de longest lsr...

specialk1977

:pHi Guys,
Did my 20 mile lsr yesterday and I have to admit this was de most painfull run ever,..I sailed through my last two 18 milers so was very confident going into de final run..Im friggin thrilled now that its done but dear God I have so many doubts now whether Ill even make de 26.. de confidence I had is totally shattered.Yesterdays pain is somethin I would rather not repeat..but gonna have to in 3 weeks..The marathon is something I was looking forward to for de past 6 months and now Im kinda dreading it..Is this normal having this doubt in my ability:(

Krusty_Clown

Everyone goes through this specialk, you're not alone! With a proper taper (you are going to taper, right?), good pacing on the day (consider sticking with one of the pacing groups), good nutrition, crowds / friends cheering you on, and a finish line that's getting ever-closer, you will find the first 20 miles so much easier than you did on your long run, and then hopefully cruise over the finish line with a smile on your face.

JosDel

KC, What would the normal training routine be during the 3 week tapering period, or does each person differ ?

Krusty_Clown

It really depends on what your training plan has been like up to this point, but generally speaking, you should be aiming to reduce your overall mileage by around 20-30% each week, while trying to maintain the quality of your running. So you don't slow down (maintain the intensity), just reduce the mileage of each session. The typical taper is three weeks, where you run your longest LSR three weekends before the big race, and then reduce your mileage accordingly. Some people opt for a two week taper, but this is less than ideal.

I'm not sure what your level is, but you could take a look at HalHigons plans (find the closest match) and build a taper template from the available plans. Alternatively have a look at this article by Pfitzinger and Douglas, though this is more suited to those with a few successful marathons under their belt.

Corkie100

specialk1977 wrote: »

:pHi Guys,
Did my 20 mile lsr yesterday and I have to admit this was de most painfull run ever,..I sailed through my last two 18 milers so was very confident going into de final run..Im friggin thrilled now that its done but dear God I have so many doubts now whether Ill even make de 26.. de confidence I had is totally shattered.Yesterdays pain is somethin I would rather not repeat..but gonna have to in 3 weeks..The marathon is something I was looking forward to for de past 6 months and now Im kinda dreading it..Is this normal having this doubt in my ability:(

Just remember, when you tick each mile off in the marathon, it's DONE. In the lsr's, I have always battled with the dread of having to do each of those bloody miles again, plus another 6, or whatever is left to make it up to the 26. On the day, you will push on, you will leave it all out there on the marathon course. On the days of lsr's, I think we all expect to be fine and carry on with day's activities afterwards. And remember, the worse the dress rehearsal, the better the performance! If you sailed through 18 miles twice, then you have a v high level of fitness and many miles in the bank. You'll be fine! DCM is only my 3rd marathon but I am learning more and more about the pyschological battle in those flipping long runs!

specialk1977

Thanks a million guys for your replies..I have decided to put last weeks LSR behind me, and focus on the taper which I am really looking forward..ThiNk Saturday was just a bad day at de office;)..Roll on de 25th..cant wait now:)

Irishman99

specialk1977 wrote: »

:pHi Guys,
Did my 20 mile lsr yesterday and I have to admit this was de most painfull run ever,..I sailed through my last two 18 milers so was very confident going into de final run..Im friggin thrilled now that its done but dear God I have so many doubts now whether Ill even make de 26.. de confidence I had is totally shattered.Yesterdays pain is somethin I would rather not repeat..but gonna have to in 3 weeks..The marathon is something I was looking forward to for de past 6 months and now Im kinda dreading it..Is this normal having this doubt in my ability:(

I had a similar feeling after my 18m LSR last week, it was my toughest run ever! Thought i'd have to walk at one stage but struggled on.
Then on a 20m LSR Saturday felt much better. I think it's just getting the body used to the longer distances and pacing properly. I ran the Limerick Marathon in May and have to say it's a lot easier running in a group (pacing or not) than it is on training runs. I'm sure you'll be fine on the day of the Marathon, just have confidence in your ability and all the hard work you put in will pay off!

az2wp0sye65487

specialk1977 wrote: »

:pHi Guys,
Did my 20 mile lsr yesterday and I have to admit this was de most painfull run ever,..I sailed through my last two 18 milers so was very confident going into de final run..Im friggin thrilled now that its done but dear God I have so many doubts now whether Ill even make de 26.. de confidence I had is totally shattered.Yesterdays pain is somethin I would rather not repeat..but gonna have to in 3 weeks..The marathon is something I was looking forward to for de past 6 months and now Im kinda dreading it..Is this normal having this doubt in my ability:(

+1 - I felt the exact same way after yesterday's 20 miler. My legs are sore now too!

Barty

You're going to have an off day every so often. It would be worth thinking back over the couple of days leading upto the 20 miler - did you get less sleep, not eat as well or drink less fluids as before the two 18 milers? There are several factors which could have caused this - just rule out any of these factors that you can and look forward to the DCM. You've put in all the hard work at this stage, just taper correctly and enjoy the day, the crowds out on the course are amazing and the atmosphere will spur you on - good luck!