The training effect of a race

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J2R
J2R
Oct 2015
8:01pm, 13 Oct 2015
188 posts
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J2R
Bazoaxe, once again do you not think it might be the marathon training that's doing the trick here, rather than the marathon run itself? 3 years ago, a week before the last marathon I ran, I had a go at a Parkrun and despite holding back a little for fear of doing myself some harm, I got a clear PB. Might you not have got those same PBs or even better ones if you'd run them just before the marathon (or instead of the marathon)? After all, you would probably be really race fit at that point but wouldn't want to race any other distances so close to the marathon.
Bazoaxe
Bazoaxe
Oct 2015
8:07pm, 13 Oct 2015
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Bazoaxe
yeah, a very big factor....all my PBs have come either in marathon build up or just after...clearly down to the training

I havent really trained for any other distance seriously so I dont really know what I could achiece at say 10k if that was my focus
Bazoaxe
Bazoaxe
Oct 2015
8:09pm, 13 Oct 2015
9,150 posts
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Bazoaxe
should have said also, marathin training doesnt necessarily get the best 5k although it will lead to some good ones.....I have raced parkruns up to a week out last time and I had run a series of about 5 in the 19:30s then the next one, week before marathon was 19:07...still some way short of my best though
J2R
J2R
Oct 2015
11:23am, 14 Oct 2015
189 posts
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J2R
Sure, the best way of getting a 5K PB will always be 5K specific training. My point was, though, that a lot of goodies tend to come with marathon training which people sometimes overlook because they're so focussed on the marathon race itself. Considering how different the 5K and marathon distances are, it's surprising how much benefit you do get.

Like you, I haven't really trained for any other distance specifically, simply because I tend to do a bunch of races of different lengths not far apart, most of which are of equal importance to me. I try to get myself in shape to do a good 10K, or 10 miler, or HM, with the fine tuning for an individual race taking place in the last 3-4 weeks, if at all.

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Maintained by J2R
This is a rather fundamental question but one which I haven't ever read a clear-cut answer to, as f...

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