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Can't get pace right
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Starting to train for marathorn in October but struggling to run slow enough on long run,seem to have one pace 8.30 minute mile and after 3-4 mile feeling fatigued and finding myself walking for 1 minute every 2miles to recover I was wondering if this is a ok tactic to get through a marathorn
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Sounds like a good tactic to run a fast one. Like a very long interval session. I'd recommend eating and drinking loads while doing this.
🙂
Go off road. It will slow you down.
yes but will that help, target paces would surely be assessed as slower again if multi terrain.
Everyone starts out saying they cannot run slower but if they want to improve they learn to and of course everyone can in fact run slower. I used to run everything at 7 m/m, my long run (it took me 6 weeks) is now 8min 30 pace. If you cannot get beyond roughly a 5k at that pace then your marathon race pace is likely to be 9 ish m/m, probably 9.20 which means your long run should be about 10.30. If as you progress you are going to keep going at that pace you will be burnt out or injured by October. I am just guestimating there though on paces.
Steven... no it's a terrible tactic. Unless you like pain and misery.
Can't emphasise enough that it can take hard effort to train to develop the ability to run slow. And it's an increasingly crucial ability as race distances get beyond 5K.
You are cleary running above your lactate threshold (LT) at 8.30mins per mile. This overloads your blood with acid, affecting cell function and making you stop after 3-4 miles.
It's ridiculous to say you cannot run at speeds below your LT. You can. But you might have to build up to it. I am quite sure you can run at 10.30 or 11 minute pace for 3 miles, even if it's a bit uncomfortable.. but you may then need to take a rest and walk for a bit. This is what you must do for the next 3-4 weeks. You will be building up your "slow twitch" muscles and improving your aerobic energy systems... essential for a marathon. I'm sure that 3 miles will become 4 miles will become 6+ miles if you do this training.
Despite my previous post, I wouldn't recommend this way of training unless the runner had a training base of 1000's of miles.
A good number of forum posters come on here because they are looking for a 'short-cut' to a result, i.e "Can I run a sub 4 hour marathon while training in Starbucks? or is there an app I can download that lets me break 8 minute miling?
I race at sub 6 minute miling but the vast majority of my training is slower than 8 minute miling, usually at least 2:30 per mile slower.
Its easy to run slower, just stop pushing the pace.
🙂
If you want to use this tactic, investigate Jeff Galloway's marathon training approach which uses run walk stategies - you'll get some recommended run / walk splits. But from my limited experience the best thing you can do now is find a way to run slowly.
Plenty of miles slower than Race pace, a few miles quicker than race pace, and the occassional bit of mileage at race pace each week - that is my approach, and most of the running world.
And don't worry when grandma and grandpa out for a jog cruise past you - you are training for a marathon
Try running with someone slower. Get on a treadmill and get a feel for your long slow run pace - how it feels, how your breathing is affected etc. Learn to run slow!
My question would be how do you know what pace you run at? I know it sounds obvioul but if you are using a garmin or other gps device that allows you to check your pace then slowing down has to be easy - just keep an eye on your pace and if it speeds up slow down - I don't know how to do it but my garmin can be set to beep at regular intervals - maybe if you set it to remind you to check your pace every 1/2 minutes then that may help.
Some even have pace alerts which bleep at you if you go too fast/slow.
Makes pacing super simple
Thanks for the advise ,I do use a garmin and I sure it has pace alerts will have ditch the headphones and try and run slower I keep trying to hit the 10 .00 min per mile target but the speed creeps up might try a bit of off road as well
running off road will definitely slow you down, but a constant pace will be difficult. Does your Garmin have a HR monitor? Sometimes its easier to run to effort (heart rate) than to pace, as its a better indicator of hitting lactate threshold etc. (which zone you are in)
The other way of running slower which i find works well is run with someone and chat. Yes i know it sounds girly, but if you are running at conversational pace, you will be running slower!