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Sep 11, 2012

Can a 5k tell you how you'll run a marathon?

10 miles on the schedule today.  As I said on DM this morning, no matter how your run goes, 10 miles before work SUCKS! Ha!

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The question of the day is can a 5k tell you how you'll run a marathon?  I'd like to think not.  I ran a 22:41 on Sunday morning which is not far off my PR for a 5k.  And my PR is from a 5k in the beginning of the season in March of LAST year.  Ok, I did have a pretty good base built up for both races but I ended up running the marathon in 4:12.  Of course, the marathon was my first so I didn't know what to expect and, of course, I do know this time around.
Grand Rapids Marathon
I'm looking forward to seeing if all this running will payoff.  I'm in the middle of another 50 mile week. It's tough for sure but if I can get through this week and another one two weeks from now, I'll be home free with my taper.

I've also decided to cheat my running plan a little.  Instead of doing a third 20 miler three weeks out like my plan says, I've decided to run 7 miles on Saturday and then 13.1 the next day at the Brooksie Way half marathon.  The Brooksie is a tough race with hills so my plan is to go into it with tired legs but push myself a little more than I would had I just ran 7 that morning plus the race.  What do you think?  Will it haunt me at marathon time?

I'm hoping the taper will really help get my legs to an even faster speed so I can PR at the Grand Rapids Marathon.

6 more weeks to go and I guess we'll find out.

Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!

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7 comments:

  1. TeamarciaSeptember 11, 2012 at 7:28 AM

    GR is my half and full PR. Enjoy it!

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  2. KovasPSeptember 11, 2012 at 9:42 AM

    If Yasso 800s can be an indicator, why not a 5K? :)

    I'm sure you'll PR, you have a lot more in the bank this time around. The Brooksie plan sounds like a good one.

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  3. Mark MatthewsSeptember 11, 2012 at 10:23 AM

    Are you could run 7 early on sunday before the half marathon. I'll meet you there beforehand. (oh wait, we tried that once, and I blew it.)

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  4. StephanieSeptember 11, 2012 at 10:29 AM

    My husband and I are running Brooksie Way! Hope to see you there. I am also running GR marathon too!!

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  5. coach dionSeptember 12, 2012 at 2:21 AM

    OK so if you have a look at the numbers... your 5km time says you can run a marathon in 3h36!!! Now that would make you happy, but it's not just about a 5km time, a lot more needs to go into it: If you put the world record in to one of those calculators it give you a time of 2h01:12 for the marathon... My 5km time and marathon time might have worked out if the wind hadn't been blowing that day I ran my best marathon time. So what is the diference?

    1) I was training for a marathon when I ran that 5km time.
    2) I bet if I had trained for a 5km I could have run a 20-30sec faster.

    So what about you:

    1) more miles is good, should make you stronger.
    2) your 5km time still gives you a good marathon time, so the distance isn't hurting your speed.

    What about this weekends long run?
    1) I like to aim at 26 miles for a weekend if training for a marathon (but I do run 60miles a week)
    2) I bet you won't even feel the 7 miles the day before. (how about making it 10!)
    3) how about just a couple of miles warmup before the race? that will give you a nice bit weekend.

    But the ball is in your court, we can only give you ideas and you have to think them though and use what you think will work for you...

    Good Luck.

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    Replies
    1. Detroit Runner(Jeff)September 12, 2012 at 7:12 AM

      Coach - What are you trying to kill me? Ha! I've never been able to equate the marathon time with even my half time(1:38:18 by the way) but I agree with you that more miles is making me stronger. Keep in mind that 50 miles(3 weeks of them) is my peak during this cycle. In the past, I've never trained more than 43 miles per week in prior marathons. I do like your 10 mile idea before the half marathon though. I'm going to go out with the intent to run 10 that day with 7 as a minimum. The other item that is lacking in my training is speed work which I'll probably include in my next training schedule since I'll be training more for the half than the full. Thanks for all your input.

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  6. UnknownSeptember 12, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    I'm doing the brooksie way half too! maybe I will see you there. I am running for Renewal by Anderson.

    I am more of a "less is more" kind of person. I think you will be fine to do the Brooksie Way half at a half marathon race pace (so faster than marathon pace) instead of a 20 miler. That is just me, though. I have done the 3 20 milers training plan before twice, and I have also skipped an entire week of training every time I have done a big race. That is just sort of how it has worked out with vacations and stuff like that. I tell myself that I am just "well rested". Some people just aren't wired to go fast or to go long. My 5K time shows that I should be able to run a 3:24 marathon. My PR is 3:33. My half marathon time PR is 1:38:39, which is sort of consistant with my 5K time too. I think I have a sub 3:30 in me, but I don't have a fall race selected, and need to wait until the spring now.

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