2008 Race Schedule -- When do I fit in a marathon?
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Joe_H posted 43 weeks ago.
what is your "A" race - the MUST do well in race? and plan around that. Also any training issues w/ the marathon? did you get injured training any? also a spring marathon means a fair amount of winter running will that be an issue?
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Theia posted 43 weeks ago.
Thanks, Joe! I haven't yet decided which race would be my goal race. I'd like to improve my marathon time for sure (shouldn't be too hard, considering how slow I was the first time!). :) The dus and tris are, frankly, way more fun. I also had a fair amount of success in my dus -- podium finishes in two of the three -- which makes the multisport races way more appealing.
The marathon would be more of a stretch/challenge goal as opposed to a fun goal. Not sure if that answers your question at all.
Luckily, I did not get injured while marathon training. Thank goodness for the chiropractor and massage therapist!!
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Joe_H posted 43 weeks ago.
tri's are a friggin lot of fun but there is something very seductive about a marathon (I've done 3 (crashed and burned twice) and still don't know why I keep coming back)
well I see it two ways you can do an early season marathon think of it as something to build a nice base for the rest of the season or do it at the end of the season as a nice way to top off the season after it gets too cold to swim. with an early season mary you run the risk of burning out afterwards (not to mention an extended recovery period). and with a late season mary you run the risk of an overuse injury after a long season.
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Theia posted 43 weeks ago.
Weather factors also play a role in the decision....
Spring marathon = running through the winter, although the longer runs will hopefully be in slightly warmer weather (i.e. 40s/50s/60s)
Fall marathon = running through the summer with most of the really long training runs in 70s/possibly even 80s
I'd hate to get injured during marathon training and ruin my first full tri season...
Aaagggh! So much to think about!!! :)
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Joe_H posted 43 weeks ago.
that's why it's important to prioritize. figure what's important to you and plan around it. if it tri's then a fall mary is a better idea. if it's a marathon PR a spring and/or a fall mary still work. hope that helps
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Anton posted 43 weeks ago.
You could do what many muti-sport folks do...fall marathon. You'll have a whole spring and summer to develop fitness and will have raced most of your races before a marathon training program starts near the end of July, unless you planned some for the fall.
And of course the other option...no marathon. Many folks here haven't done them and prefer to focus on tri's and du's. There have been years when I haven't done one and other years when I have and let my tri fitness carry me through..although at those marathons time was not a concern...the fun was!
Half Mary's are always on the table...all the fun,half the pain.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
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cayman posted 43 weeks ago.
Theia;84794 wrote:
As I plan my race schedule, should I plan to do a spring or fall marathon??? What makes more sense, training-wise? My gut says spring marathon, but I'm curious about how others manage their training schedules.
Why not both?
If you opt for only one, a spring marathon will give you something to train for over the winter, build a great base and lock into a 12-16 week mary training plan for an April race-- plent of time to recover for May-July tris.
john
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
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RV posted 43 weeks ago.
One year I did a couple early marathons and it took quite a toll on my legs and it affected my early season tri's. I did 2 about 4 weeks apart. Fall ones for me are easier to focus on as the tri season is coming to a close or is over.
Early season, it takes time away from the bike. And no one wants that!
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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wirebook posted 43 weeks ago.
As Anton noted, I also do the Fall marathon thing. Long runs really don't even kick in till late August anyways - and the rest of the training i carefully wove into what my other training plan had on it. It also helps quite a bit in keeping the drive going post-tri season and ensuring a solid level of fitness until at least Turkey day. While I'll train year round, I think it does help people keep moving after the 'thrill' of tri season ends.
-Ray
Tri Blog: Http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
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Theia posted 43 weeks ago.
Thank you so much for all the advice!!! I really appreciate it.
I'm doing a half marathon next weekend. I think I'm caught up in the whole marathon mania right now. :)
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Joe_H posted 43 weeks ago.
Theia;84873 wrote:
Thank you so much for all the advice!!! I really appreciate it.I'm doing a half marathon next weekend. I think I'm caught up in the whole marathon mania right now. :)
are you doing the philly half?
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gfd posted 43 weeks ago.
I have also found that the fitness gained from the tri season makes the transition into marathon training much easier than I imagined. Winter long runs can be tough and Spring marathons can be much warmer than the temp. on the last few long runs. I don't acclimate well to increaased temps, but I do to decreased temps. As a result I have consistently performed better in fall marathons. Good luck in your half.
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MarkyV posted 43 weeks ago.
What is the reason behind wanting to do the marathon? Accomplishment of it or cross training for Triathlon?
MarkyV Racing and Coaching
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GogglesPizanto posted 43 weeks ago.
gfd;84879 wrote:
I have also found that the fitness gained from the tri season makes the transition into marathon training much easier than I imagined. Winter long runs can be tough and Spring marathons can be much warmer than the temp. on the last few long runs. I don't acclimate well to increaased temps, but I do to decreased temps. As a result I have consistently performed better in fall marathons. Good luck in your half.
^^^Pretty well sums up my thoughts.
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Theia posted 43 weeks ago.
MarkyV;84881 wrote:
What is the reason behind wanting to do the marathon? Accomplishment of it or cross training for Triathlon?
Accomplishment.
Bettering my time from my first one.
No longer afraid of training for/doing another one.
Because I can.
Those sorts of reasons. :)
Joe, yes the Half at the Philly Marathon. Training has gone better than I expected, hence the sudden desire to up the ante next year.
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Joe_H posted 43 weeks ago.
Theia;84926 wrote:
Joe, yes the Half at the Philly Marathon. Training has gone better than I expected, hence the sudden desire to up the ante next year.
I think I'm in for just the 8k think there will be more than a couple trifuelers there. good luck!
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rebekahliz posted 42 weeks ago.
cayman;84823 wrote:
Why not both?If you opt for only one, a spring marathon will give you something to train for over the winter, build a great base and lock into a 12-16 week mary training plan for an April race-- plent of time to recover for May-July tris.
I second that. It seems pretty sensible for triathletes who dig running to have two seasons: triathlon training and marathon training. This year I spent spring and summer on tri training and races and am preparing for a spring mary this winter. I definitely have enough time for recovery and training time before my first tri, and I still swim and bike to XT during the winter. This works well for me because I prefer long runs in the cold, and it allows me to focus strategically and separately on a mary and an "A" race tri toward the end of the summer. I can't squeeze in two marathons anymore, but that's actually fine by me :).
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb
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Gary3 posted 42 weeks ago.
Where in the Mid-Atlantic do you live? If you are in the Pa. area that is not too far from NY & NJ.
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MarkyV posted 42 weeks ago.
If you are looking at running over the winter as a means to gain fitness to boost your triathlon racing and not simply as a whole other season within itself then you would be better served to aim to run a half mary, 10k or 15k. The work associated with those distances will lower your sustainable pace and make you a faster runner overall. A marathon can be highly damaging on the body and the recovery needs much great.
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rebekahliz posted 42 weeks ago.
MarkyV: That's a good point, too.
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb
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wirebook posted 42 weeks ago.
Theia;84926 wrote:
Accomplishment.Joe, yes the Half at the Philly Marathon. Training has gone better than I expected, hence the sudden desire to up the ante next year.
Cool - good luck! Maybe I'll run into ya as well (also doing the Philly Half).
-Ray
Tri Blog: Http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
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Theia posted 42 weeks ago.
wirebook;85189 wrote:
Cool - good luck! Maybe I'll run into ya as well (also doing the Philly Half).
Look for a bunch of crazies in black shirts that say "Kicking It In Philly 2007." That'll be us. Anyone in the group can tell you who Theia is. (We're all from kickrunners.com.) And good luck to you, too!
Gary3, I am near Philly.
Thanks again for all the great input!! I still have no clue what I'm doing next year, but at least I have LOTS of valuable info to help me decide! :)
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Theia posted 40 weeks ago.
I decided.
Philadelphia Marathon, November 2008. More time to train, less risk of injury during the tri season, and most importantly Broad Street in May is my #1 goal race for the season.
Thanks to everyone for the help!
Hello! I am very new to triathlon (have completed three dus and one sprint tri) and have completed one painful marathon (San Diego R&R 2005).
I am totally hooked on multisport and want to do maybe two more dus, one or two sprint tris, and one Olympic tri in 2008. I live in the Mid-Atlantic, so I am limited by weather and finances to do only local races during the summer.
I also want to do another marathon next year.
As I plan my race schedule, should I plan to do a spring or fall marathon??? What makes more sense, training-wise? My gut says spring marathon, but I'm curious about how others manage their training schedules.
Thanks in advance!