The Sub 3:15 Marathon Thread

329 watchers
Jul 2015
12:19pm, 6 Jul 2015
4,693 posts
  •  
  • 0
Joe Hawk
Nice run Dan.
Jul 2015
12:38pm, 6 Jul 2015
5,910 posts
  •  
  • 0
100forRNIB
Are you saving your strength for a 100+ mile weekend, next weekend, Joe? ;-)
Jul 2015
1:33pm, 6 Jul 2015
4,694 posts
  •  
  • 0
Joe Hawk
Not really to be fair expect that to be fairly doable, just dull because I'll be going for so long and so slow.
Jul 2015
1:48pm, 6 Jul 2015
2,584 posts
  •  
  • 0
Nelly
Well done dan and Joe at the Potteries yesterday.

I've decided to pull out of Chester. After PB'ing at Manchester off an injury-hit training campaign I wanted to see what I could achieve at Chester after a consistent block of training, with the goal of sub3:15. However, I slightly "pulled" my calf last night, and whilst I expect I'll probably be back training in the next week or so I feel I'll be back in exactly the same position as I was before Manchester, trying to fit marathon training into 12 weeks.

I know I could probably be marathon fit by Chester, and even possibly (small) PB-fit but I can't imagine being anywhere near 3:15-shape in that timeframe, so I'd prefer to get injury/niggle free and then build a bank of consistent training; and that will be a lot easier when I'm not focused on an event in 12-13 weeks.

Good luck to everyone with the Autumn marathon campaigns, and all being well I'll be back in the sidebar for Manchester '16.
BS
Jul 2015
2:33pm, 6 Jul 2015
3,039 posts
  •  
  • 0
BS
Well done Dan, great time. Joe that is still a good time although it's a bit below your standard.

Clare I done the 20 x 200m last week and enjoyed them to a certain extent. Even though I have a couple of marathons planned for August/September my marathon training will focus on Dublin so I'll be trying to get plenty of speed work in which I hope I can bring along with me.

Tough call Nelly but you'll know best.
Jul 2015
2:48pm, 6 Jul 2015
121 posts
  •  
  • 0
Daz Love
Clare - I have found the same although the speed is starting to return! Due to the worry of injury during my marathon training I backed off in the club intervals sessions. I have not started to get right back into them and after 6-8 weeks I am still a touch off but nearly there. Need to do a 5k as last October I run 3 in a series and done all within a couple seconds either side of 18. Yesterday I done a 5 miler and was still slower than my previous attempt so a little bit more work to do!

On a separate note, I am now set for Marathon number two (that's not in a week Joe!) as got my GFA confirmation for London through earlier.
Jul 2015
2:49pm, 6 Jul 2015
8,694 posts
  •  
  • 0
Bazoaxe
Tough call nelly, but probably right. Based on my own experience my recent good times came after 6months+ of uninterrupted training and when I tried to run well previously off compromised training I ran times that were OK but not where I wanted them to be.

I will have a similar call to make soon I guess as I am now 3 weeks off running and although I have had a couple of runs on grass, they are a long way from being anything like the prep I will need. I suspect I am at least a week, probbaly more, from being able to train normally again. Currently persevering with exercise bike which I know from experience is not a great substiture and is also insanely boring being sat in my garage which I turn into a sauna.....
Jul 2015
2:51pm, 6 Jul 2015
1,928 posts
  •  
  • 0
Windsor Wool
Excellent running Dan. You have the knack now, and the confidence. Nice.

Clare - struggling here too. I've really done no quality off the back of Spring marathon training and it has shown in a series of really crap 5k races. TBH I am looking forward to getting back in to focussed marathon training later this month as dossing around doing the odd session here and there and then quite a few races is just making me frustrated, it's neither here nor there.

Nelly - really, really sorry to hear that but you are better than most at making sensible decisions so no doubt you have that one right too. Best wishes.
Jul 2015
2:53pm, 6 Jul 2015
8,695 posts
  •  
  • 0
Bazoaxe
great running dan and joe, never mind about an under par marathon, plenty more chances just around the corner ;-)
Jul 2015
3:26pm, 6 Jul 2015
3,197 posts
  •  
  • 0
clare1976
Firstly disappointing and sorry to hear that things not currently working out for Nelly and Bazooka in the Chester build-up. I was hoping to meet up with both of you after the event (you'd both have been way in front of me during the race!). Hope the niggles clear up soon.

Thank you everybody for your thoughts and input and also reassuring to know I'm not the only one in the same boat. Happy, I've not done a hard 5k for ages. The few parkruns I've done this year have all been as part of a long run so I really don't know where I am at. With that in mind, I have decided to go to the park on Weds evening and run a solo time trial 5k. We have a park with a nice flat 800m loop so I will give it a go. I will also think about doing some shorter interval training in the next few weeks - I like short track rep type training and I think I just need to remind my legs how to run faster and also when knackered / with lactic build-up. Curly, I always do a few miles beforehand too. But BS, 20x200!!! :-o. I think I'd lose count!!

Hunts, I do strides and have recently done a run with strides in there - I probably need to do more of these informally within 'easy' runs rather than turning it into a full on session which could be considered more akin to 100m intervals and hence a harder session.

About This Thread

Maintained by Windsor Wool
For those who want to go sub 3.15 in a marathon and/or those that have already done it and want to give advice. Share your journey or help someone else's! here.

2024 declarations:

Milan 7/4: Charles
Manchester 14/4: allmatthew, Fergus
Rotterdam 14/4: Akie
Christchurch NZ 21/4: Mark J
London 21/4: KS, larkim
Boston UK 28/4: SJA
Copenhagen 5/5: bowman

-----------------------------
2023 sub 3:15s:

Bowman: 3:06:57 (Växjö), 3:09 (Jönköping)
charlesvdw: 3:03:33 (Berlin), 3:07:55 (London)
chrismean: 3:12:45 (London)
FergusG: 3:13:41 (Manchester)
JDA: 2:52:48 (Manchester)
larkim: 3:09:30 (London)
Rossco: 3:05:15 (NYC)
WW: 3:05:45 (Manchester)

Other very notable 2023 performances:

allmatthew: 3:17:40 (Manchester)
Clare: 3:16:59 (London)
KS: 3:35:13 (London)
tipsku: 3:29:36 (Leipzig)

Related Threads

  • goals
  • marathon
  • sub
  • support
  • training









Back To Top
X

Free training & racing tools for runners, cyclists, swimmers & walkers.

Fetcheveryone lets you analyse your training, find races, plot routes, chat in our forum, get advice, play games - and more! Nothing is behind a paywall, and it'll stay that way thanks to our awesome community!
Get Started
Click here to join 112,117 Fetchies!
Already a Fetchie? Sign in here