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Feb 2013
10:29pm, 26 Feb 2013
13,723 posts
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DeeGee
There are a few multi-marathonners around, with some good times, and also some conventional marathonners with exceptional times. I'm neither.
An athlete who I respect told me today that he believes me to be potentially capable of running sub-3, and that I'll regret it forever if I don't get it. He said, however, that I'll only get sub-3 if I stop "messing around with silly events" and concentrate on one race.
I'm not a two-a-weeker. I normally run about 1 marathon a month, at training pace, targetting one spring and one autumn race for a bloody good whack at a decent time. Last year I was running these training marathons in 3:45-3:55, and finished my target races in 3:29 and 3:26. I'm not, therefore, running at Marathon pace, nor am I out considerably longer than I would be on race day.
I have run Quadzilla and will do a double next month, again, at training pace, following a "mileage good; more mileage better" ideology. I follow a conventional training plan otherwise interspersing easy and hard days and building progressively over four weeks or so to a long run before cutting back the next week.
I'm going to have a bloody good stab at Brighton, following a decent and proper taper after Gin Pit. I know I'm capable of GFA for London based on my current fitness and thing that I've failed recently due to either poor tactics or a basic lack of fortitude - hence multiple laps around a lake in MK a few weeks ago.
As I see it, I'm doing a 26 mile training run where the training plan calls for a 22. Why should this make a difference? I feel that I'm recovering correctly - I'm faster than ever in Tuesday's speed session and the times I'm running there support this idea that I should be running sub-3.
I can appreciate that someone running a marathon every week might struggle to focus on one, but I'm not running that many. I want to keep running lots, but if I can get a marathon time I'm genuinely proud of by taking time out from the monthly marathon, then I might take this risk.
I need to know why I'm doing it, though. Why should my performance be suffering with my current training style?
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Feb 2013
10:39pm, 26 Feb 2013
47,271 posts
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plodding hippo
Hm
dee gee, I have pbed off the back of 11 in 11 weeks(twice), and the week after a double hilly marathon but it sa high risk strategy
I think you can race yourself fit, but quite often you end up slower and knackered and fatter
thats me at the mo.sigh
Sadly, I cant stop entering events LOL
Mind you, *every* marathon I do is hard work, as thats not the case for you, I think this approach might suit you
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Feb 2013
10:42pm, 26 Feb 2013
47,272 posts
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plodding hippo
And conventional training for one or two maras a year would have you running flat out for those events
You have now done a few maras and are actually capable of doing em as a training run
so, why not, say I
In my book not much in it beteween 22 and 26---unles you keep racing those 26 ones
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Feb 2013
10:48pm, 26 Feb 2013
13,725 posts
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DeeGee
There's no way I'd dare racing them. When I've raced I genuinely could not run the next day.
With training marathons I know I have to run the next day.
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Feb 2013
11:02pm, 26 Feb 2013
1,959 posts
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ndellar
*lurks with interest*
Not sure about your training sessions, but...
Out of interest do you wear an HRM. I'm just wondering even if you run an "easy" marathon or training session is it really easy, and are you recovering as well as you think you are?
Just thinking outloud.
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Feb 2013
11:11pm, 26 Feb 2013
3,400 posts
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Too Much Water
I remember reading one post years ago stating that any healthy man under the age of 40 can run sub 3 if they train for it consistently over the required length of time (maybe a few years or so). Obviously this depends on how you define healthy.
If you want to focus on sub 3, then that could be an achievable goal over maybe a 2 year period, perhaps aiming to run sub 3 by 2015 given your current PBs
However, if you would rather do a marathon every month, then just do that if you would enjoy it more and if it fits in with life better.
I suppose one could say you're choosing to stay within your comfort zones by not going for the sub 3, but it really depends on what you want to get out of running. Some people run to challenge themselves, some to run certain times or distances, some just to relax.
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Feb 2013
11:12pm, 26 Feb 2013
13,727 posts
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DeeGee
I fanny about with an HRM a bit. Not conscientious enough to wear it constantly. When I do use an HRM I run by feel and refer back to the HRM data, but I have so far failed to do this in a training marathon. I've only really started wearing it at all...
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Feb 2013
11:15pm, 26 Feb 2013
13,728 posts
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DeeGee
Food for thought TMW. I believe I've heard Tom Williams of "Marathon Talk" make that claim.
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Feb 2013
11:23pm, 26 Feb 2013
1,960 posts
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ndellar
The "any healthy man...blah...GFA" quote sounds like a Gobi-ism 
It would be interesting to see.
Obviously we are all different but I've seen my HRM show I'm still quite tired from not a particularly hard marathon / other race despite feeling good in all other respects.
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Feb 2013
11:23pm, 26 Feb 2013
47,274 posts
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plodding hippo
I long for the ability to run an "easy" marathon
Only one of my 231 didnt hurt like hell
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