Rome Marathon 2013

Good work Kirsty. I hear you on the long run stuff...my advice (for what it's worth) is make sure you take them easy and concentrate more on distance/time on feet rather than overall pace. I often make the mistake of doing my long runs too hard and banjaxing my legs for the next few days - not good! I've learn't my lesson now and seem to be recovering much better these days. Like you I have hrs of podcasts downloaded to listen to on long runs - and can always throw on a bit of heavy metal if my mood has dropped a bit!

Hey Guys, good discussion going on.

Thanks Alex for the information.

Rome will be my second marathon. I did Dublin in October in 3;45. I was a bit disappointed with that so entered another one! Dublin went to plan up until 19 miles, and then every ounce of energy left my body! So we will see how this one goes. In hindsight I didnt do enough long runs in preparation, I kidded myself that if I could do a half marathon sub1:30 I would be okay. So hopefully I have learnt from that!

Training going okayish so far, yet to do anything over 2 1/4 hrs, I will look forward to that in February!

George, theres more going on there by the sounds of it than just number of lrs. I've never gone under 1:49 (offically, never really trained for and raced) for a half, yet my marathon pb is 3:41.

How do you prepare in terms of carbo loading and tapering? If I could run a 1:30 half i'd be looking to get closer to 3hrs not 4!

Kirsty, half the trick of all those long runs is as much about training your mind as it is your body. When you start running 5 miles feels like an eternity, after regular 15 milers 5 miles feels like a warm up and flashes past you. Or maybe i'm just brain dead now! lol

That's certainly true - I went out on Sunday to do a recovery 4 mile slow jog after doing a 15 miler on Saturday and it felt as though I'd finished before I'd even started. Strange that this time last year, the thought of running 5 miles was alien to me - never run past 5km before last February, and yet now 5 miles is considered an easy short run! Shows what you can do in a year.

This time in ten weeks, I'll be back at home, wearing my marathon medal (all being well, and if this new bed doesn't kill me off - managed a whole 3 hours sleep last night!) - scarey and exciting thought!

2 months and 5 days! woohoo! I've got 3 more days in Rome after the race, I plan on wondering about half cut enjoying the sunshine  

Is this your first marathon Kirsty (sorry if you've already said)? It'll be be one you never forget. One of my most memorable races was the Monaco marathon, started in monaco, ran through France into italy then back again. 3 countries in one race!   that was in march too, glorious sunshine, not a cloud in the sky not hot far from cold, like a perfect English summers day...southern England... lol

Yup - first timer! I figured that if a sight-seeing tour of Rome on route didn't keep me going, then nothing will!

Hi all,

I've been quiet for a while, had about 5 weeks out with injury and manflu.

Glad to say that this week has got me back on track. 35 miles for the week and 14 miles today.

Also, a couple of links that I posted before.

Good luck all. 9 weeks to go.

http://www.amazingrunningtours.com/rome_marathon.asp

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rome+marathon+2012&oq=rome+marathon&gs_l=youtube-reduced.1.1.0l2.5619.8694.0.11759.13.9.0.2.2.0.379.1928.1j3j4j1.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.JhhiGPCyGEs

Just wondered if anyone knew what drinks etc they were going to be giving out at the refreshments stations on the course? The map I have of the route shows refreshment stations at every five km marker. I've had a look through the website but couldn't see mention if they would be giving out sportd drinks or not - should I presume it's just water or are there usually sports drinks / gels etc? Also - I realised that I've been planning my run and when to take gels etc based on miles, but as it's in Rome, all the distance markers will be in kilometres so will now have to work out a conversion so I know where I am!

hi all, hope training for Rome is going well. I have a question about the Start Area. I am in start area D and looking to achieve a time of 3:30 - do you think this is possible or will it be too congested? I have run London before and the congestion really frustrated me. thanks

Morning All

My first post so bear with me.

I have just finished reading this whole thread and am pleased to be in such friendly company. I shall also be running alongside you in Rome.

This will be my 4th Marathon and like most people, i shall be chasing down the elusive 4hr target. My previous results are:

London 2008 - 5h 50m
London 2010 - 4h 42m 
Brighton 2012 - 4h 25m

I would not consider myself a serious runner, more that i like something to aim for and running is a lot easier than dieting when it comes to weight control

My training for this race has been the best and most thorough to date. I started training for this in November and have done a couple of 18 miles runs at a steady pace. This Saturdays run is also another 18 miles planned.

I do 3 shorter runs in the week as well as my long run on Saturday so my week normally looks like this:

Mon - Rest
Tue - 6-8 miles at Marathon Race Pace (9:00min/miles)
Wed - 10 - 13.1 miles at between 9 and 10 minute pace.
Thur - Interval session with lots of sprints
Fri - Rest
Sat - Long Run
Sun - Long Cycle (40 - 70 miles)

 Can anyone advise me on a pace i should be running at on my longer runs. I have been sticking to a 9:50 - 10:00 pace and to date, regardless of the distance i feel fresh and comfortable. I was working on the basis of trying to stay injury free and just building up miles in the legs. Is this the right thing to do, or should i be aiming for a quicker/slower pace?

Sorry for the ramble. Hope all your training is going well and look forward to chatting to you more as we get nearer the race

most say you should do your long runs about 1-2 minutes slower than your marathon pace, so if you want to do 8mm do your long runs at 9-10mm. There's another school of thought that says your legs have to get used to running at the pace you want to run the marathon at... you can't win lol Another way is to just concentrate on getting time on your feet for the long runs, 3 hours at whatever pace you want is a good lsr, then 3 and a half hours, instead of concentrating on pace and distance. Just try to enjoy the after run glow and smugness...

Thanks ADG. That is pretty much what I had heard. So i aim my mid week runs at marathon pace, so i am very used to the "Feeling" of that pace and getting to know what it is like. And then my long runs 1 minute slower per mile. 

Seems i am doing okay and touch wood i have been having an awesome time since November setting myself PBs in pretty much anything i do from 10ks to half Marathons.

Lets hope it all comes together on race day

If you're aiming to only just break four hours it looks like you're doing a lot of fast runs in the week, you don't need to do 2 marathon paced runs plus intervals, unless your marathon is going to be much quicker than you imagine. What's your half pb? And 10k? 

Hi Lard

Up until xmas for 12 weeks all i did was low HR training. Mile after mile of boring slow runs. They got quicker overtime as my body became more efficent and where i started at around 12 min/mile for 70% of my HRM, i now sit at around 10 min/mile for the same effort.

Then from xmas i have added in the speed work. The Wednesday run is really more like a slow run, i aim for 10 min/miles but sometimes it comes in a little quicker. So then my Tuesday runs are at race pace (A steady 9 min/mile) with my Thursday being the interval session. So 2 quicker shorter runs and 2 longer slower runs.

My concern is that if i dont get used to running at my target marathon pace (9min/mile) i will crumble on the day in the later miles.

I do not plan to run much quicker than a 9min pace on the day and will be using my watch to monitor and control this. Last years Brighton Marathon i ballsed up and went out way to quick, blew up at mile 17 and had a pants time from then on, something i do not want a repeat of in Rome.

My PBs are:

10k = 47m 50s (In a training run on open roads)
HM = 1h 47m 00s (As part of a 16 mile race) 

I wouldn't worry about being able to maintain marathon pace, believe me I know where you're coming from, but thats the point of other training ie tempo runs, so you don't blow up at 17+ miles. I think most schedules would have you rather concentrating on tempos than intervals, they're too short. I guess if you're only doing short runs at MP it wont hurt.

Your times are somewhere close to mine, I haven't raced for 9 weeks, but going by faster training runs. You should smash 4 hrs

Thanks Buddy.

I know I have trained more this year than ever before, and i should trust my training but there is something in the back of my head still worried about it. As you say, better to over train than under train. 

Intervals tonight. Will only be around 4 miles but i enjoy it as its with my Triathlon club.

Wooha! I didn't say it's better to overtrain!  I'd actually go the other way, it's better make it to the start line feeling undertrained but fresh, niggle free and healthy! Thatas why people say don't run all your runs too fast, all that heart rate training was the best thing you could've done what use is an engine that revs fast but has no power?

Sorry, i meant overtrain for my given goals

If my current training and times should see me do a quicker marathon than I am planning, I should be "Safe" to hit my 4hr goal.... i hope...

Rest day today. How is everyone elses training going?

SNOW! Deep snow at that - easily a good couple of inches settled already and it's still coming down. Grrrr - was due to run a 17 miler tomorrow but not venturing out unless some of it thaws overnight - am rubbish at even walking in wellies in the snow and I don't have any trail shoes or grips/spikes etc. This close to the marathon, I'd rather not risk an injury. Need to figure out how to switch around my long weekend runs for the next few weeks if I don't manage to get this weekend's done:

My last 'longest' run was weekend before last when I reached 15 miles

Last weekend was a 'rest' week and I did 13 miles

This weekend I was supposed to add two miles and do a 17 miler, with an 18 miler next weekend

I then have the Blackmore Vale Half marathon followed by the first of my 20 mile runs the following two weekends. Then Plymouth Hoe 10 mile race weekend after followed by my second 20 miler the following weekend, and then taper (got all that?!)

Am wondering if it's best to try to skip straight to 18 miles next weekend and keep on schedule (although that would be an increase of 3 miles from my last furthest run) or to do 17 next weekend and then change the first 20 miler to a 19 miler instead. I really wanted to keep the 2 x 20 milers in the schedule if possible but if I don't get out on Saturday or Sunday, I'm not sure if that is feasible or not. Am doing quite a few mid-week runs and an averaging c40 miles each week at the moment so not sure if my legs could cope with a 3 mile increase or not next weekend if I took it nice and slow?

Honestly - I am a slave to my schedule which I know is silly but that's the type of person I am, I'm afraid. I like to plan and make lists! Am praying that the snow will stop today and start to thaw overnight so I might at least get out on Sunday afternoon...fingers crossed everyone. Poole doesn't often have snow - typically - not had any at all for at least the last two winters...