A 4 hour 30 minute marathon training program needs to encompass race pace training. There are endless amounts of hard working runners who still miss this time barrier. How can you be different and finally dip under the 4.30 marathon barrier? Well, there are some specific changes you will have to make in order to make it a reality in your life.
So, the goal here is to sustain 10.18 mile pace or 6.24 per kilometer over the entire 26.2 mile, 42.2 kilometer event. A common mistake runners make is giving up too soon. This is not an easy event. You need a smarter plan in order to get a better result. What is causing most marathoners the biggest issue is sustaining place. Yes, they can run sub 4.30 marathon pace for 15 miles but have difficulty covering the entire distance at the same pace.
Why does this occur? Well, based on my background I see it a combination of mental and physical leaks within the athletes preparation. It is not a problem with drive or motivation. I have lost count of the amount of athletes I've known who knew how to work hard but yet didn't run as fast as they wanted to.
So, you have to use leverage. What is leverage? Leverage simply means doing more with less. Furthermore, you have to get past quantity and start focusing on quality.
What Pace is a 4 Hour 30 Minute Marathon?
Athletes that have as their goal to run a 4.29.59 or faster marathon time need to sustain 10.18 mile or 6.24 per kilometer pace. This can be accomplished but you have to train properly. A greater percentage of your weekly volume need to spend training at, near, or far below this pace.
In addition, you need to have the same discipline to slow down on your recovery days as you do to train hard. Often times, athletes are overtrained. Also, they are running too fast on their easy days and too slow on their hard days.
It takes a different mindset and a renewed training strategy to break this barrier. You want race pace to feel more in control and less aggressive. How can this be done? Patience and persistence. There is no overnight success in this sport. The results of the workouts you do today will be seen in your fitness weeks and months from now.
So, you have to be very cognizant of your fitness and allow yourself time to adapt to the training stressors you are placing your body under. It always adapts. Furthermore, the most patient marathoners creates the greatest success. They know this is not a 5K or 10K event and more is going to be asked of them.
How to Run a Marathon in 4 Hours 30 Minutes
There are plenty of cookie-cutter programs online. What makes our training programs any different? Well, all come with a 30-day money back guarantee as do our courses. This isn't about money, it is about delivering results, period.
I created these courses and training programs and I know how to get results. Yes, I wasn't the fastest runner in the world but as a 2.19 marathoner I understand what it takes. Do you lack talent? Well, don't let that deter you. You need to start utilizing the marathon training methods the world's best athletes use.
Race pace training coupled with the perfect taper strategy and recovery will deliver the results you are seeking. You also need to start practicing your hydration habits in training. There are far too many marathoners not drinking enough fluids nor consuming enough calories in the race. Thus, they become dehydrated after it's too late. The result? Slower times, DNF's and disappointments.
How I Broke The 2 Hour 20 Minute Marathon
I know because I made the mistakes myself. Furthermore, I am no different than you. Yes, I experienced several failures on my way to breaking the sub-2.20 marathon barrier. Below is a video I created about my story. I think it is important to watch so you know who is writing this post.
The training you will be conducting within the sub 4.30 marathon training program helped me to drop 21 minutes off my marathon. I went from 2.43.36 to 2.19.35. In addition, I was also able to lower my half marathon from 1.10.31 to 1.07.06 using this training.
A legit 4 hour 30 minute marathon training schedule has to focus on quality. Long, slow running will make you a great long, slow runner. Your objective is how to run a marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes. So, you need to start changing how you conduct your long runs. In addition, training at paces that far exceed 10.18 mile or 6.24 kilometer pace is where you will get your results.
How To Master 4.5 Hour Marathon Pace
Get beyond running long and slow every weekend. You won't get under 4 hour and 30 minutes for the marathon running slow every weekend. One, you will never improve your lactate tolerance. Two, you need to train your body to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up in your blood stream.
The more efficient you run the less slow down effect. So, you need to start varying the paces of your long runs. Here is an example of what I would do.
18 miles: 4 mile warm-up at 140-50BPM (beats per minute), 1 mile in 8.30 minutes, 2 miles@140-50BPM, 7 miles@160BPM, 2 miles@140-50BPM, 1 mile in 8.30, 1 mile jog cool-down
Furthermore, the following week would be a long, very easy and slow recovery long run. Remember, to break 4 hours and 30 minutes for the marathon you need to be recovered. The courses I teach are demanding but they are also fair. Recovery is just as important.
Pay Attention To Your Easy Days
You cannot expect to put in the heavy work and not have the discipline to back off as well.
Remember, smarter training, better results. Yes, hard working athletes still get great results. I worked hard and got results. That being said, I set huge personal bests when I started to train smarter. I got beyond thinking about mileage. It took me sometime to slow down and reevaluate what I was doing wrong.
You master 4.5 hour marathon pace by thinking outside the box. The above mentioned long run is not the norm. Heart rate monitor training is used by the world's top marathoners. My training programs focus on ensuring the athlete pays attention to their heart, not pace.
Pace and splits will take care of themselves as you get fitter. You need to take your mind off that and focus on what counts the most, heart fitness.
What Are The Heart Rate Zones In RDA Training Plans and Courses?
Jack Hazen, one of the world's best distance running coaches, got me interested in heart rate monitor training. Jack was my collegiate coach from 1995 to 2000 while I was attending Malone University.
Below are the heart rate zones we focused on while at Malone. They are the same training zones I used in my collegiate and professional career. In addition, they helped me drop 21 minutes off my marathon and break the 2.20 marathon barrier.
Furthermore, I lowered my half-marathon from 1.10.31 to 1.07.06 thanks to this style of training. Now, the idea isn't to use a heart rate monitor training for every workout you do.
For example, I wouldn't recommend wearing one doing repeat 200 meter repeats on the track or during speed sessions. I would use a heart rate monitor during tempo runs, long runs and fartlek workouts on the roads.
Heart Rate Zones To Run Under A 4 Hour 30 Minute Marathon
So, what are the training zones I teach in my courses and training programs?
Easy: 140 to 150 beats per minute
Moderate: 151 to 160 beats per minute
Anaerobic Threshold: 164 to 174 beats per minute
Aerobic Capacity: 175+ beats per minute
It was Dr. Joe Vigil, one of the world's best endurance coaches and mentor of mine who said we race at our anaerobic threshold.
So, it is critically important you train at your AT pace. Furthermore, longer tempo runs could be a significant reason you haven't broken the sub 4.30 marathon barrier.
Obviously, there are many reasons you could be missing this time barrier. It could be you are running low on a mineral or nutrient without even knowing. Have you ever heard of Glutathione? It is the body's master antioxidant. Every cell of the human body produces it and you can very easily run low on it.
Furthermore if you do run low you will become very easily fatigued. Why? Glutathione's role is to detoxify the body of toxins, free radicals and oxidative stress. It also plays a huge role in oxygen transport throughout the body.
Cellular health is very important as it pertains to running long distances like the marathon. The majority of runners I have come across the past 28 years of competing have never heard of it. That being said, the medical community knows what it is. The majority of 4 hour 30 minute marathon training program schedules online do not bring this up.
You can visit PubMed, the internet authority on medical peer-reviewed articles and find about 150,000 articles written about it. I have also written about Glutathione here at RunDreamAchieve.
Is 4.5 Hours a Good Marathon Time?
Absolutely. Go out and run a mile in 10 minutes and 18 seconds. Now, try it for 26.2 miles. The majority of the world's runners wouldn't have a problem running at this pace for a few miles at this pace. That being said, it is pace sustainment that we are looking for.
You need to teach the body to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up in your blood stream. Can easy running produce this physiological adaptation? No. Easy running will build your endurance but it will not improve your lactate tolerance.
Your anaerobic threshold (AT) is the point where lactic acid begins to build up in your blood stream. We basically race at our AT effort so it is critically important to improve your body's lactate clearance capability.
A marathon in 4.5 hours is a very respectable time and many athletes such as yourself achieve it. That being said, you have to start training differently to make this time a reality. There is a big difference between interest versus commitment. Which of the two do you place yourself in? Below is a video I made that may help you get motivated.
So, yes 4 hours 30 is a good marathon time for sure. If you train properly and start training at speeds much faster than 10.18 mile pace you have a great shot of this time.
Key Strategies To Break The Sub 4 Hour 30 Minute Marathon
Start running for longer periods of time at a higher heart rate. My recommendation is to alternate one harder long run followed the next week with an easy jog recovery long run.
The reason behind this tactic is you recover. The majority of runners are unaware of the principle of supercompensation. Google the term to learn more. The idea behind is that we get all of the benefits of our hard work during the rest period. Yes, we have to train hard and smart but the results of that work come from the recovery stage.
Your are actually much weaker in the hours after a hard workout. So, you need to start paying attention to the paces you are running at on your easy days.
Run slower during your recovery days. The problem for most runners isn't doing hard training. It is most often times allowing yourself to back off when you know you should. Athletes aiming to break the 4.30 marathon barrier need to be just as disciplined on their easy days as their hard days.
Furthermore, this goes for any athlete who is seeking better results for him or herself.
Study From Those Who Have Done What You Want To Do
Invest in a coach or mentor. Yes, it is an investment but having face to face consultation with a professional coach can make a significant impact on your running. It helps to discuss the challenges you are facing and how to overcome them quickly rather than slowly.
I, too, invested in my personal development from paying for coaching to consultation services with elite level athletes. So, I've been in your shoes and know this can really make a huge difference in your upcoming races.
Subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new videos each week on various topics. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or elite level athlete there is a topic to always cover and discuss. Make sure to click on the subscribe button and bell icon. The reason is you will be notified every time I make a new video via e-mail.
What Else Should A 4 hour 30 Minute marathon Training Program Cover
Leverage. A 4 hour 30 minute marathon training program needs to emphasize this. Leverage simply means doing more with less. We are in a sport where working hard seems to be the fad nowadays. Well, there are plenty of hard working athletes who still do not break the 4.30 marathon barrier.
So, you have to start working smarter. This means backing off on your easy days and jogging. Furthermore, your hard days should be exactly that, hard. These workouts should push you to your mental and physical limits.
You need to get out of your comfort zone and often. That being said, you also need to allow proper rest periods so you can get the best return on your investment. Don't expect overnight results. Furthermore, don't beat yourself up when you don't see results as fast as you would like. Also, do not lose enthusiasm for what you are doing.
Yes, expect it to be challenging. The marathon is not easy and only the best prepared are able to start and finish a marathon under 4 hours and 30 minutes. 10.18 mile pace is quality running for many people. That being said, not all can run at that pace over 26.2 miles. You have to be training at closer to 8.30 mile pace to make sub 4.30 marathon pace to feel easier.
Closing Thoughts
Remember, it isn't just about running mileage. Higher mileage doesn't always guarantee results. You need a combination of easy miles, moderate efforts and extremely difficult and challenging workouts to run a sub 4.30 marathon time.
That being said, you only get results in this sport if you allow your body time to adapt to the hard training. You cannot continue to push hard. The body never lies. We have discussed a lot of different topics in this post from nutrition, mindset to training. My goal with this post was to provide some helpful tips and strategies you can use to achieve your goal.
I know it won't be easy. The marathon and preparing for it never is. I'm certain that if you follow the steps I have covered in this post you will get better results. Keep me posted on your training.
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