10 week marathon training plan

Hi,
in need of some urgent advice. After starting my training early for Belfast marathon on May Day i was struck down with flu and as a result missed out on 4 weeks of training!!

now i am back into workout and running mode, but my difficulty is i dont know if i can manage to complete it in 4hr 30. my last BCM race i did it in 4h42.  I have a good base and doesnt take me long to build up mileage but i am not going to junk mileage and risk injury. I am bascially starting from scratch but i would say on my 1st long run i can manage about 8 mile and increase it a few miles each week...

My reckoning is i could manage perhaps manage 3 20 milers and a few 18 if i keep to my tight schedule....what are your thoughts can i do it?? or is it too risky?

Comments

  • If you can only manage 8 miles on your first "long" run how are you going to include 3 20 milers and a few 18 milers in 10 weeks? Presuming you taper for 2 weeks that leaves only 8 weeks actual training.

    Someone else might have better advise but I think you should rather concentrate on building up the distance and not worry about a set number of 20 mile runs. Possibly reevaluate your goal and just aim to beat the 04hr42 

    I'm doing Newport which is the week before Belfast my training was also hampered by 3 weeks of next to no training but I managed to bash out 15 miles on Sunday comfortably so my plan is to try and do a 1 x 18, 1 x 20 and 1 x 22.    
  • Lynlovstorun

    It's a mistake to try and do what you're proposing. The increase in distance must be gradual so your body has time to adapt. I usually increase my long run by 2 miles each week over a 4 week periods and then have a recovery week before going again. So, in your situation, over 9 weeks it would probably look something like this (with just a 2 week taper instead of 3): 8, 10, 12, 14, 12, 16, 18, 12, 10 race
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Lyn - flu can take a long time to recover from fully.  If you throw yourself into a too ambitious training plan you will easily get injured or ill again.   For some distance runners it will take 4 to 6 months to fully recover from flu.

    So there is sound advice from the others, build up gradually and be kind to yourself, you should aim to get to the start line healthy even if you are a little undertrained and then you can still enjoy the race.
  • Yep, they say it's better to be on the start line undertrained than overtrained
  • thanks so much for all sound advice.  appreciate the mileage tips though concerned that I won't achieve a 20 miler or two but I guess best thing to do is listen to my body 
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