Whats wrong with multi-marathonning?

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DeeGee Feb 2013 10:54am, 28 Feb 2013 13,758 posts	0 DeeGee 5K PB came in December last year. On the back of the general overall improvements, after Mablethorpe I did eight weeks of quality speedwork focussing on precisely the 5k, albeit with two marathons in the mix as long runs. I was also helped immensely by the fact that my main racing rival wasn't there so I ran my own race. I'm not a great racer.
DeeGee Feb 2013 10:57am, 28 Feb 2013 13,759 posts	0 DeeGee I have run more 10k than 5k. However, I ran most of those 10k races early on in my career. I ran four last year, exceptionally, as two were midweek club events which I used as speedwork.
JohnnyO Feb 2013 11:01am, 28 Feb 2013 15,151 posts	0 JohnnyO Interesting debate. <y only change this year is more miles. Its working for me, but thats probably because I was/am a poor converter.
JohnnyO Feb 2013 11:03am, 28 Feb 2013 15,152 posts	0 JohnnyO Where did the rest of that go? My change this year is more miles, its working (so far), but I am a poor converter, so it should, shouldn't it? Still never do more than 20-21 in training though. But I hardly feel it at all now, I used to be quite ill after long runs.
Gobi Feb 2013 11:09am, 28 Feb 2013 50,489 posts	0 Gobi Hg. I laughed that you assume marathon runners blow up People slow due to running too fast too early. I have a stack of sub 2.45s run with neg splits. The theory on short speed to development of long speed is simply the faster you can run a mile then with the right training the faster you run more miles.(very simplistic and how we develop kids, adults kike to bypass and go straight to plod)
MudMeanderer Feb 2013 11:44am, 28 Feb 2013 912 posts	0 MudMeanderer HG, I've always found the opposite to be slightly strange (though possibly less so with marathons or similar distance). Even of you convert perfectly, the best you can hope for is to tend toward your short distance pace, but what if that short distance pace is crap? To take it to a limiting case, if you can't 21min 5k you can't do a 3hr marathon. So surely there is some value in attempting to achieve that short distance pace before looking to do the work on endurance. The runners in our club who have histories of being very fast over short range (e.g. a former sub 2 800m runner, or someone who spends loads of time playing 5-a-side) achieve faster times on longer distances than those with less short range speed, even if they don't convert as well. I personally find converting 5k times to 10k or HM times a lot easier than making significant inroads to my 5k time.
HappyG(rrr) Feb 2013 11:46am, 28 Feb 2013 19,350 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Gobi - but they do, don't they? Huge % do. As you say, it's because they go too fast, too early. So learning to go at correct pace, steady splits (or even negative) is the way to go. But to do that, you don't need to be quicker at a 5K. In fact, you need to not think about 5K, 10K or even HM pace. You need to ahve a realistic view of marathon pace. To do lots of long runs at slower than MP, and maybe some at MP. But not go and get a faster 5K! That's all I was saying! :-)G
DeeGee Feb 2013 11:49am, 28 Feb 2013 13,764 posts	0 DeeGee Which, HG, is the motivation behind my running marathons to train for marathons. As I know that pacing has been an issue in the past.
Curly45 Feb 2013 12:03pm, 28 Feb 2013 1,586 posts	0 Curly45 No worries G Fetch is good for many things, I have my previous two mara times in there so Magpie can get a shed load of points from betting on me in april
Velociraptor Feb 2013 12:10pm, 28 Feb 2013 24,254 posts	0 Velociraptor I found that doing long training runs and an appropriate amount of weekly mileage overall was an excellent antidote to blowing up in marathons, and most of my fastest marathons have been run with a negative split.