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Click to view ElleBelle031's profile Rookie
ElleBelle031
4 posts since
Dec 15, 2007

Nov 1, 2007 10:32 PM

Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon

I thought you guys would know the most about training on trails vs. road training. I am training for my first marathon and I almost always run on bridal paths. My question is how much of my training should I do on the road? I really love to be on the bridal paths but my sister said that I should do some of my runs off of them.
Click to view Sherpa John's profile Legend
Sherpa John
367 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
1. Nov 2, 2007 6:15 AM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
Is the marathon that you are training for on the roads or on a trail?
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Click to view ElleBelle031's profile Rookie
ElleBelle031
4 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
2. Nov 2, 2007 9:35 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
Sorry, it is on the road. I am going to do the San Diego marathon. I just happen to live across the street from a park with tons of bridal trails.
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Click to view jholtthief's profile Pro
jholtthief
111 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
3. Nov 2, 2007 9:50 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
Hit the roads for about half of your weekly mileage, and make one of your weekly road runs high quality (tempo pace). Use trails for your long runs and recovery runs. This is what I like to do even though most of my racing is on trails. Make sure you have a day or two per week of rest (no running) too.
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Click to view quevin's profile Amateur
quevin
31 posts since
Dec 6, 2004
4. Nov 3, 2007 7:49 AM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
I think you're OK training mostly on trails, but without road mileage, be prepared to feel pretty beat up after the marathon. I can tell you that my legs feel far worse after a road marathon than after trail 50K or 50 miles offroad.
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Click to view Kevin E. Stroud's profile Legend
Kevin E. Stroud
512 posts since
Oct 27, 2007
5. Nov 3, 2007 6:46 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
ElleBelle,

Watch your step on those trails - and not just for the "meadow muffins" the horses leave. I've run horse trails and they're often very uneven surface from all the hoof traffic.

Enjoy the trail traing, and someday (soon?) you might just forget about those nasty old road races completely!

kestrou
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Click to view GOLFNSKI's profile Pro
GOLFNSKI
104 posts since
Oct 28, 2007
6. Nov 3, 2007 10:35 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
You will be pleasantly surprised at how much faster your road race is compared to your trail pace.

I'm running Carlsbad. See you there.

Cheers.
Mike
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Click to view monstrous's profile Amateur
monstrous
19 posts since
Sep 22, 2005
7. Nov 5, 2007 5:01 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
i very rarely run on the road, once and a while i'll cross one to get to a trail. i run the appalachian trail and the c and o canal mostly. i also run road marathons as training runs 3-4 times a year on roads and think they are fun, i don't feel really beat up after. i like the scenery and the lack of cars and people off road, tear it up.
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Click to view ElleBelle031's profile Rookie
ElleBelle031
4 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
8. Nov 5, 2007 7:49 PM in response to: ElleBelle031
Re: Beginner Runner Training on Trails for a Marathon
Thank you for all the posts. I just don't want to damage my legs.
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