The McMillan calculator says that someone that runs a 2:15 marathon should have a long run pace of 5:39 to 6:39.
That's roughly 6 min./mile pace on average. @ 100 MPW, that's only 10 hrs. of running. Does that sound right for an elite marathoner?
That's roughly 6 min./mile pace on average. @ 100 MPW, that's only 10 hrs. of running. Does that sound right for an elite marathoner?
I don't know but I'm making notes.
Now, just gotta get out there and do more mile repeats.
Now, just gotta get out there and do more mile repeats.
That does sound like few hours, but I guess the mileage is what counts.
5:39 to 6:39 is a pretty wide range, but there is a pretty wide range in the paces elite runners go on their easy and long runs. 6:00 pace for a 2:15 guy is probably about average from my experience. You will find a lot of elite runners mix in marathon pace running into the long runs. A guy I know who is typically around 2:15 but trains for 2:10-2:12 might do a long run with the first 10 miles at 6:00 and the next 10 miles at 5:00.
:1: The opposite is true as well. Too many hours for a 10mm runner. It's the miles that count. This is why I don't understand people who just run for time.
my friend whom ran a 2:37 at the women's trials made a comment to me about running 20 miles at 6 minute pace on a treadmill. Of course, this was an MP run, not easy/long.
I do know that I was going to meet a few of the 'better' male marathoners on the trails one day for my MP run as one of them commented that my race pace was their long run pace.....so they did long runs at 6:40-6:45 and they were attempting 2:30 marathon (I think they actually ran 2:33-2:34).....but, of course, I got intimidated by the fact that I'd be breathing like a dying horse while they jogged....so I didn't join them.
I do know that I was going to meet a few of the 'better' male marathoners on the trails one day for my MP run as one of them commented that my race pace was their long run pace.....so they did long runs at 6:40-6:45 and they were attempting 2:30 marathon (I think they actually ran 2:33-2:34).....but, of course, I got intimidated by the fact that I'd be breathing like a dying horse while they jogged....so I didn't join them.