2024 Olympic marathon trials: 3 year training build-up

Might want to race a few marathons to get experience.

Is there a question?

Poor runnr wrote:

Is there a question?

Depends. Do you have an answer?

What are your PRs?

Do you have a trust fund? How will you support this lifestyle?

hemorrhoid wrote:

Currently a senior in college with sub-par times. When I graduate this coming spring, I’m going all-in for 3 years leading up to the 2024 Olympic trials marathon.

Year 1: Mileage only. 100 mpw. No more, no less. Just enough to get a good base but not enough to overtrain or get injured. Race one or two marathons for experience.

Year 2: Start incorporating workouts. Tempos, fartleks, hard long runs, etc. Race a marathon to qualify for trials.

Year 3: Workout intensity increases. Also do more speed, maybe 1k or mile reps. Race the Olympic trials qualifier. Probably come in the back half of the field and rethink my entire life’s purpose after spending 3 years to come 100th+ at a sub-par race.

9.75/10

Year 1:

build mileage, up to 120 mpw if possible by keeping easy days relatively chill (5k + 2 min/mi)

Incorporate hill sprints, long tempos @ marathon effort/slower than LT, and turnover (200s @ Mile Pace)

Race 5k - Half marathon

Peak at least once

Year 2:

Maintain mileage, but pick up easy pace(5k + 90 sec/mi) but have recovery days (pace and be slow)

Race 10k - Marathon

Make workouts longer and tougher (gradually)

Year 3:

Race 10k - Marathon

We're not even sure there will be an Olympic Marathon Trials.

oldschoollrc wrote:

Do you have a trust fund? How will you support this lifestyle?

I’ll likely be in grad school the next four years so I’ll have a more flexible schedule than a 40hr/wk desk job.

I’m frugal and don’t live beyond my means, so I’m not worried about money being an issue.

Lets do some nonidiotic plan

a) year one, do a 10k training cycle in the spring, marathon in the fall

b) year 2 do repeat year 1 but do 10-20% more volume and slightly higher intensity because you are in better shape

b) year 3. do repeat year 2 but do 10-20% more volume and slightly higher intensity because you are in better shape. Might want to do 2 marathon cycles to give you 2 shots at a qualifier

Obviously I can't say if. you should be doing 80mpw in year 1 or 110 since I have no idea where you are today.

It's RunningFart2004 v2!

What were your college prs? Sub-par means different things to different people.

TLWut wrote:

What were your college prs? Sub-par means different things to different people.

We’re talking barely sub-15 for the 5k

Keep in mind I know nothing, but it might be more beneficial if during year 2 you ran a spring marathon to try to qualify for OTs, and be planning for a fall marathon too. That way if you don't qualify in the spring, you have another shot, and if you do qualify, you have more experience running as fast as you plan on during OTs.

Another idea would be trying to get the OTQ in the half marathon. You are probably suited to shorter distances right now, so getting whatever half standard there is might take less training than the full. You should probably try at both though.

hemorrhoid wrote:

TLWut wrote:

What were your college prs? Sub-par means different things to different people.

We’re talking barely sub-15 for the 5k

To run your best marathon, you need to get better at running the marathon. Probably get really good at the half-marathon, too. You don't get there by avoiding racing and avoiding full development by focusing on just base mileage for an entire year. Your stated plan is frankly a waste of your time and a strategy for avoiding reality. If you're serious, don't procrastinate. You will want to race 2-4 halfs (as well as some 5Ks and 10Ks) in 2021 and proceed from there. Ideally, even just a trial marathon with a smart time goal for the end of 2021. You'll see it all the time, all these guys with much more talent than you who only race one or two marathons a year and race 10x at most the rest of the year never seem to be consistently on in the marathon. The guys who get consistently really good at it aren't afraid to race on the roads and do it fairly often. Benji Durden would be a good role model for you, if slightly less racing than he did. Ditto Ron Daws, find a copy of his book. There are other, more contemporary guys to look to, like Nate Jenkins and Joe Whelan. Some links you'll want to study:

Don't listen to the above guy... You can get there with lots of racing or none.. My Pr for the marathon (mid 2:2Xs) came with only 1 race in the previous 6 months (a 5k race for my company). I got sick the week I was supposed to do a half during my build up so I bailed. If you have the right training racing isn't necessary. You also don't need to be a stud at the half to run a good full... if you peak right your pace in the full should be about what you half pace would be 6-7 weeks out from your full (also a good build up strategy to race a half about that far out).

I would agree with other posters saying to try to get to 120+ mpw asap, but I would only do that if you are already accustom to 100mpw. I have found that milage really isn't likely to hurt me but speed faster than Marathon pace can when at high volume. Eat a lot sleep alot. and long runs are the most important thing.

the long term goal should be to have your long run be one of your workouts most weeks. Just a good progression to where the last 8-12 are cutting down to marathon pace. Practice fueling! You need way more fuel than most people think... if you can get 500-700 cal in by 35K you are pretty golden. the first half of a marathon is an eating competition. This doesn't mean you need to be taking 500cal in on your LR days... I usually do at most 300 cal and only if I am doing 23+ but you need to get you stomach used to fueling luckily you have sometime

Consistency is key.. I debuted at high 2:2Xs (as a mid 15 5k guy) I didn't have one workout longer than 8 miles of quality but had a couple/few years of 105-125 mpw in my legs with the last 4 months having 6+ 20+ mile long runs most of them were progressing to fast paces. While I do not think it's a good Idea to only have workouts of 8 miles of quality the point is consistency and long runs are what will take you to the next level not killer workouts.

Last thing.. as long as you are consistent it really doesn't take that many weeks of 120+ to get you into killer marathon shape given a the previous weeks were around 100... It also doesn't take too many more 120+ mile weeks to destroy your body so be careful.. take down weeks when needed (90-105mpw)

You've never qualified for the OT. The margin for a high-14 5K college senior to get to 2:19 in the marathon in 3 years is razor thin. And the standard might be even faster than that for 2024. The Hansons have put guys at a similar level into the OT, but they were in a group chasing faster runners with solid coaching. It can be done, but you can't leave anything to chance. The sport is littered with stories of guys like this who didn't set themselves up for their best success by following foolish ideas. You give yourself your best shot by doing what all the guys at your level who hit similar goals had most in common. I should know, I ran sub-14 and sub-29 and never got under 67 or 2:22 at the end because I know in hindsight I didn't fully commit to a robust approach. Jenkins was slower than me on the track and yet wound up sub-64 and sub-2:15. Learn from him, not from jokers on this board.

There is on guy from UC Davis who ran for their club, ran a 14:17 5k and didnt break 29 in the 10k and he ran somewhere around a high 63 and qualified for the OT marathon. It just matters whether you're faster aerobically or faster anaerobically.

LOL so take advice from a guy who is 3 min faster than me in a 10k but can't run 2 min faster than me in a marathon? Racing often is inline with the mentality of someone who was good at 5k-10k but can't move up in distance. Look at all the best marathoners in the world.. they may race 4 times a year (half are usually just a build up for their marathon). 6 if they are really pushing it. The exception would be in Japan... but unless you want to put in 175 mile weeks probably not a very sustainable racing plan it's not great to be out there racing hard 10 times a year

What I said would actually jive well with Hansons training.. high millage long workouts. I literally said you can do it by running races or you can do it by not running races... races don't make you better. They are the outcome of all you have done to get there. Des didn't run many races and that was her source of income much less some dude working and in grad school. The above poster just sounds like he either was stupid with training (much like my first marathon) or more likely lacked the mental discipline and drive to train for fast marathons. The latter is fine.. there are far more important things in life than running a good marathon especially post college when you could be trying to contribute to society/economy. but nothing wrong with trying to do all the things

If you want to improve your running in the marathon listen to me and others, if you want to run well below your capability Gentleman Savage is the person to listen too...