What did it take for YOU to break 2:30 marathon?

HRM...... wrote:

What did it take for YOU to break 2:30 marathon?

A good road bike.

Enough talent to run 4:10 for the mile, lots of banked miles from previous running endeavors over the last 15 years, 4-5 month buildup with a stretch of 10 weeks averaging 70-75 mpw, a long run each week including 6 runs of 20+, a tempo run most weeks, no cross training.

100 miles a week for 8 weeks, (after a gradual buildup) which included: 2 hour run every other Sunday. 6 x 1 mile; semi-hard 10 miler and running races most weekends (without resting), in 5ks to 1/2 marathons, for fast workout.

100 mile weeks long run 20 miles tempo pace. no cross training. race pace runs as i got within a month of the race

So when you say no cross training, did you guys do no Yoga, no core work, nothing? Or some core work in addition to the high volume? What about stretching? I mix in quite a bit of cross training on top of my running but am no where near 100 mile weeks:)

So when you say no cross training, did you guys do no Yoga, no core work, nothing? Or some core work in addition to the high volume? What about stretching? I mix in quite a bit of cross training on top of my running but am no where near 100 mile weeks:)

Did it when I was 21, a month after graduating university.

Six years of competitive running averaging 70 miles a week in the last couple of years with 3 workouts a week. Six months of 80 mpw with two peak weeks of 105.

I ran indoor track (along with doing mileage that winter), mostly concentrating on the 800, 1000, and 1500m. I ended up running my 800m PR (2:00.99) about 10 weeks before my marathon PR.

Basically what the Brojos recommend. First, tons of miles. I ran over 4000 miles for six straight years. Second, I changed from doing 80-100 miles/wk at 6:30 pace to doing 120-200/wk at 8 minute pace. I sped up my sw. I raced a lot. The two years before my fastest, I ran over 6500 miles. My 10000 was about 32 flat. The bottom line is this: 2:30 is an obtainable goal for anyone with slightly better than average talent and a whole lot of desire. In HS, my best two mile was 10:40. No one thought I was any good. In tenth grade, I was the slowest guy on my XC team. If I could break 2:30, you can do too.

Awesome responses, thanks guys.

I'm not fast, not slow either. But I'm durable.

I consider myself slow I have a 15:15 5k pr

I suggest lots of miles 80-100 running in the 100 mile range for a few weeks.

embrace the long run. I would do 20-22 one week and 17-20 with a 4 mile cutdown alternately.

The tempo/threshold is super important. I worked up to 8 miles on my own at 1/2 marathon pace.

taper

That's impressive. I started running at 29 with no hs or college back ground and 2 years later I'm 18:45/39:00/1:28 on 20-30 mpw with no winter running and with out any real structure. I have recently started getting serious about improving and signed onto the high mileage bandwagon so I have been building for the past 2 months with an actual schedule and target paces. I'm hoping to throw down a good marathon next fall after I lower my 5/10k times quite a bit. If I can get under 2:50 I'd be happy. I just wishI had run when I was younger because speed work is not my bag obviously.

jorvack wrote:

I consider myself slow I have a 15:15 5k pr

Why do so many idiots on Letsrun make stupid statements like this? Options:

1. You don't know what the word "slow" means.

2. You have a negative self-image and no matter what you do you think you suck.

3. You're an arrogant pr!ck who wants to insult the greatest number of people possible.

There's another one wrote:

jorvack wrote:

I consider myself slow I have a 15:15 5k pr

Why do so many idiots on Letsrun make stupid statements like this? Options:

1. You don't know what the word "slow" means.

2. You have a negative self-image and no matter what you do you think you suck.

3. You're an arrogant pr!ck who wants to insult the greatest number of people possible.

AAAA....MEN!!!!!!! Thank You!!!! +1000 I am sick of all the pious self loathing on this site.

Wait, what did you expect to find when you clicked on a sub 2:30 thread. A bunch of 20 minute 5kers?

15:15 is a relatively slow 5k PR for the average sub 2:30 marathoners. The majority of folks who run sub 2:30 will have also run faster than 15 flat for 5k.

I do know a couple people who have done it off of something like 15:40, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

deleuze wrote:

Wait, what did you expect to find when you clicked on a sub 2:30 thread. A bunch of 20 minute 5kers?

I think most reasonable people can agree that a person who can run either 15:15 or 2:30 is not a slow runner. So to start out by claiming how slow you are is just a d-bag move.

And you're right, the IAAF tables don't give as many points to the 15:15 as to the 2:30, but that's irrelevant to being "slow" or not. Some runners hold pace better than others as the race distance increases. Maybe the guy I replied to meant he was "relatively slow at shorter races compared to most sub-2:30 marathoners," but that's not what he wrote.

Yeah, I guess I just understood him using slow as a relative, not an absolute term.

It's possible to play the "slow" "fast" elitist prick game all the way down the spectrum of speeds. If you are looking to get offended, the internet is a good place to go.

Letsrun is a place where most posters (if not lurkers) are--relative to the general population--very fast. It goes without saying, and it informs the entire ethos of these boards. We assume a community that's like us, college type competitive runners. I don't think that's a "dig" at anyone who is slower. It's just what it is.

deleuze wrote:

15:15 is a relatively slow 5k PR for the average sub 2:30 marathoners. The majority of folks who run sub 2:30 will have also run faster than 15 flat for 5k.

I do know a couple people who have done it off of something like 15:40, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

Your first statement is only true on a technicality, because the "majority" of folks running sub 2:30 includes 2:1x's and 2:0x's. Well done.

A reasonable person would assume that the OP is curious mostly about 2:20-high runners.

2:29, in my observation, has been mid-15's -- and that also jives with Daniels VDOT, which calculates a 15:38 equivalency. Nitpick that if you want, and congrats on your 5k PR.

Did it 2nd attempt in mid-20s.

miles/week:75 - 85

years training: 6-7 years, with 5-6 at 3,000 to 4000 miles/year

non-running training: a little bit in the off season, but within 3 months almost exclusively running.

Training style: long run (18-21 miles) every week; some mid-week longish runs (12 to 15 miles), but not always every week; long repeats (3 to 9 minutes [totalling 15 to 25 minutes depending on effort/pace] at 5 to 10K effort) about once or twice a week.

There's another one wrote:

Why do so many idiots on Letsrun make stupid statements like this? Options:

1. You don't know what the word "slow" means.

2. You have a negative self-image and no matter what you do you think you suck.

3. You're an arrogant pr!ck who wants to insult the greatest number of people possible.

4. You are vain and want people to say "oh man, you think 15:15 is slow!? I could never run that fast. You're not slow. You're so fast, dude!"