Marathon Training

I'm 5'8 and 60kgs, would like to get to 57 - 58kgs. Saying that I did a 10k PB at 45 mins just before Christmas at this weight, but maybe it would have been even better if I'd been a little lighter. I have no idea what my perfect running weight is, even having read all the Matt Fitzgerald books on the subject!

Talking of calories burnt on Strava, when I don't wear my heart monitor it has me down as burning around 630 cals for 10kms. When I wear my heart monitor with my Garmin the calories burned go down to around 420
I must stop looking at it too.
Food is Fuel, Food is Fuel, Food is Fuel....

Wow, is that right Anglaise? I'd better get on and lose some more fat!

yetanotherdesk my 2016 motto is 'Eat to run, not run to eat' the latter of which I was doing rather too much of pre Christmas. I want to lose a few pounds just to get down to ideal running weight, not easy with marathon training but I think 1lb = 1 minute off marathon time. The problem is not to lose muscle in the process.

I live near Brighton, so luckily slept in my own bed the night before!

Carb loading only works if you also deplete - similar to the 5:2 diet. I'm crap at eating regularly so figured I was probably depleted anyway 😀

You need the fluids to make the sugar part of the carbs stick properly in your liver. I gained quite a lot of weight in the 2 or 3 weeks before the big day.

Fascinating stuff.

Summer - my closest time is 418 but my last 5 have been trail so I'm hoping that road should make a difference .
When I got my 4.18 my 10 k time was 54 minutes and half time was 1.50 so 4.30 should certainly be achievable for you .

Sandunes - really interesting about the water and carb loading . I have to admit to not having the best diet in the world . I often forget to eat meals and snack on the go ( all the wrong foods) . Perhaps I should include diet change in this new plan. Did you stay in Brighton the night before?

I think carb loading helps, but I hate doing it. I have terrible GI problems so before a big race am supposed to eat nothing but rice and ham or pasta and ham for at least 3 days.
But runners like Seb Coe and Brendan Foster just ate normally. Foster ate what his wife did, just a little more. Before a race he drank tea, ate toast (with honey if it was a big race) and after a race drank a shandy. Simples!
And many of today's athletes still can't better his times even with all the nutitional advice dished out.
I drink lots of water, just not enough when I do a long run because I don't feel thirsty. I think I'll be OK but often get a headache an hour after finishing because I didn't drink enough during the run.

I made up a 2L jug of squash and did my best to get through it each day. On a normal day I barely drink 200ml

Hydration is essential for carb loading though - and I recovered so much quicker after B'mouth. I was also fitter... I did Brighton on two runs a week training and a crappy knee injury. Oh, and carry on with your marathon diet for a week after the run. That helped too.

Will stop waffling before I convince myself to do another marathon

sandunes I love the grandmother diet idea. This totally makes sense to me.

I don't know why but I am really bad at drinking water. Its such a simple thing to do but when it comes down to it, I always seem to make excuses not to.

I had help with marathon training from a very experienced coach. I talked about nutrition with him, and he always told me to eat what my grandmother would've put on my plate! He said most people don't carb load for long enough or properly and so called pasta-parties the day before are pointless as a one off.

Hydration is interesting too. Too carb load well you have to be very very well hydrated - when I did Bournemouth I started drinking more in the 2 weeks before hand, along with carb loading and I felt much better on race day for it.

I love running in Brighton. There's always something to look at to take your mind off the distance. The crowd support is amazing, too. I've done several 10kms there, as well as the half and marathon and there's always been loads of supporters.

pippi what's your closest time? I alternative speed interval sessions and hills on the treadmill. Just 30 to 40 minute sessions but intense! I would love to get 4 hrs 30 and I think that challenging but achievable for me. My best times are 57 for a 10k and 2.06 for a half so I will never be fast.

I'm doing Brighton too. I'm hoping I might finally crack sub 4! First time at Brighton but 7 th attempt at that time . Ivenever included speed work in marathon training before , instead just went for lots and lots of miles. This time my plan includes one speed work session a week and a faster session in the middle of the long run. I'm hoping it will make the difference.

This was mentioned on the running thread - the Food Programme on Radio 4 this week was all about food and running and very interesting. A listener and runner (training for the VLM) wanted more information on sports nutrition specifically for running and the programme goes into the high carb, hih fat diet debate, how Brendan Foster ate before races, how the Kenyons fuel for their training etc. I really enjoyed it and learned from it too.

yetanother I also live at the top of a hill, so always get a hill in at the end of the run. I still included hill sessions in my training for both marathons. It makes a massive difference, I promise it's worth it!

Brighton starts in Preston Park; down one road, turn the corner along a flat and then you turn uphill. It's quite steep and is about a mile long - there were LOTS of people walking it. As you head out to Ovingdean (around mile 9) the route is a consistent uphill. Low gradient but goes on forever - again lots walked it and I was grateful for my hill sessions. There's one other short but very steep hill in the first half. The second half is pretty much flat.

I did 23 miles today as the final long run for my 50 km ultra in three weeks time. Was meant to do 29 miles but the temperature hit 30 deg C and suddenly the last 6 miles just didn't seem such a smart idea. I'd even gone out at 4 am to try and beat the heat. It was 38 deg by mid afternoon. Now I'm hoping I've put enough training in.
Don't live in uk...

CMOT a swim day sound excellent. Any splash you make you can imagine its in the face of that bastard lorry driver!

I was running beside so many puddles I was quite liking the thrill of getting soaked.... Until it happened...

I did Brighton last year.

It isn't hilly as such, but it does have hills. Make sure you include them in your training! Invaluable even for a flattish route.

I also did Bournemouth last year. Now that was hilly....