How a Fast Finish Changed Everything for My Marathon Training

This Kind Of Long Run That Proves
You’re Marathon Ready
Watch, listen and read the full episode here
[00:00:00] I used to only do my long runs easy just to get the miles or kilometers,
but it never helped me on race day until I tried this 20 meters.
[00:00:11] Alright, done. In this episode we’re doing a 30 kilometer, 18 mile long run,
but I’m actually doing 20 5K, 16 miles. Worth of marathon paced efforts. So who’s
we? Well, it’s Brenton who’s chasing a sub three hour marathon. I’ve actually done
an episode with him. You can check it out. And I’m coaching him. So I’m pacing,
managing effort, and watching all the stats and metrics and data.
[00:00:33] And we’re five weeks out from actual race day. This is one of the last big
runs. I’ve got another 30 kilometer. Marathon pace. So that’s 18 miles worth of
marathon pace session. So 20 miles total in two weeks. But this one, it’s all about
control and a little bit of a bonus, a little bit of cherry on top.
[00:00:50] This is actually my first sub throughout marathon in seven years. My first
marathon actually in seven years. So this was a physical. And mental tests slash
tuneup to see if we’re both ready for it. So in this episode while we run, we’re gonna
talk about how to run marathon pace workouts that actually simulate race day and
get you faster, or tell you that you’re not fast enough.
[00:01:11] Why fast finishes work when they’re done. Right? How effort is way
better than data when fitness is built over time and a bunch more. I’m Darren D
Lake, running a nutrition coach, and since 1996 I’ve been helping self-coach
runners get 1% better each day by experimenting on myself, talking to experts and
researching as much as I possibly can.
[00:01:31] ’cause the 1% better runner focuses on lifelong tools for long lasting
success. No quick hacks, no quick fixes. Let’s get into it. Alright, about six Ks in to
this 20 5K marathon pace long run. 29 Ks total. Beautiful Cooks River. Run path
Cycleway. How you feeling, Brent? I feel all right. Early. It’s raining.
[00:01:51] Kind of cool weather. Let’s go.
[00:01:58] So the first few kilometers slash miles were pretty chill. Heart rate stayed
low despite the very high humidity. It was a cooler day relative to all the other weeks
we’ve had. We are still at the end of summer here in Sydney, Australia. But I saw
mid one fifties in my heart rate, which is high zone two most of the time when I
picked up my watch at a quick peak.
[00:02:17] So that’s a good sign. I also wasn’t checking pace too much, and I ran on
field during the segment and I focused mainly on power, which set the rhythm for
Brenton to be locked in right behind me. The section. That we’re running is all about
finding the groove and settling in. Alright. 10 Ks in six miles with Americans.
[00:02:36] How you feeling? Yeah, not too bad. Not too bad. That’s good. Yeah,
we’re not looking at heart rate. I don’t think he’s looking at pace. I got all the data.
I’m the mule. What’s the, uh, what’s the cycling guy called? Are you in the tic? I’m
the Do mystique. Yeah. There we go.
[00:02:56] So about the 10 k six mile mark, we definitely settled in peaking a bit
more at my watch and heart rate, making sure we weren’t slowing down mainly with
a pace or going out too fast. I wanted to make sure I didn’t wanna blow him up too
soon. Also, like if we’re a couple seconds too slow, then obviously we’re not doing
the work that we need to be doing.
[00:03:15] I, I gave a little bit of leeway for the humidity. I gave about three to four
seconds per k, so that’d be about per mile. It’ll be about five to six seconds per mile
that I gave. Is it per mile? I don’t know. Uh, so yeah, I just adjusted it for the heat.
You can do that. It was probably gonna be on that day that we ran on this run.
[00:03:31] Then it will be on race day. So wanted to adjust for that. But it’s still a
background thing, pace, heart rate, et cetera. I call this silent coaching, guiding with
presence, not numbers. Rinsing didn’t need a lecture, just calm energy. I was very,
very calm, even though I’m super hyped right now. Future Darren here, and I won’t
do that thing.
[00:03:50] You know the thing where people go, Hey, you should subscribe, rate,
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[00:04:27] Better run a newsletter or get the link in the show notes or video
description below. All value, no fluff. Cancel anytime. Let’s get back into it. So my
heart rate during this section, high zone two, low zone three, that’s slow tempo for
me, but it felt like zone two. I loved it. Breathing was good. Body was tired just from
all the Ks I was doing in the mileage I did over the last 48 hours.
[00:04:51] I did a big 5K run on Friday, and then I had a, a big day, double on
Saturday. Had some double on Friday, and then Sunday I had this long. 30 K, 18
mile run. So it was about 60 Ks, 40 miles in about 60 hours, which I wanted to do. I
call it training camp week, where I overload myself and it’s like about five weeks out
from the race.
[00:05:11] And then I make sure that I’m ready, recover, and then I can do one big
push. Which will be in two weeks, which I’ll talk about in a second. Alright, we just
reached 17 K, which is about almost 11 miles. So we’re about almost 75% of the
way in it’s 20 5K marathon piece. Long run. How you feeling? Brenton?
[00:05:31] Feeling? All right. I’m feeling it mate. Feeling it? All right. That’s alright.
There we go. Paces is on. Paces are on. Let’s get this.
[00:05:44] This is the breaking point. 17 kilometers, 11 miles in my legs are feeling
heavy from all the trending I’ve done over the last 48 hours. Conversation definitely
drops off. It already dropped off. It’s a quiet check-in, so I’m checking with myself.
How’s the breathing cadence? Posture, still smooth, obviously.
[00:05:59] Just asked Brenton how he’s doing. Trying to make sure he’s all right. I
now know based on his breathing and based on his steps and just how he is, if he’s
hurting or not, which is good ’cause we’ve been running a lot together over the last
few months. So if I’m gonna pace him properly, I need to know all these sort of cues
and this is why we do marathon Pace runs to feel this.
[00:06:19] Edge, so you’re on the edge of comfort, discomfort, and to stay on the
right side of it. So you want to be comfortable, but also know that you are imposing
the discomfort. We got one and a half Ks left fast. Finish every K fast to progressive
ending. How you feeling? Breath. We’re working. Yeah, we’re working.
[00:06:39] I’m tired. Legs are tired.
[00:06:47] So we save the gas for the end. Petrol for you, non-Americans with a
three kilometer progression ending fast finish isn’t about flexing, it’s about race day
simulation. When everything is absolutely cooked in your body and your brain, can
you still push? That is the question. This is the kind of effort that teaches you to
close.
[00:07:05] Yes. Now we’re not closing sales. We’re closing in this run and what
you’re actually capable of and what training you’ve done. That actually worked. At
the end, I shifted into. Three minutes, 40 seconds per kilometer, which is about low
six minutes. Six, 10 minutes per mile and Brenton tucked in right behind.
[00:07:27] Watch bike back
[00:07:32] 20 minutes.
[00:07:36] Alright, done. Good job, man. Nice kick in the end, bro. Oh. Good stuff
man. Look at that. It’s very good. Good stuff man. How’d you feel? Good? Yeah,
that was awesome. Yeah, that was the best one on there. Yeah. It’s good though,
getting it all. Appreciate man. So good. We finished feeling strong, both of us. He
did. I did.
[00:08:01] No blowups. Just 30 kilometers, 18 miles of locked in real deal effort. We
both took something away from it. Brenton now knows what his pace feels like
when it’s dialed in. He’s finally seeing the fruits of his labor. He was like, I’m finally
fit. He told me in a text message afterwards and that he can do it, and that he has a
kick at the end, and I got a quiet boost myself going into my own race as again, I
haven’t done a marathon in seven years, which means that I can take the load and
get him to run.
[00:08:28] His sub three hour marathon. Time, time, time, time. I’m obsessed with it
as it’s the one thing we can’t make more of, but ironically, we as humans, we made
the whole concept of time. Thanks for giving us your time by listening, watching or
reading this. We love helping runners get 1% better each day, one step at a time,
and can only reach more runners by people like you sharing us out to runners like
you.
[00:08:51] As I might have mentioned earlier in the episode, if you haven’t already,
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better in Running and life each day by signing up for our email newsletter. Unlike
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[00:09:08] Instead, the 1% better runner focuses on how small daily habits ripple
into broader life success. Helping runners perform better on and off the road, or the
trail or the track, wherever you want to be doing your workouts. All in five minutes
per week. This episode and all this content is produced in Sydney, Australia, and I’d
like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Your nation, who are the traditional
indigenous custodians of this land.
[00:09:32] Much, much, much respects. If you wanna contact us about anything,
email talk@dlatecreates.com. We’re also on the socials, mainly Instagram and
Strava right now. Just search one. Better Run, or D Lake runs small steps now.
Lifelong impact later. Peace.