Marathon Weekend 2016

[IamTrike]

I still have a ways to go before a BQ, but it is a goal. Current marathon PR is 3:43:xx. I had a injury going into that marathon that lead to a 6 week taper and a much slower time. My summer runs are better than last year at this time which should improve as it gets cooler. This year is a stepping stone to the bigger goal. Early 2017 will be my first real attempt at a BQ.

I need about a 3:15 to BQ and likely somewhere closer to a 3:12 to actually get in. Current PR is about 3:50. I'm doing Higdon's plan using the times for a 3:30 finish, (most of my runs have been at 3:20 or 3:25 pace though.) Chicago is a bucket list race for my running buddies though so we've agreed to not push ourselves and just enjoy the race. If we finish around 3:40 and are feeling good I'll start looking for another fall full to try and break 3:30.

 

[LSUlakes]

I need about a 3:15 to BQ and likely somewhere closer to a 3:12 to actually get in. Current PR is about 3:50. I'm doing Higdon's plan using the times for a 3:30 finish, (most of my runs have been at 3:20 or 3:25 pace though.) Chicago is a bucket list race for my running buddies though so we've agreed to not push ourselves and just enjoy the race. If we finish around 3:40 and are feeling good I'll start looking for another fall full to try and break 3:30.

Whats your goal for Disney? I submitted a time that gave me an expected finish time of 3:25:00, we may be in the same corral based on your goals / ability. Main goals for Disney are as follow in this order:
1. To Finish (Because... well you never know)
2. A PR
3. 3:29:59
4. 3:24:59 (Key Goal)
5. 3:20:00

I will follow the Pfitz 18/55 plan.

 

[IamTrike]

Whats your goal for Disney? I submitted a time that gave me an expected finish time of 3:25:00, we may be in the same corral based on your goals / ability. Main goals for Disney are as follow in this order:
1. To Finish (Because... well you never know)
2. A PR
3. 3:29:59
4. 3:24:59 (Key Goal)
5. 3:20:00

I will follow the Pfitz 18/55 plan.

I think I submited a 1:43 half time for my disney proof of time which would put me a little behind you. I don't really have a time goal for Disney. I'm running with a group of guys for whom one will be doing his first marathon and first goofy. His goal is just going to be to finish and we'll likely shoot for around 4 hours. We are all planning on memorizing state facts so for each mile of goofy we'll discuss a different state. $ dudes rambling on about Idaho should be enough motivation to get people to run faster than us.

 

[Z-Knight]

Youz Guyz are Fast....I need to get my training in gear

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Youz Guyz are Fast....I need to get my training in gear

LOL - I don't ever plan on being that fast again, and I run 50+ miles/week when training for a marathon. People that fast don't realize how lucky they are.

 

[IamTrike]

LOL - I don't ever plan on being that fast again, and I run 50+ miles/week when training for a marathon. People that fast don't realize how lucky they are.

I think it's all relative. Unless you are at the very far ends of the spectrum you can always find people faster than you, and people that are slower than you. My first race I stood beside gentlemen in their mid 40s who were talking about being slow. They looked like they new what they were doing so I figured I'd just hang with them. What I didn't realize until I was about a mile in was that their "slow" was a 7mm pace. I about died keeping up with them for the first mile and a half.

For the 99% of us that aren't elites the only person we are competing with on race day is ourselves. We are all struggling out there fighting our roadblocks both mentally and physically. When I get on a treadmill, like a did today, I have to fight the little voice in my head that screams " you should really just push that stop button and go sit down". I'm happy that my body lets me run this way, but it doesn't come easy.

I think in general running is a struggle. We are all fighting against the same forces. I think that's one of the reasons why runners can genuinely appreciate everyone else out there on the course. We all know that it's not easy and so it's easy to celebrate everyone else's victories, and feel empathy for those that are struggling.

 

[Z-Knight]

I run 54/week myself but currently training for a half and I can't seem to break under 2 hours. Mind you I'm following my own "plan" and likely screwing it up as a result. I can do those Yasso runs in about 3:40 min, but no way do I feel that I'd be able to break a full under 4 and a half under 2 hrs, so clearly my training needs to change. I was hoping to have good half on september dumbo to get setup for good placement in the Jan dopey but I think my time has run out to improve in the next 2 weeks.

 

[IamTrike]

You should try Hanson's plan. It's about the milage you are doing now. It will suck, but you will get faster. They were talking about it on Reddit, and the person who was most down on the plan used it an only Pr'd by 15 minutes on his marathon. He complained about it because he was pacing faster than that but died in the last 6 miles.

I'll be out running Dumbo too. I'll be happy to run with you if you want. I just have to figure out how to turn the half into 16 miles.

 

[Z-Knight]

I'll check it out, thanks.

As for running with you, yeah that would be awesome but I might slow you down. Somehow I'm close to you in positioning - my actual 10k time put me in the 1:47 range for the half and I would love to strive for that but I seem to have trained myself to do intervals instead of a race...I mean all of my long runs involved walking sections and maybe if I just jogged a little through them then it would improve my time. I'll see 2 weeks hopefully so you can decide then if I wont slow you down.

 

[Z-Knight]

Btw, my Garmin 620 is waaaaay optimistic for my performance - it keeps trying to tell me that my 48 vo2max will have me finishing a half in 1:39 and a full in 3:27....I can't help but laugh

 

[Kathymford]

And here I am hoping to get my DL 1/2 time in at 3 hours!! LOL.

As a pretty new runner, hearing about all these different plans is great and also thank you @IamTrike for your words above. It's so true.

 

[LSUlakes]

I run 54/week myself but currently training for a half and I can't seem to break under 2 hours. Mind you I'm following my own "plan" and likely screwing it up as a result. I can do those Yasso runs in about 3:40 min, but no way do I feel that I'd be able to break a full under 4 and a half under 2 hrs, so clearly my training needs to change. I was hoping to have good half on september dumbo to get setup for good placement in the Jan dopey but I think my time has run out to improve in the next 2 weeks.

With your mileage, a sub two hour half should be obtainable. This is based on several assumptions though, so who knows. Does each workout/run you do have a purpose, both short term and long term? If you perform all your runs at the same pace regardless of distance, then all you have taught yourself to do, is exactly what your practiced. With your mileage, try checking out Advanced Marathoning. You can get it cheap on Amazon. Do not trust the "Race Predictor" according to mine I can win the Boston Marathon.

Being fast as stated above is all relative. My friend that got me thinking about running again is a sub 2:30:00 marathoner... let that sink in for a moment. Compared to my most aggressive goal for this year, he will have time to shower, eat a lunch and a beer before I would cross the finish line. I judge myself against my pass accomplishments, and my main goal is to continue to improve upon those task and hopefully achieve a few time goals like a BQ one day. If I compared myself to my running peers, I don't think I would ever be happy with anything I do running related because my times are nowhere near theirs. I also noticed that the faster the runner, the more you can learn from them and they are very supportive of all runners at every level.

@Kathymford , my very first 5k in high school I finished 2nd the last with a 35+ minute race time. Over time I improved as shall you as you continue to run. Running isn't a activity that you should compare yourself to others, but focus on making yourself better one run at a time. Enjoy the journey.

 

[Z-Knight]

Sorry, I don't mean to sound elitist throwing out all of these lower goal times. As was well said by IamTrike, we are just racing against ourselves so no matter what time you achieve we should all be proud - there are very few people in the world that could even complete a half, so that's my ultimate goal - even if I have to crawl.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Sorry, I don't mean to sound elitist throwing out all of these lower goal times. As was well said by IamTrike, we are just racing against ourselves so no matter what time you achieve we should all be proud - there are very few people in the world that could even complete a half, so that's my ultimate goal - even if I have to crawl.

You should be excited - there were times in my life that I had goals like that too. Please don't apologize.

 

[LSUlakes]

Sorry, I don't mean to sound elitist throwing out all of these lower goal times. As was well said by IamTrike, we are just racing against ourselves so no matter what time you achieve we should all be proud - there are very few people in the world that could even complete a half, so that's my ultimate goal - even if I have to crawl.

Crawling is encouraged! To add to your comment, a half is a great accomplishment, one in which you will remember the feeling for many years the first time you do it.

I do not mean to discourage anyone on this board at all. If I have done so, I apologize. I came to this board to learn as much as I can about the Disney Marathon from previous runners, as well as to discuss running and running goals with others.

 

[SarahDisney]

I think a lot of people (myself included, and I'm pretty slow) can get bogged down thinking about pace. Whether you're going for a PR or not, it can be hard not to have a goal pace in mind.
At the end of the day, finishing the race is amazingly impressive. Is it great if you can PR or reach a goal pace? Absolutely. But it's also great if you finish at your slowest pace ever. Just starting the race is an amazing thing that most people won't even attempt.
And with continued running, you may reach that desired pace - it never hurts to try (with a proper training, of course). And it definitely doesn't hurt to share your goals with others so that we can cheer you on and support you!

 

[Ariel484]

I think for a lot of people, taking up running can be a very scary thing (it has been for me - I am by no means a naturally gifted runner). Especially for newer runners with a very real fear of getting swept, afraid they'll be in last place and that everyone will be faster than they are...sometimes pace can be a sensitive subject.

@LSUlakes I don't think you said anything offensive.

 

[Kathymford]

My favorite part of my upcoming FIRST half marathon (DLH) is that I get to PR no matter what. HAHAHA.

 

[SarahDisney]

My favorite part of my upcoming FIRST half marathon (DLH) is that I get to PR no matter what. HAHAHA.

So true! Best way to guarantee a PR is to try a new distance!

 

[cavepig]

I do not mean to discourage anyone on this board at all. If I have done so, I apologize. I came to this board to learn as much as I can about the Disney Marathon from previous runners, as well as to discuss running and running goals with others.

I don't think anything you said was discouraging. I enjoy reading everyone's training on these boards!

There's that quote I like that is something like "a mile is still a mile whether ran in 4 minutes or 14 minutes"