Question:Any suggestions as to how to optimize the last miles?
Would longer training runs (25 miles) be worth a try?
Any other tips?
Answer:
Observations:
You finished in 3:51 which is 231 minutes.
If you held an 8 minute pace for 20 miles that would be 160 minutes. If
19 miles at 8 pace would be 152 minutes. So you would have finished the
last 7.2 in 10.9 minutes a mile.
The Ozzie Rule of Foot is that if you start your marathon with 30 to 75
seconds a mile faster for the first 3 to five miles, you will finish 20
minutes to an hour and a half slower.
Break down your splits to see where you lost it. If you are feeling good
18 hours later, then I'd go with my theory of starting too fast and
wasting a large percentage of glycogen at the beginning.
Must go practice my running.
My guess is that your were targetting a 3:30 result
with a pace of 8:00 minute miles. You did well until mile 19. Yes
longer runs would definitely be worth a try (5 runs equal to or
greater than 20 miles: 20,22,24,26,26) I suggest considering using
Galloway as a model to get you closer to your goal target time. I
include some results from my experience as follows for your reference:
I've applied modified Jeff "Galloway's Book on Running" to 10
marathons since 1993 with times of 5hrs, 4hrs, 3hrs:30min in 1993. I
took me 4 more marathons to qualify under the required 3:20 for my age
which was 3:09 which I nearly equalled in the 100th Boston marathon
in 3:10 (April 15, 1996) (course congestion and headwinds prevented a
faster time for me) . I also use a 3 week taper (ideally 80% wk3, 60%
wk2, 30% wk1). I had a few setbacks and frustrations with not
reaching my target times, however I persisted with Galloway as a
model.
I met with Jeff this Feb '96 in Ottawa and thanked him for the advice
(which got me to Boston) in his book which I applied with intensity
adjustments. His book is very thorough as a generic planning guide to
running a marathon. He indicated that he wouldn't change anything in
the book (circa 1984). [To order call (404) 255-1033 ext 12 or write
to JFG, Ltd, PO BOX 76843, ATLANTA, GA 30358].
My adjustments which I apply in the 16 weeks leading up to a marathon:
1. Speed (Mondays): Galloway applies speed after hills while I do
them concurrently. I apply the one mile repeats every week starting
at 2 and working up to 12 (with 1 minute rest between each) adding one
per week whereas he applies them every second week and increases by
two. I agree with his rate which is approximately halfway between 10k
and marathon race pace which incidentally is near the anaerobic
threshold.
2. Tempo (Wednesdays): I've added Tempo runs. I run an 8 to 11 mile
tempo at marathon race pace during a bi-weekly 14 mile run which I
alternate with my distance run.
3. Distance(Wednesdays): No change. Applied every second week
starting at 16 miles and working up to 26 miles (which I apply twice).
4. Hills(Saturdays/Fridays): Changed from his Wk 1 to Wk 3. I apply
hills from week 1 to week 6, every week starting at 4 reps and
working up to 12 reps on the treadmill at 5k pace for 30 seconds each
at 10 degree elevation. I again do hills during weeks 11 to 14 on
Fridays which are 10 repeats of 500m hill near marathon pace both up
and down the hills.
5. Balance: The other days of the week are similar to Galloway's
which for a 3hr marathon leave only a handful of days off during 16
weeks.
First give yourself a pat on the back for cutting your time from 4:04
to 3:51, that is a good improvement. As others on this thread have
suggested, you might want to consider some of Galloway's training
principles, they are sound & good. IMHO think at least one, or more,
runs over 25mi would help. Be happy with your time, you improved over
last yr., every race is different in some way, even over the same
course.
What is the "faster" in the above sentence in reference to? An even-split
pace based on a goal time? Or on a 'realistic' time, according to race
pace conversion charts? Or something else?
And a related question: what is the conventional wisdom on running an even
pace vs. a negative split strategy? My context for asking is that of a
novice marathoner (NY last weekend was my first) who ran negative splits
and was pleased with my 3:51 finish ... but would like to bring it down to
my 3:40 Boston qualifying time. I do tend to run more strongly in the
second half of both training runs and races, but maybe I should try an
even-pace strategy and see what I can accomplish with that approach?
