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Sub 3:00 FLM 2005
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I might?? get under 3 hours in a marathon next year but more likely 3:15 ish. Did the first LM in 1981 in 3:19. Then did the Bangkok Marathon in 1990 in 2:58:28 (whilst doing a 2 year stint of VSO). So far my only marathons. Loads of 1/2 marathons though, so I used to be fast enough.
Since then, a few years of minimal running (due to achilles tendon problem) and age have taken thier toll. However, running much better over the last 6 months or so, and I have decided to go for another Marathon. As I ran in the first London Marathon and as it is the 25th LM next year I would love to do that (or the one after as 25 years after the first one). Failing getting a place next year I hope to get a good for age entry in 2006 by doing a sub 3:15 somewhere else in the spring.
I am also joining a running club for the first time ever. Although I don't really have much problems motivating myself to run when I am fit I am hoping that some track and speed work will be beneficial. Both should be much easier and more enjoyable with company.
I'm under no illusion that the next hurdle is either a natural progression, or even within my potential. I'd be happy with 3:10 as I sit here today. But when you climb to the top of a mountain you see a whole new mountain range set out before you.
2 weeks to Stroud Half. Who else might be there?
I ran 3 marathons where I tried to `put some seconds in the bank'. So a goal pace of 6:15m/m became 6:05-6:10 early doors then 7:40 by mile 24!
Your HR should be able to tell you what intensity you can hold for a marathon. I've made lots of mistakes in my marathons, setting off too quickly, cracking on at 13 miles etc.
The 2 marathons I feel I did myself justice in were run in even splits. The agony increases but the pace does not decrease. It should feel like a jog up to 16 miles, a hard run up to 20 then balls to the walls for the last bit.
Barnsleyrunner. Your last paragraph about how a race should feel is just about spot on if you ask me.
Also have only been running since the start of Sept and have never gone run further than 10k.
Has anyone any ideas of half-marathons around the beginning/middle of november?
A 10k time of 39:10 is pretty good if you have only been running since September. I was running roughly 37 minute 10ks around the time I did a 2:58 marathon, so your pace is probably close enough at this stage. However it all depends on your speed/pace abilities.
Whatever, if you want to have a chance of a sub 3hours marathon what you will have to do in training is loads of miles followed by a few more miles and then some more miles. The pace does not really matter, as you are probably fast enough anyway, you need the time on your feet. I don't know how many miles you are currently doing a week, but I did mine of a peak of about 50 miles per week. A good rule of thumb is that you can race roughly half your peak weekly mileage. That is "race" rather than "run"!
At the end of the day (cliche ouch!) it will come down to the following factors.
1. Your ability.
2. Your preparation (Loads of miles in training).
3. How well you run on the day. (roughly event pace)
4. The course and weather conditions.
Having said all that, I too will be trying for a sub three hour marathon. I don't know what my current 10k running time is as I have not raced on for a few years!. The only current time I have is of the 16 mile race I have just done. 1:54:12. Fast enough for sub 3:15, but not fast enough for sub 3.
This sites running event list has a few half-marathons listed, including:
Eddie's Half Marathon (Fort William) 7th
Marlow 7th
Stevenage 7th
Bexhill 14th
St Neots 14th
Everards Leicester 21st
Gosport 21st
Jersey 21st
Clowne (Derbyshire) 28th
Then there are only a couple more in December until next year.
Good luck...
I am currently putting in around 20 - 25 miles a week - more than that could be risky as I have only been running 5 - 6 weeks and am a bit scared of picking up an injury at this stage. Only just bought "proper" trainers as well. I plan to up this level of training gradually over few weeks though.
I think I am "speed-biased" rather than "stamina-biased" (on a running machine I can do 1,500 in 4:52 but get v. out-of-breath with longer distances) so the mileage-training is likely to be crucial...
Now thinking of giving the Marlow half-mara a go: first time at a distance will be fun as no pressure with PBs etc.
Congrats wih the Kingston time!
I haven't raced a half since March when I did 1:28. This was shortly followed by the FLM04 3:16. After recovery (&injury)(&holiday) I gradually upped mileage to 50mpw, and got 3:14 at Cardiff last week.
I'm under no illusions that sub 3 is going to be granted by merely hanging around on website threads, but I want to find out what the older sub 3-ers are putting in to get the results out.
And now. I need a run. 5 or 6 miles.
Best of luck.
Each of us has a different potential. There are some people for whom a sub 3 is going to be easy to achieve, whilst, unfortunately, there are others who are never going to get anywhere near 3 hours however much training they do. There is no guarantee that just because you follow a "Sub 3 hour" training schedule that you will do sub 3 hours.
To say that you "need" to do 80 mpw as an average to break sub 3 is just not true. It depends on the person. I never got anywhere near that when I broke 3 hours. The most I did in any 7 day period was, if I remember correctly, 56 miles, and that included two very long runs. (I just did on long run on a Sunday and the next on a Saturday). My average in the last 3 months was probably nearer 40. My half marathon time then was about 1:23.
Take Eric as another example, I think Eric's aim should be to do some good long runs to build the stamina. It seems to me that he probably has the natural speed already as he has managed to break 40 minutes for 10k with little running background. In fact, I think in his biggest problem is going to be learning how to run slowly! The first 16 miles or so of a marathon should feel very easy. His long training runs should feel very very slow, at least most of the way. Breathing should be very comfortable. The golden rule is that you should be able to easily hold a conversation during these runs.
The question for Eric is does his body have the ability to keep going for 3 hours. Only time will tell.
We all also need the experience of long runs to learn how to pace ourselves.
I was lucky to be someone who just managed to be on the right side of three hours (2:58:28). But that was 14 years ago. Since then injury, time constraints and age! have taken their toll.
If I hope to repeat this now, I need to get faster for further than I am at the moment. If I do enough miles, the extra bit of speed I will need may come as well. However, at the momement I will be surprised if I do break 3 hours.
Sorry for the length of this!
Get yourself in good shape, train hard but not overtrain, enjoy yourself and see what happens. People aiming for 5hrs generally enjoy themselves just as much as those aiming for 2hrs30 - it's not the time, it's fulfilling your potential.
Blisters. I ran 1:27:40 for a half in March, then from May to September did between 50 - 70 miles a week which was good enough for me. My average mileage in that period was probably around 55 mpw.
Just got confirmation (cheque cashed) that I'll be in London next April. This will be a revenge trip as I went there in 2002, trying to break three and went down like the proverbial burning spitfire. Held the pace to twenty-two but ended up run-walking the rest in dire straights. Luckily I managed the trick in Dublin last year (2:57) and hope to repeat this year if all goes well. If I manage a decent race next year in London it'll erase some very bitter memories.
Now, all I need is a hotel room.
The first 18-20 miles of both races were almost identical. In London, I started to suffer at 20 and crashed at 22. In Dublin I held the correct pace to 16 or 17 and accelerated from there.
I learnt the hard way that no amount of will-power, attitude or determination will put the 20 milers into your legs if they arn't there already.
Reading back through this it looks really dogmatic, and I don't mean to be but that's the way it's been for me. As the Yank's say...Your Milage Might Vary!
Even better, I got my GFA guaranteed entry form today. Result!
Good luck to Andre in Dublin.
To do list:
1. Decide a charity for gold bond place for FLM.
2. Enter Marlow half-mara.
3. Buy some winter running gear
4. Move up to 40+ miles per week (maybe next week)
5. Learn how to run slowly.
Eric. Outward Bound trust are pretty good. Only require you to raise £1000, good support etc and they put on a fairly nice doo afterwards last year which included showers.
Just build up the miles slowly, you have plenty of time yet.
Looking forward to the next 6 months with everyone as we try to maximise our performance
Doing new york in a few weeks so my base is already quite good. Doing around 35 miles per week.
I was thinkin of doing the 4 week after marathon program and then the 18 week advanced program from Hal Higdon.
Anyone got any comments on this or is the book mentioned a couple of pages earlier recommended by more people