The Sub 3:15 Marathon Thread

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Aug 2017
4:00pm, 1 Aug 2017
308 posts
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Oscar the grouch
Makes you wonder how I get anywhere, let alone at speed, if you believe all there is to be believed about BMI (which we don't of course).
Aug 2017
4:00pm, 1 Aug 2017
27,025 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Larks, have you ever done the "X secs per mile per kg/lb" calculation thing? Made me diet, it did! :-) G
Aug 2017
4:02pm, 1 Aug 2017
27,026 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
2 secs per mile per lb (5 secs per mile per kg)

2 kg = 10s per mile = 2 mins for a half. 4 mins for a mara?! :-) G
Aug 2017
4:10pm, 1 Aug 2017
2,458 posts
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larkim
To be fair, I've come down from 80kg 18 months ago to about 72kg (though after the weekend with relatives down at Heckington, that went back up to 74kg, despite the 10 mile race!) so I've made inroads in the weight department and no doubt that's helped with my running.

I could probably get below 70kg but I'm not so sure I'd enjoy trying. It's that priorities thing again - I enjoy eating, I have a glass of wine per night as my recovery drink, I don't enjoy feeling "empty" in terms of food.

I don't live to run, so whilst achieving good PBs and objectively half decent standards are undoubtedly important to me, there is only so far I'm prepared to sacrifice other things I enjoy for the cause.

I have considered dropping the glass of wine, and occasionally I do feel a little guilty about that (especially as SWMBO drinks very rarely, and even my 17 year old point blank refuses to drink - good on him!) as, amongst other evils of the demon drink, there are excess calories in there that I could no doubt do without. But if I didn't have the wine, what could I drink that would go nicely with the big chunk of cheese and crackers that I also have when I get in from an evening run.... ;-)
Aug 2017
4:12pm, 1 Aug 2017
27,027 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Yip, all good logic larks. I give you 1 year. Then you'll be going, "But I missed my PB by 30s and I've upped my mileage and doing the speed work and strength work. What else can I do? Oh, I know, I'll shave off my hair, that's got to be another 100 grammes." ;-)
Aug 2017
4:19pm, 1 Aug 2017
27,028 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I dieted twice - once in 2010 and then in 2013 to get my "best possible" marathon. Hated it. I like cake cayke !

From one of the "racing weight" threads (there are a few diet / training weight threads in Fetch):

"There is a formula for "racing weight" (110lbs for 5ft height + 5.5lbs per 1 inch. This gives ave weight for a sedantary person (= 11st 11lbs for me) Then take off 10, 12 or 15% for different distance runners."

For me, 15% would be down to 10st!! This is too low a target for me, so I'm going for 11st, which is only about 8% - call me timid!)

At the time I was 12st (76kg). I got down to just under 11st (70kg). I am now 11st 2 (71kg), so reasonable. But my "correct" weight would be 10st. That would kill me. Or at least make me even more grumpy! :-) G
Aug 2017
4:26pm, 1 Aug 2017
2,459 posts
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larkim
I'd have to be down around 63 to hit even the 10% reduction based on that formula - no thanks!

But I think we're agreed - sacrificing things to run faster which cause grumpiness is definitely to be avoided!
Aug 2017
5:16pm, 1 Aug 2017
309 posts
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Oscar the grouch
Hmm. I'd have to lost 2 stone to hit the original calculation. I'm 5ft 6 so that is 10st3, right? Since I am no longer 17 and I like cake, I think it, ahem, unlikely. I did say that I am 'dense'... I also have an amount of 'timber'. Less than I used to before I cut booze drastically, but timber it is.
Aug 2017
5:32pm, 1 Aug 2017
310 posts
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Oscar the grouch
See for yourselves :-)

fetcheveryone.com/gallery-showphoto.php?id=78259
Aug 2017
5:40pm, 1 Aug 2017
4,631 posts
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chunkywizard
I am not sure if I am doing the calculations right, but I think I might be the right weight. I'm 183cm (6ft), and 67kg (10st 8lbs, 148lbs). So according to G I should be 176lbs - 15%, ie 149lbs. The only trouble with that is I can't get any quicker by losing weight!

About This Thread

Maintained by Windsor Wool
For those who want to go sub 3.15 in a marathon and/or those that have already done it and want to give advice. Share your journey or help someone else's here.

2024 achievers:
Akie: 3:15 @ Rotterdam
allmatthew: 3:09 @ Manchester
Bowman: 3:01 @ Boras
Mark J: 3:12 @ Christchurch NZ
PJH92: 3:13 @ London

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