Are you seeking how to run under 3 hour 30 minute marathon pace? If so, I think you have come to the right website. I have run 2:19:35 for the marathon distance so understand how competitive a sub 3:30 marathon time is. There are very few athletes around the world who achieve this fast of a time each year. My goal is to ensure you start working smarter rather than harder and get the results you are seeking. A big reason runners miss the time is simply slowing down too much during the race. Of course, this problem occurs for a number of reasons. One of the biggest mistakes I made earlier in my career is not drinking enough during my race and running far too slow during long runs. Easy long runs are great for building endurance but not for increasing stamina and speed during the race. So, you need to start running your long runs faster as well.
You cannot sip fluids in a marathon. You need to ingest sufficient calories and fluid during a race of this length. Also, nutrition plays a huge part in marathon success. The athlete who is paying attention to ingesting sufficient protein after hard workouts is going to recover faster than one who is not. So, there are a lot of components that go into running under 3 hour 30 minute marathon pace.
Is 3 Hours 30 a Good Marathon Time?
Yes. A time of 3:29:59 for the marathon is a highly competitive time. One that runners around the world would love to own. So, in order to achieve this time you need to train well below 3:30 marathon pace. Again, it isn't about volume that will bring you to this time. It is a matter of the type of training you are doing. High mileage isn't a guarantee you will run under 3 hours 30 minutes for the marathon. The smartest athlete usually will get the results and not always the hardest working athlete. You could be running 100 miles a week but still miss it. Remember, if too many of your miles or kilometers are run too slow you are shooting yourself in the foot.
The key is to get 3 hour 30 minute marathon pace to feel less demanding and more in control. Race pace is always going to take mental focus and concentration. It is one thing to sustain this pace for a 5K or 10K but another thing to hold it for an entire marathon. So, you have to be smart in how you set up your training. I have training plans and a running course specifically built for athletes seeing to run under 3 hours 30 minutes for the marathon.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRIVATE, MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY3:30 Marathon Training Plan PDF
All rundreamachieve training plans come in powerpoint PDF format. So, you can easily download upon purchase. One of the focus points of my programs are that they are 16 weeks in length. 4 months is sufficient time to prepare properly for any race distance. I recommend three specific key workouts for the marathoners I coach online. The first is doing 1, vo2 max workout per week. Again, you wan to train at paces that are much faster than 3 hour 30 minute marathon pace. So, you want to get that pace to feel more moderate rather than fast. Yes, this takes time and effort. That being said, if you are following a plan you take the guesswork out of your preparation.
Also, we focus on faster paced long runs. No, this doesn't mean running every weekend fast. We always alternate one, faster paced long run followed the following week by an easy recovery long run. Remember, the benefits of your hard work are going to come within the rest period. So, jogging on recovery days is key. The reason being is those hard days are going to test you both mentally and physically. You cannot continue to push the body anaerobically and expect a high return on your investment.
How Do I Train for a 3 30 Marathon?
I highly recommend extending the amount of time you are running at your anaerobic threshold. Your anaerobic threshold is the point where lactic acid begins to build up within the muscles. So, the more efficient you can clear lactic acid faster than it is building up the more effective you are going to be in the marathon. The only way to do this is to train much faster than sub 3:30 marathon pace. Again, you also have to have the discipline to slow down on easy days. The reason being is you have to recover from those hard track and road sessions that you are doing.
Remember, you are aiming for a very fast marathon time of 3:29:59 or faster. So, in order to run a specific time like this you need to train in a specific way. Higher volume isn't always the answer and higher mileage isn't a guarantee you will do it. So, you have to pay attention to the fundamentals. Our training plans focus on a recovery week every 4th week. Again, we focus on recovery after every hard workout. You need about 48 hours of easy jogging before attacking the next hard, anaerobic effort. Also, following what the best marathoners do and how we think is key in becoming a sub 3:30 marathoner.
CHECK OUT OUR RUNNING COURSESWhat is the Pace for a 3.5 Hour Marathon?
3 hour 30 minute marathon pace comes out to 8 minutes per mile or 4:58 per kilometer. Again, the key tactic here is to teach the body to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up. Imagine how easy this pace is going to feel if you have trained at paces closer to 6 minute mile pace or 3:55 kilometer pace. Of course, you will not be able to spend but a few seconds to a few minutes at these types of paces. That being said, training like this will make 3:30 marathon pace feel that much easier.
My focus with rundreamachieve training plans and our courses is to get the athlete to focus on periodization. You stress the body at a specific intensity for a 3 to 4 weeks. We then focus on the next higher intensity after you have adapted to the introductory effort. So, having a plan in place is keep to running 3:29:59. I always say in all my videos in at the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel to emulate what the best runners do. Study how the best marathoners set up their training and simply duplicate their work habits.
Closing Thoughts
I hope this post on how to break a sub 3:30 marathon has been helpful to you. Make sure to check out the resources here on the rundreamahcieve.com website. Again, we have training plans (listed in the navigation menu above) and running courses that are here to help set you up for success. Click on the button below to learn more about our sub 3:30 marathon course.
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