I have a couple of friends who are new to marathon running who are aiming for a 4 hour marathon in April. I've tried to advice them that they need to run some of their long runs at slower than MP to help train the body to be more efficient with burning energy. They both have done long runs with runners quicker than them and run 30 secs quicker than MP during a 16 mile run.
Are they heading towards hitting the wall in their marathon if they do their long runs at MP or Quicker?
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They need to be running 20s at this stage, which may give them a taste of how their bodies start to really struggle to cope at this distance.
Then they may see the point of LSRs at MP + 1minpermile.
Its a classic mistake which ends in "my training was great but just fell apart on the day" because they had run their marathon weeks before in training.
They don't understand why their wheels fall off from mile 18-20 and end up walking. They also bemoan the fact that they haven't improved in years....
I would agree that if they can go 30 seconds per mile fasther than MP for 16 miles (which on paper would be closer to threshold pace) then mp is set low.
It's probably the most spoken sentence in the days after a marathon...'i was on for sub xxx until 20 miles but then....'
Have they done any half marathon races ? Thats the best way to judge what they can expect.
Without that we don't know if they are overdoing it or they are easily capable of sub 4.
You can always have the pleasure of an I told you so, I'm sure it will be appreciated.
20 Londons later....... plus about 10 others, peaked at 3:03, but still running them and hoping for a sub 40 at Halstead in May (gives me a GFA place if I want it).
So even a disaster isn't always all bad, as long as you learn from it.
its just as likely that they will start too quickly and not eat enough fuel in the morning causing a crash at 21 miles. #marathonshurt
Last Sunday, did a good fell run, and around 20 odd miles, I was feeling it. I knew I can just keep going, but my body felt so drained and so hungry, a deep hunger, and getting colder. Not nice, but if doing such distances, is part of the experiance.
https://forums.runnersworld.co.uk/discussion/166480/training-for-the-right-distance