How tough is the last 6.2 miles

osnola ibax

Ok, so this is another noob thread, I'm just interested to hear what experienced marathoners have to say about this. I have heard a number of people say that 20 miles is only halfway and considering that most people only train to a max 20 miles, is this statement true.

The thread maybe viewed as badly timed, kinda like the way nobody ever talks about painful procedures and stuff but I think may be useful to be armed with the info - how tough is the last 6.2 miles?

Woddle

With all the maths you'll be doing in your head, 20 miles is a huge land mark to get to, I probably pay too much attention on just getting to 20:D, mentally this is where you should get your second wind if your training has been good but if your like me I would compare the last few miles as similar to your first ever 20 mile lsr and how you felt at miles 18 and 19 and just wanted to be home but as you approach the end of Dublin the crowds really start to appear and cheer you on and before you know it your doing a sprint finish
Actually do you know sth I love the last 6.2 miles, it answers alot of questions you might previously have had about yourself..

uglyjohn

in training for a marathon my longest run is 23 and i do a few 22 mile runs. these are done when milage is peaking and im pretty tired starting, ok tired isnt the right word but not fresh the way you are after tapering. during the marathon you have water tables, gels and energy drinks if you like that sort of thing.
My first marathon was dublin and the last 6 miles were great. mentally i was thinking how i had felt far worse in training and had kept going. i was in areas i knew and the crowd were amazing. also you can start counting down the miles properly and when you think about it, training for and running a marathon probbly involves runnning at least 400 miles so whats 6? (or 3 more than the longest training run)

kingQuez

Dublin was my first last year, and I was also apprehensive about the last 6 miles. What really made it happen on the day though was all in my head: getting to mile 20 and knowing you were into new territory for the first time.. and soon going to be finishing a *marathon*. You've put in the training, and your body can certainly take the extra few miles. Yes you might be tired, yes you might be sore, but ther's absolutely no question about finishing. I utterly died coming over the canal, but just kept plodding on - kept setting myself shorter and shorter goals, but just keep going, like getting to that car down there on the left, then the next crossroads, and so on.. and didn't think about anything further. Eventually I got a second wind and started to feel good again. And if you attempt to waver at all the support from the crowds, and the other runners especially, is incredible. Like Woddle said, you'll find yourself sprinting for the finish when you hit the crowds at the end.. its absolutely amazing the energy they make you find.

Have a brilliant day!

SUNGOD

just think of the last 6.2 miles as the countdown to the finish.
if your not going for a paticular time these miles could be enjoyable , soak up the atmosphere , listen to the crowd knowing that in in a few miles you will have completed a marathon.

but if you are going for a time and busting a gut to keep your splits even and on track to meet your goal time ...well then the last 6.2 are hell!!!!!


but a nice kind of hell..........probabily going to get shot down for this but for men its the closest thing to childbirth

it takes months to reach its peak
its over in a few hours
it hurts so much towards the end
half way through we think "never again"
when we cross the finish line we forget about the previous pain
and as we look lovingly on our finishers medal some one might say "would you do it again"? we reply with a tear in our eye " of course i would it was fantastic"




and it makes us walk funny for a few days:D

Pisco Sour

How long does the wall last for? Does it last the full last 6.2 miles or is the worst over after 1-2 miles?

Sosa

Trust Sungod to put a shakesperian touch to the pain and discomfort that we will feel this coming monday,i have seen the pictures of the latter parts of Sungods 3 marathons and i see pain in the mans face.

But then again,whats a little pain ?

We can take it ( can we ? )

Easy say it now,as i get my gear together to go and sit in a sauna for a half hour and a dip in the hydrapool.
Ignorance is bliss !

Racing Flat

04072511 wrote: »

How long does the wall last for? Does it last the full last 6.2 miles or is the worst over after 1-2 miles?

You might not hit any wall. Or you may not notice it, it might come at you so gradually. You'll only hit a wall like you've probably heard of (e.g. going from 9min mile pace to 12min mile pace) if you haven't trained properly or you go off too fast.

--amadeus--

From what I have seen and heard very, very few people actually "hit the wall" in teh original sense of teh word.

Back in the 70s and even into the 80s the running orthodoxy was to run unfuelled - a lot of elite marathoners didn't do more than just sip water. As a result they utterly depleted thier glycogen and "hitting the wall" was born. It's been described as "having an elephant sit on you". You are dizzy, disoriented and mentally unfocussed and your legs - if they move at all - feel like they are full of concrete.

Nowadays with modern sports nutrition, gels and carb drinks that simply doesn't happen. What does happen is that your body depletes it's pre race carb stocks at around 18 - 20 miles, which coincides with the point where you get truly fatigued. If you haven't topped up your carbs properly during teh race this will lead you to slow down - sometimes quite dramatically. But it's not "hitting the wall" and is very avoidable with proper training and a proper nutrition plan.

It's become a phrase that's really lost it's meaning now, tbh. People casually talk of "hitting the wall at 20 and slowing down after that" when what they mean is that they were tired and slowed down. I've done it myself. But it's inaccurate and can be confusing for teh inexperienced.

Trekkie Monster

I did London in 2006 and hit the wall pretty badly there. I got to 20 miles in about 1:56 and was hoping to get sub-2:30 for the total distance. I did all the fuelling and training as recommended, but when I got to 22 miles I got dizzy, had pins and needles in my hands and arms, and simply could not run anymore. I walked for a few minutes, but luckily the huge crowd in London got me going again; I saw a man was holding out jelly babies so I grabbed the packet and ate them quickly - they really helped. I finished eventually in 2:36 which wasn't too bad.

I was then very ill for 3 weeks and discovered I'd had a virus all the time. That may have helped cause the problems. I also ran Belfast two years before and only had the normal problems of slowing down due to tiredness, so there's a strong possibility you won't hit the wall if you've prepared well.

One piece of advice though - don't let other people (especially not those doing the marathon) dictate what you do the days leading up to the race. Family and friends accompanying you don't have to worry about running out of fuel so make sure you take as much rest and as much food as you need to! Don't be dragged around shopping on the streets of Dublin the day before (this does happen!)

domcq

Belfast in May was my first marathon (3:49) and the wall if I hit it was very gradual and felt like the last few miles of the first few LSR's i'd done in training.

It wasn't until the last 3 miles or so that I really started to wish for the end. I ran a fairly consistant pace over the distance until around 23 miles. I drank about 1.3 Litres of water throughout Belfast and had 3 piss stops - won't be doing that again.

TFBubendorfer

I hit the wall just once in 10 marathons, and incidentally it was in last year's Dublin marathon, around the 20 mile mark. The last 6 miles weren't exactly the most fun I've ever had, and I lost close to a minute per mile (I also swore not be back any time soon).

I probably started out too fast, trying to hit an ambitious time goal. Mind, I still managed a personal best that day, but I cannot think of it as my best marathon.

Btw, I have been reliably informed by people who have done both that marathons are still nowhere near childbirth (you'll have to do an ultra for that )

hunnymonster

I've only felt really bad in one race but I don't think it was hitting the wall, more dodgy tummy stuff. From what I understand (from ZL who has hit it) you're completely floored through exhaustion. As Amadeus said, if you consume energy and pace correctly, it shouldn't happen to you, that said, you will still be tired but not on the ground completely wiped.

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Btw, I have been reliably informed by people who have done both that marathons are still nowhere near childbirth (you'll have to do an ultra for that )

I've never had to have my bum stitched back together after an ultra! I've not had a baby but if it was as straightforward as an ultra, sure even men could do it then (removes tongue from cheek)

johnnyfox24

Best of luck to all those running on monday. A strategy I used to help get through the last few miles of the marathon was to tell myself at mile 20 that I only had a 10k to go, and think about how that is just another easy midweek run, but this time with crowds cheering etc and a goody bag and a pint in Doheny & Nesbitts waiting at the end!

Then around mile 23 I would divide the remaining miles into laps of a running track, so just 3x4 laps to go to finish..or even 2x4 laps to go til a final mile of running by cheering crowds, trinity college, grafton street etc.

A couple of sport psychology tricks include - being familiar with the route eg. drive the last six miles tomorrow - then before you go to sleep, mentally rehearse running the last few miles, ie. visualise yourself being comfortable running the last mile after having run 25 miles - this will prepare your mind for task.

Another trick is to imagine an invisible rope pulling you towards the finish line!

Also as well as taking energy drinks along the route (or gels, but only if you've used them in training), sweets/jelly babies in the later stages are a good source of energy.

In case all that fails...tell yourself "it's only pain":)!

Krusty_Clown

A similar approach to JohnnyFox24, Higdon recommended that after mile 20, you associate the distance remaining with particular runs you do regularly e.g. your regular 6 mile run, 4 mile run, 2 mile run. Then over the last mile, you're carried on a wave of exhilaration, euphoria and exhaustion (too tired to stop).

In fact, I think johnnyfox24 and I may be the same person. In Berlin recently, I was imagining the race line (which was painted on the road) as a fishing line, gradually reeling me in to the end of the race.

Also, the mantra 'pain is just your body's way of telling you that you're getting closer to the finish' is helpful.

By the way, if you head up Grafton Street, you've probably taken a wrong turn.

pudgey22

Thanks for this thread, has made me feel way better about the last 6 miles!
I like the invisible rope pulling you towards the end idea, a weekend of positive mental attitude awaits once I get out of work today!!

Highway_To_Hell

Last year at my 1st attempt of the DCM I felt once I got on to Fosters ave I was on the home straight, less then 10K (would consider this a short run) to go and I have got the worst hill out of the way.

I hope to feel the same on Monday.

osnola ibax

pudgey22 wrote: »

Thanks for this thread, has made me feel way better about the last 6 miles!
I like the invisible rope pulling you towards the end idea, a weekend of positive mental attitude awaits once I get out of work today!!

+1, I'm really glad I asked the question now, and now I feel much better about it.

Some great stories here and some great advice aswell, just hope whoever is pulling that invisible rope that they are pulling at a rate of 9:10 minutes per mile at that stage.

I thought it would be something like childbirth where there is a unwritten rule that you don't talk about these things. It was funny to see SUNGOD's analogy, really made me laugh. Though not for one second would I think that it resembles anything like childbirth. Cheers guys, best of luck to everyone taking part, in particular the first timers.

RJC

Fuelling and pace will lessen the impact.

That and 'i'd often do an easy 10k before tea' repeated over and over will help.

Always remember this: Everyone around you is suffering as well so embrace it. When the pain comes you can either sit down and give up or stand up and accept it. That will be the real test.


BTW - I have done both and all I learned is that pain is temporary but giving up lasts forever.

misty floyd

I've posted this before. Its an excellent article on 'hitting the wall' and explains a lot: http://www.marathonandbeyond.com/choices/latta.htm

I've definitely felt it before and it really did feel like pushing a car for 5 miles. I don't think it was due to lack of fuel as I was taking gels and had carb loaded. Went out too fast.

henryporter

What sort of carbs are people planning on during the race - I'm running with SiS Gels and probably take along a couple of Go Bars as well. As for pre run loading its another massive bowl of pasta tonight:D

Sosa

henryporter wrote: »

What sort of carbs are people planning on during the race - I'm running with SiS Gels and probably take along a couple of Go Bars as well. As for pre run loading its another massive bowl of pasta tonight:D

During the race i will not be eating but will drink water at every station,club energise at every station and i am carrying 4 x powere bar apple flavour caffenated gels.

My food intake for today/Sat/Sun is like this

Breakfast : Porridge and 1 or 2 bagels.
Lunch : Cooked bowl of rice today and tomorrow with crackers ( bland but full of carbs ),Sunday,dont know yet as i will be in Dublin.
Dinner : Pasta for 3 straight days

Any snacks i eat will be Recovery bars or a nice tasty alternative i found:Japanese cracker mix in the helath section of tescos...riddled with carbs,very little fat content...get 'em into ya !

Monday morning before 7, Porridge again and toast and jam.

I will not be eating anything i have not eaten before,nothing spicy,to fatty,to salty etc.

Krusty_Clown

Bread-sticks. The marathon snack of champions. Very high in carbs, very low in fat and tasty.

henryporter

Bread-sticks. The marathon snack of champions. Very high in carbs, very low in fat and tasty.

and very light to carry! I presume its those italian grissini type things?

Krusty_Clown

Exactly those. I wouldn't carry them around for 26.2 miles though! Very handy for the weeks leading up to the marathon.

ct_roy

excellent thread guys
this stuff is gold for a marathon newbie
just polished off a big feck off bowl of pasta
gonna be having bagels for breakfast the next few mornings

gonna stick a rasher and a small bit of cheese in the bagel too tomorrow morning for what I like to call a Marathoners Light Irish Breakfast

still debating whether to eat something on monday morning or not - haven't eaten on the morning LSR's to date.

think if I do i'll stick with a plain toasted bagel.