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The Sub 4 Support Thread

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 523 ✭✭✭FinnC



    Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results


    Fair play to you ewc1978 for admitting you needed a new approach and doing something about it.

    I train the same way you do and I consider changing to this way of training was the sole reason that got me to the promised land of a sub 3 Marathon after many failed attempts.

    Best of luck with your future training, its time for you to have a look at the sub 3 thread 😜😱



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,166 ✭✭✭BKWDR


    Got sub 4 in Belfast on my 2nd marathon ever.

    Like some distances and times, do people find that once they achieve the sub 4 , that its nearly easier to replicate it or is it just that the marathon is a different animal and too many moving parts?


    Well done OP on your recent sub 3'30



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    It depends on who you are and where you’re coming from. For a male runner under 50, I’d say sub-4 is a pathway to sub-3:30. Everything else will be a bonus. If you are in your 30s or 40s, be more ambitious, maybe. Up to you really.



  • Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭Anbocmorrua


    With so much success around here do we need a sub 3.30 thread?



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    We have one already.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 437 ✭✭JKerova1


    Anyone here aiming for sub 4 in Cork this summer?



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,750 ✭✭✭masterK


    Yep sure am. Travelling down for the weekend so really looking forward to it.



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    How's your training coming along? This is my first ever attempt at a full marathon. So far I'm up to about 16 miles on training runs. Feels like a long way to go to 26!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,750 ✭✭✭masterK


    It's going pretty well so far, the next 5 weeks will be the toughest part. Best of luck on the first attempt, this will be my 2nd.

    Not sure if anyone listens to the Any Given Runday podcasts, they did an episode recently on Cork

    For those of us not from Cork according to their guest the route is downhill all the way with the wind on your back the whole time😂



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭Bluesquare


    i have only ever did the half in Cork -my memory of the hills is slightly different 🤣.

    Good luck to both of you .

    Have you did any tune up races ? Have you a pace plan for the day? What shoes are you wearing ?

    Hopefully I will be targeting sub4 myself come October so always looking for info



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  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    I did the Cobh 10 last week. The race went really well and I was delighted with my time. My legs are really sore though, must have been all the steep down hills! I haven't really any plan formulated yet. At the moment my long runs are up to 15 miles so it still feels a long way off before marathon distance. I have always used Brookes runners since 2015 and find they give great support.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Cork is a great marathon and a fair course. This thread is probably more about consistent <4 hour training than particular marathon courses though. The more interesting question is: if you your Cork goal is sub-4, what are you bringing to it, training wise.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Fantastic to hear this news, ewc78. Where did you break the sub-4? I note from the other thread that a sub-3 is in your sights so obviously the breakthrough was decisive, which is fantastic to see. You mentioned earlier about cross training being a big part of the approach, can you tell us more? Really incredible progress!



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    If you are training for Cork in June would you be beginning to taper around now or is it too soon? I'm following a programme since late January. I did a 20 mile run over a week or so ago and did 16 miles yesterday. I'm just wondering is it too soon to be cutting down the distance of the long run? It seems a big jump to go from 20 miles training to 26.2 on marathon day...I don't feel confident.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    What does the programme say? If following it since January, might as well stick with it. It's normal for the long runs to reduce in length over the final few weeks. And not unusual for the long run to peak at 20 miles. What's your marathon history to date?



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    Yeah it says my longest run should be 20 miles. This is my first attempt at a marathon, so I'm just a bit uncertain if I'm doing the right thing.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,221 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Sounds like you are going about it correctly. What’s the plan that you’re using? Best of luck with it all.




  • Registered Users Posts: 2,602 ✭✭✭4Ad


    I'm well used to running and I struggled on a 10k this morning.

    I'd imagine you will easily break 4 hours.

    Just pat yourself on the back on a doing a marathon...Well Done.

    How many people do you know have finished a Marathon !!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    Thanks very much for the kind words. Yeah I suppose I don't know too many people that have actually finished one.



  • Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭thehairygrape


    Watching the race for a change today. You shouldn’t be disheartened with that time. The heat was savage. Well done. As an aside, what’s the feedback on the wooden medals?



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    Not great. I think they look very cheap. The t-shirt this year seems really cheap too actually.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,990 ✭✭✭Kellygirl


    Congrats on becoming a marathoner! Yesterday was tough. I did the 10Km at a jog and the heat was unreal. We haven’t had any time to acclimatise either as stayed cold until a couple of weeks ago. You would have been faster on a cooler day.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,242 ✭✭✭ariana`


    Well done, great achievement to finish a marathon! It was your first marathon so a PB all the same and not far at all off sub 4 at all. It will be there for you next time, don't worry. Recover well now and try to savour the achievement, good on you 👋👋



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    Thanks very much. Now that the dust has settled a bit I'm a bit happier at actually having done it alright. Can the marathon ever actually be enjoyable? I've heard people say it's an enjoyable experience with the atmosphere and everything. After the first ten miles I didn't enjoy Cork at all. In fact the last ten miles was awful. I really don't know if I could do another one. I thought I was well prepared going into it but it didn't seem like that on the day.



  • Registered Users Posts: 658 ✭✭✭weadick


    Thanks...amazing how one marathon experience can vary from another. How long does it take to get over a marathon? I've been told no races, even parkruns, for three weeks. To be honest I don't feel remotely like running another race right now anyway!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,990 ✭✭✭Kellygirl


    They say a day for every mile but I think listen to your body. Don’t rush it anyway. There’s a lot of repairing to be done. A few easy runs when you are feeling up to it won’t do any harm but I wouldn’t do speed work or races. No harm to jog around Parkrun though if you feel like it.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,242 ✭✭✭ariana`


    Exactly what @Kellygirl says there. I'd try to get active again soon enough if you have no persistent soreness, but active could just be going for walks for now. I'm not sure what your circumstances are but I'd use the time to make it up to the people who made sacrifices for me during the training block and catching up on the activities I missed out on, whether that is going for walks with friends or my other half, bike rides or swimming with the kids etc.. You need a mental break after a marathon training block, as well as a physical break i think.



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