Last Ditch Attempt to get fit for London Marathon

Would like some advice please......

I would like some suggestions of the best plan to maximise my chances of getting round VLM in 2 weeks. I had 3 months of consistent training up until 4 weeks ago. I was able to jog16 miles fairly comfortably at or below 9m/m pace and was hoping for a stab at a sub 4hr marathon.

Then it all went wrong. I suffered a minor calf tear, and then I went skiing and cracked a rib! I had 4 weeks of doing no running to speak of apart from a couple of miles here and there to see if I could get back to it. Last week, I finally managed to get in 2X5 miles and 1X10 miles.

I am now thinking of doing a 12 miler this week, a 16 miler at the weekend and then just a short run next week. Is this the best idea? I am resigned to the fact that I will have to walk the end part of the race, as I have missed some key runs, but I want to get to the start line with the best possible chance of jogging as far as possible.

Any advise on either race tactics, or plan for next 2 weeks would be much appreciated.  

 

 

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Comments

  • Defer, and don't go skiing next year

  • There is no point is doing long runs now, you should be tapering.

    Either revise your time and plan some sort of run-walk strategy from the start or, as Dave says, defer until next year.

  • surely not much need to taper if I haven't done any training!

    Can probably get way with a 15 miler or so this w/e and blag it from there. 20 mile run 6 mile walk or something?

    Am obliged to run it really as have collected over 2k of sponsorship, and people have paid already so cant give it back!

  • SunluvvaSunluvva ✭✭✭

    If you really want to do it chuck the idea of a sub 4 out of the window and go for a walk/run as Screamapillar says.  If you're worried about sponsorship why not find a different marathon to run in a couple of months instead - there are plenty around.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Screamapillar wrote (see)

    There is no point is doing long runs now, you should be tapering.

    Either revise your time and plan some sort of run-walk strategy from the start or, as Dave says, defer until next year.

     

    Wise words from screamy. if you MUST do it - you'll struggle and it will hurt but do a run/walk from the start and dont even think about a time goal in your head.

  • image - a different marathon - you mean there are other ones? Are they not different distances though or summat?image

  • scottles wrote (see)

    surely not much need to taper if I haven't done any training!

    Can probably get way with a 15 miler or so this w/e and blag it from there. 20 mile run 6 mile walk or something?

    Am obliged to run it really as have collected over 2k of sponsorship, and people have paid already so cant give it back!

    The point is that longer runs won't be of any benefit at this stage, it's already too late. All you will be doing is putting extra miles in your legs that they don't need now. It will just add to the fatigue you'll feel on the day.

    You can neither gain nor lose fitness in the last 10 days before a race anyway, so you are pretty much as ready as you're going to be.

    You need to be focusing on damage limitation and getting the most out of the experience.

     

  • HappychapHappychap ✭✭✭

    Exactly what Screamy said.  You will not gain anything other than fatigue at this stage.

  • you don't think 16 miles 8 days before or something similar will add some benefit, and provide enough time to recover?? Should I run lots of short runs then instead? Not much point in that right?

  • If you're going to do a run/walk strategy (which seems like your best bet), then it would be a good idea to try this in one training run just so you have an idea of what ratio you're going to go for. Probably nothing to be gained by going for more than two hours though.

     

  • scottles.you asked for advise and you have been given it...no need to get shirtyimage

     

    short runs...will get your legs ticking over.....I would have a look at what your training programme said for the last 2 weeks and follow it...

    if anything hurts then stop and rest.......best to be at the starting line without a recurring injury......

    if you don't want to defer and you feel ok on the shorter runs then go for it on the day if you want to.......but we aware that you might run out of steam......or if you are young and fit enough you might surprise yourself.......but the odds are the last 6 miles will be painful......

    I personally would aim more for 4:30 and see how it goes........( if you don't want to defer and have a proper crack at it next year).....

    good luck

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    I think all the good advice has been given out already.

    My advice would be to follow it.
  • scottles wrote (see)

     

    Am obliged to run it really as have collected over 2k of sponsorship, and people have paid already so cant give it back!


    Nope. Don't think you are obliged.." Hello friends and work mates I have been injured and haven't trained properly, so do I" :-

    1. Carry on regardless and do myself even more of an injury
    2. Hand the money you have generously donated to the original charity, and do it next year without asking for donations
    3. Go to the pub and drink the money
  • Apologies if it came across like that. Not getting shirty, just want to minimise pain/walking/boredom on the day, have thrown the idea of a time out the window long ago. Still think with a fair wind, I could jog 20 and walk 6, which under the circumstances has to be worth doing.

     

    Thanks for the advice.

  • Scottles - just read thread and can't see that you had been shirty but who knows. Anyway, I would say you would be better alternating running/walking from the start, maybe run 4 miles, walk 1 mile, run 4 miles, walk 1 mile, etc. If you run 20 straight off then you will struggle more.

  • scottles wrote (see)

    you don't think 16 miles 8 days before or something similar will add some benefit, and provide enough time to recover?? Should I run lots of short runs then instead? Not much point in that right?

     

    sorry .. could juat have been the way I read it..it sounded like one of my teenage boys

  • I suggested run/walk from the start.

    I have to say I'm not sure why I bothered though.

  • wow, everyone's so tetchy on here image

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Scottles no the thing is it's to late for any work to physically improve your body that takes two to four weeks 

    so working hard is pointless, just maintain your fitness that you have and just accept it's going to be hard work on the day. 

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    you also asked for advice on a plan, if you don't think you can run all of it, think about walk run from the start, if you wait till you are exhausted before you try to start then it's to late.

    maybe something like run 4min walk 1min and do those run sections at around 10 minute miles 

  • Get yourself a flag and a costume and just walk round waving a flag. You will probably come in the top half of the race.

  • Would that be a clown costume? image

  • Philomena Cunk, you know its a bucket and a travel card with the clown costume, its the only way to run, Scottles, seriously, I am in the same boat as you, been unable to train properly for some weeks, today decided to make myself run 6 miles, will do that every day for week then take last week easy, will then treat marathon as 4x6 mile runs with a bit after, and not worry about time just finishing, good luck to you all

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    dave wood 4 wrote (see)

    Philomena Cunk, you know its a bucket and a travel card with the clown costume, its the only way to run, Scottles, seriously, I am in the same boat as you, been unable to train properly for some weeks, today decided to make myself run 6 miles, will do that every day for week then take last week easy, will then treat marathon as 4x6 mile runs with a bit after, and not worry about time just finishing, good luck to you all

    You don't give a lot of detail about your training or history but looking at th ebit you've highlighted seriously concerns me. As a lot of people have said - you can't do that daily hammering of mileage if you're not used to it....

  • run walk would be probably more sensible, but I just don't fancy the idea of having to start running again having stopped to walk for a while, particularly later on, and this is completely untested for me. Whereas I think (maybe incorrectly!) that I could manage 18-20 mile jog and a 6-8 mile stroll on tired running legs if push comes to shove. Still not really what I had in mind though, but it will be an experience, and I can try again more successfully next time hopefully. I also quite like the  idea of looking at it as 4X10k with a little break in between each one, seems easy written down! . Good luck all.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Scottles - what is your experience in marathon running?

    Trust me when I say if you've not trained for it - the last 6-8 miles will not be a stroll. It'll be a deathmarch. It will hurt and it'll be hard because you will have already set off too fast of a pace for the first 16-18 miles.

    There will be some darn good pacers there on the day and run/walk is the best strategy as given by several more experienced runners than myself*

    *I've run 50 marathons and at least 10 of them with a run/walk strategy

  • Thanks, I'll be sure to pack the funny shoes and red nose.

  • Hi Emmy,

    No experience of marathon running. Have completed 5 halves though in somewhere between 1:40 and 1:55. Was jogging 16miles pretty comfortably 5 weeks ago, which is why I think its worth giving it a bash, its hard to let go of the idea of doing the race once you have invested a lot of time into something and have a lot of people financially invested in it if you think you can actually complete it.

  • Not being the most natural of marathon runners, both my attempts at London, after sticking to decent training plans, resulted in fantastic enjoyment up to about 18 miles, then very painful run/walk thereafter. I had a better time at Abingdon (ran all the way apart from toilet breaks) for my only other marathon a couple of years ago, and I put that down to having fewer people screaming in my ear in central London about there being 'only a short distance to go' or whatever. I found the crowds totally unhelpful (not their fault) when I was struggling. I can't imagine doing it fully as a run on not enough training. Sounds to me like run/walk from the start is a very good survival strategy if you really are going to do it. Good luck.

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