Quote Originally Posted by katluvr View Post
Colby--this is my first marathon and I have a really big goal of doing it in 4:30. I have 16 weeks to go...so hopefully time to build to that consistent speed (10:18 AVERAGE PACE). I know I am being agreessive and very optimistic. But I feel like if I don't try it I won't know.

I was wondering on my run the other day...do I include "walk" breaks in training on my LSD days? Realistically will I walk during the real thing? If I "walk" then I need to increase running pace. If I do walks in training...then I need to expect not to bealbe to run the entire 26.2. So I am still thinking and working that out. Any thoughts.
A couple of theories on that I think - Jeff Galloway always plans walking into his long runs on his training plans, saying that walking in planned walk breaks actually lets you run faster. The alternative opinion is that you should run the whole distance, since it is, after all, a run.

Reality: assuming it in fact it is, this will be the first marathon I will have ran that won't involve walking of some form or another (at the end, in breaks, to eat, whatever). I have only ran two only-marathons (the other two have been Ironman, and lots of half marathons). My first was over 5 hours, my second 4:55 - but the whole time I was telling myself I'm not a runner. I'm trying the "yes I am a runner, and yes I can run fast" self-motivation technique this year.

Walk breaks may be better than hitting a wall at mile 24 and walking 15-20 minute miles for the last 2 miles. A sensible way to add them is to walk the aid stations. When training, I often walk when I eat or to stretch - sometimes it really does hit the spot.

If your long run training pace has been/is 10:30-11:30 miles, you probably can make 4:30 -- guessing from the calculator that tells me my 9:45-11 minute training pace lets me run a sub-4 hour marathon anyway.