What Running Training Paces Should I Aim For in Marathon Training?

by Dan
(Long Island)

I am a 31 yr old male. Last year was my first year of running competitively. My PRs are: 1 mile - 6:55 5k - 24:50, 10k-53:30, Half - 2:02. My training was probably 15 - 25 mpw, 3-4 runs, speed, tempo, long weekly. I came down with mono / glandular fever about three months back.

I haven't really started running consistently until this month. I can't believe how much fitness I have lost. If I had to predict, I'd say my best 5k right now would be in the 26 - 27min range. I feel like I overtrained last year and got sick.

HR max is 190+ based on last year's races.

What pace/HR should I train in, and what is a realistic marathon goal for a marathon in 10 months time?

Thanks.

Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thanks for your question about your running training and preparations for the marathon.

Let me address your question as follows:

1. Was it overtraining?
2. Analysing your race performances
3. Type of training to prioritise

Was it Overtraining

Regarding the sickness: I am not sure if it was overtraining. 15-25 miles per week is excellent as a starting point, but not enough for overtraining. With or without the running you might have still gotten the glandular fever.

If at that stage you were feeling run down, I'd say that it is more likely that the cumulative stressors in your life (work, relationships, sleep deprivation, etc.) would have contributed to that, rather than what looks like a healthy level of running and exercise.

It can be a shock after you haven't done running for a while. Where has all that fitness suddenly gone? You sometimes find that after 4-6 weeks of running it comes flooding back, sometimes it takes a bit longer than that.

Glandular fever can definitely do a number on you and can have long lingering impacts on your fitness. So, give yourself some time to get back into it. Be kind to yourself and try to recover well, especially through sufficient sleep and healthy eating, the most underrated recovery tools of all!

Analysing Your Race Performances

The first thing I always do when people provide their PR times is enter them into the Race Conversion Calculator. It's such a useful tool to get some insight into your strengths and weaknesses.

When entering your 5k race time of 24:50 and then calculating a predicted time for your 10k it tells me a 51:46 is within your ability. You did 53:30.

When using your 5k time to predict your half marathon, the difference gets larger: predicted time of 1:54 vs your time of 2:02.

Similarly, your 10k time of 53:30 predicts a half marathon of 1:58.

All of this tells me what type of running to prioritise...

Type of Training to Prioritise

So, what should you do now? Based on the race analysis, to me it is clear that your best course of action at this stage is to prioritise (re-)building your endurance base.

When you get into long distance running, the most important part is developing a base, building endurance. It can't be stressed enough how important that is. That's why base running should be top of the agenda. Lots of easy runs, lots of long runs. They'll help you build up that base and help you lower your times across the whole range, 1 mile, 5k, 10k, half, etc.

When you have got more endurance, you should see your 5k, 10k and half marathon times be much more closely aligned than what they currently are.

It would especially be great if you could build up that long run of yours. The marathon is a long way. Before you get into marathon training, it would be fantastic if your long run would get to about 13-14 miles. When a half marathon becomes just something you do in your weekly long run and it doesn't feel especially hard anymore, that's when I get excited.

At that stage, the ramp-up to 20 miles (which is pretty standard in marathon running programs) becomes a lot more straightforward. It will still be hard. But a lot more doable.

In addition to the easy running and long runs, I'd continue to do a little bit of faster running. You can alternate between an interval session and a tempo workout every other week.

You have got about 10 months to prepare. So, you can afford yourself a longer period in which you have a lot of focus on endurance, with just a little bit of speedwork added to it. Especially given where you are at with your current endurance, that seems like the preferred course of action.

I have no doubt that you can come back better and stronger. Stay consistent, build up that endurance, and over time, I wouldn't be surprised if you shave minutes of your current 5k, 10k and half marathon times. And it is definitely the best way to prepare for that marathon of yours.

Lastly, for some more specific marathon training advice, check out these marathon training tips.

Hope this provides you with the info you need.
Kind regards,
Dominique