Marathon Training sub 3:30

Do you run easy? Do you run workouts? What is a typical training week like? Do you intend to follow a plan? Keep mileage the same or bump it up? Are you straining to get that 7:30 pace for 10? other PRs, recent race times?

But basically, with halfway decent consistent training and no foolish mistakes you should find 3:30 very easy in the fall.

Thanks for the response. Right now I am just planning on keeping a base of 40mpw into the summer and then I will start training for the marathon, last summer I was running 20mpw then I built up to 30 and stayed there for a month or so and the last 3 weeks I have done 40. Usually I run 18 miles in 3 days (7, 5,6) then off day then 22 miles in 3 days with a 10 mile LR. Most of my runs probably average out to about 7:45 ish but 8:00 is pretty easy for me and I can hold 7:30ish pretty easily. I have tried to not go under 7:15 average pace during any of my runs since I don't want to get hurt since I just bumped my milage up to 40mpw. I have to strain a little bit to get 10 @ 7:30 but I always speed up for the last 4 miles of my 10 mile LR and I usually start off slower for the first half of the run around 7:50/mi. I haven't done a lot of workouts recently. I ran in HS last year (my senior year XC and track) which was my first year running 5k PR= 18:56 and 800 pr was 2:10 I raced this thanksgiving in a 5k and got a 18:57 but now I bet I could go 18:20?? But yeah I just want to know where to go from here since I have a good base but I want to be ready to run my marathon and I don't know what my goal time should be either so I just set it at 3:30 to be conservative.

I have the same 5k PR as you - just under 19. And I ran 3:09 for the marathon. But I'm old, you're young. I had to run 70 mile weeks for that marathon time. And it was my 5th marathon. And I did six runs of 20 miles or more, with a few involving big long efforts at goal MP. So yes of course you can run 3:30 with that 5k time, but just because you run an equivalent 5k doesn't mean it translates to the marathon. You need the aerobic foundation and to put in appropriate marathon training. If you do that, then 3:30 isn't a stretch at all if you have the ability to hold 6:07 pace for a 5k.

What is your current mile time? Your 800 time is way out of wack with your 5K.

Off the 5K time, you could target 3:20:00/ 7:40 pace.

Based off your 5K, you can run sub 3:20, maybe even sub 3:10.

That said, learning the marathon takes some time. I think you should get up to 50mpw with a long run of at least 18miles for several weeks. I think you could safely run the first half at 3:30 pace, maybe even 3:25 and still feel pretty good.

Agree with others that it's in range. 40 mpw is adequate, 50 mpw better, but you can supplement that with long walks. I'm older but did a sub-3 last fall off 30~50 mpw plus 15~20 mpw of walking, with an 18:45 track 5000m in there. Main things are to build mileage slowly, get in the long runs, and get in marathon pace runs. I did a two-week cycle where I alternated a long run starting at 12 miles and building up to 22 miles, and a marathon pace run starting at 3 miles and building up to 15 miles. Be careful, take your time, and you'll get there.

Thanks for the responses. I just ran 10 miles today at 6:40/mi which was a tempo run. I haven't run a fast mile in a bit. I bet I could go sub 5 maybe 4:50? My current Long run every week is 10 miles but I will probably start bumping that up next week to 11 or 12 miles. I think once I start running 15-20 miles that's when I will be able to see what I will be able to do in my marathon in the fall but 3:20-3:15 seems like a good goal.

I plan on doing a 5k time trial as well this week what should I aim for? I am thinking low 18s maybe sub 18s since 10 miles at 6:40 went well!

6 Min pace is the conservative route. 5:40 would be pushing it.

Ok! Thanks.