Hi LetsRun,
So I have been running for about 4 years now, about 40 miles a week of the same distance every day, just a slow run. My peak was probably about 55 miles for about 4 months.
I'm physically healthy (like one running injury a couple of years back, but it has healed) and in my twenties.
A couple of weeks ago I decided to start doing some speed work, and I'm currently running just under 43 minutes for the 10k (race pace). Given how much faster I've become in a relatively short period of time, I've set my sights on running a marathon now, hoping for a good time.
There is a marathon I'd like to run in October, and I'm wondering if it sounds plausible that I could break 3 hours in that time (ideally around 2:55). This is the first time I've started doing speedwork, and I'm pretty pleased with how my speed has been developing in such a short time frame (by my expectations at least). I was a decent sprinter growing up (not competing against runners, but just your average student), but never did any long distance running.
Should I run another marathon, or a half marathon before the October race? The October race is probably the best course in terms of speed, so I'd like to aim for that one as my goal marathon.
Any other marathon tips?
Thanks!