon for a 5K/10K or 5 weeks for a HM.

"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

dnephin

posted: 8/6/2008 at 8:48 AM

I'd do it. When is your marathon?

DWARP
Marathon Madness Mob

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 8/6/2008 at 8:54 AM

You should be fine, assuming that you have enough miles to handle a faster 15 miles than is probably called for on your schedule and that you don't run the race like an idiot. (Not that I've been known to do something like that...erh...yeah...) Marathon training isn't rocket science, which is one reason that I don't use pre-canned schedules for my training. I frequently integrate races along the way to guage whether or not I am at the level of fitness I want to be at any specific point along the way to the goal race.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

Phidippides

posted: 8/6/2008 at 9:31 AM
modified: 8/6/2008 at 9:32 AM

Run the race and enjoy -- Wink

..........Don't let structure get in the way of running in a cool race........Afterall, this stuff is suppose to be fun. It wont matter that you missed 1.9 miles in the over all scheme............and as posted above if you do a little warm up and coold down jog, you'll probably get your 15 miles into begin with.. Enjoy the race.....

Champions are made when no one is watching

JakeKnight

posted: 8/6/2008 at 9:35 AM

Quote from spaniel on 8/6/2008 at 8:47 AM:

these schedules are not written in stone. Your legs will not fall off at 23 miles into the race because you deviated slightly from the plan.

Quote from Run To Win on 8/6/2008 at 8:54 AM:

Marathon training isn't rocket science, which is one reason that I don't use pre-canned schedules for my training.

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

mb197314

posted: 8/6/2008 at 9:43 AM

Quote from dnephin on 8/6/2008 at 8:48 AM:

I'd do it. When is your marathon?

The half marathon is just a little couple hundred person race here in my hometown in VA. That race is November 22. The marathon is the Shamrock in VA BEach on March 22.

Berner

posted: 8/6/2008 at 10:10 AM

Even the authors of the training schedules advise that its occasionally good to substitute a race in place of the otherwise scheduled run. Among other benefits, it allows you to gauge your progress and your current running fitness so you can successfully complete the remainder of the training schedule at the appropriate and optimum effort and pace levels. So by all means, lace 'em up and race!

How To Run a Marathon: Step 1 - start running. There is no Step 2.

PowerOfQ

Think Whirled Peas

posted: 8/6/2008 at 10:28 AM
modified: 8/6/2008 at 10:28 AM

Sorry to jump in on this question, but I've gotta ask this: What about an HM three weeks before the marathon? I have an HM planned on the same weekend that I was originally going to run my last long run of 20 miles. My first thought was to just race the half, and w/WU and CD call it good. But I am a little concerned that much effort so close to the marathon might be too much. I also considered doing a 6 - 8 mile EASY run the morning of the half, then run the HM at my expected marathon pace, essentially treating it like a really well organized training run (replete w/a cheering crowd Tongue

). Third option would be to bag the race and just run the 20-miler, but I'm not seriously considering this one. Thoughts?

Just because running is simple does not mean it is easy.

Relentless. Forward. Motion. <repeat>

JimR

posted: 8/6/2008 at 10:54 AM

Quote from spaniel on 8/6/2008 at 8:47 AM:

13.1 miler plus a warmup and cooldown = 15 miles substituted for a 15 mile long run...sounds perfect to me!

'xactly. If you were supposed to do 20, might get a bit difficult. But 15? HeII yeah.

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 8/6/2008 at 4:04 PM

Quote from PowerOfQ on 8/6/2008 at 10:28 AM:

Sorry to jump in on this question, but I've gotta ask this: What about an HM three weeks before the marathon? I have an HM planned on the same weekend that I was originally going to run my last long run of 20 miles. My first thought was to just race the half, and w/WU and CD call it good. But I am a little concerned that much effort so close to the marathon might be too much. I also considered doing a 6 - 8 mile EASY run the morning of the half, then run the HM at my expected marathon pace, essentially treating it like a really well organized training run (replete w/a cheering crowd ). Third option would be to bag the race and just run the 20-miler, but I'm not seriously considering this one. Thoughts?

I said 5 weeks out because that gives you a week to recover, a week or two to make some additional gains, and then into a 2-week taper. Three weeks out, you take a week to recover and you are certainly into you taper already...in other words, you will go 3 full weeks without any really good/long workouts. Sure you can get some short and non-stressful stuff in but not real workouts. You can race the HM three weeks out, but personally I consider it sub-optimal to timing it 5 weeks out. Of course, you're talking to someone who only takes 1-1.5 weeks of any real taper going into a race. If you typically do a 3-week taper like some people it may be perfect.

"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

kcam

posted: 8/6/2008 at 4:29 PM

Quote from PowerOfQ on 8/6/2008 at 10:28 AM:

Sorry to jump in on this question, but I've gotta ask this: What about an HM three weeks before the marathon? I have an HM planned on the same weekend that I was originally going to run my last long run of 20 miles. My first thought was to just race the half, and w/WU and CD call it good. But I am a little concerned that much effort so close to the marathon might be too much. I also considered doing a 6 - 8 mile EASY run the morning of the half, then run the HM at my expected marathon pace, essentially treating it like a really well organized training run (replete w/a cheering crowd ). Third option would be to bag the race and just run the 20-miler, but I'm not seriously considering this one. Thoughts?

I am planning the exact same thing. My 1/2 is Oct 5th followed by the full on Oct 26th. Right now I plan on a warmupof 3 miles then run (not 'race') the 1/2 at expected marathon pace. I don't think I'll need a full week to recover from that run (if my training goes to plan). I may even do a 16 miler at expected marathon pace the next Saturday as my last real workout.

JakeKnight

posted: 8/6/2008 at 4:38 PM

I'm considering running the Dizzy Fifties 50k (or 40 or 50 miler) in Huntsville, AL on November 22nd. http://www.dizzyfifties.com/ I'm already registered for some lame rinky dink marathon in Nashville on November 23rd http://www.harpethhillsmarathon.com/PWPmaps/Elevation.JPG Can I substitute the 50 for my last long run - and should I taper for 12 hours or 18 hours before the marathon? Will a heart rate monitor help?

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

Ileneforward

#artbydmcbride

posted: 8/6/2008 at 4:43 PM

You should taper for at least 6 hours before the marathon, Jake. A HR monitor will not not help. Beer will. Power of Q, three weeks out from your marathon is perfect. Long tapers are overrated. Smile

Runners run

Bonkin

posted: 8/6/2008 at 4:50 PM

Quote from JakeKnight on 8/6/2008 at 4:38 PM:

I'm considering running the Dizzy Fifties 50k (or 40 or 50 miler) in Huntsville, AL on November 22nd. http://www.dizzyfifties.com/ I'm already registered for some lame rinky dink marathon in Nashville on November 23rd http://www.harpethhillsmarathon.com/PWPmaps/Elevation.JPG Can I substitute the 50 for my last long run - and should I taper for 12 hours or 18 hours before the marathon? Will a heart rate monitor help?

Idiot.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

Running races during marathon training (Read 741 times)