VLM, 14 miler this weekend - what strategy

Hi I am training for the VLM, My first Marathon.

I am hoping for a sub 4 hour time, I have done half marathons at about 1 hr 45. (My main aim is to get around in less than 4.5 but I Know that if everything went well and I got my strategy right I could hit sub 4 hour)

I am running a 14 mile event this weekend. What do people think is the best race strategy for this build up event?

Run it fast going for a good 14 mile time?

Also and perhaps more importantly in March (18th) I am doing a 20 mile event - what should my strategy be for this?

Kind regards

Tom

If your basic question is whether to race them or take them easy that there's no reason why you shouldn't race both - unless you start to feel any sort of niggle.

Race the 14 but not the 20. Especially since this is your first marathon.   Use the 20 to get some MP practice in - say first 10 miles slow, second 10 @ MP.  

Did the 14 miler (Fordingbridge heartbreak) in 1:56

Happy enough with that, its quite up and down

I think I could have ran the first half a tad quicker but at best could have done about 1:48.

It didnt help that i failed to get my garmin hooked up to a satelite so was running on instinct as far as pace goes (not many mile markers)

Great run though and a good workout for me

Looking forward to the 20 miler and a 17 miler (personal run next weekend)