The Sub 4 Support Thread

Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

Fair play to you ewc1978 for admitting you needed a new approach and doing something about it.

I train the same way you do and I consider changing to this way of training was the sole reason that got me to the promised land of a sub 3 Marathon after many failed attempts.

Best of luck with your future training, its time for you to have a look at the sub 3 thread 😜😱

It depends on who you are and where you’re coming from. For a male runner under 50, I’d say sub-4 is a pathway to sub-3:30. Everything else will be a bonus. If you are in your 30s or 40s, be more ambitious, maybe. Up to you really.

We have one already.

Yep sure am. Travelling down for the weekend so really looking forward to it.

It's going pretty well so far, the next 5 weeks will be the toughest part. Best of luck on the first attempt, this will be my 2nd.

Not sure if anyone listens to the Any Given Runday podcasts, they did an episode recently on Cork

For those of us not from Cork according to their guest the route is downhill all the way with the wind on your back the whole time😂

I did the Cobh 10 last week. The race went really well and I was delighted with my time. My legs are really sore though, must have been all the steep down hills! I haven't really any plan formulated yet. At the moment my long runs are up to 15 miles so it still feels a long way off before marathon distance. I have always used Brookes runners since 2015 and find they give great support.

No harm in discussing the course if you are both running Cork and both going for the same goal time. It’s a decent enough course alright though and probably a better course than say Dublin if you are going for sub 4 for the first time though wouldn’t have the same level as support around the course as Dublin would.

Best of luck anyway to the both of you.

It was me actually who originally started this thread and it took me a few attempts to break 4 so don’t be too disheartened if it doesn’t happen this time especially for those attempting it for the first time. Have a read back through the thread there are plenty of good comments and advice from plenty of different posters with various ideas about training. Just remember one size doesn’t fit all, people respond differently to different types of training. It was only when I realised this my training and times started to improve. There’s more than one way to skin a cat!

If you are training for Cork in June would you be beginning to taper around now or is it too soon? I'm following a programme since late January. I did a 20 mile run over a week or so ago and did 16 miles yesterday. I'm just wondering is it too soon to be cutting down the distance of the long run? It seems a big jump to go from 20 miles training to 26.2 on marathon day...I don't feel confident.

Yeah it says my longest run should be 20 miles. This is my first attempt at a marathon, so I'm just a bit uncertain if I'm doing the right thing.

Finished 4.09 today in Cork. Feel pretty deflated at the moment. I'd never really experienced running in that kind of heat before. Glad to have my first marathon done but dissapointed not to break 4.

Thanks very much for the kind words. Yeah I suppose I don't know too many people that have actually finished one.

Not great. I think they look very cheap. The t-shirt this year seems really cheap too actually.

Well done, great achievement to finish a marathon! It was your first marathon so a PB all the same and not far at all off sub 4 at all. It will be there for you next time, don't worry. Recover well now and try to savour the achievement, good on you 👋👋

I'm glad you are feeling happier about it, you should, it's a huge achievement finishing your 1st marathon!

From my experience it can be enjoyable. I've done 4 and I've had very mixed experiences. The first one I was very nervous but I did enjoy it to an extent, certainly once I got to a point where I was confident I'd finish it I enjoyed it. But it was Dublin, the crowds were amazing, the conditions were perfect and I was running very comfortably well within myself pace wise. My 2nd, again in Dublin and again perfect conditions but it was an absolutely miserable experience, I felt so sick and couldn't stomach fuel/water from very early on... 3rd was very enjoyable, again I was running very much within myself as I had only decided to do it a few days before hand so I took it at a very comfortable pace and soaked up the atmosphere. My 4th was less enjoyable but very satisfying as it was my first sub 4 and a big PB, thankfully I never felt absolutely awful the way I did on the 2nd but it was a tough run all the same as I wanted a specific time and the enjoyment really came afterwards from the sense of accomplishment... So a variety of experiences and I expect if I did another 4 that they would be all different also! Marathons are difficult to predict really but getting to that finish line is always an achievement because no matter what there will always have been sacrifices and some suffering along the way ☺️

They say a day for every mile but I think listen to your body. Don’t rush it anyway. There’s a lot of repairing to be done. A few easy runs when you are feeling up to it won’t do any harm but I wouldn’t do speed work or races. No harm to jog around Parkrun though if you feel like it.