Running a 3:00 marathon off of a 1:30 half

1014 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by runninirish, Jan 8, 2008

alan fletcher

Discussion Starter · Dec 29, 2007

OK - this will be a repeat to any of you who moved here from the CR mainstream racing forum, but since that seems to be in its final death throes as Active i figured i'd move this thread here........ 
Background: male, 42, 150lbs (weight seems to be falling off as I up my mileage...), relatively new to running (started April 2006). achilles injury this summer from charging the big hils too much (3 months off, 2 months rebuilding). back running properly since October. 
I have finally gotten my half marathon time to just under 1:30 which was one of my 2007 goals (best in 2006 was 1:51!!) 
Next big stretch goal is to run a sub 3 marathon. (I ran a trainwreck marathon last year after 6 months of low/slow miles and crashed at 20 miles dragging my a$$ home in 4:10) 
I have 5 more months to train for my marathon (Edinburgh on May 25th). 
Currently training about 60MPW, I think I can get up to 75ish without things falling to pieces. Training plan is 4 weeks on, 1 week cutback. On weeks are 7 days for 65-75miles, cutback is 6 days and 45ish. I need to watch the short distance speedwork and big hills as I don't want to reinjure my achilles. Lots of longs runs (17-22 every week, with a lot of marathon pace miles/fast finishes in there). 
I am hoping to somehow pull off a 1:25 half in April and I have a couple 10k's and another half between now and then as fitness checks. I am hoping to eat a little time off during each of those. If I get to 1:25 then I can make a raceday decision on the marathon - either go for a relatively conservative 3:20 (boston for me) of go all out in search of the sub 3 (and risk an ugly crash and missing the BQ). Knowing me, unless conditions are bad, I will go for it and regret it big time 20 miles later. 
I seem to respond better to aggressive goals, but do you think sub 3 in May is too much of a stretch goal? 
- thanks, Alan

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hrmay

· #3 · Dec 30, 2007

Alan, 
I definitely encourage you to set your sights on a sub-3 hour marathon in May. You have a lot of time to get there, and it seems to me that you are in pretty good shape in terms of your training. Some of it will depend on your relative strengths in terms of endurance, but if you can get your half under 1:25, I really think it is do-able. I get better the longer the distance, but I ran a 2:56 after running just under 1:25. I believe my training maxed out around 80 mpw at that time. 
I would definitely encourage you to keep doing long runs with some good MP chunks in them, as well as some just easy long runs. I think you are right to ease off the hills and be cautious with speedwork. Honestly, for a marathon, long runs, mileage, and tempos are most important. 
Best of luck to you.

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