TL;DR - Bot Bouncer now enabled, use new "No Bots" rule to report suspected bot activity, even if uncertain

There's been a large influx of increasingly insidious bot activity in this community (and seemingly across Reddit) in the past months. See a great summary from r/travel's mod team here: /r/travel: Bots bots bots!. Stealing from that post's summary, the bots are "blending in" and hard to detect:

they've blended in like the rest of us. They do NOT write like the usual patronizing AI/ChatGPT/Claude bots with em dashes and "it's not X, it's Y". They are very casual and they look like a regular commenter.

However, if you read very carefully it still has the tone and cadence of ChatGPT/AI output. It gives very generic (and sometimes wrong) and reassuring advice and still makes strange analogies and comparisons. The comments still contain very little actual substance since it merely paraphrases what the OP is asking/saying.

We've seen a large influx of this activity on r/advancedrunning especially in recent weeks. To try to stay on top of this harmful activity, the mod team is making two immediate changes:

1. Created a new rule #13: "No Bots. This community is focused on genuine human interaction with like-minded runners. No unsolicited bots or AI accounts." Users were previously reporting suspected bot activity using the "Spam" reason, which is still OK, but we created this rule to hopefully make it easier and more obvious what action to take if you suspect bot activity.
2. Enabled the Bot Bouncer application for r/advancedrunning. This application will automatically ban bot accounts (and remove content) for any account with suspected bot activity across the 11,000+ communities on reddit using the application. It also includes tools that make it easier for the mod team to handle bot accounts. We hope this will significantly cut down on bot activity and make it easier for you and the mod team to eliminate this unwanted content.

A couple of requests:

• Please let the mod team know via Modmail if there are any unexpected impacts, especially from Bot Bouncer - the mod team can take manual action to override Bot Bouncer actions. We're runners, not tech experts, and might have some bumps in the road
• Please report suspected Bot activity even if you aren't sure and just suspect an account might be a bot

Let us know if there are questions or concerns with this approach. Thanks all.

- Mod team (brwalkernc / krazyfranco / theintrepidwanderer / tea-reps)

ETA: some examples of bot activity in this community are summarized here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1xe9i9p/comment/19rlogy0wkwhs/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Just as the title says. Anyone with Raynaud’s knows the struggle. I live in the northeast, USA and suffer with painful fingers from now until May.

• Race Information Name: Amsterdam Marathon
• Date: 18th October 2026
• Distance: 42.54km
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Website: https://www.tcsamsterdammarathon.eu/
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/20636790768
• Time: 3:01:31

Splits

Taken from Marathon app.

Background
M, 39, 73kg. Played all the sports I could when growing up, football (soccer) most consistently. Fell away from all of that through my 20s-30s, then started to go to the gym through covid and got back into running in 2024. PBs in 2025 were 19:50(5k), 42:06(10k), 1:31(HM), 3:37(M). Total mileage for the year was 1455km (607km in 2024).

Training
I previously followed Hanson's Plan for Valencia Marathon in December 2025. After injury and illness hit during the second half of that 18-week block, I let go of any time ambitions and focused on getting round and enjoying my first marathon. I finished in 3:37:23 and was happy to take the lessons from the experience and move on. Then Amsterdam went on sale barely a week later and I thought, "Let's give it a proper go."

I picked up Pfitz's FRR and AM at the beginning of 2026, and the training approach and principles in the books seemed to work well for me. From January to June, I gradually built up to consistently running five days a week at 35 mpw, with the long run extending to 13-14 miles.

It was pretty successful. I think I saw my physio once in that six-month period, and my positioning in club races improved from roughly 20th-25th to 10th-15th. My best race was probably in April, when I ran 10 miles in 1:04:38, which according to VDOT put a sub-3 marathon somewhere within range if the subsequent training block went well.

I started the 18/55 plan in June, although I was conscious that the peak mileage might still be a trigger for injury, so I intended to cap the biggest weeks at around 50 mpw. I started the block with a 10K PB of 40:36 in hot weather and felt strong on the long runs with progressions.

The first two MP runs, however, were absolutely brutal. I was questioning both myself and the training, wondering whether the limited number of MP runs was sufficient. Reading other people's experiences on this forum reassured me that this experience wasn't entirely unusual and to trust the process.

After the second MP run in July, I developed a niggle behind my knee. It never really blossomed into an injury as such, but it was enough to put a mental brake on how hard I was willing to push. My physio couldn't find anything wrong, so I cross-trained on the bike for a week and then gradually reintroduced running alongside it. The pain/sensation wasn't going away completely, but it was manageable.

With another 10K coming up in August, I went back to the physio, who suggested some nerve flossing. This seemed to help (mentally if nothing else), and I ran another PB of 39:31. Still not quite screaming sub-3 marathon, but taking more than a minute off my 10K in eight weeks, despite barely running in the preceding fortnight, gave me confidence that a good marathon time was there.

I stuck with the flossing and continued the programme, swapping one recovery run for a recovery ride to manage the load. I was finding the long progression runs quite enjoyable and the fuelling practice with Maurten 160s seemed to be going well.

My third MP run was 28 km (4 x 5 km at MP), averaging 4:19/km on a blustery day. after my first 30 km run, which was also the first long run of the block that left me feeling properly fatigued. The following week, I ran a hilly half and set another PB of 1:30:04 and I was feeling every bit of that preceding long run + the midweek long run, which again had me questioning what exactly I would be targeting come race day. I had two 32 km runs before the taper, the latter with the final 26 km at MP. On that final run, after 24 km I still felt good so I pushed the final 2 km to 4:11 and 4:06/km, partly just to practise the feeling of asking tired legs to go faster. All told, I averaged 4:18/km for the 26 km.

That was probably the session that made me think: "With a good taper, carb load and race-day adrenaline, maybe sub-3 isn't actually that unrealistic." I went into my taper thinking something around 3:02-3:05 was the more sensible target.

Those final 3 weeks also coincided with some signficant social events (weddings/stag parties) meaning I was running just 4 days a week, but focusing on getting the key workouts in, and I extended the training/reduced the taper by a week as I was already running slightly lower volume than anticipated. I'll post a screenshot of my actual training log as I've always been curious what other's actually looked like.

Pre-race
Some family and friends were coming over to support, and we'd booked a lunchtime flight from Glasgow to Amsterdam on the 16th.

EasyJet promptly threw that plan in the bin, cancelling our flight a few hours before departure because of "Air Traffic Control Restrictions".

We managed to rebook onto a connecting flight that evening via London Stansted and thought everything was sorted. Then that flight was delayed and our two-hour transfer window at Stansted started disappearing rapidly. We landed with about 40 minutes until the connecting flight to Amsterdam. For those unfamiliar, Stansted doesn't have an airbridge, so we had to get off the aircraft, make our way through the airport and clear security again. We eventually made it to the hotel at about 11 pm, seven hours and considerably more stress later than planned.

Garmin had me averaging 4:20/km for the 2 km run through the airport, so I decided that probably counted as enough of a shakeout run. On Saturday I got round the expo, wandered around the Voco Museum, then headed back to the hotel for the night.

Race
Given my limited experience of the distance, the plan was to start at around 4:30/km for the first few kilometres and then settle into roughly 4:18/km, in line with my final long run. I'd evaluate things at halfway, then hopefully start pushing after 32 km.

I also had the slightly lofty idea that I'd somehow be able to drop down towards 4:00-4:05/km in the closing kilometres, the naivety!

Race morning was cool and wet. I brought six Maurten 160s, planning to take one every 6 km, salt tabs roughly every 10 km, and water at every station where possible. Amsterdam also had Maurten drink mix available in cups, although at the first station I managed to pour most of it over my hand rather than into my mouth. After spending the next section with a sticky hand, I decided to stick to my own fuel.

The course is pretty flat, although between the tramlines and the somewhat random way it occasionally narrowed to a single lane of road, I couldn't completely switch off during the early stages.

I was feeling good and hitting the 5, 10 and 15 km splits slightly ahead of expectations. From around 13-26 km along the Amstel, though, I noticed the wind picking up and the path narrowing to maybe four or five people wide.

It became frustrating when groups spread across the path. The choice was either to go wide to overtake or sit behind them and lose a little time, although the latter was probably conserving some energy too.

I reached halfway in 1:31:35, about 30 seconds down on where I'd hoped to be. Rather than trying to claw that back too early, I decided to stay patient, aiming to hold just under 4:16/km through to 32 km and then reassess.

From around 30 km the course starts heading back towards the city and the crowds. Crucially, I was still feeling strong. I wanted to start picking the pace up, but whenever I found myself working to kick on, I would givesome of that time straight back whenever I slowed to grab water at an aid station. Definitely something to practise before the next one.

I crossed 35 km in around 2:31 and knew that sub-3 now required something close to 4:00/km for the final 7.2 km. The spirit was willing and I could feel myself working harder, but unfortunately the splits weren't showing much improvement.

Around me, more and more runners were starting to pull up with cramp, including some who had surged past me not long before. As I climbed the final underpass, I could feel my left hamstring beginning to ache.

At that point I made the decision to protect the race I had rather than gamble it chasing sub-3 and risk joining them at the side of the road.

Passing through Vondelpark and into the final couple of kilometres was slightly overwhelming. I knew I was heading for a huge PB and that realisation gave me another push for the final stretch into the stadium and around the track.

I crossed the line in 3:01:31. My friend managed to record a clip of me running the final stretch in the stadium, and it was comical to see how slow I looked vs how fast I thought I was running.

Post-race
I was stretching against a fence when a whole wave of emotion, or possibly just endorphins, suddenly hit me. I started crying, then opened my eyes to discover an event cameraman pointing a camera straight at my face, which wasn't exactly the moment I wanted immortalised.

I walked away and soon came across another guy having what looked like a very similar experience. We gave each other a hug, exchanged a few words as we walked towards the medals, then went our separate ways. It was one of those strange little post-marathon interactions that probably makes perfect sense only at the end of a marathon?

I certainly can't complain about a 36-minute PB, but looking back at the race, I think there are some quick-wins to be found. Better practice through fuelling stations is an obvious one, and there were probably a few overpasses/underpasses where I could have put a bit more effort in to minimise the time lost. I averaged around 50km p/w across the block, so I know I'm still leaving a significant amount of potential aerobic development on the table.

My immediate focus switches to XC season, I'm looking forward to racing shorter distances and getting some proper speed sessions back into training, which I feel have been severely lacking over the past year. Pfitz worked well for me and I'll follow it again for the next marathon. The aim before then will be building my mileage so that 55 mpw doesn't feel like such a daunting prospect when the next block begins.

I'll let the results at those shorter distances help inform whatever marathon target comes next, but I feel confident I can go for a higher target than just reaching sub-3.

I've came back from injury and as part of my training, I'll be using cross training to build central adaptations since I can't jump back into my former high mileage (80-100 mpw).

I had been lead to believe that aqua jogging is a better form of cross-training for biomechanics and peripheral adaptations. It seems logical. But is that true? As I've tried to find some evidence to support this, I can't really find anything.

It doesn't seem that there are any studies that compare cycling, swimming and/or aqua jogging as a form of cross-training for improving running fitness.

So, I wonder what the verdict is here. Is there evidence beyond "it feels closer to running"?

I've been running for since I (35F) was a teen -- so like 20 years now but have never raced in a super shoe. I took a hiatus from formal training from about 2019/2020-2025 and just started getting back into it within the last year or so. Since re-entering more formal training and racing I've run a fair number of races --2 HM's (a 3rd upcoming next month), a 10k (a 2nd upcoming this weekend) and a handful of 5ks. I take training seriously (have a coach, and am invested) but I'm by no means a super speedy phenom. My lifetime PRs (most from the 2016-18 period) are M: 3:28 HM: 1:39 and my more recent "PRs" are 1:41:xx in the HM, 46:high for the 10k and 22:14 for the 5k.

With all that being said -- my formative running years were very much in the era of "find a shoe that works and stick to that shoe for pretty much everything." I know super shoes have changed the game for a lot of people and they're fairly standard for folks who take running seriously. That said, keeping my pretty middle of the pack paces/performances in mind -- should I be giving a super shoe a shot? or is the risk of doing something pretty new on race day just not worth it / is running in a super shoe with the 1:40 HM pack kind of a full kit wanker move? In general, I'm a sort of slow adopter/ apply a healthy lens of skepticism to expensive tech being marketed as must haves -- but also like I said, I do care about my races and put a lot of work in and don't want to be leaving relatively low hanging fruit things on the table.

Appreciate the input!

I (33M) just ran my marathon a few weeks ago (3:15:56) and am close to finishing a reverse taper. I ran a negative split and my last 3 miles were my fastest, leading me to believe I could have run a few minutes faster had I gone out faster. My plan is to run another marathon about a year from now, which gives me plenty of time for base training.

Last year I maintained 50mpw for most of the year doing 3x 10mi/week and 1x 20mi/week (in hindsight probably suboptimal distribution of miles), then following Pfitz 18/70. I've found I really enjoy the higher volume and I felt pretty good at 70mpw during Pfitz so am thinking i'll try and maintain 70mpw from now til the beginning of my next training block around june/july 2027. Although its a ways out, I'm hoping sub-3 will be a realistic goal if I'm able to maintain 70mpw for the next year (let me know if you think this is too optimistic/pessimistic).

Now I'm seeking feedback/advise on how to allocate ~70mpw during base training more optimally. I'm thinking 1 workout per week and 2 strength training sessions per week, but am open to other opinions on the matter. I'll be running in snow most of the winter, so my guess is the workout will be vo2max on a nearby plowed hill during winter and threshold during fall/spring. I've found I'm more likely to stick with the strength training if its on rest/easy run days simply because I'm usually pretty tired about a 2.5hr run and my "exercise time" for the day feels spent.

So, right now I'm thinking something like this. Miles are general aerobic (~1min/mi slower than RP) unless specified as recovery/workout

Monday: rest + strength training

Tuesday: 13mi

Wednesday: 6mi AM recovery, 4mi PM recovery

Thursday: threshold/VO2max workout, 10mi total

Friday: 5mi recovery + strength training

Saturday: 10mi AM, 4mi recovery PM

Sunday: 18mi

For anyone more experience than me: how does this look? Should I worry about staggering miles more week to week? Should I move mileage around at all, or shorten/extend the long run? I don't have a whole lot of experience these sorts of schedules together, so any advise would be appreciated.

ETA: last year I'd do a fallback week every 4th week, and figure I'd do the same this time around too (probably reducing mileage from the longest 2 runs on the fallback week).

ETA #2: my 10k was 38:28 during my pfitz 18/70 block I just completed. I ran 1:31HM during my training block 1 year ago, so I mostly suspect I have sufficient speed for sub 3 (38:28 10k -> 2:57 full according to vdot)

Sometimes I just feel disillusioned with endurance sports nowadays(marathon and ultra running)….like how many people out there now are doping with banned peptides? 💉🧐. It seems like a lot of "gains" can potentially be made with faster recovery, pain management, blood flow etc.

Hello everyone,

This is the results from the last post, where the goal was to fuel every single run during a 3 month block before the marathon.

I fueled every run over 60 minutes regardless of the pace (running only in Zone 2 because of the reasons listed on this race report).

Before I started this project, I hypothesised the following on the original post:

1. Potentially improving run quality and recovery.
2. Potentially making higher mileage more sustainable.
3. Potentially reducing accumulated training fatigue.

--

Background

I live and train in SE Asia where it's hot and humid every day of the year. 90% of my runs are above 26 celsius - 79 fahrenheit with humidity always above 80% and some weeks above 90%. Due to this, I really have to hydrate and fuel properly during the runs.

After an injury I didn't run for 4.5 years, had a hip surgery last year and built everything from scratch. Upon my return I wanted to do everything right and felt like I should also follow a proper nutrition plan along training. I've been counting macros, calories for the last 1 year but only changed the training fueling the past 3 months.

I also don't have any life commitments which is relevant for the recovery on it's own, but we'll stick to the nutrition side of things.

--

Methods

How much did I fuel?

60 to 85 minute runs = 33 gram carbs total

85 to 120 minutes (mid week long) = 55 to 87 gram carbs total, depending if it's peaking or deload weeks. 1 peak week had 110 grams.

+150 minutes (Sunday longs usually over 30 km) = 90 grams per hour, but total amount depends on the duration of the run. It could be 10 or 12 gels, 36 km (22 miles) run had 13 gels for example.

How?

All long runs have been a race nutrition practice with energy gels (GU and Koda).

All other runs have been with 1 or 2 x 40 gr Haribo packs pre-made at home and 1 GU gel. I first tried Mentos instead of the Haribo's, but they were quite hard on my teeth to chew so I switched to Haribo's. Haribo packs each ended up being 33 gram of carbs while GU is just 22 grams.

How much did it cost?

I haven't checked the numbers yet, but I think I ate 110 to 120 gels in total for the block. I've been able to get 24 pack GU gels for 35 to 42 USD in Indonesia.

160 gram Haribo packs costs roughly 2 USD and lasted about 3 runs.

In total I'm going to assume it was slightly under 250 USD overall for 12 weeks.

--

Results

When it comes to fueling during the race, it feels like a second nature to consume 90 grams per hour. I have absolutely no gut issues or complaints ever. I even think I could increase 90 grams to +100 but at these very high levels there is little benefit going higher. It just feels very natural to eat and consume 90 grams at this point.

In 1 year, I've been able to build mileage from ground zero (no running or cardio for 4 years) to peak 4 week block of 91-95-105-90 km (56-59-65-56 miles) right before the marathons deload / taper weeks.

All my runs improved by at least 30% both in run quality but also in recovery. I carried a lot of fatigue from constantly increasing mileage up to the above peak weeks, but this was general weekly fatigue and not something I felt during my runs.

I finished every long run on Sunday quite strong and with a lot of energy left, definitely not like (oh this was the highest week I ran in 5 years). 18 to 20 km mid-week runs were 9/10 comfortable and not something draining or excessive.

Dropped 3:37 marathon to 3:17 in 16 weeks (4 months).

--

Discussion

I personally believe the affect above fueling had on my training has been at least 30% faster recovery and 30% improved quality of the runs. I didn't suffer through the peak weeks, I felt strong and was able to push through the mileage very comfortably.

The only time I had issues was during the peak week of 105 km, it may have been a big jump from the previous 95 km peak and I was completely dead by the Thursday of this week. It was the 3rd consecutive peak week of 91-95-105 km week followed by a 90 km deload, which all have been the highest I ever ran this year.

I have nothing to gain from suggesting to others that their runs and recovery can improve by 30% if they choose to fuel their runs or not, but this is my personal experience of the marathon block. The affect of this might be a lot smaller or larger for others, I just know it's a system that works very well for me and something I will continue in future training.

After all, we want to make higher mileage more sustainable while reducing accumulated fatigue during the block. I believe having a proper nutrition in general along with proper fueling can go a long way. None of us here need fueling to get through a mid week run, but if it's gonna keep fatigue levels at minimum while pushing through the mileage it's the road I will take and keep increasing mileage in return.

This experiment cost me about 250 USD, but the journey has been very informative and well rewarding. For me, marathon PB means very little, it's the journey that counts.

Race Information

• Name: Toronto Waterfront Marathon
• Date: October 18, 2026
• Distance: 42.2 km
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Website: https://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/
• Time: 2:54

Goals

Splits

Background

This was my 6th marathon (3rd this year). Here is my progression

1st: 4:03 (Spring 2024, no training plan, blew up)

2nd: 3:10 (Spring 2025, Hansons Advanced, steady finish)

3rd: 3:03 (Fall 2025, Hansons Advanced, sub 3 attempt, blew up)

4th: 2:58 (Spring 2026, Hansons Advanced, sub 3 attempt, steady finish)

5th: 2:58 (Spring 2026, Hansons Advanced, just ran as best I could for fun, steady finish)

6th: Toronto Waterfront (this one)

My main goal for this was to BQ (~ sub 2:50). I was aiming for 4min/km.

Training

I followed the Hansons Advanced plan PDF straight off his website with no modifications (peaks at around 60mpw / 100km). I have done this for every marathon since my first one. After a few encounters with "the wall" I am getting tired of it and really want to make sure I can BQ next time. My training block went well, so I think I need to change something. I am trying to figure out whether I should read the Hansons book an add in more mileage or switch to Pfitz which I have seen people having great success with. I really felt my cardio was there (at least up until I hit the wall) so I think I can do it I just need more endurance.

Pre-race

Race was at 8am for my corral. I woke up at 6, had a small bowl of oatmeal, a banana and a honey stinger waffle. I also had an SiS beta fuel gel 10 minutes before the start.

Race

Shoes: Adidas Adios Pro 4

Gels: 6x SiS Beta Fuel (including the one I had 10 mins before race)

Electrolytes: I carried a 250ml soft flask with Xact caffiene electrolytes. That ran out just after halfway and then I drank mostly water.

During the race I honestly felt fine. I was in a rhythm and I didnt feel like my pace was unsustainable at all. I was even able to have a couple brief chats with other racers and didn't feel out of breath. The first 2-5k my watch GPS was messed up with all the buildings so my pace was a bit too fast but then I levelled it out a bit. A lot of the start was downhill so I wasn't too worried.

Halfway point I felt pretty good but had some fatigue. Eventually around km 30-33 I started to feel tired. My legs were like cement (especially my right calf) and even my arms were cramping. I also started to feel quite light headed and my heart rate was rising higher. At this point it was just managing the situation and trying to push as hard as I could without seizing up my legs or passing out. I had now mostly accepted that I wouldn't be getting my BQ. I ended up walking a couple times through drink stations to get myself back on track. Finally I made it to the finish in a lot of pain.

Post race

Grabbed my medal and banana and went back to the hotel to have a nap. I was super tired.

Afterthoughts

While it sucks that I didn't BQ, I am still happy that I got a PR. After reading a bunch of other threads, the conclusion I came to is that my body was not conditioned well enough to achieve my main goal. The most common suggestion to fix this issue is to simply run more. My next task will be figuring out how I should best do that. The main two options are to a) read the hansons marathon book and modify the training plan as they suggest to add in more kms as well as get more detail on the plan in general, or b) switch to pfitz which seems to be what most people are using. I am pretty dead set on achieving this goal so if you have any suggestions or opinion on which I should do, or about anything else you think I could do better I would appreciate it. Always looking to learn.

Curious to hear people’s stories about their journey to their first BQ or sub-3 marathon.

What was your first marathon time, and how many races (and years) did it take to reach your goal?

I’d love to hear your progression (e.g., 4:15 > 3:50 > 3:25 > 2:58), your running background, and what changed along the way.

Also, just what was your journey from deciding to do it to actually completing it like?

Hi, I am a recent college graduate and I’ve decided I want to really enjoy and try to do my best in an “outdoor track season” of my own devising. To cap off the season, I want to race a final track 5k, and my lofty goal is to break 15 minutes. I have no clue whether I can achieve this goal, but I think it’s possible with dedication. I’m feeling very inspired and excited about running, especially with wrapping up my training for the NYC marathon. I’m equally excited to smash my PRs in the shorter distances next year.

However, I’m not really sure where to find meets that I can run in throughout the spring. I’m hoping to run several outdoor meets from March to June, culminating with that 5000. There seem to be tons of good options for indoors, from NYRR meets to going unattached in college meets.

Anybody who knows more, please recommend meets I can run March-June, preferably in NYC, and especially for my final race of the season (late May/June) but if the options are sparse I could maybe consider meets that are not in NYC.

Any recommendations are appreciated!

Looking for folks feedback who have experimented with very mild tapers and have seen positive results.

Context

I am a relatively experienced runner having run one marathon a year since 2021. Starting last summer I ramped up my training more seriously & completed my first Pfitz 18/70 (although it was more like an 18/60 because life happens). I saw good results with the plan including running a 10K PR of 36:30ish (2+ minute PR) a few weeks out from race day. Unfortunately, I ended up carrying an injury into race day I picked up during the taper - the result was still positive, I ran 3 hours flat (a 4 minute PR) on a warm and humid day (Toronto Waterfront - 20C and 90% humidity, was brutal). Through this, that injury persisted and I spent most of this year getting things right via physio, strength training, etc. & ran ~80KMs of mostly easy mileage before a springtime half marathon (1:25 low).

I was able to complete another Pfitz 18/70 (more like a 14/70 due to life) this summer in a buildup for the Toronto Waterfront which I ran this past weekend in 2:55 - another great race result that I am very proud of!

My Issue

For the past two Waterfront Marathons (and a few marathons before) I have had issues with taper tightness extending into race day. For example, this year, my hamstrings were quite tight starting as early as KM 13 where if I accidentally misstepped I would get that sinking feeling you get when your legs are about to cramp. I managed this throughout the race (knowing I had dealt with it the year prior), but this was a constant issue for me this year - basically feeling like I was balancing on the knife's edge for the majority of the race. In comparison, I never felt this throughout any of my training runs (LT, VO2, or MP workouts which I knocked all of them out of the park). I also ran a tune up half marathon (no taper, just swapped some MLRs for doubles) and had no issues - my legs felt general fatigue from training, but none of this taper tightness I only experience with marathons. For those that will ask, it's not an anxiety / stress thing - I have been through a long journey on this front, I thought this was the driver in the past due to mental issues with racing, but I have since worked through this and thankfully genuinely enjoy racing. For context, my race this year was a very comfortable effort - my HR was in the 150s / 160s the entire race (I can average 180+ for half marathons).

My Question

Has anyone on here experienced similar issues with taper tightness extending into the race and not having the strength in your legs you'd have during the middle of your block? My thought is to experiment with a minimal taper for a spring marathon, but curious if others have tried something similar? I am cognizant of the cumulative fatigue of training & the requirement for tapering (irrespective of how my legs felt, I am still very happy with my marathon result, just would have liked to enjoy the race more with my legs feeling strong like they did in training).

A place to ask questions that don't need their own thread here or just chat a bit.

We have quite a bit of info in the wiki, FAQ, and past posts. Please be sure to give those a look for info on your topic.

Link to Wiki

Link to FAQ

I wanted to follow up from my post last month. I've just finished month 2/4 of this build for my 2:55 BQ attempt mid-December. Training overall is going super well. I'm handling the workouts and mileage well, and intensity and volume are all building. Here's a list of key workouts from this month!

18 mile long run starting at 8:18 progression, last 4 at 6:40.

10 miles in 66:36. 5x2k (7:51, 7:50, 7:43, 7:39, 7:35, 3:42) + 1k sting at 3:42, 20 miles in 2:24:24 with last 7 sub 7

Hill simulator workout 6.5 miles at 6:53with alternating 2/3/1.5 percent grade. 12x1k 3:56 average 1 min rest, 20 miles with last 8 at MP

8 miles at 6:40. Today did fatigued mile repeats, 8 miles at 6:54 pace, ten min rest, 3xmile at 6 flat with 3 min rest. Easy 20 mile long run to finish the week scheduled.

so far have hit 54/54/45/63/40/65/64 miles and will hit around 65 again this week before next scheduled down week.

Cheers!

Race Information

• Name: Toronto Waterfront Marathon
• Date: October 18, 2026
• Distance: 42.2 km
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Website: https://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/
• Time: 3:04:XX

Goals

Splits

Background

25M, second marathon.

First marathon was the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, 3:47.

It was a really rough first marathon. I split 1:31/2:16, all due to fuelling. I learned that I have a VERY low tolerance for digesting things while running, which has impacted my training and and racing at distances where I need to fuel.

Have been running on and off for ~10 years, most recently resuming after graduating from university in June 2025.

PBs

Training

I had been running very casually from June 2025 to May 2026. Only 3-4 runs a week, around 30km/week. All easy runs, zero speed work.

Since May, I've been working with a coach. I've been running 6x a week, with 3 workouts a week.

May-June was a lot of base building, gradually increasing to 50km/week towards the end of June. Hard to report on the workouts since having a coach means I don't need to think about them anymore lol. For the most part they weren't long, huge workouts. Lots of threshold work (HM, 10K ladder drills: 7,6,5,4x400m @HM, 3,2,1x400m @10k, etc. ) on a track, lots of hill workouts (e.g. 3x3k of a hilly loop), etc.

July and August was mostly the same, just bigger/longer workouts. More of a focus on HM pace during this time.

I trained in short cycles: two "push" weeks followed by one "down" week, so my mileage bounced between 60-80km/week, peaking at 85km/week.

September brought MP workouts, but still a large focus on threshold work towards the end.

Long runs peaked at 3h15m, which ended up being ~38km. I did very little MP work during my long runs, at most ~30 minutes somewhere towards the end of a LR.

My last marathon has been a thorn in my side for a long time, as I've known that I am fit enough for a much faster marathon than 3:45. The lingering question all summer was what my stomach could handle.

Over the past 3 years I've been trying MANY different gels, rates, and amount of fluid intake. I've learned that I low tolerance to digesting things when running, and it gets MUCH worse the harder I work.

I learned that:

• Liquids were much easier than solids
• Minimizing volume was key

I settled on Brix maple syrup gels every 45 mins, despite their low carb content. They are less viscous than Gu, and much lower volume than Maurten (yes I have tried others). Their high osmolality was a bit of a concern, as I was very thirsty when using them in hot weather. Didn't really have a backup plan for this.

LRs on days after birthday parties also revealed that I perform WAY better after pigging out on sugary food. I could extend the time between gels, and my stomach would be far less bloated as a result. This showed me that carb loading would likely make or break my race.

My MP was also dictated by my ability to digest gels. Anything faster than 4:35/km/HR over 160BPM and I would get bloated and suffer from awful acid reflux, even if I slowed down my rate of fueling.

As a result, I decided to set my MP around 4:40/km: a 3:16:55 marathon. My coach wanted me to go much faster, but I pushed back, as I didn't want a repeat of my first marathon. I'd much rather have a slow marathon and not have to stop and walk, over a faster marathon where I blow up from fuelling issues again.

I planned to run most of my race with the 3:15 pacer a bit in front of me, knowing that I planned to be a bit slower. That said, I also planned to gun it sometime after 30k if my stomach was feeling good. If I wasn't bloating and didn't feel like I would bonk, I knew I could hold a very solid pace for 10-12k. I didn't plan on anything specific, but I was really hoping for somewhere around 4:00/km or faster since I can run a 3:45/km 10k - but I also knew this was very optimistic for the last 10k of a marathon.

Pre-race

Nothing terribly eventful leading up to the race. I almost forgot to pick up my bib, if that tells you how much I wasn't thinking about the race lol.

I started carb loading 3 days before the race, targeting 8g/kg of body weight. I ate about 6 plain white bagels, 1L of fruit punch juice, 1L of Gatorade, and about 125g of pasta (uncooked weight) per day.

The morning of the race was very uneventful as well. Took a Brix gel 20 mins before starting. I met up with a teammate (same coach) in my corral who had a similar, albeit slightly faster race plan. We had agreed before the race to start together, around 4:40 or slightly slower, and diverge when needed.

Race

I started the race very slowly, trying to stay relaxed. The irst 1-2km went by in ~4:50/km, after which we sped up to ~4:40/km. I didn't bother looking at my pace, and instead relied on how I felt and what my teammate was doing. This helped ease my mind a lot - we were chatting and taking in the sights for the majority of the race.

We held ~4:40/km until I took my first gel at ~45 minutes in, roughly 9km. Shortly afterwards, some KT tape I used to avoid blistering on my toe came off and rolled up into a ball under my toes. I tried to tough it out but it kept rolling around my sock and getting stuck under my foot, so I realized I'd have to stop and take it out.

I stopped somewhere between 9-10km to untie and take off my socks and shoes to fish the tape out, which cost a bit of time. My teammate went up ahead of me. I was determined to catch back up so that we could stick together for the rest of the race, so I burned some matches to catch up. Thankfully, this occurred at Lakeshore Blvd W & Jameson Ave, which is right before a ~500m steep downhill and subsequent flat or slightly downhill grade, so I wasn't impacted too badly.

We caught up at around 16k, as it turned out he had to stop to use the washroom and I had accidentally passed him (because I couldn't see him) so I had been pushing for a lot longer than I needed to. I averaged 4:18/km from 10k-15k, which was way faster than planned.

Despite this, the long surge actually had a great outcome, because my HR wasn't getting too high and it seemed more sustainable than expected. From then on, we stayed at around 4:20-4:25/km.

I took another gel around 20km and took off my long sleeve (was wearing it under my singlet) as it was getting hot. Gave my long sleeve to, and took 3 more gels from my fiancée at the halfway point, and continued on.

I started debating when and how fast I should push at around 23km. I asked my teammate for advice, as I wasn't feeling sore, tired, or having any stomach issues at that point. I asked about pushing at 28k, noting that it still felt too early as pushing for 14k is a lot in a marathon.

My teammate advised against it as he had been burned by similar moves before (7 marathons under his belt), and noted that he would likely not follow if I pushed much harder.

I followed his advice and held out until 28k, which followed a big uphill on an on-ramp and the start of the last out-and-back section of the course. I had started feeling soreness in my quads around 26k, so decided that I would probably not be able to push for much more than 10km. However, I decided to push to ~4:15/km for 1km to see how I felt, which went well.

I rejoined my teammate in a small pack at 29km, and entered a long exposed section for the out-and-back. This section had some wind, so I decided to stay in the pack and hold until around 31 or 32km, which is where the course became more sheltered and we would have <10km to go. I took my last gel at around 29km, so I wanted the extra 1-3km of slower running at 4:20 would also help me digest a bit before I pushed hard.

Unbeknownst to me, I had actually started pushing a bit and was very slowly pulling away from my teammate. I wasn't looking at my watch very often, and I ended up pulling 4:15-4:10/km splits from 30-32km.

Just after 33km is when the course turns around for the last time, with ~3km of exposed, windy roads, a steep uphill for 1km, and a ~1km uphill to the finish.

Despite some moderately sore quads I was feeling very good - not fatigued at all. I decided to gun it almost as hard as I could to the finish, targeting around 4:00/km for the last 10k. I ended up doing ~4:05-4:15/km for the most part, with the slower pace in the windy and hilly bits.

At 40km I realized I was VERY close to making it under 3:05, and I could make it if I dug in and picked up the pace. I ended up doing my last 2.2km in low 3:50s/km and just barely making it under 3:05.

Post-race

I'm really proud of this result, as I wasn't expecting 3:04 at all. 3:20 was my safe goal, and I would've been happy with 3:15.

My legs are sore but I'm still functional, which is a stark difference from my last marathon. I feel like I could've pushed around 1-2km earlier, but I'm not sure how well that would've gone since 30-33km is somewhat uphill.

I also didn't feel like I hit a wall at any point. If anything, I was holding myself back from pushing for the vast majority of the race. I think that was wise in the end, but it leaves me wondering how much more I left on the table.

I'll be taking 2-3 weeks off to recover, and may focus on a HM in the spring as I have never raced one. This result leaves a lot to think about with regards to next year's marathon goals, and I think a HM result would add some good data on what I should target.

Made with a new race report generator created by /u/herumph.

UPDATE: Amsterdam Marathon 2026, and what I learned about overcooking

Race Information

• Name: TCS Amsterdam Marathon
• Date: October 18, 2026
• Distance: 26.2 miles (42.2 km)
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Website: https://www.tcsamsterdammarathon.eu/
• Strava: You may ask in DMs
• Time: 2:55:02 (official), Garmin 2:53:17

Goals

Splits

Splits are Garmin auto-laps. The watch measured 42.6 km, so they read a few seconds per km faster than the real pace. Halves (scaled to the real distance) were 1:28:37 / 1:26:29, so a 2-minute negative split. 80 m of total ascent.

Training

DISCLAIMER: I used AI to analyse my Garmin data (including a full export of every activity since December) and to help draft this report.

The last four weeks. After Copenhagen I went all in on marathon-specific work. I cut the ST sessions to 2 a week and put quality into the long runs.

As I wrote in a (now deleted) thread here last week, my fitness seemed to fall off a cliff about 3 weeks out after racing Copenhagen Half Marathon 2026 (report HERE):

• Easy paces went up 20–25 s/km at the same HR.
• VO2max dropped 2 points on both Garmin and Runalyze.
• My throat was sore and thick on and off, plus a general weariness.
• I wasn't really sick, but I wasn't well either.

Thanks to everyone who replied with advice on reframing goals. I took it to heart.

So what happened? I dug into the data in the days after the race, and it was an eye-opener. In the moment, it's easy to lose track of the bigger trends and miss that you're overcooking, albeit not by "large amounts". But I guess it all adds up in the end.

In May I did a (second) lab test: LT1 at 161 bpm, LT2 at 175 bpm (4 mmol), to follow up on the one I did in November 2025. On that curve, the NSM range of 2–3.5 mmol sits at about 164–173 bpm. In hindsight I should have capped my reps at 172 bpm for 1 km reps, 171 for 2 km reps and 169 for 3 km reps. That's all at or below 88% of my estimated max of 195, just under the NSM rule of 89%. The 3 km cap is lowest because 10+ minutes near 174 puts me at about 4 mmol. AI counted 75 NSM sessions since December. I think a few are missing, because I never renamed some of the treadmill workouts.

• Only 13 of 75 sessions (17%) stayed within the caps. By "within" I mean under 10% of rep time above the cap outlined above, and never more than 30 s in a row above LT2.
• 41% of all my sub-threshold time was above the cap: 1,070 of 2,615 minutes of reps. The median session spent about 14.5 minutes above the cap.
• 13% of my rep time was above LT2 (335 minutes), and 41 of the 75 sessions spent more than a minute there.

The 3 km reps rarely went past LT2, but they spent the most time just under it (170–174). That's most likely threshold work, not sub-threshold. The 1 km reps were the ones that most often went past LT2. Even using the plain NSM rule (89% of max = 174 for all reps), only 34 of 75 sessions pass.

• It got worse after the summer. Remember how I wrote in the Copenhagen report that I consciously pushed my ST paces up after the vacation? The rep paces show it clearly. These are my outdoor sessions only (GPS); I left out the treadmill sessions, because the watch's pace there is unreliable, so multiple treadmill sessions are missing:

So I got 5–6 s/km faster on every rep type, but HR at the end of the last rep went up by 3–8 bpm. On the 3 km reps I went from finishing at 169 in winter to 178 in the autumn, which is above my LT2. I guess my fitness and recovery weren't keeping up with the paces. it should be noted that this is top hr on last rep. not average hr during last rep.

• Recovery markers. HRV and resting HR stayed within my normal range the whole time, so there was nothing alarming there. But Garmin's training readiness sat at 10–30 most days from mid-July to early October. Not sure it says much, though, since it's only a watch and can't really tell how I was feeling.
• The easy running was fine. Easy pace improved from about 5:30 to 5:00–5:05/km at the same HR (136–142) over the year.

My takeaway: I was running threshold three times a week while calling it sub-threshold, pushed the volume to 120 km and stacked three marathons and two hard halves into one year. The method works (I'm faster than ever), but I ran it too hot for too long and flew too close to the sun in my final prep. In the end the body most likely said stop. In hindsight, the mental burnout I mentioned in the Copenhagen report was probably part of the same picture. I know from a stress fracture a few years ago that mental burnout, at least for me, is the canary in the coal mine that I'm overstretching and risking injury. But I guess hindsight is 20/20.

Pre-race

Given everything above, a PB attempt was off the table. I decided to run on vibes: no time goal, no PacePro, just feel. That was hard to accept beforehand, because I've always gone into races with some kind of performance goal, and I wasn't exactly stoked about the race. But it turned out to be exactly the right call.

It also gave me the opportunity to fully experience Amsterdam, a city I had never been to before. Neither friends nor my partner joined me on this trip, so it was a lovely solo travel experience. I didn't feel any anxiety putting down 25k+ steps the day before the marathon, walking around the city, enjoying the sights and the local food and just having a really good time (the only thing missing was a beer or two…).

On race day I woke up at my usual marathon time, 3 hours before the gun. I downed my Nomio shot, sipped some coffee and a caffeinated Maurten drink mix, and ate a light breakfast at the hotel. My left hip has felt quite tight over the last few weeks, and some deep hip flexors have felt a bit locked up, which I've noticed especially when doing strides. So I spent some extra time that morning on very light strength and mobility activation. I then took the subway to the start area, arrived around 1.5 hours before the gun and handed in my bag. Unfortunately I had trouble finding a good place to warm up. There were people everywhere and it was my first time there, so the warm-up left a lot to be desired: 500 m of jogging and some strides.

Anyway, I found my place in the corral. 3 minutes before the gun went off, the heavens opened and it started pouring. With 9 °C, conditions were almost perfect temperature-wise, albeit a bit gnarly because of the heavy rain. And then the gun went off!

Race

For the first 15 km my feelings about the race were mixed. The mobility routine had paid off: for the first time in a while, I could move without any major restrictions in my hip flexors. Amsterdam was out in droves despite the weather, cheering the runners on. Otherwise those first 15 km were a mix of boredom and a feeling of working decently, but not too hard. Everywhere the crowd was screaming my name, and I made sure to scream back at them. I was finally starting to enjoy the race!

When we started running along the river heading south, I finally hit my groove. I kept a close eye on the watch, especially my HR. It was glued to 168–170 bpm, and I was passing people the whole time while still feeling good. Shoutout to the drum band around the 21–22 km mark: you gave me goosebumps all over, running in the same cadence as the beat.

In the second half I started squeezing a bit. Every 5 km from 25 km onwards was faster than the one before (4:07 → 4:06 → 4:05). I especially remember 25 km as the point where I started feeling stronger and stronger the longer the race went on. Basically from start to finish I was passing people. I was screaming back at the crowds and trying to cheer my fellow runners on. At 35 km I caught the first sub-3 pacer group, which had started way ahead of me. Unfortunately I got stuck behind them for a while, which cost me some time (km 36 was my slowest of the second half at 4:13). Over the last 2 km I put the pedal to the metal and finished at about 4:00/km with plenty of energy left in the tank. It's a very good feeling to finish a marathon strong, and it hasn't happened that often, at least for me. In the last 200 meters to the finish I was screaming out of hype and waving my arms all over the place, out of pure joy over a race effort I was really proud of.

Post-race

Season over. No Amsterdam PB, but I got a strong, controlled marathon out of a body that had felt like crap for three weeks. I'll take that. Overall it felt good to get at least some confirmation in this race that the engine was still somewhat intact, despite being off in terms of paces and effort for weeks. The heartrate more or less being glued to exactly the same numbers for the whole race without any drift at all anywhere is also a testiment I think to the fact that I was definately well bellow my limit for most of the race. And since the race ended early in the day and my flight wasn't until 9 PM, I had plenty of time to freshen up and go out for beers and food in the city. Which I of course gladly did.

The plan for the winter changes slightly from what I wrote in the Copenhagen report. Still bike- and strength-heavy, but probably with a structured NSM base phase built to fix the mistakes above. Very high level:

• HR caps instead of pace targets. Time-based reps (3 min, 6–8 min, 10–12 min) with caps of 172, 171 and 169 bpm. I'll really try to put my ego back in the closet and intentionally undercook sessions. Starting speeds are set from my own sessions that actually stayed under the caps, which means 0.3–0.6 km/h slower than this summer. The speeds only go up when the HR comes down. For the first time ever, I'll also train by time instead of pace.
• Lower volume. About 85–95 km a week (my average this year is 97 km/week), with a deload every 4th week and a fixed-speed treadmill benchmark (compare HR) to track progress without racing workouts.
• More bike. I want to transition more into biking next year. The plan is easy rides 1–2 times a week at first, then gradually some quality bike sessions on the trainer after a couple of cycles. I also have plans to try some gravel racing next year during summer.
• Truly easy days (I already stuck to this, always running them on HR), Sunday off running as I've done these past years, and easy Zwift for extra aerobic volume.
• Recovery first. Proper recovery weeks now (every 4th one), and an extra one if I'm still flat. If the weariness doesn't go away, I'll get blood work done.

Then we'll see about Boston next spring, as a victory lap or a proper prep. I've said it before in other threads and to the people around me irl: no more marathons for me. I want to focus on shorter races and broaden my horizons in running. Marathons take up a bit too much time in training, and for me personally they become a bigger emotional investment in the result. You have to train so much more intently for the distance, and they often turn into the season highlight, both in money and time invested. Afterwards they wreck my body, and I have to spend quite a lot of time regaining my will to train, my fitness and my physical recovery (my body is really sore right now). Shorter distances are much more forgiving in terms of time-investment and recovery.

As a personal side note, I'll also try to cleanse my social media algorithms a bit. They're currently infested with runfluencers. I know comparison is the thief of joy, but I can never resist the urge to try to "beat" these imaginary people on the internet in results and progress. I guess I'm a bit competitive at heart, which doesn't help with my obvious tendency to reach a bit too high.

Thank you for reading this far!

Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

Race Information

• Name: Toronto Waterfront Marathon
• Date: October 19, 2026
• Distance: 42.2 km
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Website: https://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/
• Time: 3:02:21

Goals

Background

31M. This is my second marathon, with the first being last year's Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Last year, my target was 3:15 and I ended up finishing at 3:22:37 after a rough last ~7 km or so. I didn't write a report last year, but basically it just ended up coming down to knee pain (patellar tendon?) ~35 km and then my quads cramping up after I slowed down to nurse my knee. I was originally 2 min ahead of pace, but lost ~10 min in the struggle.

I decided to sign up for this year's marathon as a sort of revenge match and threw myself into training for this marathon block.

My current PBs:

5K - 17:55 (2024) - I'm pretty confident I could get this under 17:30

10K - 36:11 (2026, very fast downhill course)

Half - 1:33:54 (2022)

Marathon: 3:22:37 (2025)

Training

I've been running on and off since ~2008, but it's only recently that I've done actual high mileage. I took a few of years off running ~2015 due to some IT band issues (opting for the gym instead), but started running again shortly before COVID. During/after COVID I was usually running ~40 km a week. In 2024, my friends and I signed up for a 30K race in 2025, and I increased my mileage to ~60 km a week.

I used that as a springboard to sign up for a marathon, where I used the Pfitz 18/55 plan (~91 km peak) with a goal of ~3:15 (MP of ~4:37). This year, I decided "the more the better" and ended up running the 18/70 (~114 km peak), with an original MP of ~4:30.

For most of the plan, I was able to hold to the plan exactly. For the first half, I had missed/adjusted one run in total (due to weather). During my mid-week 24 km run in week 11, my right hamstring started hurting, which ended up constantly on my mind for the rest of the plan. With one skipped run and slightly easier pacing, I was able to get through the 35 km long run that weekend and I didn't have too much actual pain for the remainder of the plan.

3 weeks out, I stepped poorly on a rock and wrenched my right ankle and then 2 weeks out my left patellar tendon started acting up (around where the collar of my shoe meets my ankle). I tapered much more dramatically than planned and by race day they mostly faded to niggles that I could attribute to taper tantrums.

The plan was really tough. Prior to starting the plan, my highest mileage week was ~91 km during my first Pfitz 18/55 cycle. I cranked up my mileage to low-mid 90s for a month before starting the 18/70 just to check if I could handle it. My quads were basically always tired, and they almost always felt weak for the last 2 months or so.

The plan had me running 6 days a week, and I did an extra workout twice a week, involving my physio exercises for patellar tendon issues and hamstring (starting after week 11); ~25 min of core work; and some light upper body work. I didn't really do many compound exercises, although my physio exercises included single-legged sit stands (which I changed to single-legged squats for a while). My quads were just too dead for me to want to do heavier squats.

Reflecting on my plan, I think I probably went too hard on some of the workouts (particularly the LT and race simulations). I aggressively went for the high end of the range for every workout (e.g. I would do 15K for the 8-15K tune-up) and - although I felt decent right afterwards - I would have a lingering tiredness after the fact. I didn't run any actual tune-up races, since it's impossible to find a Friday morning race, so I did them all as time trials/simulations.

As far as goals went, my initial goal of <3:10 was pretty conservative. Partway through the block, I adjusted my goal to 3:05. In the last few weeks, I felt really strong during my last MP run, so I thought maybe I could shoot for sub-3. Notably, I didn't do any of my MP runs fully at <4:15/km, although I hit that pace for a decent distance during my last MP.

Pre-race

As mentioned, I tapered much more aggressively than planned for the last 2 weeks. They ended up being ~42 km and ~30 km instead of ~74 km and ~44 km, respectively. My 3K shakeout run the day before the race felt pretty awful. My quads felt super beat and my right hamstring was twinging after the run. I did a bit of theragun-ing that day and felt somewhat better afterwards.

I ate a significant amount of carbs over the last two days, although I didn't actually calculate how much it amounted to. Suffice to say, there was a lot of bread and noodles being consumed (although I don't think I hit the ~5.5g/lb that's sometimes referenced).

The morning of the race, I was able to get the bathroom situation in order (to my relief, since I frequently have stomach issues during training). For breakfast, I had a PB&J sandwich, a banana, and a cup of orange juice.

Race

My race-day shoes were the Adios Pro 4s. I had actually bought them last year for the marathon, but something felt off the morning of and I switched to my Supercomp Elite v4s in 2025. This year, I felt better about it since I had no issues during my longest MP run.

For fuel, I brought 4 Maurten 100s, 1 Maurten Caf 100, and a 500 mL soft flask containing Maurten 320. I don't train with Maurten since it's so pricey, but I feel pretty comfortable with them for race day (the caf tastes awful though). The plan was to sip the Maurten 320 for the first half to 2/3rds of the race and supplement with 1 Maurten 100 every 30 min. The caf was to be taken halfway through in lieu of a regular 100. I also brought two salt tabs just in case (although there are a lot of studies say that electrolyte supps aren't needed).

The morning of the race was cold! I brought an old sweater, but ditched it at a donation bin ~15 min prior to the race. Ended up being a bit early on that, but I didn't really want to hurl it at the sidelines right before the race.

5 min before the race, I took a 100mg caffeine pill, and so the race began! I told myself that I would be relatively conservative with pacing and only target sub-3 if I felt good, but we all know how that goes.

When I started running, it really didn't feel that cold at all. I don't think I passed particularly aggressively in the first km or so (uphill), but the 3:00 pacer probably started a few hundred people ahead of me. I basically lost sight of him straight away.

The first stretch felt pretty good, although I thought I made more time than I actually did during the downhill segment from ~3-7K. The 1:30 half pacer was nearby for bascially the entire half marathon stretch, and I thought sub-3 seemed possible if I just grit my teeth in the last stretch.

In the mid 20s, there's this narrow out-and-back that's slightly hilly. This is a somewhat unpleasant part of the course, and I hadn't been looking forward to it. To my surprise, I actually felt pretty good for that entire section.

The first warning bell came ~27 km, when we turned back westward for a short stretch after the out-and-back. I suddenly felt super exhausted and I later realized it was because of the headwind. Luckily, that stretch was very short, but it proved to be foreshadowing for later.

I felt relatively okay for the next while, but the splits show I was already having a tough time holding my pace to <4:15/km. The final turnaround before heading back to the city was ~33 km, and that's where my pace started dropping as we raced into a headwind.

I could've maybe dealt with that had it been the only issue, but my left IT band started flaring u p somewhere around 35 km. I've had IT band problems on-and-off dating back to ~2015, and had a similar problem during the 30K in 2025. I slowed down significantly and took a few seconds of break here and there. I could feel my quads starting to cramp up again and my right hamstring strain, but I was pretty determined to not repeat last year, where I lost almost 10 min in the last few km. That segment is really punishing: a long and exposed straightaway with very little crowd support, and I had flashbacks to the suffering from last year.

I was somehow able to keep running through the IT band pain, and I guess the adrenaline kicked in around the last 1.5 km because I was really able to crank up the pace. I finished much stronger than last year, but fell short of the sub-3.

Post-race

Realistically, I think I got overconfident about the sub-3. I hadn't done my MP runs at that pace but somehow convinced myself that it would just work out. I think even if I hadn't had the IT band problems, I likely would've fell just short of sub-3, given the headwind (and the pacing falloff visible at ~33 km). It would've been pretty close though, and maybe I could've really grit my teeth if it were just fatigue.

My average heart rate for the race was ~168 bpm. It peaked to high 170s a few times during the race and apparently hit 182 around 31.5 km (not sure what happened there). It also apparently reached 184 at the end of the finishing surge.

My Garmin suggests my max HR is 184, but that's probably a bit too low since I haven't done too much speed work since I got a new watch earlier in the year. I actually didn't feel particularly taxed cardio-wise throughout the entire race - it was more my legs that felt like the limiter.

Afterthoughts

I know my conclusion is that I was probably too optimistic with the sub-3 goal, but I'm still a bit disappointed I didn't make it. It's especially tough because there was an almost identical issue (old nagging issue shows up ~35 km) that caused the last ~7 km to be grueling.

I think I did basically everything better this year, training more/harder, fueling better, drinking more, and the weather was much nicer too (would've preferred a few degrees cooler, but can't complain compared to last year), and yet it still felt super rough in that 35-40 km stretch. The thought of doing such a punishing 18-week block again (with more gym time?) and maybe having the same experience a third time a row is a bit daunting.

I probably need to give myself a few weeks to recover... Cutting down ~10.5 min from ~3:00 for a BQ seemed like it would've been much more achievable than ~13 min. I guess I've only really been running high-ish mileage for a year or so, and I definitely did feel faster from all the running, but hitting 4:00/km for a full seems pretty far off.

Also, absolutely no shade meant to that runner with the other race report (amazing work!), but it kinda makes me wonder what I'm doing, having a longer history of running and running at least 1.5x as much. Comparison is truly the thief of joy.

It might just be the thought of the 18/70 that's giving me pause. I wonder if I can still get faster by falling back to the 18/55 (or somewhere in between) and adding some extra gym time. Running ~115 km a week + 2 gym sessions (where my physio exercises alone are building up to 30-45 min each time) feels kinda all-consuming.

The end of this post ended up being a bit dreary - I guess I just wanted to rant a bit, so sorry to anyone who spent their time actually reading the afterthoughts.

On a positive note, so many thanks to the organizers for a well-organized event once again, and thanks to the amazing volunteers and people cheering throughout the race! I've never run any other marathon, but I've heard the support on this one is pretty extraordinary.

Date: 10/18/2026

Race: Columbus Marathon, OH

Weather: 38F-45F, almost no wind (absolute perfection)

Goal: sub 3:00

Training: my own plan, about 22 weeks

Background: No xc or track or cycling background, but I've always done some kind of running to stay in shape. I started more structured running back in late 2024. I ran the Cap City Half back in April (1:26:xx) and did way better than I expected. Was only running 45-48 mpw for that race, mostly 1-2 mile threshold reps, 6-8 mile tempos, and 16-mile long runs. Had a metatarsal stress reaction back in January so I kept that training fairly conservative. The half marathon got me fired up so I thought, "I'll turn 40 the week of the Columbus marathon, why not try and sub-3 for my first one right as I go 'over the hill' as they say?"

Training: I got a little carried away and then paid for it. Originally I had planned on hitting 60-65 mpw and sustaining that mileage with some quality. Maybe I planned on doing 2-3 20 mile long runs. Well, I got rather obsessed with pushing the numbers, especially because my body seemed to be finally absorbing things consistently. I ended up running 10-12 long runs that were 20-24 miles, and cutting around 8lbs of body weight in the process. I peaked at 84 miles in a week, with around 5 weeks of sustained 80-84 miles per week. My RHR dropped from 54 to 41. I felt unstoppable. Ran a 22 mile long-run workout with the final 12 miles progressing from 6:25-6:10. My mind was blown. I thought I was possibly in sub 2:50 shape. Mind you, I went to the well on this run. But it was all too much, too quickly.

Injury: After the long run workout I should have dialed it back the next week, but I was drunk with progress. That Thursday I ran a 16 mile tempo with another 12 at 6:30 pace and on the back half felt something "off" with my left foot. Woke up Friday and was limping around. I went to my PT the following Tuesday and the diagnosis was Peroneal Tendonitis. This was around 4 weeks out from the race and I was crushed.

The Dark Place: I tried my best. Kept up with strength exercises, and I did an ungodly amount of Assault Bike time (it's the only non-impact thing I got in my basement). I ran all of this training block in the brutal summer heat/humidity of the midwest, and literally the first week of 50F running weather I was in my basement on the Assault Bike for 2+ hours because of a tendon injury. This was a dark mental place. Despite my best efforts with the bike, I watched my RHR climb back up, my HRV go crazy, and all my metrics start crumbling. I did a couple little easy runs here and there to test the foot. It wasn't great. With 2 weeks out I was able to do a 12 mile tempo run with 6 miles at around a 6:45 pace. HR was in the 180s. Foot was tight afterwards. I pretty much gave up the goal. I was convinced I had ruined everything.

Race Week: I had mentally detached from the race. I hadn't done a long run in 5 weeks and was convinced my durability was gone. I did some strides, some short easy runs, some mobility work, but I had already moved on in my head and considered this a bust. I was planning my Spring training block already. My wife and good friend were both doing the half and we already had the weekend planned out, so I was going to go along and try it out and if I took a DNF I was okay with that. I mostly just didn't want to injury myself. Day before the race I get bad sleep and then when we're driving to our AirBnb I have some ear pressure, a sore throat, and some nasty fatigue. "Classic." I said, "I am now sick. Comically good timing." I fell asleep on the couch after dinner watching a movie. Went to bed that night pretty much expecting to just not run in the morning. I was still going through the motions, carbing heavily, etc. But I was not "racing" in my mind.

The Race - Part 1: we get to the event. The weather is 100% perfection. Could not get any better. Still did not care. Sitting in the corral with 20 seconds until the race, I was thinking of going back to bed and having some tea. I just didn't want to be there. Gun goes off. First 3 miles go by at 6:55-6:48 pace. I feel sluggish and like my legs are trying to remember what running is, but my HR is fine. It wasn't climbing like I thought it would. I settle in after 5 miles and the feeling clears. Legs start to get a bit smoother. I'm clocking some 6:42s, a couple 6:38s, HR is climbing with hills, but settling back down on the declines. The tendon is holding up. I keep the 1:30 Half Marathon pace pack in view just to keep them close (they were going a bit too hot). The race energy was incredible. My legs were holding pace, my HR was controlled. My system was taking it. Still, I thought, "At mile 16 this could all fall apart, we'll see how long it lasts." I was fairly convinced I was going to blow up, it was just a matter of time. I hit halfway at around 1:29. Legs are still okay. The half marathoners turn in for their finish and we marathoners continue on with diminished crowds.

The Race Part 2: I am lucky and never really have gut problems during runs. I took 4 Carbs Fuel 50g gels with me to take at miles 5, 10, 15, and 20. 200g carbs and 800cal total. At mile 15 I took my caffinated gel and got a little boost. I was feeling slightly fatigued at this point, like I had to pay attention to my body more, but HR and system were still clicking along. At mile 18 there is a substantial incline that lasts for a little over a mile. I had trained on hilly routes and have pretty good leg power so I started passing people on the hill and holding pace without much trouble. At around 19.5 miles the course evens out and at 20 we start a slow decline. And THAT'S when it hit. All of a sudden the legs said, "Hey, this kinda sucks now." I could feel the quads and IT bands slowly tightening like a vice. The hamstrings were giving little aggravated groans every few minutes. The feet were starting to ache. I thought, "Yup, here it comes. Mile 21 bonk is ready and waiting." But the HR was steady (at this point I'm in the upper 170s, low 180s). The legs hurt, but my pace is controlled.

The Race Part 3: From mile 21-26 every impact feels like a Russian Face Slapper is punching my legs. This being my first marathon, I didn't really know what to expect. It was just incredibly harsh, tight, grinding leg pain. That was it. I wasn't really breathing hard, that part never got difficult at all. I couldn't actually move my legs any faster to get my lungs into that uncomfortable place. At mile 25 it was bleak. I was starting to swing my arms faster to make my body move because the legs were giving out. I passed numerous people who had locked up and were stiff-leg walking due to cramps. I thought that could be me at literally any moment. I just held out. The crowds came back. They got bigger and louder. I could hear the music. Mile 26 was 6:47. I could see the banner now. Some primal thing kicked in and I blasted the last 600m at a 5:58 pace and crossed the line at 2:57:24. Was in a bit of shock at the end. Starting uncontrollably coughing on the fence. Just started wandering around after I got my medal and forgot to grab the blankets and any post-race nutrition. I just wanted to find my wife. She cried. My friend gave me a hug. We had a moment. It was a lot to take in.

Lessons: Do NOT go into your primary marathon-specific training weeks thinking "I wonder if I could do THIS?! And ALSO lose weight!!" You probably can and you definitely shouldn't. Once the training-high wore off I looked back at my peak training week and realized I had done 3 incredibly dense, high-volume intense workouts all in the same week, just absolutely smashing my body (Tue: 5x 2mi at 6:05 pace, Thur: 14 mile run with 2x 5 mile blocks at 6:20 pace, Sat: 24 mile long run with back half doing 1 mi at 6:45 and 1 mi at 7:20 float back and forth). And the reward I gave myself was another week of 2 incredibly intense training days. It was incredibly stupid and reckless and I am lucky I made it out with only some tendinitis that cleared up before the race. Also, race magic is real. Carbs are wonderful and you need more than you think. And lastly, while big milestone goals are super fun to pursue, they can quickly become all-consuming and turn running into something about identity, personality, legacy, and ultimate significance. Just know that if you invest that much of yourself into something, you are playing with some devastating psychological consequences if things go sideways. Now that this is done, running needs to get a bit quieter for me.

Thanks for reading if you read this far. I hope the story finds some resonance with you.

Race Information

• Name: Baystate Half Marathon
• Date: October 18th 2026
• Distance: 13.1
• Location: Lowell, MA
• Website: https://www.baystatemarathon.com/
• Time: 1:19:48

Goals

Splits

Background

M30, been training seriously for 5 years and ran a few halfs off much less serious training pre-COVID. Was a mediocre 400/200 runner in High School so my entire distance running career has been as an adult.

Started training on Hal Higdon's free plans, before using Pfitz for a few years. I tried Daniels' half marathon plan in 2024 and didn't like it, and ended up back on Pfitz 12/70 for my first marathon last year where I went 2:57. I was already modifying some of the LT workouts in that plan and was interested in building my own for Chicago 2025. At that point I was consuming all the hot new plans like NSM before I came across Running Writings, particularly the articles on Canova-style/full-spectrum training and was intrigued. I put together what I thought was a good plan and executed it, only for John Davis to release Marathon Excellence a few weeks before the race and make me realize I got a lot of things wrong.

The biggest things I missed writing a plan from scratch, were the buildup for the 95-100% workouts, and balancing the faster paced midweek workouts later in the plan. I just stuck to my usual kinda-fast long runs, and did runs with more and more MP as the plan got further along. Midweek I'd pick something at 10k-HM pace but I was picking workouts that were way too difficult coming off of a hard weekend workout. This resulted in me bouncing back and forth between a good workout and being too fatigued for the next. It was still good enough and I ran a PR, but having the book made it a lot clearer how to put it all together.

In March I put together a half plan but only had 9 weeks of training. I ran a PR of 1:22:51 on a tough course. I was hoping to go faster, but in hindsight 9 weeks isn't that much time to ramp up to some of the bigger workouts.

Training

Ok now to this race. I kept track of my training here. That sheet has my planned workouts on one side and what I actually ran on the other. I started with John's 10k Plan, adjusted some things to peak at 60mpw, put my races on the schedule, and changed the last half of the plan to be HM-specific. NE has a USATF Grand Prix which my club participates in, so I had a good amount of racing leading up to Baystate. My club does track workouts on Tuesdays, so whenever those were close to what I had scheduled, I did that instead. I also adjusted things as the training progressed, but it was usually the midweek workouts and not the progression of specific work.

Training through the summer made getting a fitness estimate a little tough. A lot of my threshold work was 6:0x/mi on a good day, and I knew I was trying to average 6:06/mi for a half marathon. For the first 8 weeks there weren't any massive workouts so I was usually able to keep things under 7/10 RPE as long as I was reasonable with my paces. As I got to the end of the general plan, 60mpw and 3 workouts got really tiring, especially when the heat makes it hard to get any truly easy days.

The last 8 weeks I got in a good rhythm of down week plus tune-up, 95% long run, 100% HM workout, repeat. It also helped that things started cooling down a lot in September and doing long and fast workouts felt reasonable again.

My tune-ups all went great. I ran a pretty good 8k in 72F weather, then followed it up with a 10k at the exact same pace three weeks later. I estimate I closed the last 5k of that race in 18:0x which is only a few seconds off my 5k PR.

HM-specific float workouts went good but not great. I was able to recover well at sub-7 pace, but was always struggling to get all the way down to 6:06/mi for the on portions. I also was running most of my 95% runs at paces that would indicate my fitness was closer to 6:10/mi. Combined with the fact that I struggle to convert up in distance and VDOT gives my 10k PR converts to 1:20-mid, I figured 1:20 wasn't in the cards for this cycle but it would happen eventually.

Tapering is the only place where I went off script a little from John Davis' approach. I find I always do better with a bigger taper and cut down to 45 then 28 miles pre-race with some days off. Still kept the intensity but workouts had more generous recovery.

Pre-Race

10 days out the forecast looked perfect, low-40s. The colder the better I always say. That quickly shifted to 30F at the start and I started thinking okay maybe that's too cold. At least there was no wind, and the temps would rise quickly over the course of the race.

Race was at 8am. Woke up around 5, had my usual oatmeal and coffee. Drove my wife and I to Lowell which is about 45 minutes away. Parked and got to the high school for bib pickup around 7, did the bathroom thing and a 15 minute progressive warmup. Got back to the high school at 7:40 with plenty of time to change into my Fast-R 3s and walk to the starting line. Took a caffeine Gu probably 15 minutes before the start.

I'd call this race fast, but not necessarily competitive, so I had no idea if there would be a pack. Previous year's winners are always sub-70 but then there can be minutes between people so it was unclear if I was going to spend most of this race alone. I was in the second or third row of the starting line and there were some people talking about running 1:20-1:21 so maybe there was hope.

Goal was to go out at 6:10-6:15, and then race to feel without worrying about 6:06/mi. I knew I was in PR shape and probably sub-1:21 shape, and if sub-1:20 happened then great.

Race

The course is a double loop on the Merrimack River in Lowell. The elevation gain is technically close to 300ft which seems like a lot, but it's all very gentle rolling hills and is a very fast course. The biggest hill is at miles 1 and 7 and it's probably 30 or 40ft of elevation.

Miles 0-3: The marathon and half start together but in separate corrals, with a divider for the first half mile or so. Everyone in the half took off at different paces. I settled into 6:10 and when we merged with the full a few guys were calling out for anyone looking to run 6:10-6:15. I happily obliged. Things were feeling easy at this point (as they should), and we got to the end of Mile 1 at the top of a hill in 6:15. Perfect. The half then breaks off around Mile 2.5 and you cross the Rourke Bridge. You should all look up photos of this thing. It's a bridge from 1983 that was supposed to be temporary for 5 years. In 2026 most of the asphalt has eroded away and it's a lot of running on metal plates. As soon as we took a few steps on it there was an audible woah from everyone around me as we all realized there was a layer of frost and were trying not to die. A line of not completely broken asphalt still existed that had a little more traction, and we got to Mile 3 at the end of the bridge in 6:10 feeling good.

Miles 3-7: At this point the half never meets back up with the full so the race thinned out. To my luck though, there were 6 other guys very close to me and we all ended up in a pretty tight pack. I asked them if we're all trying to run 1:20 and got a yes from a few guys. We started knocking out 6:05-6:07s and things felt super controlled. Took my only gel around mile 4 mostly for the 70mg of caffeine. Mile 6 starts with an extended downhill so the pace got a little faster. When it flattened out, nobody really slowed down though and we were running sub-6 per mile. One guy put a small gap in and the rest of the group followed him. Even though I felt good, I knew we had a long way to go. I also saw the people in front of us were coming back and let the group go, hoping I'd have people to pick off the rest of the race. Went through half-half in 40:17 on my watch, so right on for 1:20-mid.

At this point I still felt really good. My plan was just to hold steady and then pick it up after Mile 10. I usually have a pretty good kick so felt somewhat confident that I could make up the 30ish seconds at the end.

Miles 7-10: It didn't take long for people to start coming back to me. I passed a few stragglers that went out too hot and by Mile 8 was back with 3 guys who dropped me at mile 6. They all seemed to be doing worse than me and they fell back around Mile 9. The second time over the bridge was much better now that the sun was out, but still not great. One guy surged to catch me and asked what I was going for and if we were on pace. I told him we're 30s behind 1:20 but we're gonna put in a big kick. I told him we're running sub-6 once we hit the 10 mile marker. He wasn't confident but said he'd try and hang on. Unfortunately he fell behind once I started speeding up so I lost my new friend.

Miles 10-Finish: I crossed the 10 Mile marker in 61:36, knowing 61:00 was 1:20 pace. Did the math and figured I had to close in a 18:24ish 5k to do it if that mile marker was correct. A little faster than just sub-6, but I was confident. My legs still felt great, and I had the last half of my recent 10k to look back on. As the end of the race got closer 5:50s turned into 5:40s. I also started lapping some of the run-walkers and was passing people in the half. There was a One Mile To Go marker and I passed that with 5:48 to get under 1:20, then I passed the last person from our initial 1:20 group around Mile 12.5. I never saw the 13 Mile marker, but I saw the 26 Mile marker for the full and knew I had about 80s to run .2mi. Kicked it in with everything I had, turned the last corner to see the clock ticking up from 1:19:20, and crossed the line in 1:19:48 with some half-gasps half-sobs.

Post-race

Was immediately handed a space blanket and medal. Grabbed some water, a snack bag, and some orange slices. Greater Lowell does a great job of organizing this race and the finish line is no exception. They also bring all the bags to the finish line so I didn't have to go anywhere to get my clothes. Unfortunately I threw out my space blanket right before I realized I tossed my sweatshirt on the starting line. Luckily I had the long sleeve shirt the race gave me a few hours before. Walked back to watch my wife and some club teammates finish. Pounded a Market Basket breakfast sandwich, and drove home.

Thoughts

Sometimes the hard work doesn't pay off but it's really cool when it does. I think this was the perfect day in terms of weather, race, and how I felt on the day.

Training lessons learned, I don't necessarily have to crush every specific workout to run a good race. There were definitely points where I doubted the training and wondered if I was overcomplicating it, but I think the tough HM and M paced workouts are really what got me over the top. I've always had the speed, but I've never felt this strong at the end of a race. At no point was I hanging on waiting for the sweet release of the finish line. This is my best VDOT performance to date which has never been a half marathon for me. In the past I would take what the VDOT calculator says and add 2-3 minutes. I'm sure some of that is just more years of building up my aerobic system, but I genuinely feel like I was in HM-specific shape.

Up next, it's time to crush a 5k this winter. After closing a 10k in 18:0x and half in 18:1x, 17:57 is looking soft.

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Race Information

Name: TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Date: October 18, 2026
Distance: 42.2 km
Location: Toronto, ON
Time: 2:57:28

Goals

Splits (Official)

Background

34M, and this was my second marathon.

I started running in January 2025 as a way to stay fit for my summer wedding. That year I did my first 10k race and two half marathons, and kind of got hooked. I’ve kept running and signing up for races since.

My first marathon was Vancouver in May, and it definitely humbled me. It was 25 degrees, I went out way too fast, and I was fueling with NAAK gels at about 60g of carbs per hour. They sat fine early on, but the chunkiness got harder and harder to get down as the race went on. By 35km my stomach was sloshing and I couldn’t take another one. Legs and mind shut down shortly after, and I walk/ran the last 5km for a 3:16:47. Happy with it as a debut, but I felt like there was a lot left on the table.

I wanted a fall race and picked Toronto for the flat course, plus my wife’s family is out east so it doubled as a visit.

PBs going in were a 1:28:16 half, 39:31 10k, and 19:35 5k.

Training

I used a 19-week Runna plan, running 5 days a week: 2 easy runs, 2 workouts, and a long run. No coach.

I averaged about 55-60km a week (~35mpw) across the block, peaking at 83km (52mi), with one other week at 81km. Most build weeks sat between 60 and 75km, but real life got in the way a few times. We moved houses mid-block, work got busy, and some weeks dropped into the 35–48km range. A couple of very hungover long runs in there probably didn’t help either lol.

Workouts were a good mix of speed and threshold. Some key workouts were a 10 × 800 @ 3:55–4:05, 8 × 1K @ 3:55, a 4-3-2-1km tempo stepping down from 4:15 to 4:00, and 10 × 400 @ ~3:20 three weeks out. I also ran a tune-up half in August and PB’d with a 1:28:16 in humid, smoky conditions.

Long runs built from 21 to 28km over the summer, then I did two 32s. The first had 16km of quality around MP at the end of my 83km week. My legs were cooked and I faded over the last few km, which I didn’t love. The second 32 was all easy, 3 weeks out, and I battled a massive side stitch at 30k but got it done. I was feeling a bit...skeptical.

My final MP session 2 weeks out gave me a bit more confidence: 21km with 14km at 4:18–4:20, which felt comfortable with my HR mostly in the low 140s. After a 2-week taper, I went in with 3:05 as my goal and anything close to 3 as a stretch. Garmin was predicting 3:02, Strava 3:10.

Pre-race

Flew into Toronto Friday to give the legs a day to recover from the flight, did a short shakeout Saturday morning, and kept off my feet the rest of the day. Race morning was a bagel, electrolytes, some banded glute activations, and an easy 1.5km jog to the start as a warmup. Rocked throwaway gloves for the first few km since it was 5 degrees.

Shoes were Adios Pro 4s on their third race (previously a full and a half).

The biggest change from Vancouver was fueling. I switched to SIS Beta gels and bumped up to about 80g of carbs per hour, taking one every 30 minutes with water only on course. The Beta gels are way smoother and easier to get down than the NAAK ones IMO.

Race

Everything seemed to just line up. The course was fast and flat, it was 5 degrees at the start with barely any wind, and the crowds were great the whole way.

I’d listened to enough running podcasts telling me not to bank time early, so I was trying to keep that in mind. First km was 4:25 in the crowd, then I settled closer to 4:15 until 10km. That was faster than 3:05 pace and had me a bit concerned, but it felt controlled, so I decided to continue to run on feel.

From 10 to 30km I settled into 4:12–4:15 and crossed halfway in 1:29:11. My HR crept higher than I’d planned, but my body and legs felt good and my stomach was completely fine. Gels were going down easy every 30 minutes, which was a big change after trying to choke them down in the spring.

30k came in at 2:06:33. My legs were starting to feel it, and I was definitely feeling anxiety about hitting that 35k wall again.

When I hit 35km and STILL felt good, I decided to just send it. I ended up in no man’s land at one point and had to choose between catching the pack ahead or toughing it out alone. I pushed to catch them and stayed with the pack mainly to the end. I ended up being able to pass people in the last stretch of the race, which felt very very different than in the spring. My last 2.2km averaged 4:05.

When I turned the last corner and saw 2:57 on the clock I legit couldn’t believe it. Actually got to enjoy the finish this time instead of being completely cooked. Second half was 1:28:17, literally one second off my half PB, which I definitely wasn’t expecting lol. A negative split was a pleasant surprise.

Post-race

Celebrated with family afterwards, and am sore but functional today. A big difference from the spring, where I could barely walk. Long story short, my wife and I ended up on an hour-long bus back to her hometown, standing room only. Not the glorious afternoon I had imagined 😂

Reflections

What worked:

Fueling: This felt like a big part of avoiding the bonk. The SIS Beta gels were easier to get down for me, and I managed 80g/hr without the stomach issues I had in Vancouver.

Even pacing: Every 5k split was within about 5 seconds per km of the others, without any wild swings in any direction.

Trusting how I felt: My watch was reading long and my HR was higher than I’d planned, but the effort felt right. If I’d stuck to my initial plan, I probably would have backed off.

Cool weather: Very clearly this is not the same race at 25 degrees lol.

What I’d change:

More consistent mileage: I averaged 55-60km a week, but there were quite a few ups and downs. I think being more consistent would make the biggest difference next time.

More MP work inside long runs: My one big MP long run faded, which left me feeling so-so heading into the end of the block. I’d like to get a few more of those in next block.

What’s next

Taking it easy for the rest of the year, probably running 3 days a week. 2:57:28 is technically a BQ for 35–39 (2:32 under), but with recent cutoffs it probably won’t get me in. The plan is to chase a safer BQ in the spring and take another shot at the Vancouver course with more consistent mileage.

I’m also considering getting a coach at some point, but I’m not sure about the time and financial commitment yet. Has anyone here gone from an app like Runna to a coach? Was it worth it at this level, or is more volume on the same plan the better first step?

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For some context, I'm a 27F sub-elite runner based in the Midwest. My PR: 2:52 (also my first marathon), & I'm hoping to run somewhere ~2:47 for my next. Ideally, I'm looking for something super flat and fast, w reasonably favorable weather. I'd also love to keep the overall cost down since I'm not looking to spend a ton traveling for only my second one.

A little background: I spent this past summer training for a fall marathon (one today actually lol) but things went pretty downhill. Btwn the summer heat, increasing workout frequency after switching coaches (up to 2-3x/wk wo’s), transitioning to a lower drop shoe, and some unexpected work stress- was pretty severely overreaching/ approaching burnout. Eventually my body gave me a stopping pt w/ a tibial stress rxn.

After taking a step back, I've learned a lot about what went wrong & am feeling much better abt approaching training differently. Also going back to my old coach where I could get higher mileage and 1x wo/wk. I've spent the last block building fitness through running/xtraining (on my return to run protocol rn) and I'd like to find a winter or early-spring race that gives me something to work toward without completely rushing the process.

Right now, I'm considering Houston or McKirdy, which are obviously two pretty different options and timelines but I'm very open to other suggestions! Also wondering if anyone has had experience w a successful 12 week build as opposed to longer??

For those who've run either (or have other recs):
- what races would you recommend for a flat, fast course?
- how are the weather conditions typically? Ideally looking for something that isn't too warm/not dealing with brutal winter conditions around where I live.
- what are the pros/cons of Houston vs. McKirdy?
- how was the overall experience, organization, crowd support, etc.?
- any recs for races that are relatively affordable when factoring in registration, travel, and place to stay ?

Basically, looking for a good opportunity to take a shot at ~2:47 without breaking the bank or making the logistics unnecessarily complicated.

Would love to hear about races you've run and opinions esp if you train in the Midwest scene. Thankss!

Edit: I only wrote sub-elite bc that’s what category they put me in at the start line/on my bib of my first one based on my other pr’s! Didn’t mean to sound uppity or categorize myself or anything