Are you seeking a sub 3 hour marathon training plan pdf to easily see what you need to be doing? If so, welcome to rundreamachieve. All of my training plans come in this format. The goal behind my philosophy is training smarter, not harder. We all know how to train hard but do we always get results by working hard? You'd be surprised at the number of athletes who still miss their goals despite putting in high mileage and training hard. What you have to start doing is emulating what runners who have done what you aim to do. I hold a personal best of 2:19:35 for the marathon and know how difficult a sub 3 marathon is. You need to sustain 6:52 per mile or 4:16 per kilometer in order to run a 2:59:59 time.
A big reason why a lot of runners are not breaking this time is running too slow on days they should be running fast. In addition, running too fast on days they really should be backing off and jogging on. In addition, their long runs are conducted at paces that are simply not fast enough. The best marathoners make it look easy for a reason. We spend a great deal of our time training at paces that far exceed what we plan on racing at in the marathon. I would always focus on doing mile repeats in the 4:40s when I was living in Colorado Springs. In additions, lengthening out the distance and duration of my tempo runs. We race at or near our anaerobic threshold so it is very important to spend a long period of time training at this effort.
How Long Does it Take to Train for a Sub 3HR Marathon?
A sub 3 hour marathon training plan pdf should focus on 16 weeks. Of course, running easy for 4 weeks prior to starting a 16 week training plan is even better. I wouldn't focus on going too much further out than 5 months. 4 months is sufficient time in order to prepare effectively to run a 2:59:59. Remember, you are going after what is really an elite time. There are very few people, approximately 5 percent of the runners who compete in marathons world-wide who run under 3 hours each year. Are you lacking talent? Well, you are going to have to make up for that with your work ethic.

It took me from running from 1992 to 2007 to run a 2:19:35 marathon. How badly do you want this sub 3hr marathon time? There are going to be times where you are not going to have teammates to train with. In addition, weather conditions will not agree with you. Also, setbacks and disappointments along the way. It is all part of the process. There is a massive difference between being interested versus commitment. Commitment will stay focused on the goal no matter how long it takes. Interest will give it a shot for a few tries and then quit. Of course, I know that doesn't apply to anyone visiting this site.
What Percentage of Runners Run a Sub 3 Marathon?
This statistic is dated but gives a clue. Less than 10,000 runners out of 518,000 marathoners who can in 2011 in the united States of America ran a 2:59:59 or faster time. So, less than 2 percent. I know you can do this but it will take proper planning, training at, near and far below sub 3 hour marathon pace. Winners visit this website.
The fact that you are here already tells me you are focused, driven and motivated. I created a course called the Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro where I teach athletes exactly what is needed to run 2:59:59. No, it will not be easy and I cannot guarantee you will break 3. I, as your mentor and coach can guide but ultimately it is up to you to put in the smart work. Click the link below to learn more about it. I can guarantee you will be better prepared than your competition. In addition, the course concludes with a sub 3 hour marathon training plan pdf that you can follow to get to that sub 3 barrier.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUB 3 HOUR MARATHON PRO COURSEHow Many Miles a Week Should I Run for a Sub 3 Hour Marathon?
Focus on quality versus quantity. I got up to 142 miles a week and all it did was leave be irritable, tired and fatigued. I set my personal best of 2:19:35 on 80-90 miles a week. Again, it isn't about the quantity as much as it is the quality. You could be running 100+ miles per week but if the miles or kilometers are spent running far too slow your chances of success are slim. Yes, you will be in sensational shape endurance-wise. What about your strength and stamina that you will need in order to sustain sub 3 hour marathon pace? How often are you training at, near and far below this pace? Our training plans cap out at around 70 miles or 112 kilometers per week. Can you run a few more? I don't have a problem with that but make sure it is on easy days.
A big mistake runners make is doubting themselves when they don't get the results they want fast enough. How fast are you conducting those long runs? If you are not getting the results you desire you may just need to fix some of the leaks in your training. I went from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 changing how I ran my long runs. So, a mistake I was making was running too slow during these efforts. I had, at that time, run a marathon at 6:14 mile pace (2:43:36) yet my goal was to run 2:22:00 (5:25 mile pace). So, I had to make some significant changes in the way I was training.
How do I train for a 3 hour marathon?
Focus on periodization. None of us move fast into anaerobic training. So, focus on building your base first. Our training plans and all rundreamachieve courses focus on a recovery week at the start of the 4th week of our 16-week plans. So, if you are seeking a sub 3 hour marathon training plan pdf that is legitimate you may want to consider one of ours. No, there is no guarantee you will break 3 hours. What I can promise you is you will be conducting workouts and following training principles that helped me run 2:19:35. I, as your coach and mentor, can guide you but you are the one that has to put in the work.
The good news is you bypass wondering what types of workout you should be doing. In addition, our courses go even more in-depth with videos I created to help you get under this 3-hour barrier. Remember, you are going after an elite time so more is going to be required out of you. You also need to focus on your nutrition. A large percentage of people are not consuming enough protein in their diets. Protein is essential for muscle recovery and we definitely create a great deal of micro tears after harder long runs, hill repetitions or track workouts. In addition, tempo runs so don't neglect this key area of your preparation. Again, a sub 3 hour marathon can be achieved by focusing on all the areas of your preparation.
Closing Thoughts
So, if you are seeking a legitimate sub 3 hour marathon training plan pdf that is not a cookie-cutter plan. I highly suggest clicking on courses or training plans in the upper navigation bar of this website. Also, you can check out the much more in-depth course I created for serious athletes seeking to run under 3 hours for the marathon. It is a highly aggressive and competitive time and I know you can do it. The fact you are reading this post already tells me you more than likely have broken 4 hours and are now after that next time barrier.
Click the link below to learn more about the sub 3 marathon course. Make sure to subscribe to the rundreamachieve youtube channel for free updates and training guidance as well.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUB 3 HOUR MARATHON PRO COURSE