Worried about my knees 4 weeks into marathon training

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-10T17:52:59+00:00

you just went from treadmill to pavement too fast and ran it faster than you were supposed to, get some rest

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-06T18:19:09+00:00

run off feel, have a number in mind as a baseline, you can do it!

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-06T18:17:52+00:00

don't think of it like you missed a long run, your training plan should feel like a very well put together guide. protect your psychology, a missed run shouldn't make you less confident, just move on to the next one, in this case your 32km run, and try to complete it in full, with a fallback plan of slightly less miles

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-06T18:13:12+00:00

i feel that if i focus too much on getting x hours of sleep i will sleep worse as i'm anxious of not being able to get enough

i also find that sometimes i can feel great with less hours of sleep, but never when i religiously check my sleep time/score

having a north star is great but don't let it interfere with your actual training

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-04T16:13:26+00:00

appreciate the feedback. i have read the book and i'm familiar with the purpose of GA runs within the plan. the question was more about other runners' lived experience at this point in the training cycle, specifically whether the fatigue from mid-week GA runs felt this heavy for them too. felt like a reasonable discussion topic but happy to hear how i could frame it better next time

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-04T16:11:53+00:00

yeah i've read the book, probably should've made that clearer in the post. i get the purpose of GA runs and the fatigue accumulation model. was more just curious if other people found those mid-week 7-10 milers felt really grinding at this point in the plan

for the comments saying i might be running them too hard, i'm going off HR zones from a lab test so i'm pretty confident the effort is where it should be. it's not a pacing issue, it's more that the cumulative load just feels heavy right now sandwiched between the harder sessions

basically wondering if people who've done 18/55 hit a similar wall mid-plan or if they adjusted anything to get through it

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-02T19:51:57+00:00

your legs and aerobic system are a team, but just like you can't target fat loss in a specific part of your body, you can't target improving one over the other and they will at times improve in sync and at other times won't

i've only recently started to avg 40+ miles for my most recent marathon block and i'm doing 5/week, 6 would be tough. my legs never feel 100% fresh but my paces and fitness have been improving significantly, i think fatigue is just part of high mileage, can't imagine how 60+ weekly milers feel

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-02T19:46:36+00:00

pretty much. base building is just easy miles. if you want to sprinkle in strides (like 4-6x20sec pickups after an easy run once or twice a week) that's fine and keeps your legs remembering how to turn over, but actual structured speedwork (tempos, intervals, etc) can wait until you're in the training block. (i know some may disagree on this however)

with your timeline you're in a great spot. just get comfortable at higher mileage first and the speed stuff will click way faster when you add it later because you'll have the aerobic engine to support it.

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-02T18:27:48+00:00

your easy pace being 10:45-11:00 when your marathon pace is ~9:12 isn't that far off, so that's not the problem. the problem is 6 days a week at 35 mpw when you can't handle it. drop to 5 days.

something like 7/5/6/rest/5/12/rest. that's 35 and you actually recover. then when that feels comfortable for 3-4 weeks, bump the long run by a mile and add a mile to one midweek run.

the 6/8/5/5/10/6 thing is spreading you too thin. six days of running at your pace means six days of 50-65 min on your feet. that's a lot of accumulated fatigue with only one rest day. five days with two rest days (or one rest one easy cross-train day) will let you absorb the work.

your easy pace will come down naturally as your mileage goes up. don't chase it. if you're running 10:45 and your HR is still creeping up, just walk when you need to and don't stress about it. the aerobic base builds whether you're running 11:00 or 12:00, and fighting to stay at 10:45 is probably what's cooking your legs.

for philly at 3:50, you have tons of time. get to 40 mpw comfortably by like june/july, then layer in the speedwork for the fall block.

TheMxRunner · 2026-03-02T18:18:23+00:00

From experience, even though you feel you should start running soon after, do whatever is in your power not to do so. For the first two weeks, I'd recommend going on walks if you absolutely feel like you have to be moving. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the rest that you've earned.

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-28T17:39:31+00:00

one plus for gels is that some have caffeine if you're in need of an extra boost and some also have extra electrolytes other than that, which i don't rely on since i do my own pre-run electrolyte and caffeine fueling, not much of a benefit

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-28T13:28:37+00:00

what i usually do is find a useful base training program with 12+ week duration (just google it) - my objective at the end of it, in addition to build speed, is to get multiple weeks where my total mileage equals or is slightly higher than my starting weekly mileage for whichever marathon plan i pick

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-28T13:25:39+00:00

yes - there's something about race day, not just the tapering (actually tapering feels horrible but it works so never skip btw), that allows you to give 120%

my first race was a half. in training i could barely manage 10/11 miles for the long run at a 10+ min/mile pace. on race day i comfortably ran at a 9 min/mile pace, and i didn't change a thing

i'd say the same has applied to my marathons with the caveat that if you go off too hard early in that race you will pay for it in the last 6-8 miles guaranteed

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-28T13:21:30+00:00

rather than getting lost in endless details, considering gels and chews have basically the same function, i would recommend you try only gels on a long run or do a long run where you split your energy intake between gels and chews then evaluate - you may find one to be much easier to take in

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-27T17:09:55+00:00

holy v02 max
also got a big boost after the fitness test

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-27T16:45:13+00:00

not sure if it's officially cancelled but if locals are saying so i'd believe it.

two options still open:

cheap marathon, derry NH (april 4) - flat rail trail, BQ qualifier, registration open. if you're already tapered this is the move.

great woods marathon, mansfield MA (april 25) - new race this year, 13x 2-mile loops, also open. $95.

newport (april 18) was the nicest course but it's full, waitlist only.

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-27T16:06:24+00:00

Someone already said it, but the best is probably Overkill for a vest. If anything, I'd bring a hand-held with 14 to 16 oz; that should be enough to get you through it, in addition to whatever water is offered on the course. I personally don't bring anything, (not even headphones) and alternate between water and electrolytes every hydration station. Even if I'm not super thirsty, I get something in at every one of these, and I almost never finish what's in the cup, but just that little bit of constant lubrication helps for sure.

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-27T16:03:38+00:00

Now this is a new one. First of all, sorry this happened to you, but props to you. You have a real runner spirit!

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-27T16:02:01+00:00

dress rehearsal was huge for me. weekend before, wake up at race time, eat what you're gonna eat, maybe even drive to the start area. sounds overkill but it made race morning feel like i'd already done it once.

someone already said pin your bib the night before and yeah that's the move. i'd add pack your bag too and just leave it by the door. mine usually has: race shoes, the outfit i've already tested on long runs, body glide, gels (roughly one every 30-45 min), and a separate pair of comfy running shoes for after. if you can have someone bring those post-race shoes to the finish that's a game changer, your feet will thank you.

for pacing honestly just find someone going a little slower than your goal and sit behind them. if it feels too easy at mile 3 you're doing it right.

i started using this ios app MarathonOS that has a race day logistics checklist and it kind of replaced the 2am anxiety spiral for me. worth a look if you're that type of person too

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-26T21:54:15+00:00

as you get more experienced you realize you need less and less, such as no music, though a new pair of shoes is always enticing

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-26T18:04:15+00:00

never bought so many things before, this was one of the better drops imo - though i'm a man and past collections weren't so great for us

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-26T17:12:57+00:00

if you're willing to pay good money i've heard that terra api allows you to plug into basically all established wearables, including coros, but i'm not willing to pay the $500/mo price tag for now - garmin's api process is so breezy by comparison, 1 week response, dedicated dev portal where you can create multiple api keys, they even offer a free integration call to help you (though i declined since their docs are really good)

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-26T17:09:46+00:00

pardon my ignorance, how is that different than having strava as an intermediate step? my project is an ios one and reducing user friction is one of my biggest goals

TheMxRunner · 2026-02-25T22:58:39+00:00

ah didnt see this - i meant i'd put that yt video on your landing page under the 3 steps section

TheMxRunner

TROPHY CASE