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Races in marathon build up

  • 24-02-2016 11:30am
    #1
    Woden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,560 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Looking for some input please. Training for London and after a 4 week cycle in January have stepped into the 12 week P&D (ish).

    My question then is about races in the build up and some of the options I've booked or can do. I've been enjoying recent races and want to do what I can without impact to the goal race. So any suggestions from the below e.g. I can skip Gloucester and do an LSR. I can run the club race at PMP etc. I'm happy to drop the Fleet half over the club race.

    So I've got the offical plan/available options/my current thoughts

    Thanks,

    Woden

    Plan:
    6:Sun 15m/w 12m@PMP
    5:Sun 20m LSR
    4:Sat 8k-15k tune up race/Sun 17m LSR
    3:Sun 20m LSR
    2:Sat 8k-10k tune up race/Sun 16m LSR
    1:Sun 12m LSR
    0:Sun London Marathon

    Options:
    6:Sun Gloucester 20m race
    5:Sat Club 20m race or Sun Fleet Half marathon
    4:Sat No race booked/Sun 17m LSR
    3:Sun 20m LSR
    2:Sat No race booked/Sun 16m LSR
    1:Sun 12m LSR
    0:Sun London Marathon

    My thoughts:
    6: Sun Gloucester 20m at LSR pace or just LSR
    5: Sat Club 20m @ PMP
    4: Sat skip race/Sunday 17m LSR
    3: Sun 20m LSR
    2: Sat find 10k race/Sun 16m LSR
    1: Sun 12m LSR
    0: Sun London Marathon


Comments

  • #2
    Clearlier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,454 ✭✭✭Clearlier


    Woden wrote: »
    Hi,

    Looking for some input please. Training for London and after a 4 week cycle in January have stepped into the 12 week P&D (ish).

    My question then is about races in the build up and some of the options I've booked or can do. I've been enjoying recent races and want to do what I can without impact to the goal race. So any suggestions from the below e.g. I can skip Gloucester and do an LSR. I can run the club race at PMP etc. I'm happy to drop the Fleet half over the club race.

    So I've got the offical plan/available options/my current thoughts

    Thanks,

    Woden

    Plan:
    6:Sun 15m/w 12m@PMP
    5:Sun 20m LSR
    4:Sat 8k-15k tune up race/Sun 17m LSR
    3:Sun 20m LSR
    2:Sat 8k-10k tune up race/Sun 16m LSR
    1:Sun 12m LSR
    0:Sun London Marathon

    Options:
    6:Sun Gloucester 20m race
    5:Sat Club 20m race or Sun Fleet Half marathon
    4:Sat No race booked/Sun 17m LSR
    3:Sun 20m LSR
    2:Sat No race booked/Sun 16m LSR
    1:Sun 12m LSR
    0:Sun London Marathon

    My thoughts:
    6: Sun Gloucester 20m at LSR pace or just LSR
    5: Sat Club 20m @ PMP
    4: Sat skip race/Sunday 17m LSR
    3: Sun 20m LSR
    2: Sat find 10k race/Sun 16m LSR
    1: Sun 12m LSR
    0: Sun London Marathon

    There's any number of half marathons on the same day as the Gloucester 20. You'd be better off IMO doing one of those with a couple of warm up miles beforehand to bring it up to 15, use the first mile of the race to finish your warm up and then the remainder at marathon pace.

    Under no circumstances should you consider doing 20m @ PMP. You will leave your race behind you on that course if you do it. I know 10's if not 100's of people who've done 20m at PMP in the build up and failed to hit their target on the day sometimes by quite a wide margin. In case I haven't made it clear :D I can't over emphasise just how bad an idea this is.

    You should find space for the two shorter races if you can. If you can handle them plus an LSR the following day (make it very slow!) then you'll be in great shape for London.


  • #3
    Woden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,560 ✭✭✭Woden


    Cheers for the input. I'll knock the 20m @PMP on the head then. I'm in Worcester the weekend of the Gloucester race so that was dove tailing nicely. I can just run on my own though. How's this? I've had a look for shorter races around London in late March/early April

    6: Sun Gloucester 20m @ LSR pace
    5: Sat Club 20m w/12m @PMP or Sun Fleet Half w/12m @PMP
    4: Sat 17m LSR/Easter Monday 10k Regent park race
    3: Sun 20m LSR
    2: Sat Parkrun 5k race/Sun 16m LSR
    1: Sun 12m LSR
    0: Sun London Marathon


  • #4
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    Clearlier wrote: »
    Under no circumstances should you consider doing 20m @ PMP. You will leave your race behind you on that course if you do it. I know 10's if not 100's of people who've done 20m at PMP in the build up and failed to hit their target on the day sometimes by quite a wide margin. In case I haven't made it clear :D I can't over emphasise just how bad an idea this is.

    However for myself last year I did the Gloucester 20 as an all out effort race, followed a week later by another 20 miler (with a big hill in the middle) and also ran hard. That the two of them were only a week apart was down to miscalculation on calendar scheduling.

    That resulted in me smashing my PB in London shortly afterwards. It isn't an exact science this running lark.


  • #5
    Clearlier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,454 ✭✭✭Clearlier


    Woden wrote: »
    Cheers for the input. I'll knock the 20m @PMP on the head then. I'm in Worcester the weekend of the Gloucester race so that was dove tailing nicely. I can just run on my own though. How's this? I've had a look for shorter races around London in late March/early April

    6: Sun Gloucester 20m @ LSR pace
    5: Sat Club 20m w/12m @PMP or Sun Fleet Half w/12m @PMP
    4: Sat 17m LSR/Easter Monday 10k Regent park race
    3: Sun 20m LSR
    2: Sat Parkrun 5k race/Sun 16m LSR
    1: Sun 12m LSR
    0: Sun London Marathon

    That looks a lot better. Ideally you would do the 10k race the day before the LSR but sometimes life doesn't fit into neat boxes!
    robinph wrote: »
    However for myself last year I did the Gloucester 20 as an all out effort race, followed a week later by another 20 miler (with a big hill in the middle) and also ran hard. That the two of them were only a week apart was down to miscalculation on calendar scheduling.

    That resulted in me smashing my PB in London shortly afterwards. It isn't an exact science this running lark.

    Absolutely, I still would recommend against it though. It's far more common IME to see someone underperform after running 20m at marathon pace let alone as an all out effort.


  • #6
    Bulmers74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 914 ✭✭✭Bulmers74


    Woden wrote: »
    Cheers for the input. I'll knock the 20m @PMP on the head then. I'm in Worcester the weekend of the Gloucester race so that was dove tailing nicely. I can just run on my own though. How's this? I've had a look for shorter races around London in late March/early April

    6: Sun Gloucester 20m @ LSR pace
    5: Sat Club 20m w/12m @PMP or Sun Fleet Half w/12m @PMP
    4: Sat 17m LSR/Easter Monday 10k Regent park race
    3: Sun 20m LSR
    2: Sat Parkrun 5k race/Sun 16m LSR
    1: Sun 12m LSR
    0: Sun London Marathon

    3 weeks out where you have the 20m lsr you could consider 7 easy, 7 steady & 7 mp. I've found it worked for me in the past but without seeing what you're doing midweek it could be a bit much.


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