14 Apr
5:15pm, 14 Apr 2024
7,084 posts
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Little Miss Happy
Congratulations on the PB rhb.
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14 Apr
5:27pm, 14 Apr 2024
208 posts
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jomo_richmond
Congrats on the PB, rhb. Always good to lock in a new one.
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14 Apr
9:44pm, 14 Apr 2024
2,349 posts
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Brunski
A PB is a PB, congrats rhb, very close to the 3 👍🏻
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14 Apr
10:08pm, 14 Apr 2024
2,232 posts
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rhb
Thanks again all, here're the more detailed splits. If I could have held 7m20 for the last 2 miles I'd have still been 3h01 and mentally when I was drifting I shut-down rather than hitting 5km effort levels, but tbh there was not way I'd have been able to lift up to those levels.
Quick analysis by me (and I'm open to others' views here) would suggest I need more miles at Mara Pace in my Long Runs, and do some S&C work particularly to condition my legs a bit (I'm v.skinny, 6ft2 and hit the start line at 144lbs).
Looking in a bit more detail, my ave HR was in the right place but a bit spiky from the start. I'd like it if my Garmin showed ave HR per lap and Max HR per lap to help me judge this better. I'm not reading it constantly and when I looked the display number always looked in the right place until the wheels came off, but the HR summary shows otherwise as above and in the graph.
That said, I really would benefit from more time running /racing at this pace over this distance to feel it better and not rely on the watch. This was my 3rd Road Marathon and 2nd that I'd "raced" for sub 3, the previous back in 2009 so not much experience to draw from.
It was always going to be a gamble and a high bar, and as it was not in my plan until I won one for the club spots this felt like a "free hit". The pace I settled at felt ok (although slightly quicker than the advice here) and as the HR looked and felt to be in the right place for quite a long time it seemed promising. When it drifted it went quickly and there was no recovery once it got there.
3h02 is GFA London against 3h05 target for my age, but not good enough to merit entering, but still nice to have achieved.
I think I need to try again, although I said that in 2009 iirc and I'm not sure how long that feeling will last for once again.
Thanks for all the support and advice from everyone in this thread over the last few months. I overthink things and it has been useful to get your views to frame things around.
Good luck in the coming weeks LMH, Chris, Miser, Brunski and anyone else I'm forgetting (sorry!).
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15 Apr
6:42am, 15 Apr 2024
7,085 posts
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Little Miss Happy
rhb - my take on it would be that you just need more easy miles and a bit of pace discipline at the start. You just can't bank time in a marathon, if you'd have held yourself back in those first fifteen you may well have sustained the pace. I'd also say that if you want to get that sub 3 then taking a few weeks to recover and regroup then picking a flat, fast autumn marathon would see you there.
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15 Apr
8:43am, 15 Apr 2024
16,857 posts
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jda
Yes I’d second what LMH said there - slowest mile in the first half was 6:44, that’s a bit too enthusiastic if you’re close to the limit. As you found out from 20 miles onwards - and especially the last two. But you’re obviously very close and another good block of training and decent race should see you there.
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15 Apr
8:53am, 15 Apr 2024
49,817 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Nice one rhb, congrats on PB and as others have said, great platform for a realistic sub-3 next time out. Best of luck. G
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15 Apr
9:26am, 15 Apr 2024
6,274 posts
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Windsor Wool
Agree with G, that was a very close near miss. I’m sure that you left a bit of time out there at the end once the A target was gone so it only leaves you with a minute or 2 to find. Even if you were to rinse and repeat this training cycle ahead of an autumn marathon then I’m sure you’ll crack it. Experience and the build of the back-2-back cycles will help massively.
If sub3 is the target (rather than achieving absolutely the fastest time you could on the day) then I’d recommend capping your pace at 6:45 +/- a couple of seconds. Other than that, just be proud for a few days and then start to plan the next one. Well done 👍🏻
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15 Apr
10:13am, 15 Apr 2024
5,579 posts
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FergusG
I’ll get the recommendation conversation started then…
Get yourself an Abingdon marathon entry RHB.
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15 Apr
12:16pm, 15 Apr 2024
2,234 posts
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rhb
Thanks all, clear consensus here.
It was a fine line & I can see I was on the wrong side of it but am glad I reached for it. The experience of my ability to suffer holding pace at the end of Wilmslow half with 7.5 easy miles first didn't translate to mile 20 yesterday with all at a slower race effort, I'd got it in my head it'd be similar which is another learning point.
My feeling is I don't want it to be marginal when I do it, I'd be happier starting knowing that 6.40 to 6.45 is my sustainable pace on a slightly sub-par day.
It'd be sensible to try find a 3hr pacer group on a fast course to follow though to tick the box then have another go at the above pace plan though.
Riding to work today not too painful, just itb rub on outside of right knee, the blustery hail / heavy rain showers reminded me though how lucky we were with the weather yesterday.
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