Connemarathon: Training Advice Please

gaf1983

I've been training for this for some time now. Well actually I trained since October for a half-marathon which I ran last January, then after that I decided I'd enter the Connemara full. I've been using the Hal Higdon Novice 1 programme.

Anyway, all was going well until 24 February when I felt my left leg/shin really tighten up just at the start of my long run for that week (6 weeks before the marathon.) So I didn't run that day, and generally didn't run at all for two and a half weeks to give myself time to recover (though I did cycle and play tennis). Resumed running last Thursday, ran 10 miles though I struggled for the last 2. Then today according to my programme I was supposed to run 20 miles, but only made it to 16.

So now there are 3 weeks to go to the race. According to my training programme, I should only do two more long runs between now and then, being 12 miles next weekend and 8 miles the following weekend. However, I'm wondering should I try and go for the 20 miles next weekend considering I didn't quite make it today? I reckon that by next weekend I should be in a better condition to get up to 20, considering I had only ran once, last Thursday, before I attempted today's 20. By next weekend I will have gone running three times and cross training once. Two weeks should be enough time for me to recover from running the twenty next weekend and the marathon in three weeks, right? (I'm really just thinking out loud here.)

What do ye recommend? Go for the 20 next weekend or follow the programme rigidly, even though I haven't really been sticking to it of late?

911sc

Hard to tell as everybody's recovery is different. IMO, you are leaving it a bit late considering you have not run yet a 20kmiles. And you actually need to start ramping down the distance. If your recovery is good, may be you can give it a go next Saturday, but definitely not after that.

Slogger Jogger

I can just tell you what I tend to do which is do my last long run 2 weeks beforehand. A week beforehand my 20 miler is down to 13 miles and the last week itself I do very little. Everyone is different but you have to balance the confidence you'll gain from running a lengthy run with what your body is telling you. It could be a case of attempting a long run and if push comes to shove and you're struggling to run/walk some sections to get you through the mileage. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

raemie21

hey,
I don't have advice as such but just to say you're not on your own! I'm running Paris in less then three weeks, wanted to do 20miles yesterday as my peak but I've had a slight groin strain or something for the past two weeks that hasn't gone away. Felt it after a run of 18miles two weeks before, managed to do some slow 5/6 milers last week but knew 20miles was out of the question yesterday. Tried to do some light running this evening and it was really really sore again, had to stop after two miles. Really fricking annoying :mad:

So essentially, I'm gonna have to take at least a week/10 days completely off, won't have time to any longer runs, max I really should be doing in the last two weeks is about ten or something.

Trying to keep my confidence up & hope for the pain to go and things to come together on the day but yeah God, wish I could have done one other long run too. Head says no though, leave it and hope for the best. I guess if we've done the work up until now, it will surely pay off and be ok. [saying this as I rife through the horoscopes looking for any positive affirmation that can be linked!]

gaf1983

Thanks for the advice lads - did the 20 miles last Saturday. Found it really tough once I passed 16 - I'm half thinking of trying those energy gels out during my last tapering runs to see if they work. Blisters were pretty bad but they've eased down since.