SOSH Running Dogs

Harry Agganis

Member
SoSH Member
Harry Agganis said:
Heartland 39.3 Series.
Rock The Parkway April 11 Complete in 1:47:03
Garmin Half April 18
Running with the Cows May 8th
 
Finished the first of the three. I was shooting for a 1:50 very pleased with my 1:47. That is a post 50 PR for me. I still had something left at the end. Going to shoot for a 1:45 next week. I started out with a "Smart Pacer" I will be doing the same next week
 
Heartland 39.3 Series
Rock The Parkway April 11th 1:47:03
Garmin Half April 18th 1:46:54
Running With The Cows Half May 8th
 
Finished the second of three. Started out with the 1:45 pacer. Ran pretty strong for the first 10 the last 3 were a little rough. Finished 6 seconds faster than Rock The Parkway on a slightly tougher course. Will be shooting for the 1:45 on May 9th.
 

GreenMountain

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
122
Maine
Nasty weather day in Boston yesterday, but very cool to be part of the experience of running in the marathon. Particular thanks to TTP and pv21feet for the advice and assist on Monday morning. The race management was impressive and from my perspective everything went very smoothly.

Despite the weather and persistent headwind I felt great and was on my pace right through the hills and past BC. At mile 23 I really started to lose energy and miles 25 and 26 were brutal. I pulled it together at the end though and sprinted the last half mile to save a sub 3:00 run. My final time was 2:59:23, which cut 6 minutes off my PR. The crowds were great and very loud the whole way.
 

GregHarris

beware my sexy helmet/overall ensemble
SoSH Member
Jun 5, 2008
3,460
Awesome.  The weather and crowds were against you so that is definitely an excellent accomplishment!
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,546
Boston
GreenMountain said:
Nasty weather day in Boston yesterday, but very cool to be part of the experience of running in the marathon. Particular thanks to TTP and pv21feet for the advice and assist on Monday morning. The race management was impressive and from my perspective everything went very smoothly.

Despite the weather and persistent headwind I felt great and was on my pace right through the hills and past BC. At mile 23 I really started to lose energy and miles 25 and 26 were brutal. I pulled it together at the end though and sprinted the last half mile to save a sub 3:00 run. My final time was 2:59:23, which cut 6 minutes off my PR. The crowds were great and very loud the whole way.
 
You beat me by a minute, so maybe I need advice from you :)
 
3:00:23, after 3:03:22 at Lehigh last fall, and 3:10:49 at Boston last year. I certainly "wasted" more than 24 seconds high-fiving a ton of people, and slowing down to make sure I spotted as many of my family and friends as possible. That's a fair trade and one I don't regret.
 
And I started behind at least 6,000 runners and many more passed me in the first few miles, but I finished 2,745th overall. Negative splits!! 1:31:44 first half, 1:28:39 second half.
 
Still though. 24 seconds.... But next up: Chicago!
 

pv21feet

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
180
Medfield
GreenMountain said:
Nasty weather day in Boston yesterday, but very cool to be part of the experience of running in the marathon. Particular thanks to TTP and pv21feet for the advice and assist on Monday morning. The race management was impressive and from my perspective everything went very smoothly.

Despite the weather and persistent headwind I felt great and was on my pace right through the hills and past BC. At mile 23 I really started to lose energy and miles 25 and 26 were brutal. I pulled it together at the end though and sprinted the last half mile to save a sub 3:00 run. My final time was 2:59:23, which cut 6 minutes off my PR. The crowds were great and very loud the whole way.
Great job, GM!! Where you're from, yesterday's weather must have seemed like a mild day. Happy to do my part to make your day a little easier. Same time, same place next year?
 

GreenMountain

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
122
Maine
Thanks everybody! Still sore, but happy with the result. TTP, nice work out there, especially with the negative splits. I did not quite manage that, though I was within a couple of minutes and a lot closer than my first two marathons. I had a goal of <3:05 for the first two races and missed it by 18 and 15 seconds, so I know how frustrating that can be. You are going to blow it away at Chicago though. pv21feet, I'm in for next year! Thanks again.
 

Harry Agganis

Member
SoSH Member
Harry Agganis said:
 
Heartland 39.3 Series
Rock The Parkway April 11th 1:47:03
Garmin Half April 18th 1:46:54
Running With The Cows Half May 8th
 
Finished the second of three. Started out with the 1:45 pacer. Ran pretty strong for the first 10 the last 3 were a little rough. Finished 6 seconds faster than Rock The Parkway on a slightly tougher course. Will be shooting for the 1:45 on May 9th.
 
Heartland 39.3 Series
Rock The Parkway April 11th 1:47:03
Garmin Half April 18th 1:46:54
Running With The Cows Half May 9th 1:46:47
 
Was still shooting for the 1:45. Still close but no cigars. I have proven to be remarkably consistent. My combined time was 5:20:45 Good enough for 64 of 313 male competitors. ( no age group rankings). I was 13/72 in my age group for Running with the Cows and 152/1587 overall. That was my best finish vs the field for any of the three. I had a lot of fun. I'll be aiming to do better next year.
 

TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
20,380
I don't really have anywhere else to post this since I don't really do social media anymore, but I'm pretty excited so I want to share it.

I've never been much of a runner. I'm short, I have terrible form, a bad back, a bad knee, and just an overall distaste for any sort of running, dating all the way back to high school. Even in college when I was in excellent shape, the best I could do was crank out about 3 miles total. Even 3 years ago when I lost a bunch of weight and did couch to 5k I topped out around 2 miles due to back and knee issues despite weighing 30 lbs less than I do now.

Anyway, about 4 months ago I was sick of being fat and out of shape and with a hockey tournament approaching in early May (now past), a bachelor party in Austin coming up in June, and my normal seasonal depression starting to set in during the dead of winter, I decided to try running again. Thankfully, my apartment building has a gym and treadmills so there weren't many barriers to running in the cold and snow.

I started out barely running a mile. Back would seize up, I'd cramp up, be out of breath, etc. Story of my life. I kept with it though, combining running with walking to get at least 20 mins in each time. I'd also distract myself with watching Netflix on my phone or the tv or whatever to take my mind off the fact I was running (a huge plus to treadmill running). I slowly started getting better though and since I was treating it just as excercising for the mental benefits (meaning doing anything at all was a plus and there was no reason to get discouraged) it was easy to keep at it.

So why am I posting this? Today I knocked out 3.1 miles in 30:40. Not the best pace obviously but I ran a 5k (on a treadmill) in a respectable time. It's the farthest I've run in over 10 years and I'm pretty pumped. Glad to say I'm hooked for the time being and will keep at it. Hasn't really affected weight loss but I'm ok with that, since I'm really doing it to feel better and for the mental benefits.

Next steps are to get true running shoes and transition to running outside, which has me cautious because I'm in the city and I don't know if my body will hold up to pavement. I may register for a race too just for the accomplishment, I'm not sure. Either way it's damn cool and I'm excited. Thanks for letting me share it somewhere.
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
Hey that's great!

When you get your shoes, get ones with a lot of cushion. I use Saucony Hurricanes (they also correct pronation) and they are great. Also try some knee braces/compression sleeves from CVS to see if one helps your knee (if you don't want to go through the trouble of seeing an orthopedist).

Finally: don't be afraid or ashamed or whatever to run-walk, at least at first. Walking for one minute for every ten you run is a good way to rest your muscles and add distance without straining too hard.
 

sass a thon

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
2,265
The Four Peters said:
I don't really have anywhere else to post this since I don't really do social media anymore, but I'm pretty excited so I want to share it.

I've never been much of a runner. I'm short, I have terrible form, a bad back, a bad knee, and just an overall distaste for any sort of running, dating all the way back to high school. Even in college when I was in excellent shape, the best I could do was crank out about 3 miles total. Even 3 years ago when I lost a bunch of weight and did couch to 5k I topped out around 2 miles due to back and knee issues despite weighing 30 lbs less than I do now.

Anyway, about 4 months ago I was sick of being fat and out of shape and with a hockey tournament approaching in early May (now past), a bachelor party in Austin coming up in June, and my normal seasonal depression starting to set in during the dead of winter, I decided to try running again. Thankfully, my apartment building has a gym and treadmills so there weren't many barriers to running in the cold and snow.

I started out barely running a mile. Back would seize up, I'd cramp up, be out of breath, etc. Story of my life. I kept with it though, combining running with walking to get at least 20 mins in each time. I'd also distract myself with watching Netflix on my phone or the tv or whatever to take my mind off the fact I was running (a huge plus to treadmill running). I slowly started getting better though and since I was treating it just as excercising for the mental benefits (meaning doing anything at all was a plus and there was no reason to get discouraged) it was easy to keep at it.

So why am I posting this? Today I knocked out 3.1 miles in 30:40. Not the best pace obviously but I ran a 5k (on a treadmill) in a respectable time. It's the farthest I've run in over 10 years and I'm pretty pumped. Glad to say I'm hooked for the time being and will keep at it. Hasn't really affected weight loss but I'm ok with that, since I'm really doing it to feel better and for the mental benefits.

Next steps are to get true running shoes and transition to running outside, which has me cautious because I'm in the city and I don't know if my body will hold up to pavement. I may register for a race too just for the accomplishment, I'm not sure. Either way it's damn cool and I'm excited. Thanks for letting me share it somewhere.
 
Congratulations! You're done with the hardest part, so that is certainly worth celebrating. 
 
Definitely register for a race. Crossing a finish line is the best feeling and will absolutely keep you motivated. 
 

fiskful of dollars

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Jul 14, 2005
2,874
Charlottesville, VA
Goodonya 4Ps!
 
Good luck.
 
I would recommend shopping for running shoes at a real running store. They will watch you run and recommend a shoe that suits your running style. That can/will have a dramatic impact on reducing injury. The next thing is to increase your mileage very slowly. It's easy to jack up your mileage too quickly…aim for no more than a 10% increase/week, same for intensity. As you get faster (and you will) avoid the temptation to ramp up super high intensity Fartlek/Interval/Speed workouts. These types of runs are important but need to be integrated slowly into your training plan. Make sure to get plenty of recovery runs/rest days too. Core work can help with back issues.
 
Agree w/ above re walking…there is NO shame in walking during a race. Your goal should be to finish with a smile on your face. Great story, man. I have a big race Sunday and your post has got me fired up and motivated. Keep running!
 

fiskful of dollars

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Jul 14, 2005
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Historic Half today in Fredericksburg. A bit humid but pretty good conditions otherwise. Used this race a tempo run and was happy…did 1:40 although it felt harder. The hill hurt (both of them). Hope anyone racing this w/e had a good event.
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
First half yesterday. Was a lot of fun. I loved being out in the middle there just rolling along with everyone else once the pace had really settled in. Last three km were fucked, the last all uphill.

I didn't know what to expect in a time as I've never really paid attention to time, and I did 1:47 which was ok but I know I can do it quicker, I left a bit out there.

I'll do it again for sure. I can totally see how people get hooked on these things.
 

sass a thon

Member
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Jul 20, 2005
2,265
SydneySox, you ran a 1:47 in your first ever half marathon? That is beyond impressive. Seriously. No disappointment allowed. 
 
And congrats on the 1:40 fiskful!
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
SydneySox said:
First half yesterday. Was a lot of fun. I loved being out in the middle there just rolling along with everyone else once the pace had really settled in. Last three km were fucked, the last all uphill.

I didn't know what to expect in a time as I've never really paid attention to time, and I did 1:47 which was ok but I know I can do it quicker, I left a bit out there.

I'll do it again for sure. I can totally see how people get hooked on these things.
 
Did your numb feet issue ever resolve itself?
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
Thanks, wasn't really sure what is good or not. I was comfortable the whole way, but I also went a bit slow at the start and the end I think I can train for so that's my goal, to try for 1:40.

My numb feet issue? Yes! I fixed it.

So we went away to Tassie and while there we stayed on a marvellous little beach. I did an early beach run one morning barefoot, about 7 up and 7 back.

On the way back, I was following my footprints. And I noticed that they were spaced in a V shape, with landing toes pointed out. I'd never really noticed I did that.

Basically I thought I'd tried everything else so on my next few longer runs I actively tried to run 'straight' with my feet; I could tell almost right away it was the 'fix'. The numbness, I could feel, was coming from the outside of my foot which bore all the weight; by running straight I was landing on the ball etc and that was that!

I think the open footed style crept in as I ran longer distances. Upshot was that on Sunday it was never an issue!
 

MB's Hidden Ball

Member
SoSH Member
GregHarris said:
Does anyone use Strava?
 
I really like it and find that the dashboard and the running analytics are pretty darn impressive.  I'll be moving over to Strava from Daily Mile for the start of 2015.  Send along an invite if you enjoy following my never-ending quest to BQ, and my rather lame excuses of why I don't feel like running in inclement weather. 
 
http://www.strava.com/athletes/7046735
 
I also went ahead and created a running club for the Dogs as an easy way to get us together on there.  Feel free to join, or ignore if this doesn't appeal to you.
 
http://www.strava.com/clubs/SOSH
 
 
I'm in.
 
I'm not training for anything in particular, I'm just trying to stay in shape. I'd like to start training towards a specific event, but quite frankly I don't think I'll be in a position to do so for another year or so. My schedule is such that every two-three months I find myself in a position that I can't run for a few weeks, which means that I can't really apply myself to a well thought out training plan. I think that after next summer I'll be  in a position to find and train for a race.
 
About 50%-75% of my runs/rides right now are with guys I work with, most of whom (but not all) are weaker runners/riders. I enjoy running with them because it ensures that I'll get out and because it enables me to relax (I've been struggling with achilles tendonitis for about eight years now and when I train hard it tends to re-appear and stop my training cold). 
 
The other issue is that it is just miserably hot and humid where I am. I get my best running in when I travel because it is just ridiculous here in the summer; luckily I travel pretty frequently so the opportunity does exist. 
 
edit:  I should add that I've been lurking in this thread for years now and that I've been really impressed with the community here and with all the effort put forth, particularly by the new runners.
 

TallerThanPedroia

Civilly Disobedient
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
25,546
Boston
Great job Sydney at the half!
 
I've had similar moments over the years where I finally realized I was doing something wrong and was able to immediately remove pain when I fixed it. One time I was running through all this shin pain and I realized I just needed to make my shoe laces a little tighter and the problem immediately went away.
 
Everyone at some point should try and get some video of themselves running.
 

Gunfighter 09

wants to be caribou ken
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Jul 31, 2005
8,548
KPWT
America's Finest City Half in San Diego 1:51:37. It was ridiculous hot, but it was the first time I have been able to make it up the brutal mile 11 hill without walking, so I am pretty happy. I did this race in 1:48+ in 2011 and 1:54+ in 2012, so I am happy with the time, considering the conditions.
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
At what distance does the benefit of doing long runs peak, for marathon training?
 
Is 18 miles enough?  Is doing 16 miles 3 times better than running 14, 16, 18? 
 
Just kind of wondering what people's thoughts are.  I know the "long run" is sort of a controversial topic for marathon training because some people over-emphasize it and some think it's not nearly as important as it's made out to be.  But my question is more:  at what point (for a notice or intermediate runner) does running longer actually not help (or where the negatives outweigh the positives) anymore?  With the usual caveats that everyone is different, etc...
 

knuck

Member
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Apr 15, 2010
148
Austin, TX
drleather2001 said:
At what distance does the benefit of doing long runs peak, for marathon training?
 
I would say it totally depends how many miles you are running relative to the long runs. 
 
For my wife and I, our first few marathons we way over-valued the long runs. I guess there is a physiological benefit to knowing you have "run 20 miles." But our last few marathons we switched to running more, focusing more on getting non "long run" miles, including a nice decent midweek semi-long run about 60-75% of the anticipated long run for the week. 
 
Since we've switched strategies our marathon times have both gone down, but we've really noticed a huge difference in our 5k/10k/half times. We've each taken over 15 minutes off our best halfs since the switch in strategies. We both kind of view the long run as something of a more relaxed, fun run, just getting miles in at nice and easy pace, not trying to kill ourselves. 
 

TallerThanPedroia

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Jul 19, 2005
25,546
Boston
I've become a proponent of the 30% rule (stolen from the Hanson method), where your long run is no more than 30% of your weekly mileage. Not just because it proscribes a good long run amount, but also because it emphasizes that your total mileage is what matters. If your long run is only 30% then most of your mileage comes from your other runs.
 
Sixteen miles is sufficient of a long run for marathon training, if you're running at least 50 miles a week. And that's what I'd recommend if you really want to run a strong marathon.
 
And you don't need to run them quickly to get faster. I'm shooting for a 6:30 pace in my next marathon, but apart from my tempo run (5-9) miles, I run none of my 60+ weekly miles faster than 7:30, and often between 8:00 and 9:00.
 

fiskful of dollars

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Jul 14, 2005
2,874
Charlottesville, VA
Doing the Va. Beach Rock-N-Roll 1/2 on Labor Day. Flat but usually hot. I always think of it a potential PR race, then I come to my senses around mile 8-9 and just hang on for the last few miles. 
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
Nothing like a 16 mile run at 5:30 to begin your work week. Oof.
 

Jerrygarciaparra

My kid has superpowers
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2001
3,410
Montpelier, VT
No full marathons for me in 2015 but I do have a bunch of Halfs (Halves?) coming up :
 
The Charlotte Covered Bridge Half in Shelburne VT on 9/12
 
http://www.racevermont.com/charlotte-covered-bridge-half-marathon/
 
Leaf Peepers Half Marathon in Waterbury VT on 10/5
 
http://leafpeepershalfmarathon.org/
 
Then Newburyport Half in MA on 10/25
 
http://newburyporthalfmarathon.com/
 
And then since they cancelled the Half at the Hamptons in NH back in March i get a free entry for Feb 2016
 
http://hamptonhalf.com/
 

TFP

Moderator
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Dec 10, 2007
20,380
The Four Peters said:
I don't really have anywhere else to post this since I don't really do social media anymore, but I'm pretty excited so I want to share it.

I've never been much of a runner. I'm short, I have terrible form, a bad back, a bad knee, and just an overall distaste for any sort of running, dating all the way back to high school. Even in college when I was in excellent shape, the best I could do was crank out about 3 miles total. Even 3 years ago when I lost a bunch of weight and did couch to 5k I topped out around 2 miles due to back and knee issues despite weighing 30 lbs less than I do now.

Anyway, about 4 months ago I was sick of being fat and out of shape and with a hockey tournament approaching in early May (now past), a bachelor party in Austin coming up in June, and my normal seasonal depression starting to set in during the dead of winter, I decided to try running again. Thankfully, my apartment building has a gym and treadmills so there weren't many barriers to running in the cold and snow.

I started out barely running a mile. Back would seize up, I'd cramp up, be out of breath, etc. Story of my life. I kept with it though, combining running with walking to get at least 20 mins in each time. I'd also distract myself with watching Netflix on my phone or the tv or whatever to take my mind off the fact I was running (a huge plus to treadmill running). I slowly started getting better though and since I was treating it just as excercising for the mental benefits (meaning doing anything at all was a plus and there was no reason to get discouraged) it was easy to keep at it.

So why am I posting this? Today I knocked out 3.1 miles in 30:40. Not the best pace obviously but I ran a 5k (on a treadmill) in a respectable time. It's the farthest I've run in over 10 years and I'm pretty pumped. Glad to say I'm hooked for the time being and will keep at it. Hasn't really affected weight loss but I'm ok with that, since I'm really doing it to feel better and for the mental benefits.

Next steps are to get true running shoes and transition to running outside, which has me cautious because I'm in the city and I don't know if my body will hold up to pavement. I may register for a race too just for the accomplishment, I'm not sure. Either way it's damn cool and I'm excited. Thanks for letting me share it somewhere.
 
So following back up on this. Basically after everything I posted here...I stopped running. There were multiple reasons, but life got in the way. Recently, I've started up again, and within a couple weeks of running I'm back to being able to run 3.1, but just not as quickly as before. So it's been nice to get back into it, but still running on a treadmill and still treating it as a way to get some exercise and feel better, not trying to train or hit any milestones.
 
However, my buddy convinced me to sign up for my first race. Going to do the ColorRun 5k at Gillette in October, I'm thinking it will be a fun, low stress way to run my first race. Even if my time/performance is terrible, I won't care because I'll have a great time. Has anyone done this before? Anyone planning to do it this year?
 

sass a thon

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
2,265
If you're looking for some additional motivation, you might think about joining the SoSh group on Strava or DailyMile. It's a very supportive group (though most have moved over to Strava at this point) and I find that it really helps to hold me accountable to get my miles in when I might otherwise want to sleep in. No one judges anyone else's distance or pace; it's a pretty positive environment. 
 

TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
20,380
Thanks, I signed up for Strava. Now I gotta figure out how to use it.
 

rbeaud

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Jul 15, 2005
348
Orange, CT
24JoshuaPoint said:
Anyone running New Haven races on Labor Day?
Planing for the whole clan to be there. The older two are probably on water duty as volunteers for their HS. Wife, youngest, and I are running. Haven't picked a distance yet; Corning Marathon in one month.

It's a great race for the whole family. Plus free beer!
 

fiskful of dollars

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Jul 14, 2005
2,874
Charlottesville, VA
Rock n Roll Virginia Beach yesterday. Drizzly, humid and windy. Still, conditions were better than usual. Ran a 1:39 which was a bit faster than expected. I have a Half Ironman next month so this was a good tune up race. Good event as always.
 
Hope everyone's training is going well. 
 

24JoshuaPoint

Grand Theft Duvet
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2004
4,944
Cell Block C
Got your message. Can't seem to reply via PM. I'm with the Milford Road Runner tent if you see this. Good luck!
 
 
Dangit i knew i should have checked back into this thread that morning.
 
Hope you had a better day than i did. Either i ate something bad or caught a virus. I didn't feel great when i woke up but i really didn't feel great starting around the second mile of the race. At first i thought it was just 'one of those days' but it increasingly developed into 'something ain't normal'. It was the worst time i've spent running in my life. I did 11 miles after work only a week before in intense heat and humidity and it was easy and fun. This was the worst. I finished and went straight home and laid down and drank water and whatever food i could get down for the next 12 hours. My face was paste white. I haven't been sick with anything in maybe two years and this came in and destroyed me.
 
So i put the Hartford Half on my to-do list and i plan to go for my goal again as well as maybe a bit faster by using the next few weeks to up the intensity.
 

BroodsSexton

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Feb 4, 2006
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guam
OK.  I'm running the NY Marathon in November.  Got in through the lottery.  My training has been...less than stellar.  I'm running about 12-15 miles per week, and my long run so far has been 9.5.
 
Coach me SoSH.  Pride before my kids requires me to finish this sucker.
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
Well, you have...7 weeks to train, basically. You should try to get up to a 16 mile long run 5 weeks from now. Don't go longer than that and don't exceed 30 miles in one week. I think your best bet is to get up to a little more than a half marathon and run the race slow. Like, consciously aim for a 5 hour finish.
 

BroodsSexton

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Feb 4, 2006
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I ran 8 miles in 1:10 this morning, taking it easy (and could have run more, or that amount faster).  I've got 7 weeks until 11/1.  Realistically, I'll probably only run twice a week.  How about something like this
 
Week 1 (this week):  8 miles (completed) and 5 (13 total).
Week 2:  10 miles and 6  (16 total)
Week 3:  12 miles and 6  (18 total)
Week 4:  15 miles and 4  (19 total)
Week 5:  18 miles and 4  (22 total)
Week 6:  12 miles and 6  (18 total)
Week 7:  6 miles and rest
 
Do I need to get up to 30 in a week?  That's going to be tough for me running twice / week.
 

Marceline

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Sep 9, 2002
6,441
Canton, MA
I wouldn't try to do 30 in a week with just twice a week. Is there any way you can manage 3x/week, even if only for a few weeks? It would make a bigger difference than just adding miles to your 2 runs/week.
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
28,451
Three runs per week:

One short (3-6 miles) run where you run as fast as you comfortably can.

One medium (5-9 miles) where you run at the pace you plan to run the race.

One long (10-16) where you run 30 seconds per mile slower than your marathon pace.


The problem you will have is that, even with a long run of 18 miles, that's still 8 miles left to go, and it will be the hardest 8 miles you have ever run. Running multiple times per week trains you to run on tired muscles to maximize efficiency and minimize injury risk.

You'll be able to finish if you don't get hurt. Just realize that running a quick 8 mile run, without a foundation of several 30-40 mile weeks to go with it, has almost no predictive value of how you'll perform in the 26 mile race.

Slow and steady. Slow and steady.

And, frankly, if you can't prioritize the race enough to run at least three (4 is preferable) times per week, ask yourself why you are doing this. You're setting yourself up for 5 hours of misery.