Most marathon training programs will have at least one 20 mile run. My program doesn't have any run longer than 16 miles. But it requires you to run two long runs back to back on Saturday and Sunday. It starts off easy with a 6 on Saturday and an 8 on Sunday. Eventually it builds up to where you run 8 on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. The benefit of this training according to the Hanson's is that you are running on tired legs. It prepares you for the marathon by building cumulative fatigue. For me this prepares me both physically and mentally for the fatigue I will feel as the miles pile up during the race.
But more importantly, running two "shorter" long runs back to back actually has allowed me to be much more consistent in my training. In the past, it would take me several days to recover from a 20+ mile run on Sunday. I couldn't handle hard training runs during the week following one of those mega-long runs. Surprisingly, I actually feel really fresh on Saturday morning when I head out for my first weekend long run. I will not say that it is easy. Instead I will say that it gives me a lot of confidence in my ability to dig deep during the race and know I can keep going.
On Saturday, I typically go out for this run with a goal to run as relaxed as I can. I want to lock into a comfortable pace. While I do look at my watch periodically, I try to focus more on how I feel than how fast or slow I am going. When I get to the end of the run, my goal is to feel strong and that I could go another mile or two without a problem. After my run, I try to spend the rest of the day off of my feet to allow my legs to recover as much as possible. I want to feel fresh for my second long run on Sunday.
My Sunday run is where I try and see how comfortable I feel at 10-20 seconds over my target marathon pace. I want the intensity to be higher but not a race pace. I make sure that I stay at that pace for the first half of the run. After that, I will pick up the pace slightly to one that is comfortable but challenging.
This means that the second half my Sunday run is very close in intensity to my Thursday tempo runs. What I find strange is that despite the fact that my legs feel fatigued, I can keep going. It allows me to push myself in such a way as to simulate the last few miles of the marathon.
I still have friends who insist that it is dangerous to show up at a marathon having never run at least 20 miles. I think that using double long runs is the better way to go. As I said above, it allows recovery time and reduces the chance of injury. Having run 8 previous marathons, I know that I can complete the distance. Perhaps if this were my first time, I could see where a 20 miler would give me more confidence in my ability to run the 26.2 mile distance. The double long run gives me the chance to feel what it is like to run on achy legs and still being able to complete my workout.
When I set my P.R. in the 2009 Boston Marathon, I can remember passing the 5, 10, and 15 mile signs and feeling great. In fact, when I got to the top of Heartbreak Hill, I was a little startled at how easy the hills had seemed to me. The pain I felt in my previous marathons was almost non-existent. I found myself passing people during the last 5 miles with relative ease. The only time I stopped to walk as at a water stop or to take pictures. As I turned on to Boylston and saw the cumulative time still started with a 3, I picked up the pace even more and crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face.
If you are a distance runner, you know that the long run is a critical piece of any marathon training program. I believe in the double long run and the benefits it provides. It allows me to focus on cumulative fatigue thus preparing me for the latter miles of the race. So when I am out there on Sunday, the program I am following is simply simulating the last 16 miles of the marathon. This means that my long runs are actually harder than the traditional plans that require at least one 20 miler. I am hopeful that if I can stick to this plan and arrive at the starting line in Staten Island injury free that I can set a new marathon P.R.
Aug. 22 – 6.20 miles (1:07:57, 10:58 pace) - Hill Repeats
Aug. 23 – 6.20 miles (57:36, 9:17 pace) - Speed Work
Aug. 25 – 7.20 miles (59:58, 8:20 pace) - Tempo Run
Aug. 26 – 6.20 miles (56:00, 9:02 pace)
Aug. 27 – 13.50 miles (2:08:31, 9:31 pace)
Aug. 28 – 10.20 miles (1:31:10, 8:56 pace)
Total Miles: 49.5 miles
2016 Total Miles: 1,314.2 miles
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