My next Marathon will be the RunDisney Marathon in January. I’ve got a few half marathons scheduled. I’m hoping to break my Half Marathon and Marathon PRs this year. Congrats on your accomplishments
Congrats on the huge accomplishment. I ran my first marathon at 4:41 and that was Disney in January 2023. Now I’m working on a sub 4. I signed up for Palm Beaches marathon December 2024 and hope to hit that goal. Quick question, I’m slacking on weight training so when you had those days during your prep were you hitting full body workouts or targeting certain muscles!?
Yes, I apologize, I misspoke there - thanks for catching that! The first miles in the weekend long jog are always one minute slower than race pace. The fast finish miles are at race pace.
@@littleleafy I agree, it should be pinned to the top. I came to look for this question at the comments section as that mistake was contrary to all of what I've learned and was a bit confused. I'm glad you clarified it!
Came here to ask this EXACT question. Never, ever heard of a marathon training plan that has long runs with any paces FASTER than Projected Marathon Pace.
I've gone from a 5-Hour to a flat 4-hour Marathon in 3 years, also using only Hal Higdon's 👍awesome free training plans. I'm not sure a sub 3-hour is doable for a 50-year-old, though, since I think that'd take "elite"-level time & dedication.
Did you have any running history prior to starting in 2022? I cannot see how it’s possible to go from couch to sub 3 hours in 14 months unless you had some other extensive experience in running.
I'll take your comment as a compliment haha. This is exactly what I did. 14 months from my first 4:48 to my 2:56, with almost no running priot to that for the past twenty years or so. I went to a very small high school and every student ran track and we had a cross country team, no coaching though. I was decent at the 3000m and would regularly win or compete in zones. Never came close to medaling in provincials. Bottom line is that while I did some running in high school, I absolutely did not have extensive running experience. I am extremely dedicated though and never missed one workout.
That is impressive to improve your marathon by over 2 hours in around 14 months. I am 50 years old and it is taking a lot longer to improve. Thanks for the video!
Yeah, 60 here, the only issue I have is the feet getting damaged, kind of Arthritis pain if running too long in 1 session. So instead of running like 10 miles in 1 shot, I run 5 miles / run x2 a day.. This way my leg hurt less. I will never run marathon, just because I don't want to kill my joints / feet by pounding of asphalt 4 hours straight. 40 minutes runs are perfect for me, as I already skinny, compare to what I was in my 40's. Regardless of "distance" running is good ;)
Really great story. So many RU-vid runners are experts, not coming from unfit couch potato. I’m 70 years old and your kind of time doesn’t seem realistic for me. I started running at 50 something and did my first marathon at 63. Old people, like me, realistically need to set their expectations on slower time. I’ve done a disciplined training and hope to get. 4:30 this Thursday. Good for me, not so much for a younger person. I absolutely agree with your idea to just get miles in, worry about speed later for beginners. Thanks.
Started the first marathon at 60 and hit the wall twice back to back. Both were virtual runs due to covid. Decided to quit, then my daughter invited me to run another marathon with her as her first before she turned 30. How can I say no, so I did it again but the goal was to finish the run without walking. Finally, got it done at 4:38. That was in 2022 and I said that was it. Before retired from work in April, I met a guy in office and we talked about the marathon, then he invited me to run CIM this year to get BQ. Now I am in my training to shoot for sub 4 for my BQ goal. You guys' stories are very inspiring to me. Thanks!
I ran a little bit as a teenager, doing cross country running in high school. I was never provincial champ or anything but I would compete in and sometimes win zones. I gave up running after high school completely and took the next 22 years off. I restarted running 3 years ago now and started from scratch. I could not jog a mile when I started. I started by walking.
been looking for a 'regular guy' to follow on youtube. Great vid. Going for a PR of 4:30 in October. I can only committ to 4 days of running right now, w/ 3 kids and doing jiu jitsu as well. any advice if you can only run 4 days? I do 2 slow runs, 1 track workout and 1 long run. In a run club w/ coach.
I guess it depends on what your goals are. If I wanted to run an optimal marathon on four days per week of running, I would continue with the weekend long jogs, I would add one hills/tempo/intervals and the other two would be slow pace hour-ish jogs. That way you get your mileage in, a little bit of speed, and build some endurance on the weekend.
You made it sounds so easy 😂. I've been training consistently for 10 years, yes a bit faster but still no where near the sub-3 hr mark. I think you must have some special talent too, congratulations!
Was definitely not an easy task! I would say try to change something up in your routine, gear, etc. The slightest change can make the biggest difference - you got this!
Yeah, most of us have to resort to doubles and 100 mile weeks to reach 3 hours. You definitely need some special genes to do it on 50 mile weeks in less than 2 years.
It’s hugely impressive for sure. Keep in mind natural talent/genetics play a huge role in times. If we all quit our jobs and moved to Iten and knocked out 100 MPW(160km) by running 10+ a week for 12-18 months we’d see unbelievable gains but we still won’t be Elite level. Some might be top 10-20 in local races (sub Elite) level
Awesome ! I’m at exactly at running 10 miles on weekend and thinking of doing a marathon in February. You just layed out the whole plan 👌 . Thanks alot
Same here Carlos! I’m at ten mile myself and planning to do the Austin marathon in February. Rob inspired me the same way-let’s get after it! Rob thanks for the great insights
This is such great advice! Especially coming from someone who was slower, and literally shaved 2 hours off their marathon. We see so many running channels with people who came from running sports - track or cross country, so they can tell us what to ''do'' but yet they themselves have never done it. I run a pretty slow pace... but I had a friend who ran a sub 2 hr half marathon and I personally felt like crap... forgetting that even though she was coming to me for advice on how to run a half marathon aka training and increasing milage... she came from tennis and was already super fit... and there is no way I could have even kept up with her, despite running multiple halves. I have done so many halfs without any speed training because I didnt KNOW you could or should train speed... I feel dumb... but I think videos like this are SOOOOO IMPORTANT!!! Because you are literally showing, that you DID it. You didn't come from a running sport (or idk maybe you did!) where coaches trained you and taught you that knowledge. Thank you for this video!
I love this comment Gorgie! You're right, no prior real running experience at all. I'm a regular guy who started off slow and overweight and this is what worked for me and I think is a great foundation for anyone trying to improve their time. Just put in the miles, watch what you're eating, and staying consistent with it was a massive part of it for me. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and good luck with your training!!
Thanks for the advice. I did one official marathon about 7 years ago soon after I started running. I was aiming for sub-4 and hit the wall at 20 miles, ending up finishing 4:12. Since then, I've run a number of ultra marathons up to 100 miles, so I've run the marathon distance lots of times in training and during ultras, but I never ran another official marathon. Finally this year I signed up for the Ocean City Marathon on November 2, so now I'm trying to figure out a good training plan to do a sub-3:30, or maybe even a Boston qualifier if I can pull it off. Your video makes me think it's possible. Thanks again!
That's great to hear man! I'm glad that its been working for you and congrats on signing up for the Ocean City Marathon! It's all about progress and consistency, I know you can do it 💪
This is so impressive! Just curious. How much weight did you lose in 14 months? Assuming your Sunday LR is always kept in the same heart rate zone, how has your LR pace progressed?
Lost a total of 65 pounds and now hovering comfortable at 185 lbs. For my longs runs, if I’m in the middle of a “build” I usually do some heavy miles at race pace (anywhere from 5-10 miles at fast finish) with the other miles 1 mil slower than race pace. If I’m just jogging for fun and to get out, I don’t even look at the watch and just go at whatever pace I’m feeling that day, which is usually about 2 mins slower than race pace.
Great Bravo you did great! Important is always the consistency and volume at easy pace.. one quality WO per week easy running during the week and long run sometimes with some threshold inside… 🎉
why a lot of marathon finishers are out of shape and not look fit and strong, those who run 30 min and do strenth traing in the gym everyday they look fit and strong, i think marathon is not balance
Amazing progress in a relatively short time! I’m looking at progressing from half marathons to my first marathon next year and was wondering if you encountered any injuries when you started to increase your weekly mileage? Or if you have any tips to prevent such injuries?
The best tip I can give you is to listen to your body. Second best tip is no more than 10% increase in weekly mileage EVER. Also, if you get into heavy mileage weeks, you should mix in some mobility and strength training to strengthen muscles. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of nutrition and recovery.
My training was progressing superbly however after watching Joe's performance at the debate I've been demoralized was u supporting the wrong guy, I can't run without closure.
I was lucky enough to avoid injury. Have had a few minor ones since then as i have kept increasing my mileage and doing crazy stuff like running 26 half marathons in 13 days. But a commitment to lifting weights and a good diet along with good sleep habits can help reduce injury risk.
Hi Rob thanks for your video! Last year i ran my 1st Marathon in Victoria, BC. it was um, not great :) I was trying for a 5hr time but really hit the wall at KM 20-22 tons of walking! and running felt like a supreme effort!! finished in 5 hr 30 mins. I am running the Victoria Marathon again this year, I'm armed with more knowledge, training, experience so I hope I will be able to get my goal of sub 5hr.
What strength training exercises did you do? My legs felt so heavy at the end of the marathon, I'm not sure how to avoid that. Thank you for the video!
Glad you liked it! I started out doing circuits, largely lifting weights and body weight exercises. I would do a ton of ankle stability stuff (think Bosu ball work). Now that I have a personal trainer, we do a wide variety of stuff with a bigger focus on lower body and some mix of core and arms.
If only I could go from race to race building up from where I got up to and compound the improvements. But my reality is train, race then injury then weeks and weeks to recover and back to square one. Then repeat for over 3 years. But good for you man you started something and figured it out. Short term and long term goals are the key to improvement.
@@futtocksend8832 I do the easy miles. My right ankle was pinned together in 2008 after a car accident. All my injuries stem from that. I wish it was as easy as just running easy more. 😆
I currently have the Chicago marathon coming up in October this year which I am training for to run a PR at my current age of 48. Thanks for sharing the amazing story of your progress.
Hugely impressive. Consistency and getting to ideal race weight are huge factors. Weekly mileage though is arguably the key. What was your weekly volume for your first marathon for the last 8 weeks compared to when you went sub 3:00? Haven’t heard the word jog since about 1992😅 when new kids on the block were ar their peak and we worked out in Champions cotton T shirts. Keep up the great work. By the way, did you film this n your office?
Thanks for your kind words. Jog must be a Canadian word because my brother and I say it all the time, or at least a hillbilly Manitoban expression lol. Weekly mileage was significantly less for my first marathon compared to when I went sub 3. When I started running I was really just running to try and get in shape, I didn't have much of a plan and couldn't jog much so my mileage was really low. Think of a 30 min workout, I would walk 5 min, run 5, walk 5 etc. So I would maybe do 2.5 miles? and that would wipe me out. So very low mileage. Over time the pace got quicker, and my capacity to run increased.
Hi mate :) Congrats !! It’s my dream to run a marathon under 3hrs .. I’m 83 kg average guy, you video is great motivation! Only 14 months😀 once again congrats and greetings from Poland ! 😄
This sounds a lot like my story except you are doing it a lot more efficiently than I am. I live in FL which makes it difficult to run a lot of the year with the heat and humidity. QUESTION is, what do you do, and how did you figure out during run nutrition. I don't see you wearing a hydration pack on race days. I struggle to go a marathon without a pack mostly to carry all the gels and salt tabs.
I’ve never worn a hydration vest in any of my races ever, including the 100km race that I did on the weekend. For marathons, you do not need a hydration vest. Pretty much any marathon will have aid stations every 2-3 miles minimum (and likely more often), so water is no concern. Most marathons now also have gel stations, so you can start with 2-3 in your pocket, and then pick some up along the way. If that is not an option, get yourself a mini running belt available on amazon for 25$. They can easily store a 10-12 gels and that’s plenty enough to run any marathon. If you’re aiming for sub 3 hour marathon, you probably only need 7-9 gels.
Since you ran a sub three... For your big workout you did 7 miles 1 minute faster than race pace (5:50 mile pace) followed by 5 race pace miles at 6:50 after that???
I misspoke in the video. The 7 miles on Sunday buildup were one minute slower than race pace followed by 5 miles at race pace. Then over time you just increase the miles at race pace. You never want to get to the point where you're doing more than 8 or so miles at race pace because you need to recover. Save those max efforts for race day.
I've been running since 2006 and I've never run close to a sub 3 hour marathon. I've been an athlete my whole life, played division 1 college tennis in the US. I'm close to 50 now and it's becoming harder and harder to run fast. I'd be happy with a 3:15 marathon in my next one. You are not the norm.
Appreciate the kind words! If that's the case then even just putting the miles in already would be a great achievement. Try incorporating some minor strength training, and doing interval work with hills, sprints, etc! Might just be the change that you would need to progress even more 💪
@@RunWithRobCMV Tried everything, chief :) I'm more of a fast twitch muscle athlete. The longer the distance, the more I suck comparatively. 17:30 5K, 38:40 10k, 1:28 half, 3:23 mary
@@sylvainbaugeGreat times! If Sub 3 is your goal, may I suggest you to up your weekly mileage materially to 60+ miles by running all of your additional mileage super slow (zone 1). That way you increase without risking injury .
Awesome video - Once you built a base and started training for the sub 3 did you run at a faster pace for every Sunday's long run? I'm assuming you did since you built up the miles you could run at race pace.
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, as I progressed, my race pace target got faster and my runs all got faster. I sort of always set a goal for race pace and then would organize all my workouts around race pace. As I got faster in my marathons, the race pace went up and the mins per mile went down. Losing the weight also made it easier to run at the same pace. I followed my heart rate closely and realized that I could run faster at the same heart rate, it was an indicator that I needed to increase my pace for my runs.
Very cool Story - Most of us will run into Injuries and this will disrupt consistancy pretty fast and will throw you back big time - so everyone dont give up
I agree that I was somewhat fortunate and avoided injuries, but I also focused on all the best preventative measures i could. Good stretching, regular visits to my physio and really just listened to my body. Since then I've battled a few injuries, and realize how lucky I was, but now when I get an injury, I make a plan, focus on what I can control, and follow the plan.
Great insight Sir. My 1st FM was in Oct23 i did 4:35. Was running 60-70k per week. Gutted didn’t get sub4 but I didn’t give up. I knew i need to run more mileage and do more strengthening. 2nd FM April24 4:03 cut off 30mins PB in 6months. What I did was i run 80k weekly and 2-3 times a week doing strength. My 3rd will be in 3weeks time hopefully to get my sub4 target. I run more hills now and doing 90k weekly. Also i signed up FM in Oct & Dec as you said to set a target to progress.👍🏻
That's awesome!! Seems like you set up a nice routine for yourself. Keep that consistency up, and by the time you know it those marathons you have booked will be easier than you think!
@@RunWithRobCMV yes im 42 this yr. just started running after covid. But only into Marathon since last year. Weekdays more easy run with one day doing fartlek/interval. Friday off with some strengthening. Saturday is my long run. I can relate to myself what you are saying in your video 👍🏻
@@RunWithRobCMV yes hopefully. Im 42 this yr. just started running after covid. But only into Marathon since last year. Weekdays more easy run with one day doing fartlek/interval. Friday off with some strengthening. Saturday is my long run. I can relate to myself what you are saying in your video 👍🏻
That's impressive 🔥 1 year back I did my 1st marathon aug 2023 with very little training and finished @5hr 33 minutes and then after 5 months with some mediocre training Jan 2024 I did my 2nd under 4hr 30 minutes and now I am training for my 3rd marathon which is on Aug 2024 and this time I don't have any aggressive goal, this time my train blocks are better than my last 2 marathon as I am taking help from my runner friend .so hopping to finish little faster than 2nd marathon , but sub 3 is very tough to imagine from a 4:30 marathoner perspective.
What a video! It relates to almost everything I say about running. Very impressive, I myself am trying to go for a sub 3 h in November 💪🏼 keep it going man, congrats
Thank you for your inspirational video and congratulations on your awesome achievements! You have such great positive energy and don't come across preachy or arrogant like a lot of running influencers on RU-vid. I feel like this is achievable after watching your video, in time. I have run one marathon in 4:43:21. Running Chicago this October, aiming for sub 4:30:00, then depending on that result I'll set my goal for London which I am running in the Spring!
I started this year, 2024, at 245# and very lazy. I set a marathon goal and at the end of January i did a 5K all out. Finished a mile in 12 minutes and stumbled through the rest. Last night 8/18, i made my first half marathon distance and am signed up to run the columbia gorge in October! I've lost just over 30 pounds so far and can't wait to be back down to those 8 minute miles i had in college. LETS GOOOO!
I'm not convinced that any healthy person can achieve sub 3, I'd love to, but I don't think I'll ever make it. Sub 4 hour is fine for me. I was doing 100k per week at my most, and just not getting any faster.
@@Enoch-Root I'm not only talking about endurance zone 2. Also about your lactate threshold (the point which your body can't clear the amount of lactate acid and reasons why we slow down). If you train around that pace you'll get faster. Same with vo2 max sessions.
@@Richard-lx3xk I don't think there's anywhere near me I could get such tests, and it'd surely be prohibitively expensive for me, especially as I run for fitness, not competitively. I have considered getting a chest strap HRM, though that's obviously not a true lactate threshold test, I've also held off on getting one as I've been considering switching to Coros from Garmin.
Thank you for sharing your marathon journey. I would love to know what your weekly mileage looked like and how much you added between your first and your sub three hour marathons.
Inspiring! My best marathon time is 5:31 hrs. My goal is to run a sub 5 hour this December! I am training 6 days a week that includes strides, interval and long run. Do you think I have a chance to hit my goal?
That's a great and inspiring journey! I've yet to run my first marathon but I'm training to do my first half in October with a 1:45 goal. Hopefully early next year I can do my first marathon sub 3:30 and then work from there to go sub 3.
Unfortunately it does not work like that. A 3.30 marathon is nowhere near a sub 3..I am sorry, just being honest. Try and complete your first one before making any guesses on target times. The distance is brutal, trust me, you will be in for a shock. Forget all these yt vids.
Make a routine for yourself that works, and you will reach that goal in no time. It's all about staying consistent and by the time you know it, you'll reach your first marathon!
@@maipai4282 I used to run track just hated long distance. Still play basketball and ultimate frisbee plus got into cycling (just did a 200km ride yesterday). So sure maybe for an undisciplined person without an athletic background it may not work. But if a guy who weighed 250lbs can do it, I'd bet on myself to do it too 🤷🏾♂ I also never said a 3:30 was near to a 3, just that I'd be working towards it which makes your unsolicited advice all the funnier. But hey maybe I should aim for mediocrity insted of actually pushing myself.
Do it then and keep me posted. I ran 3.06 in my 2nd marathon this year at 44. Run your first marathon and send me your times and then run your 2nd marathon and send me your times. Run 3.30 and worry about that before worrying about sub 3. You are in dreamland.
@@maipai4282 it's a great thing I'm more than 10 years younger than you and a better athlete than you've ever been. And since you CLEARLY can't read, I've always been focused on running a sub 3:30 first. That was explicitly stated as the first step in my first comment.
Wow wow wow….I’ve done at Ironman full and several 70.3. This year I will be doing Valencia Marathon. It will be my first one. I’m hoping for sub 4 hours…you improved so quick. Just curious…how tall are you and how much did you weigh when you ran sub 3 hours??? Will follow your plan mate.
Congrats on your Ironman! that's quite the accomplishment! I promise you if you are willing to pay the price, you can see the improvements in your time. The question is always: am I "really" willing to pay the price...? I'm just a shade under 5'11 and weighed 185 lbs for my sub 3 hour. That was the leanest that I had been in decades.
Inspiring! Which days do you do strength training? I find it difficult to do 2x full body per week and recover for my hills/tempo/intervals and long run.
Right now my schedule is two one hour strength sessions per week (there were times when it was 3 per week, but I'm only doing two now). I do them Monday and Thursday and they are always usually by a 45-60 min jog at race pace plus 60-90 seconds per mile. I love doing the jogs before the strength workout because you get an automatic warmup and you're so ready for lifting weights after a nice and easy 60 minute jog.
Good video. I am trying to get consistent on a base of 150 mins per week of cardio...slow running, walking, crawling, drooling whatever. I don't care about doing a marathon, but maybe a 10k race.
From what I got, his sunday workouts looked like this: 1mile warm-up, 7 miles a minute faster than race pace, 5 miles at race pace and a cooldown. So, first half faster than race pace. He starts explaining this on 07:06; Hope that helps.
Fast finish implies 7 miles at 1 min slower than race pace then 5 at race pace. If you try it he other way around you would soon discover its nearly impossible
@@svan81 I actually think it's impossible. One minute faster than marathon pace is roughly 5k pace for many runners. They aren't going to be able to run 7 miles at that pace in one go and then follow it up with 5 miles at marathon pace. Something is not right in that workout.
I think my PB in high school for a 5km was about 20 mins or just under it. I would do well enough at zone championships but would get killed at provincials.
Thanks for your kind words. I went through 20 years of telling myself that I couldn't do what other people were doing. I would say "that guy is gifted at running" or "she's an incredible biker". In reality most of the blockage was all in my mind, and it just took my dad getting cancer to make me realize that I needed to get my butt into gear. I know how you feel, I was there. Start slow, set a few goals, and work your way from there. You got this.
@@RunWithRobCMV You have an inspiring story. i was obese too, morbidly. Got injury free and strated running like mad but pushed too far so, chronic burnout . till trying though, .-)
I had to google what that was... haha. I'm absolutely not on TRT. I have been on a steady diet of protein shakes with some creatine every morning now for the past few years.
I’m just guessing now, but I think a jog is when you can run/walk at a pace where you can still carry a conversation and talk in complete sentences without gasping for air. Talk but not sing. Think zone 1-2.
Although I can and have used the terms "jogs" "run" and "workout" interchangeably, I will typically I will use the word "jog" for a slower pace run that is typically longer distance.
