Marathon Training Thread

[BigPiney]

Nice, I think you'll like Charleston. I was super bummed when it got cancelled on me. Switching to the Heber City Utah one was a disaster for me due to the elevation and the big climb at the beginning. Charleston has a great profile.

This will also be a perfect warm up for your next event - Marathon Pour Tous in Paris next summer. Its on the olympic marathon course. Download the app and sync it with your Garmin Connect for automatic downloads. They give away a number of entries each week with their distance challenges. I have a snowballs chance of getting in, but its one of the few races that could bring me out of my marathon retirement.

that is awesome. Would love to do that.

[BigPiney]

If this is the one in LV, I've heard its a pretty fast one. Pretty much all downhill. I know a few people who have run it specifically because it was easier for them to qualify for Boston.

It is the LV one. My wife just did the Big Bear one with a bum hip and ran 30+ minutes under BQ time. So I am hoping she will drag me along to my own qualifying time.

[Bo Diddley]

If this is the one in LV, I've heard its a pretty fast one. Pretty much all downhill. I know a few people who have run it specifically because it was easier for them to qualify for Boston.

I've heard St George is mostly downhill as well. That's all hearsay. I will not ever be giving first-hand testimony.

[Joe Public]

My wife convinced me to sign up for the Mt Charleston Revel marathon. We are 17 weeks out with the training starting last week. We'll see how this goes. Goal is still a Boston qualifying time, but I may need to wait one more year to get that next time bump.

Going to really try and build the cardio this time. I think I have 20 mile runs at least 4 times on the schedule. May even do one of those as 22-23 miles.

Did 9 last saturday at an easy pace (ended up at 8:16), so I was happy with my first long run.

Everybody is different, but I noticed a significant improvement in race day fitness when I added several 20+ mile long runs to a build-up. I think my first marathon training schedule had me run a single 20-miler as my longest long run. I remember getting to 20 miles on race day and feeling unprepared to go another 6+ miles longer than I had ever gone before. In contrast, I trained for another one by building up to 24 miles for my longest long run, and I felt much better on race day.

Go get’em! A BQ would be exciting.

[Donuthole]

I've heard St George is mostly downhill as well. That's all hearsay. I will not ever be giving first-hand testimony.

Mostly is true, but there is a big uphill right in the middle of The sTg Marathon that everyone talks about. I think that levels things out.

[falafel]

My wife convinced me to sign up for the Mt Charleston Revel marathon. We are 17 weeks out with the training starting last week. We'll see how this goes. Goal is still a Boston qualifying time, but I may need to wait one more year to get that next time bump.

Going to really try and build the cardio this time. I think I have 20 mile runs at least 4 times on the schedule. May even do one of those as 22-23 miles.

Did 9 last saturday at an easy pace (ended up at 8:16), so I was happy with my first long run.

I'm not a runner, but I did run the Las Vegas Ragnar several years ago. That race started up at the ski resort in Lee Canyon, virtually next door to Charleston. I didn't run the first leg, but it looked brutal on the knees running all that down hill.

[bluegoose]

It is the LV one. My wife just did the Big Bear one with a bum hip and ran 30+ minutes under BQ time. So I am hoping she will drag me along to my own qualifying time.

I did Big Bear a couple of years ago and loved it. I think you'll find Charleston is going to be very similar to Big Bear. Similar starting and finishing elevation and no huge climbs.

[BigPiney]

training has sucked so far. Trying to do intervals in 20 degree weather does not make for fast running. I was no where close to what I was trying to get earlier this week. Was supossed to do mile repeats close to 6 min pace, but I could barely do 7 min. I was dying.

Now two days later I am in san diego for work, so I ran a tempo run this afternoon. After the 2 mile easy warmup I was able to do 2 consecutive miles at 6:45 followed by 2 more at an easy 8:30. Crazy what not freezing and running at 30 ft of elevation instead of 4000 will do. Only 3 weeks into this and I am doing 13 on saturday. That worries me a bit.

I also dropped a bundle on some vaporflys for me and my wife. Going to save those for race day. running warehouse had them for $100 off, so I decided to pull the trigger. Sure it may be cheating, but everyone else is cheating as well.

[BigPiney]

I'm 3 weeks out from the marathon. I don't think these things are for me. Did my third 20 miler today, but again starting dying after 16 miles.

Also I am 95% sure that I broke my 4th toe (ring) on wednesday by getting it caught on something and it crunched. It hurt really bad the last couple of days and it is purple and swollen. But I just taped it together with the middle toe and went on my way. So maybe it was just a ligament or tendon, because I was able to power through without too much pain today. I'll have my wife look at it tonight.

[Joe Public]

It’s tough to get through a marathon training cycle without getting banged up (although not necessarily breaking a toe). If you’re 3 weeks out, then the hay is almost in the barn. Maybe the taper will help with recovery.

[BigPiney]

It’s tough to get through a marathon training cycle without getting banged up (although not necessarily breaking a toe). If you’re 3 weeks out, then the hay is almost in the barn. Maybe the taper will help with recovery.

Yep, time to taper. Just trying to determine if i should change to the 1/2. I don't think I have a Boston qualifier in me. But it would be fun to run sub 1:30 1/2.