Sub 3....hopefully.

Other than the long runs, what workouts are you doing?

No specific workouts.

Runs tend to be

1 x 10ish miler - could be whatever club are doing but generally pretty easy.

3 x 5 milers - one of these being at MP or quicker.

1 x Long run as described.

1 x 6-8 easy as required.

I have a couple of XC races in my schedule and the mentioned half marathon. I also have entered a 20 mile race which I plan to run 10 easy and 10 at MP or quicker, this is 4 weeks from race day.

I plan to add MP miles to my long runs as I go on, with the amount depending on how I feel that week.

29:03 for 5mi should be quick enough but the 1:24 is pushing the limits of a 2:59.

50 mpw might be enough depending on what training you did in 2017. You might try to get in a couple weeks at 60 mpw and wake up a bit earlier or something. It's only another 90 minutes or so per week...

With your race in April you don't need to be doing 10 milers at MP quite yet as you don't even know what MP is or feels like.

For the half next month, as long as you set a PB you should be on track for sub-3. Your 5 miler is equal to about 1:21ish but anything in the 1:22-1:23 range is fine. Almost anybody who runs under 1;23 could break a 3hr marathon on 50 mpw.

4-5 20 milers is great but you'd be much better off if one or two of those were 22 miles. heck, stretch it out to 23-24 even as long as the pace is easy. It won't make much difference to your fitness but mentally it's good to know you'll hold up for 23 miles before racing 26 miles. make sure you do at least one long easy run that takes about 2:50-3:00. That would probably be 23 miles if you ran 7:30-7:40/mi, roughly.

With similar mileage and short PRs, but a 1:23 half, I was able to run just under 2:51. I set M pace for training at 6:27 (9.3mph on the mill, lol). I went out at high 6:30s pace and felt great and just sped it up from there. It was also my first thon.

My advice would be:

- train for a 2:55 but go out at 3:00 pace. Maybe even train for a 2:50 and go out at 2:55. Your short PRs indicate this is doable.

- do more than 5 LRs >= 20 miles. Start doing them now.

- build up to the first three workouts from

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2487659

- max 10 to 14 day taper given your mileage. Maintain intensity but drop volume in the taper.

- train nutrition: take more than you need (get a hydration backpack and fill it with gatorade). Aussie style carb load for 3 days prior to the thon. Drink a lot on course.

I think ignoring that last point is the one that really messes people up given how many horror stories I've read on here about fading badly in the last 4 or 5 miles.

Godspeed

Thanks for feedback all. Seems it is doable but won't be clear cut unless it all goes pretty perfectly.

Quick update. Done 2 20milers now. One at 7:20 pace for the entire thing with only a fade in the last mile but this included an uphill. One of 10 miles at 7:15 pace and 10 miles at race pace (which I chose as 6:40). This second one felt good and my last mile was quickest. Confidence is cautiously high after these.

Got another 20 planned this week - 7:20 pace again and then xc race and half in the following weeks. Mileage is still 50mpw.

Update again, even if for my own benefit.

Hard XC last week, super muddy and hilly, surprising how much that can hurt!!

Half marathon today, big PB in 1:19:25. Massive confidence boost.

Still hitting 45-50miles a week. Got two more 20 milers planned, one easy, then one half easy and half MP.

As long as I can stay injury free I am hoping it is going to be possible.

Hi Effillo.

have you been training in cycles focused on speed, stamina, hills etc. similar to mcmillan approach?

or what does your weekly plan monday to sunday look like? has this been pretty constant over the last 4 or 5 months or how have you cycled?

Hi

I done 2.53 last yr off pretty much same training, done 4 runs around 19-21 miles. Milage avg 46 mpw, work, previous injuries and family commitments meant this was all I could do.

Ran 17.36 5k, 36.22 10k, 1.20 half before, so very similar to yourself. I was hoping for 2.56-57.

You should do sub 3 easy.

Weekly schedule looks like below.

1 x 10ish miler - could be whatever club are doing but generally pretty easy.

3 x 5 milers - one of these being at MP or quicker.

1 x Long run with a quick few miles MP or faster.

1 x 6-8 easy as required

I have had two x races and this half mara, I have been letting these serve as hill/speed as I am only really used to 30mpw so with the extramiles I was worried extras sessions may be too much.

The last year or so have been around 30mpw, just trying to have some consistency. This cycle seems to have done wonders as it's pretty much a 5min half marathon PB today (previous was in October just before I upped my mileage).

Another update. I had a 20 miler at the weekend, was supposed to be my last big work out. Half easy and half at MP.

Well I got it a bit wrong. I ran 8 steady 6:50's, then 10 at MP 6:35's (with a couple of over eager 6:16's) then blew up at 18 miles (hit wall early - legs were gone - head dropped and wanted to walk). I came in in 2:16 so on sub 3 pace overall but it was horrible at the end and I would have lost a lot more time if I had been out for another 6 miles.

It has knocked my confidence a bit tbh. Looking at it I think I got nutrition wrong, I had 2 gels, on at 8 miles and one at 17miles. I only had a few sips of water all race. This coupled with a hardish week the week before and a 19min 5k (was pacing someone) on Sat morning all conspired against me. I got it wrong as in my head it was a training run and not a race practice, I'd been doing 20 milers fasted so didn't think I'd need many carbs whilst running, but the higher intensity hurt me I think.

I have to hope I can use it as a learning experience and a combo of taper, carb load and proper nutrition, plus even sensible pacing sees me to sub 3 now.

I think I might try a 20 this weekend, properly fuelled to make sure I don't bonk again and to go into my taper happy. Got 3 and a half weeks to go now.

That 1:19 half last month is very solid. Don't psych yourself out over one bad 20 miler. More than anything, it sounds like it was a pacing issue. It is possible nutrition wasn't quite dialed, so make sure you play around with that. But going 6:50s to 6:30s and into 6:teens is a LOT.

No doubt the 6:50s, and even the 6:30s, felt easy to you. Come race day just make sure to keep it in that easy territory for as long as you can. It won't be easy in the end.