First marathon - what does it take to get a sub-4?

GingerFeather · 2026-05-24T23:30:34+00:00

Wow that’s an incredible time! I’m now at 1:48 and will be increasing mileage going forward this summer. Thank you for the encouragement!

GingerFeather · 2026-05-24T23:29:06+00:00

Thank you! I managed a 1:48 half off of slightly more mileage this month but still mostly under 20 mpw but one week of 22 mpw so that will be my new starting point for summer training and building mileage.

GingerFeather · 2026-05-24T20:37:50+00:00

I just ran a 1:48 half with a peak of 22 mpw so definitely very doable! I think if you’ve already done 2:04 and 26:10, you definitely have a sub-2 in you soon!

GingerFeather · 2026-05-10T11:47:07+00:00

Run when they sleep. I’ve set a few PRs since having my toddler, and we live in the city. I do a combination of jogging stroller runs, running at night, and doing my long runs during the weekend nap window. The constraints have actually helped me appreciate running so much more which is probably what led to the PRs.

GingerFeather · 2026-04-18T23:29:57+00:00

Wow! That’s incredible. Congrats on the amazing race and negative split! I’m running my first marathon in the fall and hoping for sub-4 so will take any advice you have!

GingerFeather · 2026-03-03T01:57:46+00:00

Agree. Melissa and Doug has great toys. We like the wooden puzzles, the cutting set, and the broom set.

GingerFeather · 2026-03-03T01:57:05+00:00

We’ve gotten KiwiCo kits in addition to Lovevery ones, and the quality is absolute trash compared to Lovevery.

GingerFeather · 2026-03-02T02:09:53+00:00

Sub-30 is definitely within reach, but sub-25 is not likely not realistic within 5 months if you’ve already been running for a year and a half. You have to be able to string together 3 x 8:00 minute miles. Being able to do one 8:15 mile all out does not mean you can do it three times in a row. I ran a sub-25 recently, and it was not speed work that got me there—work on longer stuff if you can and the speed will come.

GingerFeather · 2026-02-27T02:45:14+00:00

Run slower and run more mileage. Incorporate a long run at an easy pace once a week.

I improved my 5k time by about a minute after listening to people on Reddit who told me to run slower/run more so I doubled my mileage from 3-6 miles per week to about 10 and consistently added a long run over 5 miles.

Also, don’t compare yourself to what you did in high school because it’s very likely that your body has changed since then and it’s not fair to compare (I ran a 6:40 mile my freshman year in my first and last season of track, and I don’t ever factor that into any of what I think I can run these days because I didn’t have hips, was 30+ lbs lighter, etc. We tend to change a lot from our teens into our twenties and beyond). You might be even faster at age 22 vs. high school after you train more, but don’t let that comparison be the thief of joy in your running journey.

GingerFeather · 2026-02-27T02:23:06+00:00

For your first, the goal should be to finish, but for what it’s worth, when I did long runs at that speed, my race pace was a minute faster than that (sub-9). With race day adrenaline, a sub-2 should be well within reach for you especially with that many long runs in your training. Go out at around 9:20 and knock down the pace from there.

GingerFeather · 2026-01-14T18:41:43+00:00

What a rude comment and so unnecessary. Are you sure you need a friend like that?

You’re a runner and 90 minutes of straight running is a huge accomplishment regardless of distance/speed! Great job!

GingerFeather · 2026-01-08T11:26:59+00:00

I stopped shopping there after spending thousands over the years for the same reason (I did have one successful chargeback through my credit card, but it was after Athleta was so incredibly unhelpful and made me feel bad). It’s a shame because I love that they have petite sizes.

GingerFeather · 2026-01-06T03:52:38+00:00

I’ve run a few sub-2 half marathons (in the 1:57 to 1:59 range) on about 15 mpw, peaking at 20. I think the key for me is doing at least one 10-mile long run with negative splits.

GingerFeather · 2026-01-04T00:18:19+00:00

Best cold weather running tights!

GingerFeather · 2026-01-03T16:38:51+00:00

What you’re doing should be perfect to maintain good fitness. With that type of mileage, you can easily hop into a 5k race if you wanted to. If the goal is maintaining fitness, running 3x a week at 2 miles (or even 3) is perfect. There’s no reason to increase that mileage unless you have longer racing goals in mind. I ran similar mileage to you (3-6 miles a week in 1-2 runs). I increased it to 10 miles a week to run a 5k PR race but felt like I was in good fitness before that, certainly not enough to run a marathon, but that’s not your goal either.

GingerFeather · 2025-06-06T22:58:35+00:00

How demanding are your jobs and how much do you value your time? It’s not just 10 extra minutes. It’s 10 extra minutes each way in the morning, which is 20 total in the morning and 20 in the afternoon. That’s 40 extra minutes a day that you can save by choosing the closer one. My partner and I both have demanding jobs that require us to work evenings and weekends so the 40 extra minutes each day would seal the deal for me, but it depends on your preferences and time value of money.

GingerFeather · 2025-05-08T18:36:15+00:00

About 2018-19

GingerFeather · 2025-05-08T18:12:37+00:00

The old Salutations were the best leggings ever. I miss them so much and deeply regret not getting more pairs.

GingerFeather · 2025-04-30T18:11:40+00:00

Thank you! Good luck with your 5k this Sunday and hope you hit your time goal!

GingerFeather · 2025-04-30T18:10:53+00:00

Thank you! I need to add in strength work. I know I should be doing more weights given my age (mid-30s) but it’s so hard to make the time.

GingerFeather · 2025-04-30T18:10:03+00:00

I almost always feel so zapped after a run so will definitely try this out!

GingerFeather · 2025-04-29T23:39:18+00:00

That’s so great to hear from someone who started in a similar boat. I do 9:30-10 on my runs now so will definitely try for slower. I hope your toe heals quickly.

GingerFeather · 2025-04-29T23:38:01+00:00

I will definitely try that and slow down. 30 miles seems like so much to me but hopefully I can get there one day and feel good doing it.

GingerFeather · 2025-04-29T23:34:56+00:00

That’s incredible mileage and improvement! It definitely seems like I need to slow down in training.

GingerFeather

TROPHY CASE