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Marathon Training Plan - No Long Runs

5082835
1 month ago

I am on week 12 of a 21 week Garmin Marathon Plan with race day on May 4th. I'm in the build phase which runs for only another 3 weeks (until March 26th) So far my 'long runs' have been a maximum of 45 minutes or roughly 8.5km in total. I used Garmin Coach for two half marathons last year and both plans were excellent and had my long runs building up to c2hours on my feet. I am concerned that I'm not doing nearly enough long runs and I cannot see further than the next 6 days of training. Anyone have any similar experience and can shed some light? Thanks all.

  • 0 25 days ago in reply to 5082835

    I'm hoping that we can get some explainations from Garmin too. Currently week 19/25 for my marathon plan and the lack of long runs is definitely stressing me out, biggest suggested one has been 1:05:00 base run. 

  • 0 21 days ago

    I noticed the same thing for my GC Marathon plan. The online plans youll find were in the teens for mileage and I was stuck running 45 minutes or an hour for some time. I'm in week 14 of 15 right now and the longest run I had in the overall plan was 2 hours 5 minutes. This plan was taking into account the data I already accumulated before I started the GC plan. I was using an 18 week online plan and 3 weeks into it I was already at 11 miles for my long run before I switched to the GC plan. I'm not a fast runner and was only able to get just a little over 12 miles on that GC final "Long Run". My first marathon I used an online plan and the highest was 20 miles so it was just making me think if I can come close to that performance if I'm not running as much. The last week before the taper I ran 3 days in a row for 1 hour each. Not sure it's enough but the watch says I was still progressing. I'll find out next Saturday how it worked out. Not all bad thing though, I am running at a easy pace that is faster than my previous training for the marathon I trained for 2 years ago and I can maintain that easy pace for longer without spiking into zone 3. I just don't know what happens beyond mile 12 this go around. 

  • 0 21 days ago in reply to Donnie
    Donnie said:
    I just don't know what happens beyond mile 12 this go around. 

    I hate to break this to you, but it's highly unlikely you'll finish a marathon (without walking) if your longest run (in the recent training block) was 12 miles.

    I hope you'll prove me wrong tho

  • 0 21 days ago in reply to FlowState

    There is a 14k marathon scheme, where your longest run is 14K (8.7 miles). It seems to work, but its a carefull designer program with more marathon pace workouts and less easy runs as see in traditional schemes.Also you do the 14k twice a week.

    Having that said, I don't think Garmin Coach is comparable with this kind of program and more leans to a 80/20, easy runs, volume type of approach, which requires longer runs of at last 18-20 miles to be succesfull in my opinion.

  • 0 20 days ago in reply to FlowState

    I figured that about halfway through the plan but to ramp up milage on a different plan I risk injury so I stuck with it. I planned that walking would be involved anyway as this is the Bataan Deathmarch Memorial Marathon heavy division (35lb pack). 

  • 0 20 days ago in reply to 1641945

    I've heard of those as well. Some are based on total milage a week and not just relying on 1 long run up to 20 miles 

  • 0 18 days ago

    I have carried on with the plan and just increased my long run Sunday to compensate. I managed to rescue the plan following this work around.

    March 2nd 12k White check mark

    March 9th 22k White check mark

    March 16th 30k White check mark

    March 23rd Half

    March 30th 10k

    April 6th Brighton Marathon

  • 0 18 days ago

    I have carried on with the plan and just increased my long run Sunday to compensate. I managed to rescue the plan following this work around.

    On some of my midweek runs I have carried on a bit longer when I was feeling good.

    March 2nd 12k White check mark

    March 9th 22k White check mark

    March 16th 30k White check mark

    March 23rd Half

    March 30th 10k

    April 6th Brighton Marathon

  • 0 16 days ago in reply to 8912339

    Best of luck. Glad you found a compromise that works towards your goal