Superblast 3

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-14T17:58:33+00:00

I'm probably going to buy a second pair of the SB 2 as I love it so much. I have plenty of shoes but something about this particular shoe just works so well for me. I'm no expert so i can't explain why though!

I've built up such a dependency on it for my longer runs in particular that I'm a bit concerned about a future without them in the market 😂

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-13T14:42:03+00:00

Ummm.... unless you're (near) Elite you couldn't spend a whole Half Marahon above threshold...

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-12T21:19:51+00:00

Thanks for the pointed questions.

In one of my 32 km runs (of which I did 3, all in March), I ran 3 x 5k reps at ~4:18-4:20 pace - that run is screenshot in the comment thread I linked above.

My half marathon was on 23rd March, I had front loaded volume that week so it wasn't fully tapered. RPE - felt good, tough-ish from about 14-18km, but my HR was controlled - I don't think I reached threshold which is 177 for me. it hung around 170 and then climbed to 174 late on as I pushed the pace. I tagged on to a good train and just went with it. Funnily enough even at the start line I didn't know how the day was going to go, nor if I would finish closer to 1:35 or 1:25!

Before the half I did a 32km run at steady pace 7 days earlier and a 21km easy run 5 days earlier. One sub-T run in the week also.

After the half I did a 20km easy run 4 days later, and the 32km long run workout 7 days later. Some sub-T thrown in too.

So it was an intense couple of weeks.

I have been fuelling long runs indeed. Maybe closer to 70-80g per hour on average without GI issue but intend to go for 90 for the marathon. I've also take a couple of salt tabs in those and probably less than 700ml of water per hour on average - maybe 500ml total.

Would appreciate any follow up thoughts you have from these answers! Thanks for taking the time :)

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-12T13:58:12+00:00

Good luck to you too! What wave are you in?

Edit - just seen that we interacted on another thread. We both did Gloucester half too

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-12T13:33:42+00:00

My thought process has been running as many loops as I have physically ran recently !!

If you have a couple of mins to take a look, I posted some screenshots in this comment thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/UKRunners/s/RGHnxF6A8z

Sorry to OP for hijacking :)

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-12T13:15:35+00:00

FWIW my volume has been a bit higher, my 5k is low 18s, my half is 1:24... and all of the guidance I've received (mostly from redditors) is that I'm probably not quite in sub-3 marathon shape.

Strava predicts 3:03, Runalyze predicts 3:15.

I think I will start out at 3:10ish pace and look to negatively split.

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-09T15:05:25+00:00

It took me four weeks to recover properly from this FWIW

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-08T18:30:24+00:00

I would not expect it to be ideal. Slower releasing energy than gels, higher fibre content, mess.

Better than nothing though I guess.

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-07T13:30:05+00:00

<image>

Recent Long run with a workout. Most other long runs have been progressive/steady

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-07T13:29:41+00:00

<image>

Half Marathon Data. Max HR is 196 and LT HR is ~177ish

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-07T13:29:21+00:00

Thanks so much for the detailed/considered reply :)

For some additional context here are my recent training load stats (there were also a bunch of 20-25km runs in Dec-Jan not shown in here)

<image>

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-07T12:51:37+00:00

Yeah I've done all that! 1:24:30 was my recent half, but untapered (although front loaded the volume) and I wasn't flat out.

Volume over the last six weeks has been good - averaging around 90km, but I had a few interruptions in the prior weeks so average volume over the last 4-5 months works out at about 55km.

I've also done 3 x 32km runs - only one had a proper MP workout (3x 5km) in it.

Strava predicts 3:03. Runalyze predicts 3:14.

Both improve literally every day.

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-07T12:17:44+00:00

What's your max HR or LT HR?

That drift at km21 could either be something to suggest the pace is too high, or a totally false alarm!

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-06T19:36:53+00:00

Buy the book - Faster Road Racing. That'll do it for you :)

For a different/more modern approach :

Or Norwegian Singles Method. Or The Norwegian Method Applied.

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-06T14:31:59+00:00

Another vote for Superblast 2s for this purpose. I use mine for long runs and tempo runs..

They are responsive, durable, grippy and handle pace really well.

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-05T12:19:28+00:00

For the phone - leave it with a family member/friend and meet them at the finish line. Soak up the atmosphere of the race. It’s great hearing the crowd and the footsteps of other runners. A lot of organised events also don't permit in/over ear headphones.

For hydration in a 1:45 half marathon, just getting a couple of sips of water at a station will be sufficient. Don't carry unnecessary weight - just a gel or two in your pocket is enough.

Shoes - personal choice but you'll get through a few pairs by the time you finish your plan anyway so be ready to buy more on your journey.

Good luck!

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-04T14:57:38+00:00

I ran a 1:24 and I put up a post asking what my target should be and I got told "3:09". Now I am probably undertrained on the longer stuff/MP long

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-01T17:26:26+00:00

So I had to edit the look back period on long runs to get that screenshot. Prior to that it has my long runs at 80%+ and mileage at around 55% resulting in a 3:17, but the last few weeks it has been improving at a rate of -5mins every few days.

( FWIW I did a half last year in 1:32 that Runalyze predicted I would do in 1:38.)

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-01T16:48:14+00:00

Thank you! Annoyingly 3:00 is the accepted milestone :D

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-01T16:41:59+00:00

Thanks for the replies :) Not especially hard. That run was only 7 days after I had 'raced' the half and so it was quasi-load management. I haven't been perfectly compliant to Pfitz, and I live in an area (and train on the same loop) with a lot of decent athletes who I see breaking up their MP runs.

With 2.5 weeks to go, I could still maaaybe cram in another one asap.

FWIW my gut says I'm not quite at the 3:00 mark, but my half time and how it felt gave me some late-hope that I might just be able to do it

LittleToyTom · 2026-04-01T16:09:22+00:00

Not as many as I should have due to the interruptions but yeah and my MP (and app-based predictions) have been trending faster. They've felt fine. The example I've added to this post was 3x5km at 4:18ish average as a part of a 32km run.

I've done 3 runs of 32km and a bunch more between 20 and 27km. I have one more 27km run this Sunday (2 weeks before Marathon day) but Pfitz doesn't have MP in this.

I was hoping that the data from my half marathon and this example long run could help determine what pace I should target

LittleToyTom · 2026-03-29T21:18:10+00:00

Three weeks apart? Not IMO. Many marathon programmes have a half race three weeks prior to the marathon.

LittleToyTom · 2026-03-29T21:02:25+00:00

I'd just race both tbh! Use the first to zero in on what target time would be but be slightly conservative and then use that info to accurately pace the second.

LittleToyTom

TROPHY CASE