Marathon training, Hills Vs Flat

pipelaser

Hi all, just want to pick your brains on this one.
Am training for Marathon/ half Marathon at the moment. Doing around 6 miles every second day at the moment.
Normally do my running around Rathmines and the canal where you get some nice hills probably representative of the ones youd come across in a real marathon run.
Im moving away to Geneva and the hills in the city are impossible to run up and down but theres a nice running stadium a few mins away and im thinking of just doing my training there.

Im just worried that running the track will not properly prepare me for the actual marathon because its completely level.

Does this count for much? Or is it just about having the miles in the legs?

Thanks a million.

Running Bing

pipelaser wrote: »

Hi all, just want to pick your brains on this one.
Am training for Marathon/ half Marathon at the moment. Doing around 6 miles every second day at the moment.
Normally do my running around Rathmines and the canal where you get some nice hills probably representative of the ones youd come across in a real marathon run.
Im moving away to Geneva and the hills in the city are impossible to run up and down but theres a nice running stadium a few mins away and im thinking of just doing my training there.

Im just worried that running the track will not properly prepare me for the actual marathon because its completely level.

Does this count for much? Or is it just about having the miles in the legs?

Thanks a million.

Id be more worried about the mind numbing tedium of training for a marathon on a track:eek: Cant imagine it myself.


Im no expert but I think the most important thing is to get the miles on the legs. You could always include one day a week of hilly running to get used to it.

Personally Id just run over the hills...plenty of people do most of their training on hilly terrain (check out slogger joggers log:cool:). Once you learn how to run up and down hills and get used to doing it, it wont be such a big deal and will stand to you in the long run.

climbhigh

There is a lovely long undulating run along the river bank leading away from Lake Geneva. You will also need road work for the marathon.

lecheile

pipelaser wrote: »

Hi all, just want to pick your brains on this one.
Am training for Marathon/ half Marathon at the moment. Doing around 6 miles every second day at the moment.
Normally do my running around Rathmines and the canal where you get some nice hills probably representative of the ones youd come across in a real marathon run.
Im moving away to Geneva and the hills in the city are impossible to run up and down but theres a nice running stadium a few mins away and im thinking of just doing my training there.

Im just worried that running the track will not properly prepare me for the actual marathon because its completely level.

Does this count for much? Or is it just about having the miles in the legs?

Thanks a million.

pipelaser - other considerations for doing hill work are (a) it is a strength building activity that will pay dividends on the flat and (b) getting used to trying to maintain pace on hills or recovering it after a hill is very worthwhile training.

emerald007

If your on a track in geneva, i'd guess there is a running club associated with the venue or close by. Joining a local club will get you local contacts for better routes, and most probally a group at your own level which makes completing those long runs alot easier.

http://www.geneve-athletisme.ch/

Peckham

I've run two races in Geneva - one was the half-marathon which went out along the lake (the right hand side of the lake when you have your back to the city centre). Was a nice enough path to run along, and is a perfect out and back course. Also ran a race that started on the French side of the border and came into Geneva (part of an amazing racing festival).

Track would be mind-numbing!