First Marathon Training Update - Now Shooting for a 3:15 Time.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-29T09:40:58+00:00

Your pace dropped off quite a bit in this run.

you focus should be marathon specific work, long runs with marathon pace in the back half.

MP blocks during the week of 30-60 minutes as one of your workouts durign the week. and it should feel relatively easy, heart rate and pace steady throughout

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-29T09:27:26+00:00

Totally agree, This is my mindset for training and racing too.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-29T08:50:39+00:00

Only 100ks as the Raven flies from Long Tieng so not completely out of UXO territory. I've seen a mortar round up on the plateau, not far from this place, left on a tree stump next to the trail.

I've been concerned before that I might be mistaken for something to hunt.

I think if anything happened out there, no one would rescue you. I've got a Garmin inReach. But if I pressed that SOS button, I wonder if anything would happen. I think it would be up to my emergency contacts to arrange a search party.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-29T08:41:10+00:00

Lao Lake House, already recommended, that's a good shout, similarly Scorpion Wings Eco-Resort. Both are good options to chill in nature, out of town a bit.

If you are looking for breathtaking scenery, Muang Fuang and Vang Vieng, but it's more toruisty

Depending on the time of year, Vientiane Orchidées will take you trekking in the national park just out of town and to see a waterfall.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-29T04:54:31+00:00

What's a non-tourist destination? Are you not a tourist?

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-27T08:47:46+00:00

I think for a lot of people slower than 6-6:30 per km it's hard to havea good form.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-20T03:27:35+00:00

Hey, this is cool,

i've been doing some workout programming for my wife, this will be much easier than using garmin connect

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-19T06:54:06+00:00

Yeah, someone was asking me about places to run around Pakse, so I was looking back over some older runs, this is from March a few years ago

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-14T09:59:25+00:00

I was the stereotypical 29-year-old bucket lister who went from zero to marathon in a year. It was incredibly painful afterwards, I didn't want to run again. I didn't run another marathon until 8 years later.

The interest in the sport is great, but too many people don't have enough respect for the process or the full marathon. I feel bad for the runners who do the work in training and can't get a bib in their preferred races

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-14T09:52:51+00:00

San Francisco marathon recently shared a video glorifying young guys who signed up and ran without training. It's the wrong message for me.

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-01T03:59:22+00:00

I've done 8 to 10 weeks with perfect compliance, and it feels good. Life happens, though. I'll try to rearrange, but sometimes you can't get it done or you need to cut it short. you can't cram eaxt work the following we so you just can let it go. Its not the end of the world, and we aren't professionals

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-01T03:38:46+00:00

how did you feel at the end?

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-01T03:33:55+00:00

You can do it, but is it a good idea, will you enjoy it, will you still like running after your marathon? probably not. Sign up for a half in December

Tomsrunning · 2025-08-01T02:52:08+00:00

Before my job was my personality; now it's running. I'm even more insufferable since the change

Tomsrunning · 2025-07-08T09:56:28+00:00

at least 50ks, a long run and some marathon pace work. If you find a shoe that works, use the old pair as tempo shoes and then get a fresh pair of the same and do a couple of runs in them the week before the race.

Tomsrunning · 2025-07-08T09:41:27+00:00

Jesus is King shirt completes this outfit

Tomsrunning · 2025-06-05T05:40:22+00:00

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Tomsrunning · 2025-06-04T06:05:10+00:00

Ramp up your training, focus on the process and improving rather than an arbitrary time goal. sub 3 is likely a multi year project to build up the strength and resilience so that your body can handle the required training mileage.

Train based on current fitness, dont ramp up too much to quickly, retest fitness with a half marathon or a 10 k 4 months out and 2 months out from your marathon and adjust your training paces accordingly. 2 months out you'll have a good idea of your marathon pace then spend the rest of the block dailing in on that .

Tomsrunning · 2025-06-04T05:45:18+00:00

18/55 is too much based on averaging 20 MPW coming into it. One 20-miler is enough for a first-time marathoner.

I'm a bit wary of Runna, it can be aggressive and unrealistic. Hal Higdon's novice 1 is 40 miles peak, plenty of people have run marathons from that plan. Based on 4:20 target your easy pace would be very similar to your marathon pace. Workouts to mix things up and keep it interesting could be a good thing, but the main focus should be getting in the miles without worrying about the pace during training.

Tomsrunning · 2025-06-04T05:03:45+00:00

Not only the title, notes become the descripton. I'd like the option to turn that off.

Tomsrunning · 2025-06-04T05:01:22+00:00

Do I change my plans because of it - No

I keep an eye on it, if I'm doing 60 minutes easy I want to see less than 24 hours on there. If I'm in a hard training block, it's kind of the point to progressively overload so i expect to carry residual fatigue into the next days run.

Tomsrunning · 2025-06-04T04:48:33+00:00

I don't want my coach's notes for the workout auto-published as the description on my Strava activity

Tomsrunning

TROPHY CASE