It appears that Nicaragua is nuking Borneo, or vice versa. "We'll nuke you back to the stone age!" "HA, we're already there, bitches! Cigars aren't ICBMs anyway, nice bluff!"
I have run 4 marathons. Two of them I didn't train very hard for - these ones I can say I enjoyed the training. The two that I trained decently for, I hated the training. But the only race I really hated was #3 where I just struggled from the start to run a pace that should have been very doable.
#1 - I enjoyed the training (Higdon), paced very conservatively, race felt comfortable - negative split (4:28) - 2 min negative split
#2 - Trained much harder than my first. No longer enjoyed the training but found it to be exhausting but had a better than expected race and felt GREAT in the last 10k (sped up), negative split, fun race. (3:42) - 2.5 minute negative split
#3 - Hated the training. Probably tried to do too much and/or my taper was too short. Pace never felt easy and was struggling to maintain it by the halfway point. Last 10k really sucked and was miserable. 3 min positive split. (3:33)
#4 - Didn't train for (I did this on a whim after some patchy 5k/half marathon training, which I enjoyed. Never felt run down or exhausted). I had a good idea of my fitness and ran it conservatively. Really enjoyed the first 16-17 miles of the race and then my legs hurt really bad. The last 4 miles were very painful/miserable. (3:32). 2 min positive split.
Are we there, yet?
Marathon Training Truths
1) You can run a marathon, even a fast marathon by recreational standards, without ever running a 20 mile training run
2) If you don't learn to pace yourself and get a reasonably accurate estimate of what you're capable of, your race will be a lot more painful than it needs to be
3) You are short-changing yourself if you don't include good quality speed work in your training
4) All the training you can do can be for naught if race day execution is poor
5) Race day magic won't make up for lack of training
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K, 9:11:09 06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour, 35.82 miles
Marathon Training Truths 1) You can run a marathon, even a fast marathon by recreational standards, without ever running a 20 mile training run 2) If you don't learn to pace yourself and get a reasonably accurate estimate of what you're capable of, your race will be a lot more painful than it needs to be 3) You are short-changing yourself if you don't include good quality speed work in your training 4) All the training you can do can be for naught if race day execution is poor 5) Race day magic won't make up for lack of training
Think I'm going to print those and pin them on my wall next year when I train for a marathon.
Dammit George, I hate it when you post stuff I can't argue with.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Former Bad Ass
My marathon training has never sucked. In fact, they usually go great and then the race goes either super great or fuck this shit. But except for this past SF Marathon training (that ended up with me being sick), I have never had a bad training session. It is hard, of course, especially when you have to run something like 22 with 5 easy, 5 @ MP +10%, 5 @ MP, 5 @ WTF, run for your life, but it has never sucked.
Damaris
Love it. And very true. 2 and 4, IMO, are the usual noob mistakes.
Dammit, I was counting on #5.
No more marathons
Can I add a 6th George?
6. All the training you can do can't change the weather.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
It's not that much different than 5k-10k training.
So true, and is why weather.com gets a billion hits in the two weeks leading up to most events. lol
Can I add a 6th George? 6. All the training you can do can't change the weather.
Or possibly amend that to say the weather is no excuse not to train.
That's why I still consider the Wrightsville Beach Marathon to be my best race. I was hoping to run 3:03 but it was 61 degrees with 100% humidity at the start and precious l little cloud cover once the sun came up. I adjusted from the start and ran an 80 second positive split and a 3:08.
The 15 mile Charleston Distance Run is this Saturday and I finished a run this morning that is very likely to mimic the conditions at the start. Not too bad although somewhat muggy. But, about an hour in, you'll come out of the hills, turn east onto Virginia Street, and the sun will be hitting you full in the face. There is no shade. None. You now have 8 miles of flat ground to go and you'll be completely exposed. Several experienced runners and I were discussing the race after we ran this morning and we all said you'll have to back off in the first half of the race if you don't want to blow up in the second half.
1) People will think you're weird when you keep declining social invitations. "Sorry, I have to do a 14 miler right after work."
2) Your 3hr long run is more exercise than many folks get in a month.
3) So many carbs, so little time.
4) Taper madness is real.
5) Your motivation must come from within. No one else will get you where you need to be.
Or go and slip out early without saying goodbye to anyone.