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Jan 2014
9:55pm, 20 Jan 2014
2,609 posts
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SpeedyMel
I did 2x20 milers for my first marathon and after said I wish I'd done more or maybe a 22?
I would also use this time to work on your brain too. 6 hours is a long time to spend on your own when you maybe sore, unhappy, tired and grumpy. Try and work out things that will cheer you up, happy memories, songs etc. I find the mental side of marathons the hardest.
Also a medium long tempo run midweek (6/7/8 miles) is important to help your legs to remember how to run on tired legs.
Good luck. 
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Jan 2014
10:48pm, 20 Jan 2014
4,068 posts
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icemaiden
I think you need to be using your long runs to focus on the headology and to practise your feeding strategy. Please do focus on running on hard flat surfaces, your joints need to be taught those lessons about your pace rather than running more off road soft surfaces.
The headology is different for the marathon to what it is on the training runs however. Training runs are about keeping on, keeping on, remembering when to take on food/liquid, when to walk etc.
The actual race will also be about not getting distracted, keeping your focus on where am I, what am I doing now/next, when's the next break/food stop, water stop, do I need the loo etc. However tempting it will be don't on the day do the following - get swept away at the start and go to fast, get tripped up on the speed bumps in the residential area at the start because you are focussing on keeping up with whoever is around you, interacting with the crowd - except for people who you are expecting to be there (if any), don't end up high-fiving all the sticky children (you'll get arm ache) - forget what the plan was!
The five longest runs totalling as near as possible 100 is quite useful, so if you get 1 20 that's good, 2 might be better, but doing the rest at 18 is also good.
Tapering will also make you feel like you could run faster and longer on the day. Don't be tempted to run faster, and there's no need to run any further than you have to.
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Jan 2014
10:59pm, 20 Jan 2014
1,386 posts
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RevBarbaraG
Sounds good, IM. Planning now to use my remaining long runs (14, 16, 18, 20, 20) to test out what pace I can maintain on a largely flat hard surface.
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Jan 2014
11:22pm, 20 Jan 2014
4,069 posts
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icemaiden
... and practice your feeding/drinking, running and walking.
Kit - are you wearing what you'll be wearing on the day yet? Chaffage sometimes doesn't show itself until after 10+ miles. Shoes, are you getting new shoes, when will you start wearing them?
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Jan 2014
9:14am, 21 Jan 2014
15,248 posts
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DeeGee
If you're planning on using any specific nutrition products on race day, then you need to be trying them out during long runs. Specifically if you're planning on taking anything that the organisers are giving you, in London this would be Lucozade body fuel and Lucozade gels.
In Brighton and Manchester this would be bags of water which double as a handy nasal douche.
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Jan 2014
9:24am, 21 Jan 2014
10,174 posts
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mulbs
Hi Barbara, then plan I followed for Brighton had 1 x 20 as the longest run, I'm training for Liverpool now and am tempted to try and follow a plan that has 2 or 3 X 20s (but with step down weeks in between), that's partly for me just to feel like I'm doing something different, and partly because this time around the marathon isn't my end goal fo the year, I've another in July and then a 50k lined up for September.
Having said all of that, I think you do need to make sure you are guaranteed a 20-miler for peace of mind.
When I did my longer runs last time around I ran in 5 mile loops to the boot of my car (different route on each loop) and used my car as a fuel station to save carrying too much.
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Jan 2014
11:12am, 21 Jan 2014
1,389 posts
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RevBarbaraG
Kit - temperature is an issue, as I'm still in tights and long-sleeved tops, but on the day expect to be wearing capris and the Cancer Research UK T-shirt. Too cold for capris yet.... and the T-shirt's a bit tight. Shoes - I have a new pair on the agenda in another week or two, they should be well-tested but still springy for London. Or maybe I should get two pairs once I've found one I really like, and start wearing the second pair a month before?
Fuel - I know about the Lucozade, I plan on getting some to try out.
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Jan 2014
11:43am, 21 Jan 2014
927 posts
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mushroom
I completed my first marathon following a 'get you round' schedule, and to be fair, it did just that. However, that was over 20years ago and the advice then was a longest run of about 17miles and I managed 2 of those. However, the race itself hurt, a lot. Every mile from 18 onwards was new territory and my legs knew it - it took a lot of effort to complete.
I didn't want to run another marathon being so unprepared, and so for the next one I wanted to make sure that I didn't feel that way. I wanted to be confident that I would get round without the pain, and the only way I felt I could get that confidence was to run long. I ran 6 x 20+miles with the longest about 23.5miles, which took roughly the time I was aiming for. (I wanted to tick off the 5 longest runs totalling over 100miles idea).
I must say though that I had a lot more base running behind me before the 2nd marathon and I was quickly able to get up to 15-20 milers so had plenty time to run those longer ones. I didn't run them all in the last six weeks! I had two successive long runs then a drop down week before building again.
There are two old sayings that I refer to in training: A marathon is a 20mile warm-up followed by a 10k race, and the half way point of a marathon is closer to 20miles than 13. It's all about getting the balance right - you need to be able to gain enough confidence without over doing it. As icemaiden puts it - headology comes into play. Get that sorted and you'll be fine on the day.
Good luck!
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Jan 2015
2:04pm, 20 Jan 2015
8 posts
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Mungo Shuntbox
I'm bumping this rather than start a new thread, as I like what I read above.
After a 4 year absence from hard work, I'm signed in for the Loch Ness marathon 2015, but in terms of training I am really starting from zero again. I've been surfing a few sites looking at plans, but still feel a bit meh about the whole plan thing of doing X amount of Y on any sort of timetable.
NB - done a bit of the marathon stuff already so I am not the utter noob.
So opening myself up to you all to see what you think, but here's the rough idea:
- lose two stone. I think that'll really help
- by 1 Sept 2015 be able to run and keep running for 4.5 hours
- mix road running, offroad/fell running, hill walking and a bit of cycling
- don't worry about speed too much, just how long I can keep moving
Has anyone got access to a 24 week plan of sorts just to give me a bit of a framework?
All advice and abuse happily accepted
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Jan 2015
2:18pm, 20 Jan 2015
244 posts
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Gromit
Hi ya , for a 24 week plan , look at Asics web site as it will give you plan specific to you , although I've then added distance to the long runs suggested by the asics plan and gone with the distances recommended on the RW plan , when I did London last year I did just 1x20 mile run but this time around I'm going to hope to do 3x20 miles in my training , I still don't think I need to go above the 20 mile mark tho
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