Sub 3HR Fall Marathon Thread - The quest for less amateur glory begins?

Monday - 8 at 7:30 pace

Tuesday - 5.3 at 730

Wednesday 6.1 at 730

Thursday - 1.5 warmup. 8x800 (250-245 splits) with 90 second jog in between. 1.5 cooldown

Friday - 10 miles at 7:12 pace

Saturday - off (travel)

Sunday off (travel)

37 miles

was super busy with work and travel this week so didn’t get as much mileage as I’d like but felt amazing on my Thursday workout. Marathon is Oct 20 so hay pretty much in the barn at this point.

Going to try and come through 13.1 around 1:28-1:28:30 and see what i can do. Miles 2-8 are hilly.... back half is a pancake.

Jack Horner Boogie Nights wrote:

Thursday - 1.5 warmup. 8x800 (250-245 splits) with 90 second jog in between. 1.5 cooldown ...

Going to try and come through 13.1 around 1:28-1:28:30 and see what i can do. Miles 2-8 are hilly.... back half is a pancake.

Your 800 repeats workout, like your half marathon and recent 15K, looks like a 17:30 5K/2:50 marathon guy. Even with the first-half hills, I think you'll be crushing the back half of your marathon after cruising to a 1:28 split.

last chance runner wrote:

Jack Horner Boogie Nights wrote:

Thursday - 1.5 warmup. 8x800 (250-245 splits) with 90 second jog in between. 1.5 cooldown ...

Going to try and come through 13.1 around 1:28-1:28:30 and see what i can do. Miles 2-8 are hilly.... back half is a pancake.

Your 800 repeats workout, like your half marathon and recent 15K, looks like a 17:30 5K/2:50 marathon guy. Even with the first-half hills, I think you'll be crushing the back half of your marathon after cruising to a 1:28 split.

Agreed

Great thread. Good to see so many of you having successful marathons

First marathon is Oct 20th

Half marathon PB 1:27 in April off of around 40mpw with one 70 mile week

been averaging 50 ish with a few weeks in high 60s done 2 20 milers 1x 22 @ 8:00and 1x 18 @ 8:30 2x16 1 at 8:00 1 @ 7:17

Week before last

sat/sun 24hr relay 6 x10k legs 44 44 46 51 54 53

mon rest

tues 5 easy

wed off

thurs 13.45 7:20 avg 6 miles @ 6:40

fri off

sat 3 easy with a few strides

sun 10k race 39:20 pr hilly course held back a little.

last week

mon off

tues 20 mile @ 7:27

wed 3 easy

thurs 9 with 4 @ 6:30 felt really good

fri off

sat 6 easy

sun 16 first 8 @ 8:15 second 8 at 7:45

planned for this week

tues track 2*1200 3 min rec 2*800 2min rec 3*400 1 min rec

wed easy

thurs 12 with 5 @tempo

fri off

sat 5 easy

sun 10 with progressive last 3

final week not sure yet but less than this week

thinking of going out at maybe 3:10 pace and picking it up if I am feeling good for 2nd half

any other check ins during the training cycle? Long runs with a few miles at the end at MP? You could be closer to 3:05 form depending on how this cycle went (off of a 1:27 in April)

Free_the_thigh wrote:

runnerchef wrote:

Thanks all! Great support group in this thread.

Anyone running Chicago next week?

Not doing Chicago, but doing Victoria which is also on the 13th.

Nothing major to note about my training at this point, took last week pretty easy, ran an easy 18k on Sunday in my marathon shoes (first long run with them) and they felt good.

My weight is down to 162 (from 165) and most of my aches and pains have all gone away.

Other than that, it’s just a waiting game now.

You sound ready to go - weight on point and body is fresh. Is the course pretty flat? What is the pacing strategy?

Super excited to try my brand new next% tomorrow on my 10k MP run. Have the 4%, but they will now be degraded to speed training and next% will be my racing shoe. Only have 60miles in 4%, but couldn't keep my fingers away from buying the nexts!

Northener wrote:

Super excited to try my brand new next% tomorrow on my 10k MP run. Have the 4%, but they will now be degraded to speed training and next% will be my racing shoe. Only have 60miles in 4%, but couldn't keep my fingers away from buying the nexts!

Great minds think alike!

I will use mine for the first time in a MP 10 miler on Thursday.

Just in time for my goal marathon in Bruges.

runnerchef wrote:

any other check ins during the training cycle? Long runs with a few miles at the end at MP? You could be closer to 3:05 form depending on how this cycle went (off of a 1:27 in April)

Only long run where I managed a good section at pace was 16 with 3 easy 12 @7:03 (3:05 pace) 1 easy the others were just easy or I struggled to maintain pace at the end. Last 20 miler I was just going to do 1st half easy second half a little quicker but felt good at end and did last mile @6:40 and felt like I could have kept going.

Track tonight went well

2x1200 4:24, 4:24 3 min rests

2x 800 2:53, 2:58 2 min rests

3x 400 1:22, 1:20, 1:23 1 min rests

I definitely feel fitter than I did leading up to the 1:27 but have struggled to pick up the pace during some of the long runs.

Anyone else struggling to get their diet under control to lose a few lbs before the fall marathon? I know I need to cut out the garbage, like beer, but I'm finding it hard to motivate myself to give it up just to lose a couple extra lbs. Arg!

Me 3. I picked them up this weekend and am going to run in them tomorrow for 3 x 1000 session at a little faster than HM as a tune up for my race on Sunday. I’m pumped!

Free_the_thigh - Good luck in Victoria on the 13th! Glad to hear that you're ready for action!

Chicago is "ON" for me. It's the race I trained for, after all. My hamstring isn't 100%, but it's close enough. This morning I tested out a few marathon paced miles and it survived. I think in 5 days, it'll be just fine.

As for shoes, I'm sticking with my "Zero %" Kinvaras, partly because I hate Nike and partly because I'm not sure I want a shoe that would significantly improve my times (if the claims are indeed true). I like consistency, and all of my times have been run in normal shoes. Perhaps if another company comes out with a competing pair of shoes, I might reconsider.

runnerchef wrote:

Free_the_thigh wrote:

Not doing Chicago, but doing Victoria which is also on the 13th.

Nothing major to note about my training at this point, took last week pretty easy, ran an easy 18k on Sunday in my marathon shoes (first long run with them) and they felt good.

My weight is down to 162 (from 165) and most of my aches and pains have all gone away.

Other than that, it’s just a waiting game now.

You sound ready to go - weight on point and body is fresh. Is the course pretty flat? What is the pacing strategy?

Fairly flat, about 75’ minimum elevation to peak elevation, with the first half being more up and down.

I’m mainly hoping to find a group running an even sub 3 pace and just stick with them and will adjust pacing downwards if it means staying with a pack.

Hope to pass through half right at 1:30, and then grind it faster after if I’m feeling good.

Kms20 to 30 are the quickest of the race so may pick it up there to build a bit of a cushion and then just white knuckle it home.

Toadlips wrote:

Free_the_thigh - Good luck in Victoria on the 13th! Glad to hear that you're ready for action!

Chicago is "ON" for me. It's the race I trained for, after all. My hamstring isn't 100%, but it's close enough. This morning I tested out a few marathon paced miles and it survived. I think in 5 days, it'll be just fine.

As for shoes, I'm sticking with my "Zero %" Kinvaras, partly because I hate Nike and partly because I'm not sure I want a shoe that would significantly improve my times (if the claims are indeed true). I like consistency, and all of my times have been run in normal shoes. Perhaps if another company comes out with a competing pair of shoes, I might reconsider.

Thanks

I’m also sticking with a pair of zero%, picked up a pair of nb 1400s

I was super close to getting a pair of next % but just couldn’t justify the price. I also was pretty disappointed with my pegs (could never get comfy in them, always adjusting the laces), which made me a bit hesitant.

Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks for all the positive reinforcement going on around here! This has been a really motivating thread. I was particularly inspired by IndyJ's marathon post from back on 9/5 where he clicked off 7:05s like clockwork (a freaking clinic!). I'll try to contribute more to this thread in terms of feedback going forward.

Day + 2 from marathon. Still some DOMS and walking down stairs is still a bit painful. However, I'm hoping to be able to do a light jog tomorrow sometime, we'll see though. Next races are a half marathon in 4 weeks and a 10 miler 3 weeks thereafter.

highhoppingworm wrote:

Me 3. I picked them up this weekend and am going to run in them tomorrow for 3 x 1000 session at a little faster than HM as a tune up for my race on Sunday. I’m pumped!

Nice! Good call on doing 3x1000 at 10k speed. A few strides after an E run later this week and you're good to go!

Charlesvdw wrote:

Great minds think alike!

I will use mine for the first time in a MP 10 miler on Thursday.

Just in time for my goal marathon in Bruges.

:-) Perfect! Psyched for the race and travels next week!

So normally I would wait to post until Sunday after my race. That said, I am too excited. These shoes are pretty absurd. Maybe it is my taper starting to assert itself but I literally felt like was running in one of those inflatable bouncy houses. Ran 3 x 1000 with 800 jog on the track at 3:32/3:29/3:27 and barely felt a thing... was just kind of bouncing along. I think I get what all the hoopla is about. It’s going to be tough going back to other shoes for normal runs/interval work but my wife has me on a $500 a quarter running budget so I’m not sure I can afford to wear these things too much!

hello there. - "Day + 2 from marathon. Still some DOMS and walking down stairs is still a bit painful. However, I'm hoping to be able to do a light jog tomorrow sometime, we'll see though. Next races are a half marathon in 4 weeks and a 10 miler 3 weeks thereafter."

LOL, I feel your pain, and will feel your pain for real, soon enough! As an older guy who starts to stiffen up after a couple days of rest, I fully support your light jog effort tomorrow. I truly believe that 3 easy miles are better for me than a day of rest, whether or not it is actually true!