Qyestion about 20 mile runs

Sainttoff

Did my first 20 at the weekend and went grand, happy with it. Plan now is to do 2 more long runs of 20 before the big day!

But is there any advantage of doing a 22 mile run over a 20 mile run?

Thanks
Saint

hunnymonster

On balance for most people the answer is no. The extra recovery time negates the experience gained by doing the 22. Even 3 20's would be considered quite hard core for a marathon virgin.

Sainttoff

Ah ok! Well the next 2 20 miler's will be at a even slower pace just to increase more time on the road!

Legs feel good today after it, those skins are great things:)

Racing Flat

Sainttoff wrote: »

Ah ok! Well the next 2 20 miler's will be at a even slower pace just to increase more time on the road!

I don't know if that's a great idea. I wouldn't go out doing my long runs slower just to get more time on the road. I'd just do them at the same pace or maybe go a bit longer.

Re 20 v 22 - I like the security of having done a few 22's, as I find 20's quite easy, just start to get tired for the last 2 miles, but doing a 22 means I'm tired for the last 4 miles, so I feel that's good preparation for what will happen in the marathon. But it probably depends on your pace etc. don't want to be too long out on the road.

onekeaneo

Racing Flat wrote: »

I don't know if that's a great idea. I wouldn't go out doing my long runs slower just to get more time on the road. I'd just do them at the same pace or maybe go a bit longer.

Re 20 v 22 - I like the security of having done a few 22's, as I find 20's quite easy, just start to get tired for the last 2 miles, but doing a 22 means I'm tired for the last 4 miles, so I feel that's good preparation for what will happen in the marathon. But it probably depends on your pace etc. don't want to be too long out on the road.

Everyone is different but I admit I have to agree with this. My longest run before last years Dublin Marathon was a 23miler. For me I found the reassurance of knowing that I’d managed to get as far as that distance in training helped me allot on race day mentally. When I started to feel the strain around miles 19/20 I kept reminding myself that I’d covered 23 miles in training so I knew I could get to that marker. Then it’s just 3 more miles to endure. I found this more beneficial rather than stepping into the unknown after mile 20 with 6miles to cover.
I plan to run 23miles again as my longest just completed 21 miles yesterday..

Sainttoff

Cheers for the replies!


Will do a 22 miler so!

Krusty_Clown

I was kind of wondering about this too. In Longford, I knew I was good for the first 20 miles, and in actuality I felt fine up to around mile 23. Then the pain/exhaustion set in. I was just wondering if going to 22 miles in training might push off that barrier until around mile 25. I did 22 yesterday and felt great (during and afterwards). I think this is probably down to Longford being so recent. I've got another +20m run weekend after next, and was thinking of stretching it to 22 (obviously stopping at 20, if I get too tired.).

One other thing - Is it important to do your longest run the weekend before you start to taper? It's just the way that my Dublin schedule has worked out, (half marathon next week, 20+ week after), I'll be looking at a four week taper. Is four weeks too much between your last long run and the race? Isn't everyone who is doing the half and full marathon this year in the same boat?

hunnymonster

My gut feeling is that experience pushes the barrier out rather than anything else. I ran a marathon last weekend as a training run and I was completely fresh afterwards. I ran it slowly (HR 140's) and this was still good enough for the bronze. I'd had a 1 day taper and the day after the race I was training again. There is no way I could have recovered like that 2 years ago.

Sainttoff

Thats impressive i have to say!

GoHardOrGoHome

Sainttoff wrote: »

But is there any advantage of doing a 22 mile run over a 20 mile run?

Hi Saint,

I did the Dublin Marathon last year. It was my first marathon and I did a fair few 5/6 mile mid-week runs and my long runs were 10 mile/13 mile/14 mile/14 mile/18 mile/13 mile/16 mile/22 mile.

The 22 mile run was on the Saturday two weeks before the marathon so around 16 days before it. I got a lift 20 miles away from home and ran home. During the run I was debating with myself whether I should push it out to 22 miles and it was one of the hardest things to do to to arrive at home and turn around and run 1 mile away and back knowing that I could have jumped into a cold bath (which I highly recommend by the way).

In my opinion the jump from 20 miles to 26 is huge whereas the jump from 22 to 26 is only mildly frightening! It gave me a lot of confidence to know that I was only 4 miles away from a marathon and feeling good. To do a 20 mile run and still know that you have to run a 10k on top of it is a bit daunting.

Of course if you're Hunnymonster you can do a marathon as a training run, place 3rd and not get your heart race out of the 140s. Nice! As always I bow to Hunnymonster's superior knowledge. For a first marathon I reckon it's pretty good to be doing three training runs of 20 miles or more. Good luck with it. Make sure to let us know how you get on.

GoHard

hunnymonster

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

In my opinion the jump from 20 miles to 26 is huge whereas the jump from 22 to 26 is only mildly frightening!

lol at mildly frightening.....

Racing Flat

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Is four weeks too much between your last long run and the race? Isn't everyone who is doing the half and full marathon this year in the same boat?

I always try to race a half marathon 5 weeks before a marathon. Then do 22, 22, 16-18, 13, marathon. 22 might be too long for some, 20 might do.

baza1976

for DM 2007 my longest run was 7.5 mile.. I ran this most nights and min of 5 mile.. i finished in 4hr 19 min.. soles of my feet and calfs were sore for about a week plus i was doing the marathon shuffle for about 5 days... so funny..

Same "training plan" for connemarathon 2008.. crashed badly here from 17mile on.. walked most of the last 6mile... didn't know at the time what was causing the pain below both knee caps........ yes.. IT band.. that kept me of of the road till June!!!

So since june I'v been taking training more seriously.. like a proper plan... so have done a couple of 15, 18 an 20 mile already.. due a 22 this weekend..

Not sure if my waffle is helping any1 ...lol:D

Oh yeah .. forget sunscreen.... and foam roll!!!!!