Forums >Racing>Goal of Sub-3 Hour Marathon
Dakota, you are running Chicago right?? Sounds like you're doing the what Pfitz 18/70-85 plan?? The 12 with 7 @ LT is rather tough. I have that one next week...
I would say my training is going OK. Its been brutally humid in NE for the past couple of weeks and it really affected me at the end of last week, when the temps in the morning were right around 80 with dewpoints around 76-77F. That is not conducive to any type of good running. Those low temperatures are rarely seen where I live. Needless to say, I cut a run short last Friday and took Saturday off...
My mileage is higher for this training cycle versus Boston, and in turn I've been running some of my runs a little slower since the legs aren't as fresh. However, the speeds have been almost the same, but the HRs at those speeds are lower which is a good sign. My last "PR" race was a 18:47 5k on July 20th.. I'm hoping the next couple of weeks will bring me down into the 2:54-2:55 range for Chicago. However, we'll see... I'd like to be able to run 6:40's the whole way...
Hi all,
Hoping this thread begins to pick up again.
I've heard the flying monkey marathon is a tough one. Good luck.
I'll be at the Portland OR marathon in 5-6 weeks from now. I'm running modified Hudson schedule and maintaining 60-70 mpw. Last training cycle I was running up to 80-85 a week but was cooler temps and the extra 10-15 mpw didn't seem to make much difference. Running in Texas is tough this year. Dryest, hottest, and most humid since 1917 in S. TX. Everything is scorched and $100 million lost crops so far.
Have had to cut 2 of my long runs short by 3-4 miles due to humidity and heat. We have two choices. run before sunup and have high humidity or run in the evening when it is 100 degrees but less humidity. Neither works well but I choose the before sun up option.
Don't know if I'm sub 3 condition or not. Last 5k was 18:30 without much speed work. We shall see soon enough. Keep up the training all.
ksrunr All American 10K Feb. '10 Cowtown Half marathon Feb. '10 Boston '10
Running in Texas is tough this year. Dryest, hottest, and most humid since 1917 in S. TX. Everything is scorched and $100 million lost crops so far.
But that is just a fraction of the pot crop
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Right on Hereford...
Dakota, you are running Chicago right?? Sounds like you're doing the what Pfitz 18/70-85 plan?? The 12 with 7 @ LT is rather tough.
Yes, yes, and YES.
I hear you on the heat + humidity. I just don't see how anyone does that on a regular basis. Sounds like you're in good shape, though. We are going to have to meet up in Corral A at Chicago!
Getting excited for fall race season - I'm missing reading the sub-3 marathon reports!! Pressure's on you to write a kickass RR Roth Runner... especially with a goal race in Germany!
Getting excited for fall race season - I'm missing reading the sub-3 marathon reports!!
Pressure's on you to write a kickass RR Roth Runner... especially with a goal race in Germany!
It's good to see lots of life in this thread as we approach the next wave of marathons. & you'll get a RR from me Sparky, good or bad. No pressure!!
Dakota, I'm sure Geb & Sammy are quaking in their flats at the propect of running against me. I watched the Marathons from the World Champs in Berlin and that has got me majorly excited for the race - I hope it'll be down in the 60's by the time of the race.
I'm really impressed with the work you have all have been putting in. Obviously there's a few ups and downs on individual runs but overall I think we are in for a rush of sub 3's in October with Cowtown, Chicago & Portland.
I'm a bit lighter on miles than a lot of you but have been pretty happy with my progress in the last 6-8 weeks. I've got my last hard long run on Sunday and I'm looking for about 19 miles with 4 x 5k @ MP. If I can do this combined with a 10 mile Time Trial I did last week I'll be fairly confident I can do well in Germany.
Sammy's running with Dakota and I in Chicago.. You can have Geb...
Oops, that's right. In Berlin it will be Geb vs. Kibet, the two fastest marathoners of all time. Should be a great matchup!
And yes, I am hoping for decent weather in Chicago. I will be sorely disappointed if it's hot there again. If it is, I'll probably just cruise it and sign up for another marathon shortly after.
Here's a post that you can read if you're having trouble sleeping ... my late summer status and plans -
Spent the summer laying in base and having fun by racing lots of short distance races. Did track races of 400m, 800m, 1500m, 1mile and 2miles in addition to a few road 5K's and even a trail race or two. I raced most every week, sometimes twice or three times a week. Set a big PR in 5K by going from 18:58 last year to 18:31 this year.
So now the short races are all done but the cyring and all I have left until my Oct 25th marathon is a lot of marathon training and three shakeout races. A 10K, a 10miler and a 1/2 marathon. They just happen to set up perfectly in the buildup to my marathon.
The 10K is this Sunday in SF's Golden Gate Park (Windmill 10K), not a flat course but I am hoping for a PR and, if all goes real well, a time in the 38's for the first time ever. I'm not holding my breath for that, though.
Then two weeks later the Buffalo Stampede 10miler in Sacramento. Don't know anything about the race except that the course is fast, a traditionally well-attended and fast race, and that the weather could be pretty hot. Don't know what to expect for time as I've never raced 10miles before. I'll set up a goal after this Sunday's 10K.
Next, 3 weeks after Buffalo Stampede, is the Cowtown 1/2 marathon also in Sacramento. You'd think Sactown is some Wild West Tombstone-style place with race names like that! Flat fast course, but weather could be hot. This race is run in conjunction with the Cowtown marathon which is two loops of the 1/2 course. Again, no idea what I'll be shooting for in terms of time. Hope to see John (norrin_rad) and Jim out there going for their sub-3.
Three weeks after the 1/2 is my annual SV marathon. Goal? That's the question! No idea right now, other than sub3.
There it is. I won't bore you with the details of the daily grind in setting up for these races. We all know that is the tough, hard-to-figure-out part which is different for each of us. Good luck this Fall everyone!
Great to see everyone's updates here.
I've got two more weeks of race prep on the Pfitz 75-85/18 wk schedule and then the 3 week taper before Cowtown. Only two races before then - the weekly 5k next Wednesday and then the Pier to Peak half marathon the following Sunday right before Labor Day. With 4,000' of vertical ascent it's not realistic to use the usual rules of thumb to see if I'm in the right place but last year I had a good run at Pier to Peak and finished in 1:57 and then two months later ran 1:25:55 at the Santa Barbara half. I think I'll be pleased with virtually anything under 1:57 since I have done very little specific hill training but surely all the endurance will help. If I can take a couple of minutes off and finish in 1:55 then I'll be fairly confident that is equivalent to a sub-1:25. Although the weather may play a factor, last year was perfect but the climb can be brutal in the heat.
Rothrunner - first up, and in Berlin too. That looks like a great event and I'm sure it will be an incredible experience.
Ken - I'll see you in Cowtown! I hadn't realized you'd commited to the half. Looks like a nice race with a decent amount of runners.
Jim - are you still up for Cowtown?
John
Good to see all the usual suspects, rothrunner, dcv, kencamet, dakota and norrin with impressively solid training schedules and making fantastic progress. Always impressed by the miles and dedication that you guys manage to hammer out. Hope that everyone has a fantastic autumn marathons and look forward to reading the race reports. Can't agree more on the heat - has been consistently in the 90's for the past week here and it is the end of winter. Looking at you guys logs I haven't quite got the miles I need to go sub 3 hours yet looking but have a 10k tomorrow, hoping to go sub-39 and then settle in for some more hard weeks before running my first marathon attempt on October 11. Good luck with the training
Dwane
Great to see everyone's updates here. I've got two more weeks of race prep on the Pfitz 75-85/18 wk schedule and then the 3 week taper before Cowtown. Only two races before then - the weekly 5k next Wednesday and then the Pier to Peak half marathon the following Sunday right before Labor Day. With 4,000' of vertical ascent it's not realistic to use the usual rules of thumb to see if I'm in the right place but last year I had a good run at Pier to Peak and finished in 1:57 and then two months later ran 1:25:55 at the Santa Barbara half. I think I'll be pleased with virtually anything under 1:57 since I have done very little specific hill training but surely all the endurance will help. If I can take a couple of minutes off and finish in 1:55 then I'll be fairly confident that is equivalent to a sub-1:25. Although the weather may play a factor, last year was perfect but the climb can be brutal in the heat. Rothrunner - first up, and in Berlin too. That looks like a great event and I'm sure it will be an incredible experience. Ken - I'll see you in Cowtown! I hadn't realized you'd commited to the half. Looks like a nice race with a decent amount of runners. Jim - are you still up for Cowtown? John
Hi John,
I'm hoping to run the half up there but had to give up on the marathon. It's been one of the strangest years I've ever had. Nothing that has stopped me cold, but constant nagging little problems have kept me from doing much in the way of serious training. It will be a real challenge for me this time to average sub-3 marathon pace for half the distance.
Your training is looking pretty awesome. If the weather cooperates I am very confident that you will run a big one.
In any case I'll be there at finish to cheer you in.
Jim
jules2
Jim, sorry to hear about the problems you are having I know exactly how it feels. At the moment I am clawing my way back towards a proper training base.
Old age is when you move from illegal to prescribed drugs.
Thanks cousin Jules. I sure ain't gonna feel sorry for myself. I went 2 years straight without any setbacks, which is more than most runners can say. Even this year I've been able to get in some decent mileage. It's just the hard workouts that I haven't been able to handle without hurting somethin ..probably just old age catching up with me.
I hope we eventually get to see how a healthy Jules would do. I believe you'd run some seriously fast times if you were able to handle the training volume.
Hi John, I'm hoping to run the half up there but had to give up on the marathon. It's been one of the strangest years I've ever had. Nothing that has stopped me cold, but constant nagging little problems have kept me from doing much in the way of serious training. It will be a real challenge for me this time to average sub-3 marathon pace for half the distance. Your training is looking pretty awesome. If the weather cooperates I am very confident that you will run a big one. In any case I'll be there at finish to cheer you in. Jim
Jim, Sorry you won't be running the marathon but I'm happy to hear you might be up for the sub-90 half. That's still an amazing level, I just looked it up and that would be an 83.7% age graded performance! A long term goal for me is to get ANY performance at any distance into the 80% age graded range.
Sorry to hear about all the niggles Jim, it sounds pretty frustrating to the say the least, but I'll look forward to seeing you run a good half in Cowtown. Keep positive and sooner or later your body will put in a decent shift for you. & then you can give this sub 3 thing a real run for it's money.