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Sub 3:30 Stevenage Marathon 2 November
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I dont reckon I will be able to do sub 3:30 now tbh. But think I can do the 3:30 training plan. dont want to focus on a 4 hour training plan(looks easy to me) and then find it hasnt prepared me right enough and I dont even Beat 4 hours.
So to clarify, you are conceding that the 3.15 plan which you were following in order to beat 3.30 is too tough and has been dismissed and are now aiming for sub 4 but won't follow that training plan as it is too easy?
And in the space of a week you've gone from being confident you can beat 3.30 to being slightly hesitant about going sub 4?
3:15 not too tough so far, but may be will be In time. Pretty much said that from the start. 3:30 plan looks relatively easy. 4:00 plan looks very easy, too easy. If completing the 3:30 plan means I will be able to run a 3:30 marathon then I am confident of a 3:30 marathon.
it's not the plan as such, it's about the paces that you execute each run at. Ie if you are indeed running at easy, threshold, goal pace etc whenever the plan assumes you are it's the right plan. if however you are busting a gut over a run which the plan has called 'steady' or some such then you are asking for trouble.
Really the acid test will be a 10miler or half marathon 6-8 weeks before race day. Double it and add 30mins. That's a decent guess for your goal pace
As I've said about 20 times, if it is too hard, or harder than I think it should be then I will go on to the 3:30 plan.
I'm targeting 3:59:59 at Stevenage. Anyone fancy a bet on who finishes first?
I'd go 4/7 I beat 4 hours. 6/4 I don't. Couldn't price up a match bet with yourself as you could be underestimating your expected finish time.
7/4 I beat 3:45, 1/2 I don't
8/1 I beat 3:30, 1/16 I don't.
Dont take this the wrong way, but its starting to sound like you have no idea what 'too hard' actaully is. ie you could well sort of (but not really) get through most of the program telling yourself you feel fine when in fact you are totally kidding yourself.
Sub 3:30 stevenage. Its like backing England to win...erm anything football related.
But with more flags of st george.
4M/35 then 3 x 12 min games of 5 a side.
was hot hot hot.
38/691 miles completed
7/91 sessions completed
My half PB is 1.49. Now I know that I will sound like Basher here in guestimating my time but that was done off road (uxbridge to watford half) having got home at 2 in the morning on the day of the race, and on the Thursday night/Friday morning before the event I was drinking till 4 in Glasgow before spending all day friday with zero sleep on a coach back to London so far from perfect prep. I've also done a 1.49 in the Greenway challenge at Letchworth which is hardly a PB course!
My current form isn't 1hr 49 pace though! I have a 10km in a few weeks and providing that I'm around the 52 minute mark, I'll be on track for being close to my PB at Ealing in September. And sub 1hr 49 should get me (hopefully) relatively close to sub 4hr.
If the 10km or the half don't go to plan then I'll adjust the target.In all honesty I think it'll be around 4hr 15.
This will be my first marathon and I'm viewing the training as a learning exercise to see how my body copes. My main target is Brighton next year. At the moment I'm just doing some steady miles on my bike commuting and 'easy' miles running.
I predict gale force winds with lashing rain. Only because thats what it's been like 3 out of the 4 last halfs that Stevenage ran. The last on I managed a 1:49, I was hitting more or less bang on 8:00/mile up to mile 10, then I and about 5 of the guys around me all lost pace for some reason (maybe the incline).
The fact remains train too hard and you will burn out before the start line, the problem is you won't know you're burned out until you hit that halfway mark and everything just goes away from you. It's not a matter of training to 3:15 paces and see how it goes. It just doesn't work like that.
I predict Basher gets another sub 5:00.
8M/61 today.
tuesday is speed day. Was supposed to do 3x(2M/13) with half mile jogs in between. Did the first two sets but couldnt do the third So just jogged it in with a few minutes here and there at sub 7mm pace when some good music came on. Knew this was gonna be the toughie, especially in a sweltering gym, looking back I should have aimed ffor 13:30 for the 2M segments and I would have done it....the suggested times are only guidelines anyhow. Easy street now until next Tuesday's session..4x 6 minute miles, think I will aim for 6:20 minute miles To ensure I get it done. Knee is good as gold so back on the extra curriculars.. Football last night, tennis tomorrow and squash at the weekend. still walking about 5 miles a day too.
46/691 miles completed
8/91 runs completed
Run your own race Tim. Dont get too wrapped up in beating me.
Start out too fast and it'll be all over by halfway.
I cant imagine me going off too fast tbh. In races I tend to be quite cautious tbh, dont think I would have the balls to go off at 8mm if I have only done LSRs at 9mm. I think this talk of doing 1:45 first half and 2:45 for the second half is a bit over dramatic tbh.
My half time indicated a 3:40. My LSRs were 9:20-9:40/mi.
I did 3 marathons before, most recent was 7 years ago. Training consisted of 6 days a week drinking perhaps 1 run in the week and a long run on Sunday. And sometimes I didnt even do the long run. Longest training runs were 18 miles and I think I was run/walking the last 2 miles of them. All 3 were about 4:48-4:52. Prob did about 2:10/2:40 split for all of them.
If I cant knock a significant amount off that this time with, hopefully, 18 weeks on the wagon and on the back of far superior times over 5k, 10k and 21k as I had back then and with a proper structured training plan then it is time to give up And concentrate on squash and cricket.
What went wrong at VLM if you dont mind me asking?
The 1:48 half was on a drizzly cool day.
The marathon wasn't.
That sounds very intense for your ability.
Shall go for 6:20s. Basically did 4x6:30s today.