Marathon Training Q+A: Paul Evans

Hi everyone

Former GB Olympian and Chicago Marathon winner Paul Evans will be online between 1pm and 2pm today to answer any queries you might have about your marathon training so far.

After competing in the 10,000m finals in the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, Paul went on to win the Chicago Marathon in 1996, with a career best of 2:08:51: a time that, to this day, consolidates his place in the UK Marathon All Time Top 4.

We're opening the discussion now so Paul will be able to get stuck in straight away at 1pm (rather than having to deal with too many questions all at once) - time to get posting!

Hi – I’m currently training for my first marathon on April 18th using Hal Higdon’s novice schedule. It’s going well but I’m aware it doesn’t contain any speedwork sessions. Does this seem unusual to you? Would there be any benefit in including some speed work at this point? (I have about three weeks before I begin tapering).

Hi Paul

 Have you got any advice on  building mental strength ?
How do you keep pushing yourself in a race when your mind is telling you to slow down or even stop?

Do you break the race down mentally into smaller chunks? 

Hi Paul

I'm doing London this year. Despite giving up any hope of getting in I got a call on 2nd Feb offering me a place. I was on the way back from a few months off due to illness. I had been training for a marathon last year in September but was poorly on the day and only completed half of it....

I have managed to get back up to 14.5 miles so far and hoping for around 17 this weekend.... Am I still on target enough to get through the finish line on the day.

Any tips you could give me would be great. I'm hitting around 30 miles a week at the moment over 4 runs although no speedwork is involved, I just run at tempo if I feel ok. I have been feeling very tired this week and wondered if this is normal.

Hi - for your fist marathon I would not get to bogged down with speedwork, your key session is your LR time on your feet, as long as you are incresing this week on week, you will be fine, as you get fitter your speed will improve anyway

Good Luck

Hi - As long as you are doing your LR these are the key session, try to build them up to at least 20 miles if pos, if you feel tried drop down to 3 runs aweek, as long as you are doing the LR'S you will be fine !

Good Luck

Hi Paul  - my question relates to MP runs. How hard should these feel during the heavy mileage weeks on a perceived effort level?

I did a 7 mile MP run on Wednesday (target 7:40 per mile) and it felt like a PE=7 rising to an 8 towards the end with the hills. My recent race times (e.g. 10 miler on 14th Feb, achieved 1h07m, ave pace = 6m46s; HM pb = 1h34s) indicate this pace should be well within my grasps, and I fully expect that they are feeling tough because of the workouts I am doing (e.g. 20x200m reps the day before at 5m30s per mile pace; ~ 50 miles per week at present).

I find these MP runs damaging from a confidence perspective as I always feel they should be easier than they currently feel if I am to run 26.2 of them!

Hi Paul,

How do I work out my marathon pace please?  I do my LSR's consistently at 11:25 pace and I'm up to 16 miles.  Is that a good predictor of what pace I'm capable of in a marathon?  I'm racing a half this weekend - if I use that time in a RW calculator, is that going to give me a better prediciton?  I don't want to start the VLM too fast.

Thanks

Hello Paul.

My question is about going quicker in the second half of the race. Is there any specific training for this?

I've now done three 18 miler in 2.40 and have felt good. Having done London before i have always been caught up in crowds for the first 8 odd miles and have been considering going around 9 min/mile till mile 13 and then increasing it in the second half.

Just wondering if there is anything I can do to help this

Thanks

Hi - great question, the marathon is 75% mental 25% Phyical

I break London up in to 4 quarters

Start to Cutty Sark - my settling in quarter

Cutty Sark to Tower Bridge - settlled in and looking to get to half way, undercook rather than overcook,

Tower Bridge to Canerie warf - this is the dead zone, this is were you have to concentrate, you are going away from the finsh, and the crowed are pritty quite

Tower Bridge to Finish, feeling tried but on home straight, croweds will pull you though

Good Luck

Hi FF - My suggestion is you practise this on you LR, for instance if you have a 3 hr run to do, run out for 90 min, turn restart your watch and try and get back quicker, it will help with the bordam of the LR as well

Good Luck

 Hi Mitiog -I think useing the RW Culculator is a good idea, remember if you undercook the first half you can alway pull it back in the second half, RW says 85% of people go off to quickly

Good Luck

Hi Paul

On Richard's Super Six 3:15 forum we have recently been discussing the high carbohydrate intake we need to consume to fuel our training. I was staggered by the amount needed in the taper week (7g/kg/day) and what this actually equated to in food terms ..

When you are training (particularly during the heavy march mileage) what would your typical day's food intake be to meet your CHO requirements?

Many thanks !

Gal Darr - sounds like you are to good shape, I personal would start off conservatively and work my way into it, you can alway pick it up second half

Good Luck

My diet was probally 85% CHO

The great thing about hard traing is you can eat what you like, lots of pasta, bake pot, porrige for breakfast, lots of F&V

I never weighted any thing out 

Hi Paul,

i've had a bit of a rubbish run up to the marathon.. (doing brighton not london so the week before) had a foot injury that has kept me off for 3 weeks and now have a nasty cough that i can't shake.. my long run so far has been 16 miles with just over 6 weeks to go.. I am worried i can't run this weekend with this cough going on.  Am I in trouble for the marathon? 

It is my second and I am hoping for some time around 5 hours

thanks

gwen

Hello Paul,

Do you believe that some people are going to cramp up in the dying stages of the marathon, whatever hydration and electrolyte intake they have taken prior to and during a race?

I cramp in my calf muscles particularly, I know this is the first place where cramp is likely due to blood flow, but as yet no-one has been able to solve my problem.

I'm an experienced runner and have done much longer ultra distance runs and triathlons with cramp not being a problem. It seems to come with sustained speed rather than distance.

Thanks.

RH - Sound like you are on track you are doing your three key sessions

LR,Tempo Run & Interval session, all I would say maybe increase you tempo run by a couple of miles

Good Luck