Help me break 3:10 for the marathon

Your request is a bit too general. What kinds of marathon prep questions do you have?

Use the super simple stripped-down Jason Mayeroff marathon approach: (if you don't know who I am I've run 2:18)

The 3 workouts you need to focus on are as follows:

(1) Long runs of 20-24 miles. Do these about 1 time every 2 weeks, at a pace that is comfortable, your "natural rhythm."

(2) Intervals of 1000 meters. 1000 meters are the best for VO2max pace improvement. Do these in your marathon shoes, not spikes, just hammer 8-10 of them with 3 minutes (400 meters) rest. Do this workout about once a week.

(3) Marathon pace runs. If you think you can run 7:00 per mile for the marathon, then you need to do a lot of 7:00 minute miles in training!! Go out and start doing marathon pace runs, 5-16 miles, about once a week.

The rest of the training is easy easy jogging, slow as you want to go, and TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY, with lots of massage, jacuzzi, good food, no junk food, lots of quality sleep and hydration.

Jason

I will asume that you can run 5 miles a day.

Run 5 miles a day for three weeks.

Every three weeks add one mile to your daily run until you reach 12 miles a day. 10 weeks before marathon do one weekly tempo run @ 10 seconds faster than MP, start at 20 minutes and build up to one hour. Eight weeks before marathon race every other week (5k or 10k), this will be your speed work and will get you use to race situations, do not race the week before the marathon. During the 10 weeks before the marathon, you will need to do four runs of 2 hours, that's all, if you follow this program you will easily run 3:10 or faster.

** if you can not make it up to 12 miles per day, try to at least make it up to 10

Good Posts.

It aint Rocket science.

Jason, what do you mean by junk food? "Junk foods" may sometimes be great to eat after a hard workout....like ice cream with nuts and gummy bears...yummy

Jason,

I am planning on running a fall marathon maybe Chicago or Marine Corps. I have started to base train earlier this year with more miles and not so much intensity early on, do you think this is a good idea. Two weeks ago I ran Houston half on for the most part no training and ran 1:38:27. I feel like this is achievable with a good program.

Your asking for advice and you admit you recently raced with little training. The suggestions above are good however if you are not even running every day (at least 6 days per week) then that is your starting point. A good program is of secondary importance to commiting to training regularly. I ran 72 mins for a half off simply reasonable mileage (60 pw) fartlek and a couple of longer runs a week. To go faster I need to be more commited and specific but I think 80% of your potential can be realised simply by getting out and running 50 pw for a few months. Its often comitment rather than a magic solution.

contact me on

aim; dragonblades2000

yahoo; dragonrunner2001

tell me who u r in ur first im, i'll help, :D

This post should be cut and pasted onto about 500 different threads.

It's sound, simple, fact-based and easy to understand.

I don't say this often about J.M., but, well done.

Martin