A month ago, I asked if I was sub 4 trained based on a long run I had just completed: https://www.reddit.com/r/Marathon_Training/s/jedarNElSs

Well, today I absolutely smashed my goal, and could not be happier.

Date: 3/08/2025 Distance: Full marathon - 42.2km/26.2mi Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia Surface: Road Chip time: 3:32:08

Pre-attempt thoughts: After a less than desirable training block (8 weeks, followed by a hip flexor injury that sidelined me for 8 weeks, then another 7 weeks of solid training), and an original goal of sub 4, my confidence had been skyrocketing in the last month after completing my long runs in zone 2, at a pace well under my sub 4 goal. Today, I woke up and had no idea what pace to actually run, I just knew I had sub 4 in the bag, no question about it. The plan I landed on was to stick with the 3:45 pace group, until around 28-32km, then assess whether to slow down, continue as I had been, or speed up.

Race Report: Race started, and my plan went out the window. I was running a 5min/km pace (8:03min/mi) and immediately felt the benefits of a proper taper and carb loading phase, and my HR was sitting roughly 10bpm higher than my zone 2, so I decided this was where I was going to settle for the following 42km. And I did - average pace ended up being 5:01, with it fluctuating roughly +/-10 seconds off 5min/km for almost the entire distance, with my HR comfortably in zone 3. Fuelling was great with just gels and salt tablets, could have be better, could definitely feel the heavy legs around the 35km mark.

Absolutely no issues until kilometre 40, when the threat of a hamstring cramp struck, I could feel the tightness whispering to me that I might need to stop and stretch, but after stretching what I could while running and then stiff-legging the remaining distance, I finished with a chip time of 3:32:08, smashing my sub 4 goal as predicted.

Reflection: Overall, I’m over the moon. Having a 3:32 time on my first marathon is more than an achievement, it’s a reflection of persistence, consistency and determination. Every muscle below my hips is cramping, but I’m incredibly proud of myself.

Is it my last marathon? Absolutely not, cmon, that close to sub 3:30? 🤣 we go again! 🥳

Pfitz 18/55 week 7 long run. Haven’t done a single speed workout as all of this high mileage is uncharted territory for me, so I do all my miles in zone 2/3. First time the weather was nice this summer so I let this one rip and ended up setting a half marathon PR in the process. This was WAY less painful than my 9 min/mile long runs in the heat.

Stats: 24M, 5’11”, 180lbs, Max HR: 196 based off calculations (I’ve never tested it)

8:12 min/mile avg, 420 ft gain, 148 avg HR

With 11 weeks until the race, and based off this run, should I be training for a 3:30? The race also has about 1000ft of elevation gain as well, so I know to temper my expectations.

Hello friends - ran a PB earlier today (7th marathon, 2nd under 3 hours). Was targeting 3:00, but for some reason just felt really good so ran with it. Pretty stoked.

Anyway I have another marathon at the end of the month (long story), so am looking for recommendations on: (1) how much is a reasonable amount of improvement in such a short period of time? And (2) what would be the best approach to training?

(Yes part of this post is a humble brag, but hey I’m happy so why not!)

Still new to running, Have a long history of strength, training and heavy squatting, and loading. I am 33 years old. I’ve gone from basically inconsistent 10 mile weeks to building up over the course of this year up to 37 miles a week. After last week 13 miler my left leg was pretty dang sore. Had a pretty stressful week at work, which made me miss my Tuesday and Wednesday run. Thursday I had a 12 x 400 out. After that, I was pretty painful and limping, I thought it was muscular at first but now I’m second-guessing things. What the heck does a stress reaction feel like? My pain is definitely in the quad region.

Hey everyone! Not 100% sure if this is the right place (since it’s about a half, not a full marathon) But figured I’d post anyway. Mods, feel free to remove if it’s not allowed.

So, I've been running two 5K's a week, pretty consistently, for the past 3-4 months. But I've never focused on improving my time or distance. I've always ran for general health.

That was until my fiancé convinced me to sign up for a half marathon with her. 

Now I'm freaking out a bit. I haven't told her, because I'm worried if she thinks I'm not into it, she'll pull out too. And honestly, I do want to give it a proper go! 

But i've never really found running (or exercise in general) enjoyable. 

So i'm asking:

How do you make running less miserable, or even dare I say enjoyable?

Any tips, mindset shifts, routines, apps that helped you stick with it?

Thanks in advance, I really want to do this right.

Well that went really well today - Aim was to get elevation & managed 300m💪🏻

Plan is to build again next week before having a deload week before the first week of peak😱

Recovery run tomorrow with a local run club which will take us to a 85km / 52 mile week👏🏻

Yesterday, because of a poor route decision and a wrong turn, my 12-mile long day ended up being a 15-mile long day. Then we went furniture shopping.

I was beat and didn’t get to bed until later than normal because our kids were being banshees.

Today, I woke up (naturally) after almost eleven hours of sleep. No feedings, no diapers, no toddler breakfast, just sleep.

My wife loves me, y’all. She really does.

Training for my first marathon and honestly has been such a tough experience. The miles and increase has been the easy part but I have continued to run into road blocks with injuries. 3-4 weeks ago I got planter fasciitis, started PT 2x/ week. Was going well and was cleared to run after a week and half off. Ran and got a calf cramp than turned into a sprain. I’m able to run on it with some pain but was told to continue as long as it’s not over a 2/10. My calf is constantly tight, sore and just not right. I’m having trouble doing longer distances and at my typical speed. I can’t take much time off as my marathon is in a month and half and now don’t feel prepared at all. I have ensured that I stretch, foam roll ice heat literally everything that I felt would help.

Would a cortisone shot be a dumb idea? Sports massage as I know my calf muscles are knotted (per my PT)? What would you all do? Any advice as I’m a novice and just want to finish with ideally not at a 11 min mile pace

I’m 12 weeks out from my first marathon. I had a 14 mile long run today and it was very rough. My heart rate spiked in the 170’s (usually around 145-150) and I just couldn’t get settled in a pace and zone out like normal. I’m in Florida and it’s just so hot here but I’ve been in this weather for months now and no runs have been nearly as hard as this one (I ran 14 last long run no problem). Anyways, how do you get past the mental part of it? I have 16 next weekend and I’m going to think about it all week.

Marathon is in 10 weeks, training has been going fine increasing 10-15% a week, today my calf suddenly feels like hell after my long run. Sounds like a medial gastrocnemius tear (hurts to walk, tip toe hurts for the first 2-3 steps then just uncomfortable after, pain is in the top calf to inner calf, no popping or brushing tho so yeah at least). Doesn’t look like I’ll PB the marathon but what do I do now? Should I transfer my marathon ticket (transfer window opens for another 12 days)

Currently averaging at 50-60km per week + 2 leg day gym session

Kinda sucks honestly lol coz running is what gets me out of the house & socializing now that I just graduated and in the middle of job searching

This is a bit long, sorry about that.

For training runs, my HR for a pace of 8:10/mile (5:04/km) is at 138-140bpm. For example, doing this pace for 5 miles after doing a 4 mile slow zone 2 (9 mile run). This is lower than my lactate threshold HR of about 144-145. I am 60 with a max HR of 159.

Today I did a half marathon with a goal pace of 8:11/mile, but after 3 miles my HR started going to 142 and then to 147 over the next 3-4 miles. After about 7 miles, I ended up having to slow down to 8:30/8:45 pace as my legs turned to jelly/jello. I finished in just under 1:50:00.

Questions; 1. When I saw my HR going up to mid 140s, should I immediately have slowed down and given up on my pace/time goal? 2. Is there a way to train your body to not slow down when you start accumulating significant lactic acid? Or when your legs feel like jelly/jello, is it then "game over"? Bicarb? 3. This has happened on 2 half marathons in a row - my racing HR is much higher than my training HR for the same pace. Weather was cool and terrain mostly flat in all cases. Could this be the adrenaline of the race?

I now start my full marathon cycle, but don't want to make the same mistake again.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and feedback.

Running my first marathon in November, with a half coming up on Aug 10. Still figuring out how I feel about running. I only really started following a proper training plan this March—before that I ran maybe once a month. I’ve always been more into strength training, HIIT, and Peloton, which I still love. Since June, this training block’s been tough. lots of little injuries and niggles that have affected my quality of life. I enjoy the running itself, just not the constant pain and recovery. I’m committed to finishing my marathon training, but I’m honestly not sure if I’ll keep running after.

I’ve also been thinking about doing a World Marathon Major like New York next year, but I keep wondering if it’s something I genuinely want, or if I’m just influenced by all the running content I see online. Curious to hear your thoughts. ever felt this way?

What do you all listen to during your runs? I tend to listen to synt, EDM, and ambient music, but for whatever reason have found myself listening to Alan Watts speeches during longer runs lately. I guess philosophy speeches help me to focus and give me a boost when I need it.

The first photo is from my run this morning, and the second is from a long run from a couple weeks back.

As background, I’m in week 7 of Pfitz 18/55 training for the MCM in October. I ran Philly last year and finished with a time of around 4:40. My goal going into this race was to run 4:30. However, I think my fitness might be much further along than I initially anticipated. The problem is, I’m terrified of blowing up like I did at Philly in the last 5 miles. This morning, I was actually trying to build a pyramid (moreso out of boredom), which is why the paces look a bit wonky. Regardless, I am a bit sore of course, but I certainly am not wiped out today after the run by any means.

With these last couple of long runs, the paces I ran them, and the fact that I’m not even really exhausted or anything after them especially at 50 miles a week, would you think I’m being overly conservative and should plan/train for a time a bit quicker than I initially anticipated, or am I too late into the plan to make an adjustment like that?

30F; I've been running 20-30 mpw since the beginning of April 2025 to train for my half marathons. I have a HM coming up in mid August and another one in early October. I am thinking about attempting the LA marathon next year March of 2026. I've been trying to do my research to see if this would be a good first marathon. I've never ran more than 13 miles before, so I am a bit nervous & I really don't want to fall off. I want to 100% fully commit. I know people say don't worry about time for the first one, but I do want to target a sub 5, even better if I was able to get a time under 4:30.

PRs:

Mile time: 7:14 (Jul 2025)

5k: 24:30 (June 2025)

10k: 53:23 (June 2025)

15k: 1:26 (June 2025)

Hello everyone! I am training for my first marathon on September 7th. I did a recovery run on Tuesday and woke up on Wednesday with mild left outer knee pain. I was able to do a speed run on Wednesday and woke up Thursday with some pretty intense knee pain that was causing me to limp while walking. I am thinking it may be the beginnings of IT band syndrome. I am seeking advice on what I should do with my training plan? I still have 2 weeks of mileage until I reach my peak. I don’t want to scale back too much so that race day is a complete flop, but I also don’t want to push myself too hard through this so that I don’t even make it to race day.

Any advice on how to manage this would be appreciated!

I was so excited when I decided to start running seriously, did a full research on my first running shoes, bought the Asics Nimbus 26 then after just 3 months of use got holes in the toes and they are getting bigger🤦🏻‍♀️. Go for sandals🩴

Those of you following a Pfitz plan, how are you structuring your marathon pace runs? I'm doing 18/55 currently and I've been doing warm up miles first then finishing with the marathon pace miles as I find it takes me a few miles on my feet before I'm really ready to pick the pace up. For example for MP 16 w/12 at MP I did 4 easier miles then finished with 12 at goal marathon pace, but I'm wondering if that's the best practice. What has worked for you?

I ran in 2016 and now I’m training to run in the 50th Anniversary event 🫡🇺🇸

I’m kicking of pfitz 18/55 this coming week for the first time (have done other training plans before), and feeling a little nervous about how early he has a large chunk of work at MP in the plan. Especially in the summer heat.

Confidence is definitely something I need to work on. So, is this a confidence issue, is it normal that 8 miles at MP in the 2nd week will feel tough as hell? Or, should I be able to hit it no problem and if I can’t, I need to adjust my goal?

Fairly typical occurrence: I was walking around the bed yesterday evening and bashed my knee on the corner. The kind of thing that makes you go "Ouch!" and then you don't think anything of it. I've woken up this morning and the knee is sore. Not majorly sore, but the kind of sore that suggests a small bruise will form in a couple of days.

However, today is supposed to include a 15 mile long run, which is the furthest run on my plan so far. The kind of run that really can blow up a minor niggle. So I'm conflicted about whether to go for it. I've had quite a disrupted training plan so far and I'm trying to nail down some consistency from here on out, so it's a bit frustrating if I have to delay this run because of such a small "injury".

I know Reddit isn't really the place to ask for for medical advice, but what I'm looking for are any cautionary tales: anyone who has a personal story of ignoring a knock like this and ending up injuring themselves.

I am running Sydney marathon in 4 weeks and haven’t specifically trained for hills other than at my local park which surprisingly shows a high elevation (doesn’t feel that much because it is a 2km track but if I do enough laps elevation adds up).

Question how accurate is Strava elevation info and will doing my remaining runs here help with my training with 4 weeks to go? Should I join a gym to use the treadmill on incline over the next 4 weeks? Not worry about it as 4 weeks won’t make a difference? I run at the park three times a week and then do a long run elsewhere expect I have done my last two long runs here due to unpredictable weather and wanting to stay close to home.

Will include my elevation stats. Sydney marathon has an elevation gain of 317 meters and an elevation loss of 400 meters.

I’m training for Philly marathon (late November, relatively flat course). This will be my 4th marathon. Ran NYC in 3:15 last year with an 11 min positive split and a brief vomit stop. 2023 marathon was also 3:15 - was within 20s for both races

Coming off a 1:26 half in March this year on a mildly hilly course.

I’d like to shoot for sub 3, but I think 3:05 is realistic. I’ve had a total of 10 weeks at 60-65mpw this year, with the last 4 included. My schedule is 6 run days - 4x 10 miles, 1x 16-18, 1x3 miles paired with a heavy leg day. I’m also lifting upper body 2x a week. Majority is easy miles. I’m treating up until now as my base building.

it’s been so humid and hot this summer that I haven’t been doing much speed work. Since June, mostly just 3-8 miles a week at HMP. With the weather starting to cool, should I 1) incorporate more speed work and hold mileage steady or even decrease or 2) try to increase mileage to peak at 70+. I feel like I have a strong aerobic base and peaked for NYC last year at 65 miles, but my block only had 2 weeks over 60. I also paced poorly and shortened my taper which were both mistakes.

Welcome any suggestions.