The training effect of a race

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J2R Oct 2015 8:01pm, 13 Oct 2015 188 posts	0 J2R Bazoaxe, once again do you not think it might be the marathon training that's doing the trick here, rather than the marathon run itself? 3 years ago, a week before the last marathon I ran, I had a go at a Parkrun and despite holding back a little for fear of doing myself some harm, I got a clear PB. Might you not have got those same PBs or even better ones if you'd run them just before the marathon (or instead of the marathon)? After all, you would probably be really race fit at that point but wouldn't want to race any other distances so close to the marathon.
Bazoaxe Oct 2015 8:07pm, 13 Oct 2015 9,149 posts	0 Bazoaxe yeah, a very big factor....all my PBs have come either in marathon build up or just after...clearly down to the training I havent really trained for any other distance seriously so I dont really know what I could achiece at say 10k if that was my focus
Bazoaxe Oct 2015 8:09pm, 13 Oct 2015 9,150 posts	0 Bazoaxe should have said also, marathin training doesnt necessarily get the best 5k although it will lead to some good ones.....I have raced parkruns up to a week out last time and I had run a series of about 5 in the 19:30s then the next one, week before marathon was 19:07...still some way short of my best though
J2R Oct 2015 11:23am, 14 Oct 2015 189 posts	0 J2R Sure, the best way of getting a 5K PB will always be 5K specific training. My point was, though, that a lot of goodies tend to come with marathon training which people sometimes overlook because they're so focussed on the marathon race itself. Considering how different the 5K and marathon distances are, it's surprising how much benefit you do get. Like you, I haven't really trained for any other distance specifically, simply because I tend to do a bunch of races of different lengths not far apart, most of which are of equal importance to me. I try to get myself in shape to do a good 10K, or 10 miler, or HM, with the fine tuning for an individual race taking place in the last 3-4 weeks, if at all.
J2R 30 Apr 12:26pm, 30 Apr 2024 5,155 posts	0 J2R I started this thread years ago but have been thinking afresh about the subject of late and would be interested in getting people's take on a simple question which has come to mind. I think it's pretty clear that you will get some training benefit from racing a 10K hard, say, but if you've actually given it your all, you will undoubtedly have also put your body under some stresses which you will need to recover from. In other words, the benefits you have accrued will be offset by damage. But I'm wondering whether treating the race as a 'B' race (or even 'C' or 'D') can enable it to be a very effective training session, and if so, how much do you have to slacken off by. On current fitness, my 10K time if I push hard is probably 39 mins, possibly a little faster (I'll find out in a few days). But what sort of time would I aim for in a race if I wanted to make it most beneficial as a training session? I'm thinking maybe something more like HM pace, which would mean something more like 40:00-41:00? Is there a general rule here, race at a pace one or two 'distances' down and it will give you the most training benefit? E.g. race your 5K at 10K or maybe even 10 mile pace?
Dvorak 30 Apr 6:25pm, 30 Apr 2024 27,731 posts	0 Dvorak My based on me estimate (not just for running, but also other things) is minus 7% as the step down. I can't say if that's the optimum for training benefit but it's where I can feel it's been a good effort, but not a hard, hard session.
Fenners-Reborn 30 Apr 6:27pm, 30 Apr 2024 856 posts	0 Fenners-Reborn parkrun PB (all time) came two weeks after my best ever Highland Fling.
J2R 30 Apr 7:27pm, 30 Apr 2024 5,160 posts	0 J2R Fenners-Reborn, doesn't sound like the training benefit of the race itself, though, rather the benefit of all the training which led up to your successful Highland Fling. A week before my best ever marathon, I did the local parkrun, deliberately held back from putting max effort in and got what was then my best ever time.