First Marathon questions
55
Member
810 days
vats posted 48 weeks ago.
also the last long run i did was 15 miles about 2 weeks ago. in between then i have only done 6-7 miles a day training for the competition and tomorrow i was gonna do close to 20 miles tomorrow. will I be able to do this safely or should i just wait until race day and keep my run around 13-15 tomorrow? I will be running lightly from now until race day (hopefully)
5
Member
346 days
ebit posted 48 weeks ago.
With a stress fracture in your running history I'd advise against it.
Even without the stress fracture you have to be careful when switching your equipment for races, especially racing flats. With flats you'll be exposing a lot of small intrinsic muscles in your feet and lower legs that probably aren't very developed after being sheltered by the cushioning provided by your training shoe.
Edit:
The last 20 miler you should do is three weeks before the race. Gererally that's the rule of thumb for the body to fully recover for the marathon. I'd do a long run at 15-20% of your mileage for this week and enjoy your taper.
597
Member
944 days
gfd posted 48 weeks ago.
Having done Steamtown twice I can tell you that the course does beat up your legs, especially the first half. I would not recommend using racing flats, especially with your injury. It is easy to go out way to fast on this course and blow up on the second half. Even though the elevation drops significatly from start to finish, the majority of it is in the first half and there are quite a few uphill sections on the second half of the course.
Everybody recovers differently, but I wouldn't count on being able to perform to a very high level at the Ranger Challenge.
Good luck.
767
Member
743 days
cayman posted 48 weeks ago.
Did Steamtown last year and agree, don't do racing flats. The downhills will beat you up. Also considering your knee and past stress fracture you'll need the cushioning.
Try not to get caught up in the downhill momentum, time out your splits, especially the first 8 miles. You may not notice your quads early on, but you will feel them on the last couple of hills at the end of the race.
Recovery depends on your running level, but I would guess the 'Challenge" is going to be challenging. Definately, get a free onsite massage after the race, refuel immediately and hit an ice bath as soon as possible afterwards.
Take it easy after Steamtown, your fitness level from the mary should carry you into the Challenge.
Have fun at Steamtown, it's a beaurtiful course. Good luck.
john
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
767
Member
743 days
cayman posted 48 weeks ago.
vats;80550 wrote:
also the last long run i did was 15 miles about 2 weeks ago. in between then i have only done 6-7 miles a day training for the competition and tomorrow i was gonna do close to 20 miles tomorrow. will I be able to do this safely or should i just wait until race day and keep my run around 13-15 tomorrow? I will be running lightly from now until race day (hopefully)
With only 2 weeks out, keep it to the lower and easy side, 12-15 depending on how you feel. There's really nothing at this point to be gained by a 20 miler.
john
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
I have my first marathon coming up in 2 weeks and it is Steamtown which is very downhill. The first 15 miles are all downhill and i was wondering if i should use my racing flats or my training shoes which have more coushioning obviously. And in terms of recovery time will i be able to do a US Army Ranger Challenge competition in exactly 2 weeks after the marathon. In this i will ave a 10k ruck with about 50lbs of gear. I developed a stress fracture last years when i wasnt training for a marathon so i am a little scared. I dont care if i get one i just wanna get past oct 21 (end of competition). I already need surgery on my knee so if i get an injury i am not worried about it since i will be off my feet for some time anyways.