1 March 2021
I have set myself a firm goal to run a sub 3-hour marathon before the end of 2022. Given my current shape I will need a decent amount of time to get to the point where this is possible. This is where this blog comes in. I hope it entertains, inspires to embark on a similar journey, and motivate myself to keep going.
I am nowhere near my goal. The faster of my two previous marathons was 3:40 in 2014, the other was 3:51 in 2019. My current fitness is best described as steady. I have been running around 35kms a week slowly for the past few months. These have mostly been flat 10km runs at 5:20-5:40/km. Individually the runs feel easy, but I take a day or two to fully recover. I am interpreting this as a sign that they are not easy enough. I need to start even easier if I am going to scale this program.
Time is also relatable constraint for many. I have two young children under 2 and a full-time job. Finding time will be something requiring constant effort throughout this journey. Being honest about how this affects me will show you that this problem is solvable and common.
My weight is about 10% above my race weight from 10 years ago. I expect this should self-correct with more focussed training. A more athletic lifestyle also generally leads me to make other healthier choices. For these reasons I am not concerned about weight at this stage, but I will track this.
I am also a bit of a statistics and data junkie. This means I will track whatever I can throughout my training. I hope the numbers add context and motivation to anyone following.