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Brighton Marathon 2014
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Tillstar - think you have to find a plan with the right balance of the quailty work to get you faster and the quantity work to give you the endurance. I think Hal Higdon has some of the most popular plans for a range of abilities and they mix up quality and quantity.
Jellygirl yes i do love H/M i don’t mine 10k’s but fine them a bit short though Brighton has to be my all time favourite distance would i run further may be but to be honest i just wouldn’t have the time to fit the training in
Tillstar it’s really a case of finding a plan that fits in with you i would at least build up your mileage slowly over the coming months to at least half marathon distance that way when the training for Brighton starts you’ll have a good base and when the mileage ramps up it will be a short step up not a Hugh jump also
Time on your feet is as important you need to be able to maintain the pace you want for a long time they say that LSR should be done at a least a minute slow than your race pace but at the end of the day only you will know what your body is capable of taking
Wow people do a lot of races! I only have 1 or 2 lined up!
Perhaps I need more to get quicker, but I find they get in the way of my training. What do people think is the best number of races for optimal performance?
Paul i use the races after Christmas as part of my training the ones before are just to keep me focused i don’t think there is an optimal number a lot of the time people run theses races just because they enjoy the race themselves most of the races I’m running are the same as last year and are ones i have enjoyed
Tillstar... faced with a choice that you outlined (a plan that tends to slow-high-mileage or one that tends to faster-lower-mileage).... I would recommend the higher mileage option.
Of course, we're talking hypothetically here... but the faster one is likely to make you faster over the first 18 miles.... but the slower one should bring fewer injuries, and train you for the full 26.2 miles. Maybe there's a tortoise versus hare analogy in there somewhere!
But, as others have said, the best plan is a well balanced one. But I've read, and believe, that dedicating yourself fo 3 months of Hadd training before starting your plan, might be the best thing. I might do that myself. (involves a dedication to running in low heart-rate zones... which will be ridiculously slow running at first, but increases in pace - for the same low heart rate - as you adapt.)
I suppose enjoying the races is the most important really, as we do this for fun after all (although does not always feel like it). However i find during a 3 month training plan for a marathon I only do a half and 1 10k (not many close to me). and i do a spring and autumn marathon, and no races in summer. So i only 2 do marathons, 1 half and a couple of 10ks - 5 races a year (and thats if not injured, ill or away).
I need to up my race schedule!
I have used the slow long miles training and the low mileage high intensity training, and i have found that the low mileage high intensity worked better for me. I could only run lunchtimes and very occasional weekends. So i did fast 10k - 10m. and my times tumbled (3:13 brighton marathon). I found long slow running just grinds me down, mentally and physically, and gets me injured.
This year i want to go sub 3 so will try a combination of the both - low mileage high intensity during the week and long slow during weekend. Try and get both advantages.
There has been some research on this which has shown that different people have different genes which respond differently to high or low intensity training. You need to find out which works for you.
Paul - I think 5 races a year split over 2 marathons, 1 half and a couple of 10ks is a perfect mix.
I do love race day but I tend to have a rule that for 10ks, half marathons and road marathons, I like to be able to walk to the start line/home from the pub at the end! So basically I just do local road races to me, then I will travel for races which I think are worth travelling for, which tend to be off-road marathons and ultras.
This year I will be doing:
Brighton half marathon
Brighton marathon
Hove 10k
Steyning Stinger off-road marathon
Beachy Head off-road marathon
Saxon Shore 50 mile ultra
Thanks Barbie, I'm not a lightweight after all! I too only look at travelling for races worth travelling for (eg Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam), and local races apart from that.
I do will be doing brighton marathon and half. Is Hove 10k the same as Brighton 10k? And seen Steyning Stinger before - whats it like?
Hove 10k is in September, Brighton 10k is in November - I ran the Brighton 10k last year but can't do it this year as I need to focus on ultra training and a 10k race will get in the way of it.
Steyning Stinger is an off-road marathon on the South Downs http://www.steyningac.co.uk/2013-stinger/ I absolutelly LOVED it - tough but my rationale is once you've done 26 miles off-road it makes 26 miles on-road slightly easier!
Hmm, i get concerned when someone who does ultras, says something is tough!!!!
might do it as its on my doorstep, but its only 4 weeks before brighton marathon whcih is 2 weeks before london marathon! 3 marathons in 6 weeks may be asking for trouble.
I haven't done an ultra yet
I'm doing my first one in 4 weeks! I'll get back to you in 4 and a bit weeks what my thoughts on the Steyning Stinger are then 
Wow thanks guys some really useful responses. Currently my long runs range between 10 and 16 miles depending what else I have done in the week. Lots to think about thanks.
I've entered for 2014. It'll be only my second marathon, but I've not done one since 2009, so there's lots of training to do in the mean time.
My training will be mainly triathlons this year as I've entered the London Tri in July, but over winter I'll put the bike and wetsuit away and increase my running mileage.
I tend to make up my own training plans
I don't really like just copying a plan from the internet as I don't think it takes into account factors that are personal to me ie my running history, recovery time etc.
So I made up one based on stuff I've read, how I've trained for marathons in the past and fortunately I have a friend who runs ultras so he's my go-to for all ultra advice. I thought trying to combine Brighton marathon training with the ultra training might prove too much but so far it's done me ok and got me an 11 minute PB at Brighton on Sunday in 03:48:34....so now I just have to hope that it works for part 2 on the 18th May!
I think the main difference (from my VERY limited knowledge) of marathon training and ultra training is more 20+ mile runs and the back to back runs so I was doing some 20 miles/14 miles etc over consecutive days at a weekend. This weekend I'm doing 16/24 and then next weekend 30/20 and that will be my peak mileage.
I guess I'll find out on the 18th if it's worked or not!
Wow, you're well prepared with that mileage for your ultra. Back to back runs make perfect sense.
I need to learn to do my long runs slowly. I push myself too much and I proved that when I did the Surrey spitfire 20 and aggravated my back. It taught me a hard lesson!
I didn't know about GFA times until after Brighton
Some people have said it's sub 03:50 for a woman my age but some have said it's sub 03:45 so I don't even know if I'm eligible! I've never been bothered about running London (my husband ran it as his first marathon and he found it way too busy congested, crowded etc) but I guess if you got a GFA place it would be rude not to! 
Brighton would still be my A 'ie PB chasing' race though and London would be more of a 'fun run'.
I learnt on the Brighton Marathon 2013 thread about running my long runs slowly....up until then for my previous marathons I thought I had to try and run them at MP!
I still have a LOT to learn when it comes to running!
What is your current marathon PB then if you were aiming for 03:30 - 03:35 until the Spitfire injury?
Why run long runs slow? Will that not train the body to run long slow in the marathon?
I try to run first half slow and second half at MP pace. Dont know why? But i am always listening to any other good training ideas, as i just make most of mine up as i go along.
I've done plenty of long runs (18+ miles) and did the Spitfire in 2:35 this year. The intention was to do it at MP but I got carried away. I still felt I had plenty left in my legs though.
GFA is 3:50 for women but I remember dodging everyone at London and not enjoying the experience. I'm sure GFA has different starts so less congested.
I'd much rather run with 9,000 others than 30k!
And the better supporters at Brighton!!!! And Shoreham power station!!!!
they say you should run your LSR at around a minute slower than your race pace i think this to try to help avoid injury
Wow, impressive comeback after your baby Jellygirl
02:35 for 20 miles is FAST!
Paul - I think the advice is to run your long runs at 1 min slower than MP as you get the same benefits but don't tire yourself out so much/run the risk of injury. However...if what you're dong is working for you, then why change it?!
That might explain why 20 mile runs tire me out and I am a bit injury prone these days!
I have the the jack daniels coachng book and he seems to have MP pace in some / most of his long runs so i think i have picked it up from there.
Long runs - the plan i just followed for Brighton this year had me alternating long runs between one week 60-90 slower than MP and then the next week doing last half+ of long run at MP. Idea being you need to get used to MP but you can't do it every week for risk of injury and also not recovered enough for the hard work during the week.
Passed on from a Brighton runners group...for anyone who's local. A run would seem to be the best way of commemorating what has happened.
2 marathons – 2 tragedies – 2 days ... On the 14th April at 11.45 Sam Harper Brighouse tragically collapsed and died after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest in Grand Avenue, Hove whilst running in the Brighton Marathon On the 15th April at 2.50pm two bombs were set off killing three people and injuring over 170 more in the Boston Marathon. What should have been one of the greatest achievements of their lives has left the running community stunned at the sad news of both tragedies. The marathons are a time for everyone to enjoy and to raise money for their chosen charities. As a mark of respect and remembrance to Sam and all of those involved in the Boston Marathon it has been decided to get everyone to meet up PLACE TO MEET We will to meet on the Hove Lawns opposite Grand Avenue. TIME Meeting at 11.30am on Sunday April 28th. At 11.45am we will hold a minutes silence after which we will do a gentle jog or walk of 2.6 miles to Black Rock and 2.6 miles back to Hove lawns. This is not a race and this is open to everyone that would like to show their respects to come and join the running community. Thank you for sharing this in advance.Chutney - Sound advice with the pacing. I'll definitely try it out and hopefully avoid injury
well coming to the end of our last night here in Brighton catching the train home tomorrow so it will be another year before were back in Brighton again can't wait
Green Fairy lovely to meet you today
Well going home today due to catch the train at 10 so another year at Brighton comes to a close no time for resting though Bristol 10k on May 5th and then the Bradley stoke 10k on June the 9th which happens to be my 50th birthday