Sub 3:30 Stevenage Marathon 2 November

BasherBasher ✭✭✭

 

Where I am... Have dabbled in running in the past including 3 marathons all around the 4:50 mark, but I didnt go full throttle at all with the training.  Have been bang on it for the last 6 months, did 20:55 for a park run this morning and 46:33 for 10k last Sunday.  If you told me I would acheive those times at Christmas I would have thought you were mad, training clearly does pay off.  Put them in a calculator and it suggests, with training, I can do a 3:30 marathon.     The plan... Start a 16 week plan on Monday, I am going to start on the chss 3:15 plan as this gives times and distances instead of vague effort levels.  First week is easy then it gets tough, particularly the Tuesday speed sessions(which I plan to do on a treadmill). I have been on the wagon for 2.5 weeks and plan to stay on the wagon for the next 16 weeks.  Strangely I have looked extensively at what is involved in this 3:15 plan and it will be tough, yet doable, I dont however think I have a cat in hell's chance of a 3:15 marathon, the goal is sub 3:30 and I will be as happy as larry.  If I am struggling I shall move to the 3:30 training plan.   After the race... A weeks holiday somewhere warm, get p1ssed and lots of nice food.   I shall post my progress on here and look forward to hearing any advice.  Wish me luck.
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Comments

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    My advice would be to follow a 3.30 plan. As mentioned above going for a 3.15 one will probably break you within 6 weeks.

    3.30 seems optimistic off a 46min 10k to me
  • I must admit when you said you were targeting this time on the Brighton thread I thought it was ambitious so glad I'm not the only one to raise an eyebrow.

    I don't understand the logic of following a harder plan to target a slower time? Surely if the end goal is unachievable then so is the plan?

    Good luck regardless

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Well thanks for the advice.  I will move to the 3:30 plan if I am struggling, it would be no drama so long as I dont get injured.  I appreciate the advice and will endeavour to prove you all wrong.  The 3:30 plan seemed to involve doing a maximum LSR of 20 odd just under 9 minute miles, I didnt see how that would equate to a 3:30 marathon.  I have been knocking significant chunks out of my 5k and 10k times since I first jumped on the treadmill after christmas and got a bad back from doing 5k in 30 mins.... Now I can do it outside in sub 21 and reckon would be sub 20 within a month if I concentrated on it.  

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Millsy... The 46 min 10k was not a good run from me, dont know why, think I didnt push it enough in the middle stages.  reckon I would be around 43 mins in a month or so of training.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Doing your 20 mile runs at 9 min miles seems about right for a 3.30 marathon.

    They are about building endurance not about going as fast as you can.
  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    8 minute miles seems to be about my LSR pace now.  Although I have largely been concentrating on getting my 5k and 10k times down until now, I did chuck in a 10miler and a 12 miler amongst it, both at about 8:15 pace though I started slower and was doing 8 minutes dead toward the end of both runs, so there is some level of endurance.  Probably averaging 3 or 4 runs per week up until now, but also walk 5 miles a day, 3 games of squash a week and a bit of cricket/tennis/football chucked in for good measure - so my legs and body have been getting more punishment that just those 3 or 4 runs.  As this training gets harder I will reduce the extra curricular sports to give my body the best chance. Like to think I will love half a stone or more during training which can only help with the running.

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    yidd barmy - that link didn't work for me, put the race times in but didn't come up with anything.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    8 mm seems a bit fast to me, but maybe i`m wrong.

    I always lookk at doing the majority of my LSRs at about 1-2 mins slower than target marathon pace
  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Fair enough, and that is what most of the rule books say.  Maybe 8:15-8:30 would be comfy, but I think 9mm would feel like I was forcibly slowing myself down, kind of unnaturally.  First one for a while on Sunday, supposed to do 12 miles in 1:40.

    Today I am supposed to do 4M/35 mins.  Will do this up and down Brighton/Hove seafront at lunchtime.

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    This is my Week 1 Plan

    Monday  4M/35

    Tuesday 4M/33 (with a few 'strides')

    Wed 5M/41

    Thu 4M/30

    Fri Rest

    Sat 5M/42  (might do a park run and then a 3k jog afterwards)

    Sun 12M/100

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    I am not as stubborn as I am making out, or being made out to be. 

    which means you need to work on your slow twitch muscles as they are not in the game. This is also why you find the correct lsr pace uncomfy,

    That makes sense.  So do you  think I should make a real effort, even for the short runs, not to go quicker than they suggest?  Do 4M/35 today even though 4M/32 would be more natural.  And the same for the Sunday LSRs?  The first big test is next Tues - 3x(2M/13) with half mile jogs in between, following tuesday 4x1M/6 with quarter mile jogs in between.  If I can't do it I go to the 3:30 plan straight away with no harm done.  I will make a real effort not to go significantly quicker than the recommended times on any of the runs too.  

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Good luck with the plan, id be interested to know how it goes.



    When i ran all of my runs at target marathon pace i ended up injured and getting a personal worst at VLM 2010
  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Just looking at the 3:30 plan, the longest tempo (marathon pace) run is 10 miles.  All the other longer runs are at 9mm or more.  I could do all the runs on this plan, injury permitting, I reckon. The 18+ milers would be tough whatever pace for sure.  I am listening to you all believe me, but I still don't know how you are going to go from 10x8mm, or 20x9mm to 26x8mm on the day.  Can anyone explain how this is possible?  Unless these 20+ mile training runs at a minute over race pace supposed to be easy?

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Hello. I'm going to join in here because I will be interested to see how it goes. Also, I would say that

    Basher wrote (see)

    Unless these 20+ mile training runs at a minute over race pace supposed to be easy?

    yes, I personally found it very, very easy indeed to run 22 miles at over a minute a mile slower than race pace. I could do that pace all day, except it would be getting on for lunchtime and I'd be hungry.

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Did the 4M in exactly 35 mins, nice and steady.  lovely sunny day out and a fair bit of crowd dodging along Brighton seafront.

    Thanks for your input literatin.  Were you laughing out loud as you typed it?

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I feel misunderstood. image

    Another thing I particularly enjoy about long runs is bouncing along going 'I feel great! I could do this all day!!!' My training partner loves it. image

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Can you send private messages on here yidd?

     

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    My 5k time? I don't see what that has to do with how easy it is to run long runs a minute + slower than my marathon pace... it's all relative, innit?

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I've never done a 3:15 marathon plan, only ever trained at paces calculated from my race results.

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    Well you wanted to know my name that's all, don't wanna post it on here.

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭

    46.xx 10k off 20.54 5k suggests that the aerobic training is weak and that you rely on gutting it out / borrowing from your ability to run faster than your lactate threshold.

    mcmillian type predictors will say 43min 10k, 3:23 marathon etc, but - putting it delicately - you haven't got a prayer. At best you are setting yourself up for a very shit race where you collapse into a jelly at 20 miles. More likely you will run through pain during training until an over use injury derails you totally and you wont even make the starting line.

     If you are going to do one marathon a year, 3:15 for a fast, flat marathon is about 18mths - 2 years away. Keep in in mind if it motivates you but forget it for this one:

    According to the organisers  "The Fairlands Valley Challenge marathon is a trail marathon. This means that it takes in footpaths, tracks and bridleways as well as roads. This is a challenging race with many hill along the way. Runners are provided with written instructions to keep them from getting lost. These are very much needed, as some participants still get lost and end up running more than the required distance."

     

  • BasherBasher ✭✭✭

    I'm not doing the fairlands valley challenge marathon.

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