Best Marathon Time

G-Money

I know I have a long way to go but I think that eventually, I may sign myself up for a marathon somewhere. The only thing I know for sure is that it definitely won't be this year and the earliest it would be is Autumn next year.

Anyway I was talking to a runner friend of mine yesterday about marathon's and time's etc. I realise that the elite's are on a totally different level and as well as putting in the training and effort, they most likely have a certain amount of natural talents that no amount of training could make up for.

It got me to thinking though, if I put in enough training and have everything else right like diet and weight. What would be the fastest time I could achieve approximately? I'm very slow at the moment, most likely due to my weight and lack of fitness but I also think I'm not really talented athletically either.

It's more just of a general wondering as to how fast I could potentially go if I got the training and diet right and had enough time. Sub 3? Sub 2.30?

a 3hr marathon is a difficult achievement. look at this - the calculator at the bottom. in all fairness you'd probably need to drop another 50 pounds and get up to running 100 km a week with a very focussed plan to even get near a 3 hour marathon.

actually just looking into it a bit more - the odds are really against you if you're carrying more than just over 12 stone (170 pounds) for getting under 3 hours.

RayCun

Didn't you ask before about competing internationally?

I don't mean to be blunt, but there is absolutely no point in dreaming about things that may happen in five or ten years time, if you do this, and if you do that.

Set yourself a goal for six months from now. Better yet, set yourself two goals, one for weight loss and one for running. Follow a realistic plan to get you there, with intermediate targets that progress steadily over that period.

menoscemo

I agree with Ray. Short term goals are essential....get your 5k time down. Do a 10k and get that time down.
Short term goals keep you focussed on getting fitter and faster. If you don't complete the short term goals you can forget about the long term goals.

However to answer the initial question, any reasonably young male should be able to get under 3 hours for a Marathon. It may take years of training and consistency (as it will for me) but it is doable with the right kind of dedication.

tunguska

You're beaten before you even start if thats what you think. This nonsense that people are born athletic or naturally gifted. Thats just an excuse people use to let themselves off the hook. Have a read of this book, it makes nonsense of the Natural talent myth.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bounce-How-Champions-are-Made/dp/000735052X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301152888&sr=1-1

Its great to dream, I think its essential, but I agree with the lads in that you should focus on your immediate goals. Live in daytight compartments and aim to achieve your daily fitness goals. The most important ingedient isnt natural ability, its honesty. Being absolutley, brutally honest with yourself, not letting yourself make excuses or wussing out. Making a genuine effort.

G-Money

I was just curious as to how fast someone can go if they aren't elite. I'd still consider myself pretty new to the whole running thing as I don't have much experience of it.

As I'm so slow at the moment, my brain automatically starts to wonder how fast could I go in the right circumstances. But not necessarily thinking I'd be right at the sharp end or anything. Far from it actually.

huskerdu

G-Money wrote: »

I was just curious as to how fast someone can go if they aren't elite. I'd still consider myself pretty new to the whole running thing as I don't have much experience of it.

As I'm so slow at the moment, my brain automatically starts to wonder how fast could I go in the right circumstances. But not necessarily thinking I'd be right at the sharp end or anything. Far from it actually.

It's a good start that you are curious and thinking that way.
The answer is the same as " How long is a piece of string ?"

If you keep up the running, stay injury free and aim for the DCM in 2012, you can do a sub 4 hours marathon, maybe 3.30 if everything went well, and you really catch the bug.

The advice above about having real short term and medium term goals and sticking to them is the key to getting you on the road.

After that, it is a matter of how driven you are to do the training to get the time down to sub-3.

Maybe you will want to do that, maybe you won't.

G-Money

huskerdu wrote: »

It's a good start that you are curious and thinking that way.
The answer is the same as " How long is a piece of string ?"

If you keep up the running, stay injury free and aim for the DCM in 2012, you can do a sub 4 hours marathon, maybe 3.30 if everything went well, and you really catch the bug.

The advice above about having real short term and medium term goals and sticking to them is the key to getting you on the road.

After that, it is a matter of how driven you are to do the training to get the time down to sub-3.

Maybe you will want to do that, maybe you won't.

Ok.

Thanks.

RoyMcC

tunguska wrote: »

You're beaten before you even start if thats what you think. This nonsense that people are born athletic or naturally gifted. Thats just an excuse people use to let themselves off the hook. Have a read of this book, it makes nonsense of the Natural talent myth.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bounce-How-Champions-are-Made/dp/000735052X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301152888&sr=1-1

Its great to dream, I think its essential, but I agree with the lads in that you should focus on your immediate goals. Live in daytight compartments and aim to achieve your daily fitness goals. The most important ingedient isnt natural ability, its honesty. Being absolutley, brutally honest with yourself, not letting yourself make excuses or wussing out. Making a genuine effort.

That's a good and inspirational post tungusta. But surely you and Matthew Syed are not saying that everyone is born with an equal amount of talent. Are you? Hard work and honesty will get you so far but you need talent as well to be a top performer.

rom

Like everything in life if you are single minded and really really want it then you will achieve it. Ran last Aug and nearly died after 3k, can run 20+k now, also would love to run a sub 3 hr but will run a half soon and maybe a full one a few months after that if I get there this year. If you are new to running do C25K and continue from their. End goal for you is to run a marathon and once you have done that then you can considerate about getting your time under 3hrs. If you just want to do it for something to brag about then you won't achieve it. Its a personal thing and self believe and motivation is the only thing that will get you to your goal.

tHE vAGGABOND

This nonsense that people are born athletic or naturally gifted. Thats just an excuse people use to let themselves off the hook.

This time last year I had basically never run a step, I could hardly walk up the stairs to my gaff. I was over 20 stone...

I got into running last August, via Couch to 5k [and seeing a mate take part in the race series] - thats what, 7/8 months ago. I caught the running bug from there. I did my first race at the end of September, a local 5k race, and have never really stopped from there.

I'm now 14 stone something [no longer care about my weight for first time in my life, as I'm a "normal" weight! I have no aspirations to be a stick insect!!!]. I'm doing my first half marathon in 2 weeks [no interest in my time at all, I want do it and have a laugh - end of story].

I plan on running the Dublin City Marathon in October.

I dont give a monkeys about marathon times this year either. What little running experience I have tells me what kind of times I should be getting, but I really dont care. Getting to the race in once piece, getting around the course and raising some money for some lucky charity are the missions this year [I can bore you all here, this time next year, with tales of how I want to break this time and the usual stuff like that!]

I think starting off, from not really being have run anywhere with a goal of "sub 3 hour marathon" is unhealthy - and is setting yourself up for a fall right from the off, which cant be good.

Get into running, start running, do a few races, and if your naturally brilliant - then happy days the world will be your oyster. But take it from me, you get the benefit of the endorphins, if your slow like me, or if your a Kenyan champion

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Hard work, you get out what you put in. I know it is a cliche but it is so so true. From a running novice last year to running a 3.19 in my 3rd mara. I now have real aspirations for a good craic at a sub 3hr in the next year or two once i get my times down further but it aint gonna be easy, better runners than me have tried and failed.
It does not happen overnight and takes hard graft, well for me anyway!!

TFBubendorfer

Hard work is right, but smart work is required as well.

My first marathon was 4:06, me second 4:25 or so. And I was not taking it easy, these were the best I could manage.

Training a lot got my time down to 3:05, but then I plateaued.

Training with a coach who knew what he was doing finally gave me a new boost, two years later. If I manage to stay healthy for 3 more weeks, 2:55 will be achievable.

numorouno

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

This time last year I had basically never run a step, I could hardly walk up the stairs to my gaff. I was over 20 stone...

I dont give a monkeys about marathon times this year either. What little running experience I have tells me what kind of times I should be getting, but I really dont care. Getting to the race in once piece, getting around the course and raising some money for some lucky charity are the missions this year

Get into running, start running, do a few races, and if your naturally brilliant - then happy days the world will be your oyster. But take it from me, you get the benefit of the endorphins, if your slow like me, or if your a Kenyan champion

This is exactly my story.i was the exact same but i would advise doing a marathon sooner rather than later like DCM this year and get the expierance if DMC 2012 is your main goal because then you'll know what its like. i did cork in 2009 and totally blew up and was very disappointed but i recovered it all in DCM 2010 but i wouldnt have known what to do without the previous expierance. also do as many short bhaa races that you can to get the expierance and for the fun of it

rom

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=71355474 reminds me of a question I was asked a few years ago in an interview he asked "where do you see yourself in 5 years ?" typical interview crap my answer "I strongly believe in short and long term goals but also I believe more in achieving them than talking about them" best of luck with getting fit but starting a thread about winning a marathon at this stage is a bit silly.

G-Money

Ok, everyone seems to have got the wrong impression from my first post. I never said or hinted that I was aiming or hoping to win a race or break world records or something. I was simply curious as to how fast someone could go assuming they don't have any sort of athletic ability. That was it. I wasn't even thinking I'd getting to my maximum ability.

If I was doing a marathon, getting sub 5 hours would be my goal.

Winning a race? Only if I was the only one running it.

RayCun

I agree with Tunguska above, in that 'natural athletic ability' is not important here.

If you dedicate your life to marathon running, you can run under 2.30 - but that would involve full time training for years, which is something you, me, and most of the people reading this aren't going to do. Since you are never going to perform at your absolute peak, the limiting factor is not how high that peak is, but how close to it you get.

rom

G-Money wrote: »

Ok, everyone seems to have got the wrong impression from my first post. I never said or hinted that I was aiming or hoping to win a race or break world records or something. I was simply curious as to how fast someone could go assuming they don't have any sort of athletic ability. That was it. I wasn't even thinking I'd getting to my maximum ability.

If I was doing a marathon, getting sub 5 hours would be my goal.

Winning a race? Only if I was the only one running it.

Set achieveable short term goals and you will get to where you want.Also if you focus on your running rather than weight loss then you will get better results and weight loss will be a by-prodcut. Focusing on your running is a positive goal, weight loss is not as you will accociate weight loss with fasting etc but running a 5k in x time will give you a warm fuzzy feeling. I know which one would motivate me more if you see my point. Running my first 10 mile race today. Goal is sub 80 mins.

Mac Cormaic

RayCun wrote: »

I agree with Tunguska above, in that 'natural athletic ability' is not important here.

If you dedicate your life to marathon running, you can run under 2.30 - but that would involve full time training for years, which is something you, me, and most of the people reading this aren't going to do. Since you are never going to perform at your absolute peak, the limiting factor is not how high that peak is, but how close to it you get.

Well I'm putting that to the test at the moment to see how fast I can reduce my times down from a 3.40 marathon (dublin) to a 2.30 marathon. Had a hiccup with an injury which set my training back a month or two (regarding build up of speed) but 90% back on track now.

Mac Cormaic

glasso wrote: »

actually just looking into it a bit more - the odds are really against you if you're carrying more than just over 12 stone (170 pounds) for getting under 3 hours.

I have another 2 stone to lose so lol

RayCun

Mac Cormaic wrote: »

Well I'm putting that to the test at the moment to see how fast I can reduce my times down from a 3.40 marathon (dublin) to a 2.30 marathon.

when I say 'a 2.30 marathon is possible', I also said 'but that would involve full time training for years'.

runsalot

i'd disagree with you on the weight issue.
It depends on height, built and how much mileage is put in.
Derek Clayton was 160 lbs and he has a 2:08:33 world record to his name.
http://www.time-to-run.com/marathon/athletes/clayton.htm

Mr Slow

If you aim for the final hurdle now, you won't enjoy making all the mini targets in the meantime. Part of the joy of running for me is getting better, sure I'd love to think I'll run a 3 hour marathon down the road but I'm not going to deny myself the pleasure of reaching each time bracket along the way. Yesterday I ran my fastest 10 mile race, next time I hope to run faster, someday I hope to break 60mins but if I shave a minute or two off of my time this year I'll be thrilled.

Live in the now!

tunguska

RoyMcC wrote: »

That's a good and inspirational post tungusta. But surely you and Matthew Syed are not saying that everyone is born with an equal amount of talent. Are you? Hard work and honesty will get you so far but you need talent as well to be a top performer.

Dont mean to stray off topic here but yes, I absolutley 100% believe it Rory. Sure have a read of the book yourself, see what you think. Not saying you'll be a convert or anything but Syed does throw up some very convincing arguments in favour of nurture over nature.

RoyMcC

tunguska wrote: »

Dont mean to stray off topic here but yes, I absolutley 100% believe it Rory. Sure have a read of the book yourself, see what you think. Not saying you'll be a convert or anything but Syed does throw up some very convincing arguments in favour of nurture over nature.

Righto, I'll keep an open mind and have a read. Then I'll come back (on a new thread) and disagree with you

dermCu

tunguska wrote: »

Dont mean to stray off topic here but yes, I absolutley 100% believe it Rory. Sure have a read of the book yourself, see what you think. Not saying you'll be a convert or anything but Syed does throw up some very convincing arguments in favour of nurture over nature.

I don't have strong views either way but the boffin in this article seems to agree with you:

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/No-proof-sporting-success-is.6739301.jp?articlepage=3

--amadeus--

Talent starts about 15 mins faster than you, I reckon!

I agree that you don't need a huge amount of talent to break 3. But I think you do need a certain amount of luck - better runners than me have missed out on sub 3. And to go much faster than that; into the 2:45 range and beyond I think you do need something more, after all people at that pace would be competitive at the sharp end of a lot of local races

Gringo78

tunguska wrote: »

Dont mean to stray off topic here but yes, I absolutley 100% believe it Rory. Sure have a read of the book yourself, see what you think. Not saying you'll be a convert or anything but Syed does throw up some very convincing arguments in favour of nurture over nature.

I'm fairly sure there was an interview on Newstalk Off the Ball with him about 12 months back. Very interesting and I have to say I wouldn't disagree with him. Did he also coin (or re-coin) the "10,000 hours to be good at something" phrase?

I disagree with some other posts indicating you would need to devote your entire life etc etc to achieve times like 2:30 - a fair degree of time would need to be set aside but to build up to 100mpw training over 3-4 years would involve maybe a max of 10 hours per week training - not exactly obsessive hours there by a long shot, plenty of other amateur sports entail way more committment (e.g Golf - thats 2 rounds a week and thats not going to improve your game much). What you would need to do is stay relatively injury free and train consistently all year round - I might be generalising here but generally those who train well & consistently all year round and have logs on here improve consistently - the returns might get smaller and smaller but they're there.

Find a runner who's trained more or less consistently for 10,000 hours, is under 40 years old and averages minimum 8-10 hours a week running and not lost out too much due to injury and is normal athletic weight and then look at their PB's - you'll probably find they're at or better than 2:30 pace for marathon or equivalent pace for another distance.

Best approach to see how fast you can go - run consistently without unneccessary breaks for 10 years

RayCun

Gringo78 wrote: »

Find a runner who's trained more or less consistently for 10,000 hours, is under 40 years old and averages minimum 8-10 hours a week running and not lost out too much due to injury and is normal athletic weight and then look at their PB's - you'll probably find they're at or better than 2:30 pace for marathon or equivalent pace for another distance.

I agree!
When I was talking about dedicating your life to marathon running to go under 2.30 I was talking about someone coming late to athletics. If you're starting at 30 you're working against the clock, because you will slow down as you get older and you have less time to fit in those 10,000 hours of practice.

DubGreggie

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Hard work is right, but smart work is required as well.

My first marathon was 4:06, me second 4:25 or so. And I was not taking it easy, these were the best I could manage.

Training a lot got my time down to 3:05, but then I plateaued.

Training with a coach who knew what he was doing finally gave me a new boost, two years later. If I manage to stay healthy for 3 more weeks, 2:55 will be achievable.

I'm soooo impressed with that, let me explain

Firstly. a short me. A 39 year old rugby player, stocky and immobile, definately a piano mover rather than a piano player. I used to be very good at what I did, I studied the art or scrummaging for hours, dissecting technique and opponents for eons, and have the medals to prove it. The hiatus came when one lovely sunny April day, while the ground was rock hard, was tackled and fell backwards on the point of my right elbow....... and all the ligaments separated. Indeed, the tackler could probably have carried away my arm, an innocent tackle by him, the consequences were truly an accident. Of course, it probably would have healed ok, until I made that cardinal mistake that I'm sure is familiar to all posters here, I returned too early. Of Course It Is Fine, I'll have noooooo problems........ or something....AARRRRGGHHH

So that was that... You can't play in the front row when your shoulders are weak.... you can't out-macho the opposition, when they'll collapse the scrum until you scream for mercy....

so I went off and did other things. I found beer, girls, good stuff. I finished my law degree in UCD, did my apprenticeship, qualified as a solicitor, worked all sorts of gods hours, and now have my own law firm.

But something is/was missing.

So last year, when I was challenged to run the Spar 10k in the Park, I took it on, because it was a challenge, and I thought I could. And I finished, in pain, but not unduly so.

And the addiction started.

The energy of that day convinced me. The people all wanting to compete, not against the others standing in line at the start, but against themselves.

I had found a race, where the toughest opponent was me. There'll be quicker people, there'll be slower people, but I know what I've done.. when.. in what time.. over what distance... and what I should have...

And then my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas... unfortunately she listened and bought me a Garmin Forerunner 405, now all the data, historical and current, is on my desktop....

And the addiction worsened.

And I started to run more.

My weight shifted, i moved from 105 kg to my current 92, in a year.

A nice fringe benefit, but my concern was not whether i'd look better, as my wife thinks, but would I shave some time off my runs.

I ran/walked 4 half marathons last year. I'm 39, i'm not a runner, so I accept I won't be able to run all the way.... yet.

But I will finish, I will complete, I will join at the finish line and say, yes, i too beat my demons, and this medal is mine.

And now I've moved onto a marathon target. After considerable thought, I've signed up for Limerick. Am I fit enough? The head says just about, the demons tell me no way, they lurk at the back of my mind to remind me I'll be lucky to finish in 5 hours, just before the last of the walkers.

But to encourage myself, I've been following RunIreland, I've been using their inspiration to drive me on. One of their posters, I read all the time, Monsieur Buberdorfer. He's a fairly serious chap, ability to burn, and I can identify with al lhe says in his articles. (For those who haven't read them, I highly recommend it). He's the sort of guy i envision wandering leisurely home in sub 3 hours, and to be sipping a Martini in a fashionable bar surrounded by supermodels by the time I drag myself panting to the finish.

I'm sure he is at that stage now, with models aplenty!

But he was good enough to throw the above quote in. And now I realise we can all start somewhere. I will be, its the first for me, all I want to do is finish, before the guy in the giant chicken outfit and the 72 year old power walker.

Because last weekend, I went out for my long slow run.. .and it went really badly. The physical reason was the heat, I got badly dehydrated, and that did more than just shorten my run, it dented my confidence. OMG, I only have a month to go and my progress has stalled! There is no way to explain that to non runner, I only did 28k rather than 30k, they ain't gonna pick up the nuances.

But now I find out that the guy I have so much respect for started out somewhat like I hope to. More to the point, he dipped after the first to the second, and then lifted himself.

If I can reach his times over the next couple of years, I'll be very happy.

In the interim, thanks Thomas, I'll remember this story when i'm closing out the Limerick marathon on the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Because after reading that, I Now Know I'm Going to Finish, it mightn't be the quickest, it mightn't be pretty, but its the first, the first of many....

And all of you reading this can do it to, most will have run their distance, some will be planning one, but you too can set yourself a target, in running or in life, and achieve and surpass it.

Greg

Follow not in other's footsteps, blaze your own trail

jb-ski

Greg, well done so far, good luck with the training.


(I'll be putting the feet up with a cup of tea before
reading your next post )

baza1976

Post of the year I would say........ No, I'm not crying, there is something in my eye:o

TFBubendorfer

Wow, thanks a lot, I'm stunned after reading this. I don't think I deserved any that praise but I'm glad if someone finds inspiration from whatever I do.

I've got to show that to my wife (maybe after editing out the bit about the supermodels )

TFBubendorfer

Oh, and of course, all the best in Limerick!

dernipper

That post is one of the best adverts for running that I have read, and I agree Monsieur Buberdorfer is indeed a good read !!

slowsteady

DubGreggie wrote: »

I Now Know I'm Going to Finish, it mightn't be the quickest, it mightn't be pretty, but its the first,

Greg, this is what it is all about, the target is to finish, anyway, anyhow...then comes the good bit...trying to do better.

My finish was in the DCM last year. Now I am trying to beat it, doing the half in Limerick so look forward to seeing how you get on.