The Sub 3 Support Thread

ploughon wrote: »

Thanks ice9,
Amsterdam and Berlin sound good.

Does anyone know anything about Rotterdam?
or any other Spring Marathons people would recommend??

There is always the option of another sufferfest in Connamara, at least you know what to expect in Conn and it never disappoints on that score!!

Seville in Feb, runners race, very flat. Usually reasonable weather.

Barcelona in middle of March

TbL

Toblerone1978 wrote: »

Based on some of your posts, I would consider us to be at similar levels. I had a rub of the green on Monday going for the sub 3 and you had some bad luck going for the sub 3, particularly with the Waterford marathon. But the training for the last two marathons can still be used as a strong base. For what its worth, I think that a sub 3 is definitely in yours and another good training cycle + the base you have from this year (e.g. compare your base coming into 2014 vs 2015!) should achieve this.

That said, you had two marathons in short enough successions so if you feel like anything like me, I'd be making sure to let the body recover fully, over a good few weeks, before taking on another marathon training cycle. Perhaps consider another training programme, just to mix it up a bit?

Yeah I think it might be time to take a bit of a break from the heavy stuff alright. A good recovery period is needed with maybe a few shorter races or a venture into the mad world of cross country! I'll see how the land lies in the new year and take it from there. I see you're a Kilkenny man, not too far away myself. I do the track sessions in there every week!
Btw, what an outstanding result you had yourself! I think it was more than a bit of luck that got you in under the 3 hr mark. You're training must have gone brilliantly. To achieve your goal in those conditions...one word- Respect!

viperlogic wrote: »

Limerick is not a fast course if chasing a PB/sub-3, ran it this year. Unfortunately one of the worst I've done, literately no support out on course, rolling pulls, few loop back sections and poor scenery.

Yes I would have to agree with all of that. Just couldn't be sure about how difficult it was because I was not very well trained for it. Sounds like we are scratching limerick off the list !

After much deliberation I finally decided last Saturday that I wasn't going to line up with the 3:00 pacers on monday,my plan was to go through half way in as close to 1:32:30 as possible and if I was feeling good at that stage to try and blast a 1:27:30 second half or as close to it as possible.
Went through half way in 1:32:47 but the climb from dolphin's barn to walkinstown put an end to any hope of sub 3,I really struggled over these 2 miles with the combination of wind and hill.maybe 3:05 could be on the cards but pretty soon that was off the agenda too. Around mile 18 the 3:10 pacers were on my back and it really shocked me,I dug in for a couple of miles but eventually lost them coming up roebuck hill which nearly killed me,by far my slowest mile of the whole race.at this stage all that was on my mind was sub 3:15 and a gfa for london,it was a battle all the way but I got there with just under a minute to spare,absolutely delighted.
In hindsight I'm glad I didn't go out with the 3 hour pacers cos I wouldn't have even got the sub 3:15 and I would've been pretty devastated to be honest.
A lot done,more to do as Bertie once said,I'd love to go sub 3 hour one day but I'm not getting any younger so who knows..

^^ What he said - took me 11 marathons and age 41 too
Don't let age put you off at all.

the boys on marathon talk (tom and tony) spoke about the first time they both went sub 3 hour 10 years ago in the latest episode,interesting stuff.
i honestly think if i'd stayed with the 3:10 pacers from the start i'd have bagged a sub 3:10 on monday but i'd be asking myself now what might have been if i'd gone out quicker,at least i know now that sub 3 is just not there yet and i need to work harder for next time.

Hi Folks,

just wondering what training plans people are doing or planning to do for the Spring sub 3 campaign??

ploughon wrote: »

Hi Folks,

just wondering what training plans people are doing or planning to do for the Spring sub 3 campaign??

not doing a spring marathon but considering going up to p+d 55-70 mile plan for DCM 15.

viperlogic wrote: »

Would highly recommend P&D 55-70 mile program. It got me the sub 3 last month

I also used this plan (last 8 weeks) and managed a sub 3. Although I followed it to the letter, I think sometimes you can learn more by reading logs of other runners on the forum (sub 3, faster or even some who just missed out).

I know from personal experience having read through a few of the latter that I felt a crucial factor was training for a faster time than 2:59:59. This allows a little cushion in case everything doesn't go exactly to plan on the day (which it rarely does in the marathon). When I was growing up, my dad always used to say "Circumstances rule", and in no place is this more true than the marathon. An unplanned toilet break, abnormal weather conditions etc. will cost you more than one second, which gives you no wiggle room on 2:59:59. Have a look through a few logs and learn from them. I was given very good advice on my own log recently about devising my own personal plan. After all, P&D etc may be good, but it's a generic plan aimed at millions of people and no one person's body is the same. See what you like/don't like, what worked/didn't work and then decide what sort of plan/approach suits you best. At the end of the day, nobody knows your body better than yourself.

summit2summit wrote: »

Hi boards, on June 18th I started a sub 3 marathon plan for the Dublin marathon next October. Im starting off with three weeks of 30 mpw at PMP +1 minute and from week four onwards, I plan to introduce more miles and a variation of running, ie LSR's, intervals etc..

Anyway, I just had one question before all the hard work starts...

I cycle to work 5 days a week which consists of 2x8 miles X 5 days a week. Total ~80 miles per week or 5 hours on the bike.

Is this too much cycling to try and fit on top of a sub 3 plan or will it actually be beneficial to it?

Thanks in advance.

S2S

The cycling will probably be neither here nor there if you've been doing it for a while and it doesn't take a lot out of you. Mildly beneficial I would have said.

I do wonder about your plan for Dublin though. Have you picked it up from somewhere?

summit2summit wrote: »

Thanks. As for the plan, I just got it off a mate who got it from a club he ran with a few years back. It contained plans for sub 3 and sub 3.5

It sounds like a different approach to what I've come across before. I'd be be interested to find out how you get on.

P&D 55-70 plan is great. Tough but doable. The 15 milers midweek really set you up both mentally and physically.

ploughon wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Posting here for two reasons...

Firstly to give this brilliant thread a bump, there is so much great information here.

Secondly, I'm still searching for/working towards my sub 3, and wondering if there is anyone in the same boat at the minute.

I got myself down to a 3.06 this year, so it seems a lot more achievable now.

Just looking at plans and races for the New Year, anyone else got a sub 3 on the brain??

Three words....

Mileage, mileage, mileage.

Best of luck!