5 weeks out from November 12, my goal marathon date. Today I did a 26.2K (16.3 Mile) marathon simulation workout by running two loops on my course, then adding 3.2 out and back. Did 2 mile warmup, then 16.3 miles, then 1.7 cool down. Splits: - 1st Loop (6.55 miles): 40:05 (6:07/mile, pretty much right on target)
- 2nd Loop: 40:39 – slipped off goal pace slightly (1:20:44 half marathon split – 6:09/mile avg)
- 3.2 mile out and back: 22:25 (7:00/mile avg for this section, drastically fell off pace.)
- Total: 16.3 miles – 1:43:09 – 6:19/mile avg
Any thoughts on what my marathon goal pace should be at this point by anyone reading are welcomed and appreciated. My desire is to set a realistic but stretching goal for a marathon time running this same course in 5 weeks from now. And now that I have somewhat of a bench mark workout to go off of, I’m interested to hear other’s thoughts. For whatever its worth, I have been running between 70-75 miles most weeks, with 6 days of running per week. Sundays I always rest from running. With a lower week every 3-4 weeks. This week was 74. Up until now my pie in the sky goal has been 2:40 (6:07 pace). Hence the goal pace today of 40 minutes per lap to see how I managed at that pace on a simulation run. Today I was wearing tights, a jacket, beanie, and gloves because it was high 30′s and drizzling this morning. I self-supported it and was wearing my nathan pack with 30 oz. of water and 2 10 oz. flasks of half dilluted EFS liquid shot. I only used 1 and a quarter of the 2 flasks, perhaps 250 calories for the 1:43 of running. Enough/not enough? Energy felt fine, but perhaps another 100-150 calories would have given my legs more the last 3 miles. I didn’t drink a ton of the water. Probably only 12 ounces of the 30. It wasn’t hot at all of course, but my clothes were still soaked with sweat under my light jacket. Including the EFS flasks a total of about 24 ounces of fluid was taken in. As far as heart rate and breath rate are concerned the run was never that challenging. My legs just got tired and started feeling less strong the last few miles. My hips/gluts started feeling pretty worked at mile 15.1 so I backed off quite a bit for a minute or two, then picked it up slowly again, but my last mile split was really slow due to that, 7:40 something. Plus I allowed myself to bail mentally on the pace at mile 15.1. I didn’t want to drive it so hard so as to hurt myself…I figured I should save the hard driving for the actual marathon attempt. I’m sure I’m going to have to push through a similar point of growing weakness somewhere in the last 7-10 of the marathon. I’m willing to push through that necessary pain in my race attempt, in a workout I don’t feel that it’s in my best interest to go there. PS - just noticed I just cracked 2000 miles on the year...cool. Only hit 1438 last year, I may come close to doubling that it this year, we'll see. I don't really care and don't have a yearly 'goal', but its interesting to see how quick the miles stack up with consistency of running.
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