Sub 3 hour Marathon.

[IainR]

Es T mentioned this in his blog after amsterdam, about feeling sub 6 was really hard work in training.. yet following a taper he's running the first few miles at 5:50 chatting away..

I'd have thought 10 miles at marathon pace the week before would be a lot.

[Stolly]

Well done Tahr and Yaks. I'm probably posting in the wrong thread here, as I'm not aiming to do sub 3 hours in the VLM, but something in the 3:20 to 3:30 hours mark is my loose target. I really don't run off road at all nowadays but I have at least tried to put in a bit of marathon training with a grand total of three half marathon distance runs ins to work along the canal from Shipley to Leeds in the past month. My best half marathon time was 1:37 hours, but all three were there or there abouts, and I'm sort of taking some reassurance from that in that the canal tow path running surface is very traily for much of the time (and in fact my best time was done in my fells shoes) and on one of the runs its was sopping wet and extremely puddly (not done in my fell shoes).

All the same I'm feeling well out of my comfort zone for running of the London Marathon and appreciate that I should have done some longer than half marathon distance race paced road running too. Also, as a charity runner getting my place through my employer, I'm starting amongst the mob at the red start which I suspect means that I won't be exactly flying out of the gate and I can't imagine that will help my time much either.

I must admit though, that come my third half marathon distance canal run, I became pretty bored with it after 7 or 8 miles and really struggled to keep my mind on holding the pace. In fact, on the back of that, I basically shelved my plans to do any other specific training and am now trusting to luck and grit on the day . That said I'm sure the boredom will have not been helped by running on my tod on what all turned out to be pretty cold and miserable mornings and, for sure, were I running a half marathon race I would have done a faster time than 1:37.

Either way I have absolutely no idea what I'll do come Sunday!

[dominion]

Well done Tahr and Yaks. I'm probably posting in the wrong thread here, as I'm not aiming to do sub 3 hours in the VLM, but something in the 3:20 to 3:30 hours mark is my loose target. I really don't run off road at all nowadays but I have at least tried to put in a bit of marathon training with a grand total of three half marathon distance runs ins to work along the canal from Shipley to Leeds in the past month. My best half marathon time was 1:37 hours, but all three were there or there abouts, and I'm sort of taking some reassurance from that in that the canal tow path running surface is very traily for much of the time (and in fact my best time was done in my fells shoes) and on one of the runs its was sopping wet and extremely puddly (not done in my fell shoes).

All the same I'm feeling well out of my comfort zone for running of the London Marathon and appreciate that I should have done some longer than half marathon distance race paced road running too. Also, as a charity runner getting my place through my employer, I'm also starting amongst the mob at the red start which I suspect means that I won't be exactly flying out of the gate and I can't imagine that will help my time much either.

I must admit though, that come my third half marathon distance canal run, I became pretty bored with it after 7 or 8 miles and really struggled to keep my mind on holding the pace. In fact, on the back of that, I basically shelved my plans to do any other specific training and am now trusting to luck and grit on the day . That said I'm sure the boredom will have not been helped by running on my tod on what all turned out to be pretty cold and miserable mornings and, for sure, were I running a half marathon race I would have done a faster time than 1:37.

Either way I have absolutely no idea what I'll do come Sunday!

Time wise, it depends whether you taking your gun time or chip time. Obviously chip times don't count for PB purposes... <runs and hides...>

[Stolly]

Time wise, it depends whether you taking your gun time or chip time. Obviously chip times don't count for PB purposes... <runs and hides...>

Haha. Good point Dom..... so chip time it is .

Having only ever run one marathon distance race before, that being the Wharfedale off Road Marathon which I ran really really slowly on a boiling hot day in 2007, I can confidentally say that my time on Sunday will be a pb whether I go for gun time or chip time.

Edit: My fastest marathon distance time ever was actually set in the Frostbite 30 trail race just before Christmas at 4:16 hours and I'm almost half a stone lighter now than I was then

[Derby Tup]

You'll be fine Brian. Just make sure you're running in the same direction as everyone else

[djglover]

Another manchester marathoner here.

It was my first marathon and I was chasing sub 3. I ended in 2:57:59 - totally over the moon

With regards to training, what went well for me was doing lots of miles, up to 55 a week, average pace of a midweek run 7:00 min miles at about 75% of MHR, then a long slow run at marathon pace -1minute at the weekend.

I did make one a progression run where I did 19 with the last 5 at race pace but it was hard to recover from

I also did a 10 mile tune up race two weeks out and a 1/3 marathon at race pace 7 days before..

All the stuff about cramping hamstrings happened to me too, I have done plenty of fell runs an hour longer than the marathon, but I found the marathon much more intense, no downhills to 'let go' on and no uphills to sneak a quick rest on! - really no hiding place in the marathon

[emmilou]

Clearly not qualified to post on here really as I was aiming for a measly sub 3:30 Mara.

I did my first last October and had followed a 16 week plan and stuck to it pretty well for 10 weeks until I had an accident in the Pyrenees with a bike, a mountain and a French farmer. After spending a few hours in A & E getting sewn back up it was looking like the marathon was off. However I simply rested and did not a single thing until a week before the Mara, I ran leg 4 of the relays in wales and promptly fell over and landed on said stitched up knee and popped opened the wound again!

I still went to Venice though and I still ran that bloomin marathon! The Physio had advised against it as the knee was very messed up and swollen but I'd managed to get the swelling down etc. so he was sort of okay-ing it!! Anyway I limped over the last pontoon (there are hundreds of them!) in 4:07 so only just over half an hour behind my target which for a first road marathon and zero training for the last 6 weeks I didn't think it was too embarrassing a time?!

I did did the speed work and the long Sunday runs building up to 18 I think was my longest and I was supposed to do 1 longer than that but the accident stopped play. I agree though that there was no where to hide. I started off very slowly and ran my slowest ever half I think as had promised myself if there was pain in the knee or I felt things popping that shouldn't I'd pull out. As it happens I felt pretty okay. I picked up the pace at half way and started zipping past people which was brilliant. I got to mile 23 however and bang, the wall appeared. I got through the next 3.2 on a wing and a prayer but I think the good base and the long runs had got me through?

I'm doing it all again this summer hopefully with 2 working knees this time so the training plan will start again soon. The majority are for 16 weeks, do people do longer? I shall aim for the sub 3:30 again but be honest am not sure it's a possible I discovered a new found respect for the road running marathoner last year, it's a totally different animal I was wiped out afterwards for weeks and found the whole experience pretty hard going, not entirely sure why I'm putting myself through it all again?!

[JBullseyeRunner74]

this was my first marathon.... it should have been around the 3 - 3:10 mark, however the last 6 miles took me 58mins!! haha and I came in at 3:25!! not the best day at the office but then for my debut I mustn't grumble too much :-)

[dominion]

I think if you're going for times rather than just getting round, you've got to do at least one - if not more long run over 20-22. At 18 miles, you've only covered 2/3rds race distance, and it's from that point where the wheels are going to fall off / hit the wall etc... I think it would be relatively easy to kid yourself that you're ready for a marathon on training runs up to 18 miles. 8 miles is long way when you're in unknown territory.

[IainR]

Another manchester marathoner here.

It was my first marathon and I was chasing sub 3. I ended in 2:57:59 - totally over the moon

With regards to training, what went well for me was doing lots of miles, up to 55 a week, average pace of a midweek run 7:00 min miles at about 75% of MHR, then a long slow run at marathon pace -1minute at the weekend.

I did make one a progression run where I did 19 with the last 5 at race pace but it was hard to recover from

I also did a 10 mile tune up race two weeks out and a 1/3 marathon at race pace 7 days before..

All the stuff about cramping hamstrings happened to me too, I have done plenty of fell runs an hour longer than the marathon, but I found the marathon much more intense, no downhills to 'let go' on and no uphills to sneak a quick rest on! - really no hiding place in the marathon

well done, but I think you can go quicker... if thats your training pace?

A marathon paced run should be hard work.. X in Y runs, say 2 miles easy 4-6 miles at MP then 2-3 miles easier should be a hard session.. what was the pace of your long runs?

I probably average 7:30 for 90+ mile weeks.. my marathon pace is probably around 6:00.. currently my pb is 2:39, but my half is 73:30 and my 10 mile 55:57 so 2:35 ish is probably a more realistic time for me to go for.