Sub 3Hr Marathon
1 lurker |
313 watchers
May 2024
2:05pm, 26 May 2024
272 posts
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Charlesvdw
jda Marathon training has not yet started, although I keep up the mileage. I have run 3:26 in Milan this year (got seriously ill two days before, it was not a smart move to race) where I was probably in sub 3:05 shape. One month later I ran the Great Breweries Marathon in Belgium without proper marathon training in a relaxed way. I did that one together with a running buddy. Our only aim was to run sub 3:30 so we stopped at every aid station to have drinks. It was my 16th marathon and it was the first time I ever ran a marathon without a time goal, we finished in 3:21. Next Friday I have a 5k race, June 21 a 10k, just having fun and trying to PR. Proper marathon training will probably start in July. I have run 3:03:33 in Berlin last year, which was a PB by 19 seconds. |
May 2024
6:39pm, 27 May 2024
17,140 posts
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jda
Looks like you’re knocking on the door just waiting for the right race on the right day after a good training block Charlesvdw. Though 3 mins is quite a significant number of seconds per km 
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May 2024
6:59pm, 27 May 2024
273 posts
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Charlesvdw
Having run 39:06 for 10k and 1:26:42 for the HM distance (although I think sub 1:26 should be possible) it seems like I have fulfilled my marathon potential. Maybe the 3:03 just happens to be my limit. Even more so because I think I have maxed out on marginal gains like carb loading, nutrition, super shoes and things like that. The difference between 4:22min/km or 4:14 min/km is very noticeable to me. But as I said earlier, upping the mileage slightly and injecting some race pace into my long runs is my plan for Amsterdam. |
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May 2024
7:24pm, 27 May 2024
17,142 posts
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jda
I maxed out my potential just about every year from 2013 up to 2019 - but my potential crept up over this time
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May 2024
7:29pm, 27 May 2024
44,416 posts
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SPR
Charlesvdw do you think you can get faster over 10km and HM? Bigger engine instead of trying to get more and more efficient?
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May 2024
8:55pm, 27 May 2024
274 posts
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Charlesvdw
I'm 50 so it's not an easy task to run faster at shorter distances. Sub39 10k is possible, 18:30 unlikely. Speed work is likely to result in injury so I try to avoid that, apart from the odd 5k or 10k race. I have run 40mpw in my last decent marathon training schedules. Upping to 45-48 mpw will probably boost my endurance without increasing injury risk. |
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May 2024
9:06pm, 27 May 2024
17,144 posts
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jda
I feel that increasing my mileage really improved my efficiency, when fit I can just cruise along at a decent pace with very little effort. Not right now though, I did a hard 10k just for fun today (it's the day of the Bolder Boulder race in the USA that I've done a few times) and came in at 44:30. It's not the fastest course but I've done it in 39 mins a couple of years ago. Legs feeling it now as well!
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May 2024
9:24pm, 27 May 2024
44,419 posts
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SPR
Getting the HM down would be useful but the miles will help with that.
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May 2024
4:36am, 28 May 2024
2,223 posts
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Mark J 🇳🇿
I'm nowhere near these paces yet but I can say with confidence that increasing my mileage has massively improved my times over the last 18 months. With lots of sensible stretching and strength training, too.
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May 2024
6:57am, 28 May 2024
3,738 posts
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Bowman 🇸🇪
I'm pretty much going for mileage too. Sprinkles a bit of speed here and there in my regime, but mostly for fun. My 10k i pretty far from some other sub 3h marathoners, HM too i think. But the thing about bigger engine or better efficiency is a bit av a conundrum. And it's a head twister when you get closer and closer, cus just a few sec faster per km is a big deal, even if it doesn't seems that way. I guess the pace keep getting faster on the long runs, so it's not necessary just "slow", and i closing in on marathons i do a bit of MP just to remember how hard it is There's a lot of different ways slicing a pie One day
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