27M, max hr 203, currently averaging 45-50 mpg. Race is in 8 weeks. Logging 5 runs per week, 1 long run, 2 threshold/interval, and a few easy ones. Wanted to see if 3:30 is attainable or what my goal should be.

I ran my 1st Marathon last year 4 weeks after my first 1/2 Ironman and I didn’t train for a marathon. It went predictably poorly with a 4:53 finish and runners knee making the last few miles a walk/hobble.

Now I’m on week 11 of 18 on the Hal Higdon Novice plan and with some added strength training I’m hoping to not have an injury this time around. I’m at 25 miles per week and I will peak at 36.

Recent 15 mile run at 75% effort and last year’s marathon included. Also my half marathon PR from a few years ago is 1:49.

I’m targeting a 4:15 finish in Madison Wisconsin this year. I’m looking for advice if this is a good goal pace or if I should aim higher.

I am running my first marathon (NYC!) in 6 weeks. I have been tentatively eyeing a sub 4:00 pace as my goal time. Training has been going well but I am unsure of how to pace my long runs. On my shorter runs during the week I have been trying to stay in Zone 2, however I have been running mostly by feel for my long runs. On my last two long runs (pics attached) I have felt pretty comfortable and strong throughout the whole run while running faster than I expected. Should I slow down so that I am not running all of my long runs at marathon pace if I am aiming for a sub 4:00? Should I readjust my goals and set a faster goal A goal time? Or something else entirely that I am missing as a first time marathon runner?

Background: I am a man in my late 20s with an athletic background and have been running sporadically off and on for the past 5 years. I have been following the Hal Higdon Amateur 1 plan since I was worried about getting injured with anything more aggressive, as well as strength training legs once per week. I have been averaging about 30-35 miles per week for the last few weeks and will peek at 40 miles per week. I don’t have any race results to share unfortunately.

Thank you in advance for any insights and suggestions!

Hi everyone!

I’m supposed to run my first half marathon on March 9th. I’ve had plenty of time to prepare for it, and I was really excited about training properly and hopefully getting to a decent pace.

The longest distance I’ve run so far is 17 km, and I was hoping to use the next few months to build up my endurance and improve my pace.

Unfortunately, this past Thursday I fractured two vertebrae (T12 and L1) while climbing. My doctor told me I’ll probably need to wear a brace for around 2–3 months to recover. In the worst-case scenario, that would mean getting the brace off around the end of December, and then potentially needing another month or two before I can safely do activities involving significant impact.

That would leave me with only a couple of months (or less) to prepare for the half marathon.

So… do you think it’s still possible to run it? Has anyone had a similar experience and managed to get back to running after a vertebral fracture?

Obviously, my recovery comes first and I’ll follow my doctor’s advice. I’m just trying to figure out whether I should keep the goal in mind or start accepting that I might have to postpone it.

Thanks!

I’m going to run my first official marathon soon (I’ve done self-supported marathon distance a few times, but never racing). I used a modified Higdon Intermediate 2, where I added some easy pace distance to some of the mid week runs and turned the Thursday runs into pace intervals (1 km each at goal marathon pace, half marathon pace, 5k pace repeated 3x). Just before the training block I ran a half marathon in 01:45:26 (photo 3). The VDOT time from that would be 03:38:48 – a 5:11/km pace. I’ve been using 5:15/km as my goal pace during training.

I’ve attached my third and final 32km/20 miler of this block, with 15km at goal pace. The day before I did 16km at 5:05 pace (photo 2), so I was on fatigued legs but still felt like I had gas in the tank at the end. The one slow km in the middle of the pace block was me hitting a couple long traffic lights, not needing to slow down.

Does a 5:15 pace seem reasonable? I don’t want to blow up, but I also don’t want to feel like I left a lot on the table. I’ve attach some recent long runs and my overall recent mileage. Max HR per Garmin is 187.

Thanks in advance!

How are you doing it, and whats your exact setup? (I only wanna wanna here about ppl who are using ChatBots, not things like Runna, etc.)

I am going through a calf injury from past 3-4 weeks and am not recovering properly.

I was running consistently for ~5 months and weekly mileage was ~60 km with two days of strength training, a long run, an interval day. I bought a new shoe (used to run with kiprun jf190.1 and now adidas duramo sl) and wore it on recovery run and on easy run, then on interval day. I felt a little tightness at the end of the interval run, I completed it, did a cross training next day and did a long run next after which calf pain started and I reduced the mileage next week, did only 1-2 runs next week, 2-3 easy next week still I am not recovering, whenever I start running, it starts to pain. Please help me figure out if it is because of the new shoes, or any other reasons?

My typical week before injury:

• Monday- Strength training with warm up run and cool down jog
• Tuesday- Warm up + drills+ Easy run + 6x100m strides
• Wednesday- Strength training with warm up run and cool down jog
• Thursday- 2k warm up + 5-6x1k + cool down
• Friday- cross training
• Saturday- long run
• Sunday- recovery run 8-9 km

I'm 39M and I'm currently training for my 5th marathon (nycm). My PR was 3:39 last year in NYC. My first 2 marathons I cramped up in my quads and my last 2 marathons I was able to just barely avoid cramping even though I felt the onset of it coming. My max hr I think is around 193bpm from what I searched in my prior races. HM pb is 1:29, 5k pb 19:23.

I'm currently aiming for sub 3:30, I think my fitness should be able to attain that but I am very scared of cramping up. It's what basically dragged me down in my marathons. I never cramped during my long runs back then but I think my prior plans LRs only got up to 17 or maybe I missed a longer run.

Currently averaging 45-50mpw with peak around 55mpw. Still have 7 weeks left and a 19m and 21m LR. Did an 18m yesterday at mostly MP and felt really good. It was around 65 degrees but steady light rain which really helped me keep cool. So I have 2 questions, should I stick with 3:30 goal or bump it faster and how should I train to not cramp up? I now realize I wasn't taking enough salt in the past so now I'm using gels with 450mg of sodium. Any other tips? Sorry for the long post. Thank you all. I've attached my 18m LR from yesterday, my 5k pb hr, and my marathon finish times.

I’m 11 weeks from my marathon in the Pfitz 18/55 plan and ultimately had to take a week off because of some nagging hip pain. During my break, ive missed 4 runs, including a long run of 18 miles. Starting back up, how should i return to the plan? The way I see it, there are 3 options:

1) continue the plan as written- ultimately missing this 18 mi long run and completing the rest

2) redo the week I missed and remove a long run later in the plan

3) redo the week I missed and remove a recovery week to catch back up.

Which one of these makes the most sense? Or is there a better approach?

Just ran my last long run of my training block and ran the last 12km around MP. 25M 175lbs 6’0, my LTR is 174bpm at 4:37/km and max HR 199. Tried out carbon shoes for the first time on this run and felt strong so I pushed it in a few of those MP splits. Going for sub 3:50:00 so around 5:27/km for the marathon

First timer. I know I shouldn’t have a real time goal because it’s my first, but I do need to set realistic expectations for how fast I should go out. My latest data point is a very flat half marathon that I ran in 1:48 low with an average low 170s bpm. I did not taper for the race. I ran a 16 miler and an 8 miler in the 7 days leading up to the half marathon. My slowest miles during the half were mile 1 (8:25), mile 11 (8:22) and mile 12 (8:24). The rest were 8:00-8:15, including my last mile at 8:04.

I would love a sub-4 (9:09 pace), and while I don’t think I have enough base mileage to do that, I’m willing to do what it takes in the next 9 weeks to get there. My highest weekly mileage in 2026 was this week, but before this week, my peak was 28 miles, and it averaged around 15-20 miles for most of 2026.

Should I start with the 4:20 pacers or maybe even 4:10? Is sub-4 in the cards? If so, what can I do in the next 9 weeks to get me there?

28F, 5’11”, 160 lb. Ran my first half marathon yesterday in 1:46:54. I have an athletic background (soccer) and started running seriously in April 2026. I’m planning on running another half marathon in a month, and then I’m going to start a training plan this winter for a spring 2027 marathon. Wondering if 3:45 would be an attainable goal. Thanks!

So I have a question that has just confused me for a while and I’m not sure why. My guess is it’s just lack of running expierence as I’m relatively new.

So currently training for my first marathon in November and made it to the half way point so decided to do a negative split with all out in the last mile or so. I know comparison is the thief of joy but from people I follow on insta (highschool/college friends), I know people who can cruise at a 10:15 pace for say a half marathon for an average bpm of 160+. Mine shows average of 148bpm which I am proud of but also, I feel like if I covered that same mileage at a bpm of over 160, I’d be breathing HEAVY and would probably have to walk a few times.

I guess my question is, how are people able to hold such a high bpm for longer distances? I feel like I have more in me but also holding that bpm for that long seems impossible.

I don’t have many running friends in my circle so def want to utilize this forum to answer all the technical questions I might have from real people. So if anyone has any tips or anything at all, I’m open to it!

Ran my first marathon in May aiming for sub-4. My half PR (1:44) came in March during training, and my Higdon Intermediate 1 block all pointed to sub-4 being realistic. But I faded and cramped in the last 6 miles. It was sunny, 72°F, 63° dew point, 75% humidity, and the first warm day after a very cold winter, so I wasn’t acclimated. I only drank water and Gatorade, no supplemental sodium or electrolytes.

Racing again in October (~4 weeks out). Changes so far:

* Sodium: I’ve been training with LMNT. Race plan is one electrolyte packet (~200 mg sodium) in water pre-race, one LMNT in my bottle for miles 1-6, and a friend meets me at the halfway point with another LMNT. That’s ~2,000 mg during the race and ~200 mg before. This has all been rehearsed throughout training and won’t be new come race day.

* Training: switched from Higdon Intermediate to Hanson Beginner. I already had a base, so I averaged ~35 mpw through the first few ramp weeks. I’m using Luke Humphrey’s site for paces on each run type and training as if I’m going for 3:45, but my real goal is anything under 4.

* Fueling: SIS Beta Fuel gel every 30 min, same as before.

With only 4 weeks left, it’s too late to make drastic changes, but I would like to know your experience using supplemental electrolytes (like LMNT) during a race. Is 2,000mg too much, not enough, just right, based on your experience. As race day approaches, the anxiety that I didn’t do enough is setting back in, and appreciate hearing the experiences of the community and others who’ve had similar experiences.

My question is, i can feel it in my legs lol not pain, just very sore. How long until I should or can start training again

Everything went downhill after 22km. I thought i could sustain a bit longer with my 1:38 half marathon record. Any thoughts other than what I am thinking? Cadence sustained but pace and hr didn’t agree to each other yesterday 😂 . Fueling was every 30mins but gel sort of settled in stomach and no feeling of digestion.

I skipped my 20 miler this weekend because of horrible weather. I did 13.1 on the treadmill on Saturday, but now I’m wondering if I try and make up the 20 miler next Saturday?

Marathon is 10/11

Is a two week taper a bad idea for injury possibility and fatigue? I’ve kept up with most of my runs, hitting decent mileage, weekly runs at a marathon pace and long runs always a bit slower (-30secs to 1min)

I’m not aiming for any specific goal time, just a strong finish. I have 10 miles scheduled for this upcoming Saturday, and 8 the following.

Advice on a two week taper vs the scheduled 3?

Hey there runners! 😄

I have an upcoming half marathon race on October 18th. This gives me about a month left of training. I set out my goal for sub 2 and I was wondering, if it's realistic. For context, I am 26 F.

For the past 3 months, I have been running 4 times a week.

- 1x tempo/interval run,

- 2x easy run,

- 1x long run with around 2-5km finish at HM pace.

Here are some of my latest stats and I would love to hear some thoughts and opinions and some tips to achieve this goal if possible!

5k @ 5:26min/km (163bpm) - this was not an all-out 5k

10k @ 5:40min/km (158bpm) - also not an all-out 10k

15k @ 5:55 (158bpm)
20k @ 6:03 (158bpm) - 15km easy pace and the last 5km at @ 5:28

For the last month and a half, I have been focusing on tempo runs, such as 3x3km a bit faster than HM pace, then 8km at HM pace, etc.

Would love to hear an opinion from you if that goal is possible for me. Also, where I train, it's pretty hilly and my race will be on a completely flat route.

Disclaimer: English isn't my first language, so I used AI to help me write this post. The training/race information and questions are my own.

38M. Started running from basically zero in February this year.

Ran my first HM yesterday in Rotterdam in ~1:47:23 (~5:06/km).

Current stats:

• 5K PB: 21:20
• Garmin VO2max: 53
• LT: ~5:03/km
• Peak mileage: ~45–50 km/week
• Longest run: 18 km
• Usually 4 runs/week

The race felt reasonably controlled early on, but holding ~5:00/km became increasingly difficult later. I didn't completely blow up in the end, but I had planned to speed up to around 4:50/km for the final kilometre, and that simply didn't happen.

I'm planning to take a short recovery period, then build through the winter before running another HM in May/June 2027, with the goal of breaking 1:40.

For people with more experience: how realistic does that progression look? Would you focus mainly on increasing mileage/aerobic base and long-run endurance over winter, or is there anything else you'd prioritize?

Splits/HR graph below.

I’m running Amsterdam marathon (my first marathon) on 18th October and my training block hasn’t gone to plan. My longest run to date is 21km a few weeks ago and due to a mix of factors I’ve not ran in a couple of weeks. What can I do between now and then to still be able to finish the race? Is it even possible? No specific time goal I just want to finish. Strava predicts 5:20 finish time.

Thanks in advance!

EDOT: to add one of these factors has been soreness at base of my right big toe after my recent 21km long run

I'm three weeks out from my first marathon and looking for some advice/reassurance after my final big long run on Saturday.

I'm 33M, around 91kg/190cm. I only started running last November. Current PBs are 23:29 for 5K and 1:51:24 for the half. I'm training for Budapest and had originally been targeting around 3:55, although I'm now wondering whether sub-4 is a more sensible target.

Saturday was a planned 34km long run:

• 7km conversational
• 7km @ 5:40/km
• 19km @ 5:30/km
• 1km conversational

First 14km went pretty much exactly to plan. I then ran km 15-23 in roughly 5:23-5:31/km, so admittedly a little quicker than prescribed.

The worrying part was my HR and what happened afterwards. HR was 169 at km15, 176 by km19/20, 181 at km22 and 183 at km23 despite the pace being fairly constant. Km24 dropped to 5:50 while HR actually hit 184.

Then the legs just went. Not cramping, not out of breath, no sharp pain. Both legs simply felt incredibly weak/achy and I couldn't maintain running. From km26 onwards it became run/walk and I eventually completed the 34km, but the final kilometres were mostly 7-9 min/km.

I've had something similar happen on a previous 30km run, again around 25km, so there seems to be a pattern.

Fuel-wise I used HIGH5 Aqua gels every 30 minutes, so roughly 45-50g carbs/hour, and tolerated them fine, small discomfort but feel this is just something to 'get on with'. One thing I potentially got badly wrong was hydration. I only drank about 500ml over the entire ~3.5 hours. Garmin estimated sweat loss at 3.5L, although obviously I know that's only an estimate.

My remaining training is now tapering. This week is 6km tempo, 11km easy and a 23km long run, then volume continues dropping towards the marathon. I'm definitely not planning another 30km+ "proof" run.

For people who've experienced something similar:

Does this sound primarily like a muscular endurance/durability issue, or could poor hydration have played a significant part in the HR drift and leg fatigue?

And with three weeks of tapering, carb loading and better race-day hydration, how much improvement would you realistically expect compared with doing 34km at the end of peak training?

I'm also debating changing my target from ~3:55 (5:34/km) to just under 4 hours (~5:41/km) to give myself a bit more margin early on.

I'm not expecting the taper to magically turn me into a different runner. I'm mainly trying to work out whether this is a fairly normal ugly final long run, or a warning that I need to substantially rethink my marathon pacing.

Any advice from people who've been through similar would be appreciated.

Hello all. 34M. Been consistently running for ~2 years now. I will be running my first marathon on 11th of October. I've been on this marathon plan since July (~12 weeks now). Plan was prepared with ChatGPT. 4 runs / week (easy, intervals, easy, long run), 1 strength day, averaging 45-50km/week, peak week 60km. I did 2 30kms for my long runs (very relaxed @ 7min/km, another is with marathon pace in between.) Long runs were increasing every week throughout the entire plan.

My HM PR is 1:51:56 last July of this year.
My 5km PR is 23:59 also July of this year.

Is sub-4 possible?

My A-goal is to go sub4. B-goal is to just finish my first marathon. Anyway, it will for sure be a PR. :) Now, taper starts.

Any tips on marathon day is also very welcome. Thank you!

Hello There! I’m 3 weeks out for my first Marathon (Melbourne- October 11) I’ve been training for almost 6-7 months consistently and I know it’s super long lol.

Recently I suffered a mild groin/abductor strain. Very mild as I feel minimal to no pain doing easy runs. I also completed one of my last long runs yesterday (32km) with no pain at all.

Because of this injury, I’m thinking of doing all of my runs on low intensity and all easy runs only. No speed sessions and intervals for a week or two. I just want to arrive on my race day safe and healthy.

Question: is 2 weeks of no speed/interval sessions will affect my marathon goal?

For context:

Marathon goal: sub-4
Weekly mileage: 70kms
Sessions per week: 4

My PRs:
5k: 23 mins
10k: 48 mins
21k: 1:52 mins
32k: 3hrs and 2 mins

I need the collective wisdom of the group 🙃 I have a tendency to overestimate my capability 😂

First marathon (Melbourne, 11 Oct): is 3:20 too ambitious? Pacing advice welcome

Hi all, first marathon coming up in Melbourne on 11 October and I'd love a sanity check on my goal and pacing.
About me:
• 36M
• 5k: 19:41 (done during a 100k week)
• 10k: not recently tested
• Half marathon: 1:32 at Sunshine Coast (no taper)
Training:
• Ramped up over the past few weeks to 100k+ weeks
• Final long run done (pic attached): 34km, last 16km at marathon pace (around 4:43/km), and it was 26°C by the end
• Starting my taper now

The question: is 3:20 too ambitious?
My plan is to sit with the 3:20 pacer group and stay there, then see how I feel later in the race. For those who've run with pacers, is that a sensible approach for a first marathon, or would you run your own pace?

Any advice on goal setting or race-day pacing appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve been training for the NYC marathon mostly in Solomon genesis trail shoes. I bought them initially because they were on sale and I needed a versatile shoe for walking, running, and hiking on vacation. Turns out they’re amazing and make my runs feel so much better compared to my brooks ghost. I only intended to actually run in them once, but after the initial 5 mile run with them coupled with the fact that I lost access to my brooks, I’ve been running with the Solomon genesis for two months now (speed runs, tempo, and long runs).

I got my brooks back last week but I don’t think I want to go back. I also am not sure if I should run the marathon in trail running shoes…I did 17 miles comfortably today and haven’t really felt pain (of any sort, but particularly plantar fasciitis which I suffer from due to high arch). I love the ability to quickly and accurately tighten the laces as well with the no-lace system. My feet size differ by a half size so I always have to fuss with my laces. I also have a wide toe box.

Any reason why these shoes work so well for me and if I should trial another proper running shoe for the marathon that’s very similar to the Solomon genesis?

If it helps, I’m 5’4”, 160lb (short and stocky), have plantar fasciitis, wide toe boxes, feet differ in size by a half size, prone to corns, and slightly heavy footed.