Forums >Racing>Goal of Sub-3 Hour Marathon
I know you all might think since I ran a 2:48 - A goal of 3:00 is not a strong goal. But I am a person of peaks and valleys and I am trying to climb out of my current valley.
Last night I did my 2nd speed workout after just building base for a while (5 weeks) - 20 minutes @ T. It was likely above LAT pace as it did not feel like I could have continued for a whole hour. I made 3.08 miles = 6:30 pace.
Wow, there is a lot of work to do!
When that workout gets to 3.33 miles or better, I know I am ready.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
It does seem mind-boggling about running the extra 12 @ MP. That much MP during the middle of training should feel hard, it should feel hard on race day though... When I did my last MP run (18 w/ 12 @ MP). It was tough but it was a good confidence booster... I'll probably sign up for Boston post-Chicago. Already have hotel.. Just want to run fast enough in Chicago to get into first corral....
It does seem mind-boggling about running the extra 12 @ MP. That much MP during the middle of training should feel hard, it should feel hard on race day though... When I did my last MP run (18 w/ 12 @ MP). It was tough but it was a good confidence booster...
I'll probably sign up for Boston post-Chicago. Already have hotel.. Just want to run fast enough in Chicago to get into first corral....
My experience is that 12@ MP in the middle of a full weeks mileage is more like the last 12 miles of a marathon. Tapered the 1st 14-18 miles at that pace are not too bad.
I meant to say that the first 12 miles on race day shouldn't feel hard... Instead of should feel hard... You should feel like you are holding back on race day (except when going up the Newton Hills in Boston, they always feel hard...)
I'm actually a little worried about the flatness of Chicago. The monotonous of running the same pace for 26.2 miles, not having to adjust pace based upon elevation profiles.... I think changing up pace a little might help so not stressing the same muscle group the whole time...
I know what you mean. When I ran the Zoom Yah Yah Indoor Marathon (150 laps around a track in a field house) last year my legs were as sore as they ever have been after a marathon. I think it may have been because it was totally flat and I used the same muscle group the entire race.
However, one thing that the flatness did do that really helped was to make it very easy to get into a steady rhythm. I noticed that both times I ran Zoom Yah Yah, it was very easy to get into a nice steady rhythm for the entire race. That did help me out a lot when I ran it this January. I was not at all properly trained for the race [I had hardly run at all in the fall after shoulder surgery in August] and so I went in to it having to rely on residual conditioning left over from the previous summer. It turned out that I found it very easy to fall back into a steady rhythm, again probably the result of the perfectly flat course. For what it's worth, wasn't at all sore after the race this year, so who knows.
Good luck in Chicago.
Looking at elevation charts, Chicago seems to be flat as a pancake. Yikes! I tend to like rolling hills. Did the monotony take a toll? or was weather the main factor? I'm hoping for a sub 3hour marathon eventually, I'm running Chicago this year. Question: Weekly Mileage v.s. long runs. I really haven't done a long run yet, cape ann 25k longest run so far, but have tacked in miles in broken bits throughout the week. Can a high mileage week compensate for not doing a long run?
KC born 7-14-13. RC born 7-21-15
Old PR's: 5k 19:36, 10mi 1:07:46, HM 1:30:04, M 3:06:19
Working on a Comeback after baby #2
Good luck Roth Runner. Training looks awesome!
danworley, I put you on list for Chicago. Good luck to you too.
Right on Hereford...
2:55ish still seems like a good goal if all remains the same...
Dcv, what's your pacing strategy?
My main goal is sub-3, but I don't want to rule out a 2:55 if I happen to have the legs for it.
Here are my thoughts. I plan to go out with the 3:00 pace group and stay with them for a while, but the question is how long? If I stay with them for the first half, I will be more likely to make my sub-3 goal, but 2:55 would be less likely, as I'd need to follow up a 1:30 half with a 1:25. So maybe I should stay with the 3-hour pacers through 10k or 15k? It will probably be a game day decision.
Too bad there is no 2:55 pace group...
By the way, awesome job on your 8k time trial. That is a great solo effort. You're in fantastic shape right now.
And welcome, danworley. I'll be in Chicago too!
For Chicago I'm hoping pacing is a lot easier than for Boston. For Boston, I used a spreadsheet to have mile-by-mile splits based upon elevation. I plugged in 2:58:30 into the spread sheet, I ran a 2:58:42. Though, I did have to run faster the last 5 miles due to Garmin discrepencies. (I went with auto-lap in Boston, measured 26.45).
In Chicago, 6:40 x 26.22 miles = 2:54:47. Now. I went 1:28:30, 1:30:12 in Boston (thats with a mostly downhill first half and the Newton hills in the 2nd half). I'm think I would like to go for 1:00-1:30 positive split. So 2:55 = 1:27:30x2. So I'm thinking 1:26:45-1:27:30 through the half. Also, around 20:40 5k's. So high 6:3x's - low 6:4x's for as long as I can hold them.
One problem with the sub-3 group in Chicago (or any race) is that there is usually a large cluster of people, which can be troublesome @ water stops. The 2:50 pace group is a little fast, but I will probably line up by them and for the first couple of miles make sure I am behind them. I just hope its not sunny/warm. It gets kind of lonely miles 14-20ish and its a little more out in the open on the course.
There's a little less pressure on me since I've already got my sub-3. No sense in trying just to do that again. So I'll go for 2:55 if nothing major happens in the next 27 days. I might blow up, but who cares I did that last year...
My main goal is sub-3, but I don't want to rule out a 2:55 if I happen to have the legs for it. Here are my thoughts. I plan to go out with the 3:00 pace group and stay with them for a while, but the question is how long? If I stay with them for the first half, I will be more likely to make my sub-3 goal, but 2:55 would be less likely, as I'd need to follow up a 1:30 half with a 1:25. So maybe I should stay with the 3-hour pacers through 10k or 15k? It will probably be a game day decision.
longer you stick around, I think the worse it'd get. Through 10k, would have to improve 16 sec/mi, if stayed through 15k, probably 18 seconds. (i think that's the right math. I didn't check it). That's a pretty substantial pace change and at least 4-6 sec/mi for a lot of miles (~17-20) instead running even splits. My personal experience with runners following 3 hr pace for a significant distance and then going alone has been 1-2 min improvement at best. Obviously, there are examples of better/worse. I think even is best! Good luck Dakotah
Put me down for a 3hr Chicago....as a goal.... Boston I ran 3:08:06. Realistically, prob on pace for a 3:04 right now..training just hasn't gone as planned..
A 3hr =next year elite woman start at Chicago, that would be so fun!
Put me down for a 3hr Chicago....as a goal.... Boston I ran 3:08:06. Realistically, prob on pace for a 3:04 right now..training just hasn't gone as planned.. A 3hr =next year elite woman start at Chicago, that would be so fun!
Welcome rainrun. You're on for Chicago!