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Couch to Marathon
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If you really want to run the 13 miles, race the 10 first and jog back to the hotel afterwards. Running 3 miles before the race will use some of your energy, slow you down in the race.
Fair enough if you plan to "race" the 10m. If you're using it as a training run with lots of people for company
, and as a way to get used to the race experience, there's no harm in using the three miles to get warmed up, and to enjoy the rest of the run as a novel experience. 0 -
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MarySamsonite wrote: »I can already see me making every excuse during the last few miles of the race not to do that - 'I've just run a race, I deserve a rest now'
. If there's any hope of me doing the 13 miles Ray I'll have to run the 3 beforehand
This is why I said, if you're doing the race, don't worry about running the 13 miles
Three miles here or there is not going to make a difference to your marathon training (and you can always do 3 miles recovery on Sunday if you like). But how often do you run a 10 mile race? Why not focus on running the best race you can on Saturday?0 -
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This is why I said, if you're doing the race, don't worry about running the 13 miles
Three miles here or there is not going to make a difference to your marathon training (and you can always do 3 miles recovery on Sunday if you like). But how often do you run a 10 mile race? Why not focus on running the best race you can on Saturday?
I'm such a slow runner that whatever time I finished it in I wouldn't be happy with it
so I'm not looking at it as a race really - more as an opportunity for company during the biggest chunk of my longest LSR to date . I haven't been doing any training at pace at all and I'm not looking to set a PB or anything. My main focus at the moment is to go the distance in the marathon. I'm looking forward to getting a taster on Saturday of what to expect, with regards to atmosphere etc., during the marathon. 0 -
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Three miles here or there is not going to make a difference to your marathon training (and you can always do 3 miles recovery on Sunday if you like). But how often do you run a 10 mile race? Why not focus on running the best race you can on Saturday?
Hi RayCun, for what's worth, I'm not sure if I actually agree with this advice (disclosure: I happen to know MarySamsonite quite well, she tells me to get out of the bed in the morning and do my training, after she comes in from her silly o'clock run).
The LSR is, as you know, the most crucial part of any marathon training plan, particularly for someone doing their first marathon. MarySamsonite is following the Hal Higdon Novice plan, so the next LSR following next week's stepback week is 15 miles.
Personally, I think it's important to stick to the LSRs, whatever about any other aspect of the plan, as the incremental increase in mileage is crucial, both physiologically and psychologically, and especially crucial for the debut marathoner. Doing (and again, this is just personal opinion from personal experience) 10 miles one day and 3 the next does not equate to a 13 mile run, in as much as back to back 13 milers doens't equate to a marathon.
Doing two weekends of 10 mile LSRs, and then jumping up to your first ever 15 miler, 3 miles beyond the furthest you've ever run, is a bit of an ask IMO.0 -
It's a fair point, the LSRs are the most important part of the marathon training programme, and 10+3 is not the same as 13.
Against that I'd say that 10 miles at race pace is a harder run than a 13 mile LSR, and that you'll learn more from racing that distance than you will from doing it as 10 miles of a 13 mile LSR.
When it comes down to it, I don't see much point in entering races and running them as training runs.
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A huge thank you to Rainbow Kirby for suggesting I do the Frank Duffy 10 Mile - I loved it!!!
I was really relaxed about the whole thing until Friday night when I couldn't sleep with nerves. I was still really nervous on Saturday morning and so I was up early and had breakfast - a first for me before a long run. I had a healthy fruit salad and not so healthy croissants
. The morning was fabulous and I set off from the Castleknock Hotel at 9.
The minute I started running my nerves left me (and this is just the run to the race :rolleyes:). I was so conscious of taking it handy that I was practically crawling. I made my husband drive the route from the hotel to the Phoenix Park the evening before so that I would know exactly where I was going. A car stopped by me during my first mile asking for directions to the race (I was a bit of a give-away with my number emblazoned on my front
) and the poor guy must have thought that I was a fruitcake when I told him that I didn't really know (of course, what I meant was that I knew the pedestrian way there, but the gate I was heading to was closed to traffic...). For the record, I didn't stop my watch while talking to him so this would definitely take about 10 minutes off my overall time .
My 3 mile run to the Park was a bit erratic. I would run a bit and then panic that I was running too quickly and wasting energy and so I would slow down or walk. Then I would panic that I wasn't doing my 13-miler properly by just walking and so I would start running again :rolleyes:. Once I got to the gate of the Park I had only done 2 miles and so instead of heading straight to the Papal Cross I ran down a side avenue to make up some distance. What I hadn't realised was that I was still quite a distance from the start and so by the time I finished my 3 miles I was still about a mile away from the Papal Cross :rolleyes:. I didn't care though, I had done the 3 miles and felt fine. It took me 39:57 so I hadn't exerted myself too much.
I felt so relaxed before the race and I really enjoyed taking it all in. I headed for the middle of the group in the 3rd wave and was adamant not to get taken up with the whole thing and head out too quickly. This was really difficult to do though when the race started. It seemed to me that everyone was flying out past me but I held back telling myself repeatedly that this was only a training run. It was so funny going past a small boy with his father just after the start and I heard him say "Why are they all wearing purple Daddy?" Purple must really be in at the moment - I was wearing a purple top and so were most of the women there. My husband said that when he came out to try and spot me all he could see were purple tops.
Because of my warm-up run, I didn't have the usual difficulty with the first three miles. I took them really handy and relaxed into it more for mile 4 (or my mile 7). I loved the route and the weather was fabulous. I was conscious of keeping a nice even pace throughout and I can't say that any mile stands out for being particularly easy or difficult. It was all so enjoyable. It definitely helps to have people around you. I saw my husband and son at around the 6 mile mark and this definitely gave me a boost.
After Mile 6 I started picking people out up ahead and heading for them. This really kept me focused and made the run so much more enjoyable (especially as I passed them out). I managed to pass every single person that I targetted and this felt great. Strangely enough I felt my strongest in the last two miles and, as it turned out, they were my fastest times (mile 9: 11:30 and mile 10: 11:24). I was delighted with my finishing time of 1:58:46 but what I'm most happy with is that I didn't walk a single step of it - not even for that long drag of a hill at the end 
. I'm so looking forward to the half-marathon now on September 17.
Saturday, 20/08/2011
Distance: 13 miles
Time: 2:38:44
Average Pace: 12:11
Breakdown: M1-14:06; M2-12:34; M3-13:17; M4-12:22; M5-12:15; M6-11:53; M7-11:47; M8-11:42; M9-11:53; M10-11:56; M11-11:46; M12-11:30; M13 - 11:24
Weather: Bright, warm, light breeze - perfect running weather
Analysis: M1–M3 - relaxed, easy; M4-M13 - really enjoyable!0 -
Brilliant MaryS Before even reading your report I knew by all the :Ds that it had gone well. 13 miles done and dusted and most importantly enjoyed! It really makes a difference when there are loads of people around you and that slow start with the warmup miles seems to have really helped.
Knees obviously stayed intact!0 -
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This week's midweek runs are 3-7-4. I had intended on doing the 3 yesterday but I didn't get up.
I did get up this morning for the 7 but found the treadmill very wearying so I left it at 4 miles... My plan now is to do the 7 tomorrow morning, the 3 on Friday morning and do my LSR (10) on Saturday morning.
It's definitely much harder to get out of bed in the morning when it's dark. I'm lucky to have the treadmill though and at least I'll get outside for my LSRs.0 -
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I'm going to have to do some running before work from here on in. Just wondering what do you do about breakfast before your runs? I've managed a four mile run in the morning before but I've never done 5 or 6 mile runs without food. Have you had to do these distances without food or what would you advise? I wouldn't be hungry in the morning but I don't want to run out of energy while I'm out there...
Last Saturday morning was the first time I ever ate before a run and I will be doing that from now on (just a banana I think) as it may have had something to do with how good I felt on the day.
I'm not going to bother eating anything before my midweek runs though as I know I won't have time and I find them ok usually anyway (well, even when I don't, I suspect it has more to do with the rubbish food I ate the day beforehand more than the lack of food before the run :rolleyes:).
I keep saying that I will read more about fuelling the body for running but I haven't found the time to do so yet (too busy eating chocolate).
If you're pushed for time in the morning why don't you try some of the shorter runs on an empty stomach and see how you feel. For me, it's totally trial and error at the moment.0 -
MarySamsonite wrote: »Last Saturday morning was the first time I ever ate before a run and I will be doing that from now on (just a banana I think) as it may have had something to do with how good I felt on the day.
I'm not going to bother eating anything before my midweek runs though as I know I won't have time and I find them ok usually anyway (well, even when I don't, I suspect it has more to do with the rubbish food I ate the day beforehand more than the lack of food before the run :rolleyes:).
I keep saying that I will read more about fuelling the body for running but I haven't found the time to do so yet (too busy eating chocolate).
If you're pushed for time in the morning why don't you try some of the shorter runs on an empty stomach and see how you feel. For me, it's totally trial and error at the moment.
I've been doing all my midweek runs on an empty stomach so far, even today's 7-miler. I think it's all about conditioning as well, ie I'm getting used to running on an empty stomach (but well-hydrated).
I'm going to have to have a banana before next week's 8-miler as I've been eating all morning and can't stop!
Well done at the weekend!0 -
A very lazy run this morning. It was supposed to be 7 miles on the treadmill but I ran out of time because I didn't get up early enough and so I only got 50 mins done - which is equivalent of about 4 miles for me...
I will do another 4 miles tomorrow morning instead of the planned 3 and at least that way I will have completed 12 out of my 14 midweek miles.0 -
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