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How many miles per week to run a sub 4hr marathon?

  • 11-12-2009 9:37pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 121 ✭✭


    A goal of mine over the next year is to get my marathon time down under 4hours. (maybe i should start a training log keep me motivated :confused:)
    my time for 2007 is just over 5 hours :eek:


    having looked around at few training programs hal higdon etc.

    should i start off and follow a half marathon training program or go straight to a marathon training program?

    How many miles a week should i be aiming to do in order to get a sub 4 hr marathon? ive heard approx 25 miles per week??


    My shorter distances have improved over the past year eg
    5k was 26mins now 22.5
    10K was 59mins now 52:00

    its just the longer distances im having trouble with my legs cant seem to take it after 8 or 9 miles.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,082 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    25 should be enough. Really, it's the quality of the sessions that counts rather than the strict mileage. Obviously you'll need to get the long runs in as well, but the long runs will be slow paced just to get you used to being on your feet for a long time. You only need to do a very long run every second week, the interim weeks should be shorter, faster runs. I reckon you should get used to running a combination of interval, tempo and recovery sessions 5 days a week, then start building up the long runs by approx 2 miles every fortnight. Once you get comfortable running say 13 miles or more, start introducing maybe 8-10 mile sessions between the long runs with some faster running thrown in.

    Looking at my own training log, I did 41 miles last week (had an LSR in there), but it looks like I'll only be doing 25 this week. But this week has more variety and pace.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,442 ✭✭✭Condo131


    A rule of thumb we used to have was that you can race 1/20th of your last 8 weeks total mileage. In other words, if you want to race a marathon, you need to be doing at least 65 miles a week for optimum performance.

    You want to do sub 4, rather than race it, so you don't need to go to 65mpw. Imho, you need to be doing at least 40/week in the two to three months coming up to your marathon.

    The first thing you need to be doing is increasing your long run distance/time. You can do this on grass if your legs are having trouble with the load - assuming that it's the load, rather than biomechanical weakness, that's causing your problems. Where possible, avoid concrete and, in particular, footpaths that have a lot of 'ups & downs'.

    Once you've reasonable core stamina & strength, you can start building in speedwork & tempo runs.

    Your 5k time suggests that you shouldn't have any problem with 4hr, but your 10k time seems in line with your legs not coping with the higher mileage - it should be better, based on your 5k.

    Build on your strengths but you need to work on your weaknesses.

    Stark:
    On their own, all the speed sessions in the world won't get you through 26.22, you absolutely must have the distance work done. It will work with shorter distances like 5k and even 10k, as you'll be doing something close to these distances in your session anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,082 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    I probably should have pointed out that I'm not racing till April so my weekly mileage will no doubt be a lot higher in January/February/March.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,096 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    I don't think that it's possible to give an answer to this. Different people react differently to different training. Some people will never break 4, no matter how hard they train, others will wake up on teh day and think "I fancy a marathon" and they'll run sub 4 with ease. No-one can say with a 100% guarantee "run X miles and you'll go sub 4"

    What is more important to focus on, IMO is quality of mileage. Get a good training plan (search on here, lots are reccomended and discussed) and follow it. Build teh mileage progressivly. Run at the right intensities. Do the LSRs. Race pace and targets will look after themselves from there


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Condo131 wrote: »
    A rule of thumb we used to have was that you can race 1/20th of your last 8 weeks total mileage. In other words, if you want to race a marathon, you need to be doing at least 65 miles a week for optimum performance.
    Was this just a rule of thumb or is there any info on this, did a few sums there based on my own training and it seem to close enough to this too


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,442 ✭✭✭Condo131


    I agree with everything you say. I only replied here beacuse the OP was being reassured that 25 mpw was enough. (Having said that, my first marathon was 4:10 on 15 mpw :eek::eek::eek: - I know, stark raving bonkers!)
    No-one can say with a 100% guarantee "run X miles and you'll go sub 4"
    On the other hand, you can say that if you don't do at least X miles, you're unlikely to break 4. OK it's very subjective as we all have different natural abilities, but, in general 26.22 is VERy taxing for most of us.
    What is more important to focus on, IMO is quality of mileage. Get a good training plan (search on here, lots are reccomended and discussed) and follow it. Build teh mileage progressivly. Run at the right intensities. Do the LSRs. Race pace and targets will look after themselves from there
    Sound advice!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,442 ✭✭✭Condo131


    shels4ever wrote: »
    Was this just a rule of thumb or is there any info on this, did a few sums there based on my own training and it seem to close enough to this too
    I think I first got this from Bruce Tulloh, top UK coach.

    I put the general question to Ray Treacy, at his talk in Cork last week, "Why aren't we (in Ireland) producing the talent that was around when you and your peers were running?"
    His response, and my own belief also, was that we've gone soft. Up to the mid-80's, we were doing 80-120 mpw, and loads of people were doing good times. Was it 1987 that 5 Irish guys ran sub 2:11 in the National Marathon in wexford? When was the last time an Irish guy ran anything like this in Ireland?

    Ray believes that you need to be doing quality volumes AND have a cohort of peers doing the same - like critical mass. He reckons that the States are doing this again now, but that Europe has a long way to go to catch up.

    Digressed a bit off topic there, but it's related.


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