So I’m a month into my training block for London Marathon training block and am upto 17k on my long run.
My question is two fold:
From what I read I should be running my long runs slower than marathon pace?
I’m currently running at 6.20 per K pace and I don’t think I could hold this for a marathon but this is the top end of my zone 2 so I’m really confused about what I should be doing and then what pace I should be aiming for with the Marathon?
Also I start at 6.20 and a 120ish HR but my 10/11k I’ve drifted just outside my Zone 2 and I’m at low/mid 140’s - should I be starting/running slower?
yes some long runs are less than marathon pace, but if you don’t yet have a marathon pace then this can be hard to judge. Suffice to say, that depending on the current levels of load, long runs will be slower than predicted MP. I tend to alternate these up with MP runs for less distance/duration.
HR drift is inevitable, but yes, if your zones are correct, then you should be starting lower down your zone…
Block? I have no idea, I thought that’s what people called it when they trained for a marathon! I was just trying to be fancy with the lingo My block doesn’t say anything either as I’m just doing it myself
Progression - I got back to running after 4 months off with injury. Started 1st of Jan at 2-3k a run then added a little bit every week to where I’m now at 14, 17 next Sun and then a half on the 23rd and will add 3-4k each Sunday to get up to mid 30’s before the taper.
I’ve done two half marathons and a 70.3 but no run longer than 21k, been plagued with injuries so kind of starting from scratch as the above 3 things were all in a 6 week period at the start of last year.
Just really not sure where I am with pacing etc… feel like my marathon pace is going to be anything 6.30-6.50 per/k but all my runs in high zone 2 at the moment are 6.20/6.30 so not sure if I’m running too fast?
Due to injuries I can’t run consecutive days so my plan at the moment is below:
Mon - 2k Swim and sports massage
Tues - 8k easy run 7.00 pace and lower body S&C
Weds - 50k bike - upper body S&C
Thurs - 10k tempo run 5.45 pace - lower body S&C
Fri - Shockwave treatment on foot and Sports Massage
Sat - 100-130k Long Ride
Sun - Long run 14k this week and adding 3-4k a week 6.20/6.30 pace
Any thoughts/Input would be great.
I’m also keeping my bike and swimming in as I’ve potentially got challenge roth in July (dependent on injuries and how the foot/ankle holds up with the marathon)
I thought that was standard practice for London Marathon - ramp up the training too quickly, get injured, start the race injured and walk painfully from Canary Wharf to the finish
My plan for last marathon was to start way slower than I thought I could run it. Tried to pickup the pace and still had to slow and grind out the last 4 ish miles.
Marathons are miserable, hard, things. Anyone who enjoys them is either lying to you or to themself.
One of my triathletes, he’s doing a run block for London, and I do a “long run” currently ~2 hrs, which was 25 or so k this week, easy for him with 160Avg HR, but we also have a Target MP run (his goal is sub 2:40 though so easy and MP are quite a significant difference and obviously by his times he has an extensive run background) currently its a shorter time of more multiples, which will end up 4 * 5k in next few weeks, I cant quite remember the full process but we ended up doing a half at TMP with good WU at some point last time which was aiming for a 2:45 goal at NY in 2023 (Avg HR was 179 from the top of my head).
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