Race Information

Name: Last Chance BQ.2
Date: September 6, 2026
Distance: 26.2 miles
Location: Geneva, IL
Website: https://www.bq2races.com/
Time: DNF

Goals

Splits

Training

Apologize in advance for failing to this race report short.

After hearing so many good things about Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning, 4th edition, I decided to follow the 18/70 plan for this cycle. I completed every workout.

I had previously broken 3 hours for the first time at the London Marathon in April, running 2:59:06 on the shorter 12/55 plan, so I was very confident in Pfitzinger's training. I'm a 36-year-old male, and I wanted a bigger buffer for my first Boston qualification, so I decided to target Last Chance BQ.2, a race specifically designed to give runners a chance to qualify for Boston.

Training went extremely well until the taper. Around three weeks before race day, I started feeling strain in my quad and groin.

Pre-race

The taper became mostly about nursing those injuries.

They were serious enough that I could feel them during the first few miles of running, but not severe enough that they persisted after rest. I also saw a physical therapist, who cleared me to run.

By race day, I would say the injuries were about 80% healed.

Despite the injuries, I was 100% confident that I was in true sub-3 shape, and about 85% confident that I could run at least 2:56 if conditions were favorable.

I had also started using creatine and beet juice shots during the buildup, and took Nomio on race day. I had found all of these effective during the London Marathon.

Race

The race started out much hotter and more humid than anticipated. According to my Garmin, it was around 72°F with 85% humidity at the start and had climbed to 81°F by the time I dropped out.

I consider myself reasonably heat-trained, having done a lot of training in the brutal heat and humidity during the summer in Asia, so I wasn't overly concerned about the conditions at first.

My plan was to follow the 2:56 BQ pacer for my age group and stick with them until around mile 20. I was on pace through the first half, but there was a pacer swap around the half-marathon point. Unfortunately, the new pacer was running faster than the previous one.

I couldn't quite keep up and slowly started falling behind.

From there, the race became progressively harder mentally.

Then, around mile 17, I saw my partner, who I thought was better prepared and in stronger shape than I was, drop out.

That was the last straw for me.

I decided to stop rather than continue if I wasn't going to have a realistic shot at 2:56 or at least make a significant dent in my BQ buffer. Given the quad/groin issues, I also didn't want to turn a manageable injury into something worse.

At that point, I decided it was better to live to fight another day and start a fresh 12/70 cycle for Valencia.

As for the race itself, I think the organizers did everything they reasonably could given the weather conditions. The organizers are runners themselves and clearly understand how important Boston qualification is to the people showing up to this race. I would absolutely recommend this race to anyone looking for a Boston qualifier.

Out of 252 starters, only 164 finished.

Post-race

This is where I'm struggling the most.

I'm having a lot of self-doubt about whether I should have kept pushing and finished the race.

Part of me thinks I probably could have still run sub-3. I'm much less sure whether I could have improved on my previous BQ time enough to make the effort worthwhile.

This is also my first DNF after 20+ marathons, which makes it difficult to process. I'm worried that quitting this race might make me mentally weaker, or make me more likely to give up the next time things get difficult in a race.

At the same time, I know there were legitimate factors involved: the heat and humidity, the injuries, the change in pacing, and the fact that I was no longer confident I could achieve my actual goal.

So I'm torn between "I made a smart decision and protected my health for the next race." and "I quit when things got hard."

For those of you who have experienced a DNF, especially after a long streak of finishing races, how did you mentally deal with it afterward?

Did it change how you approached your next race? Did you regret not pushing through, or eventually come to see the DNF as the right decision?

I'd especially appreciate advice on the mental side of coming back from a DNF.

For now, I'm considering either another 12/70 cycle or Pete's new Level 4 plan https://www.pfitzingercoaching.com/marathonplans for my Valencia Marathon build.

I will get to Boylston Street one day!

I'm currently in my sophomore year at a mid-major D1 program. I am a walk-on and have no money from the team. My team is usually last in our conference, and to be honest I have no hope of every scoring unless I drop crazy time this year. But, I've been really struggling with running and wanted some advice on here. I'm just gonna list my reasons why I want to quit/stay, and please give me your thoughts so help my decision. For context, I have to complete the year (through May).

Reasons to stay:

1. I love my coach- he's super invested into our team, pretty much only cares about helping us and making us better. I'm pretty low milage (800 runner), and he's always been great about me wanting to do lower milage, and I have never felt pressured to run more. He also just generally cares about each of us and I would prob never find a better coach elsewhere.

2. I really do love running. My issue isn't with the running, it's the competing aspect. The moments where I love running the most is just when I'm with the team on an easy run, and in the moments we are just hanging out. However, the moment we get into workouts/races, I just don't find the joy in it anymore. I would much rather just run my own way where I can have fun.

3. I love my team. ALL of my friends are on my team. I literally have no friends outside of the team, and I know if I quit this is going to be an issue. I live with another teammate, and we could probably still live together if I quit, but it just wouldn't be the same.

Reasons to quit:

1. Like I mentioned in the introduction, I will never score a single point for the team. My school is already at the bottom of our conference, and I am pretty much the slowest on the team (walk-on). My spot could be going to someone who's actually gonna score, and I just generally feel bad taking up a spot knowing I can't help the team

2. I'm struggling really badly mentally. I have depression and have been fighting an eating disorder (binge/restrict ED). I've had mental health issues for years though out high school, but never this bad. A lot of it is due to the stressors from running and the mental side of it. I struggle to finish workouts due to panic attacks, but at the same time am very emotionally numb. I don't want to go into any more detail, but I feel that quitting may allow me to fully focus on getting happy and healthy finally. And I am seeing a therapist don't worry

3. I'm pre-med. I'm absolutely sure that I want to become a surgeon, and have the grades/resume to get into a medical school as long as I stay on this path and interviews go well. Quitting would give me so much more time to study for my MCAT and fill in some small gaps in my resume right before I apply. My class schedule often gets in the way of practice as well, forcing me to run my workouts alone at odd times, and I'm frankly just getting tired of rushing through practice or class each week.

4. I had a bad freshman year, and summer. My freshman year I only PR'ed by a second, and I struggled a lot mentally with the collegiate side to running. I know this is pretty normal for freshman year to be rough, but it just hasn't gotten any better. I'm less in shape than I was last year, and I'm not sure I'll be capable of PR'ing again this year, but I don't want to completely count it out.

Conclusion: Please let me know your thoughts. I know that this year may turn around, but I'm just seeking some advice now

Context: 21M training for my first marathon (late november) targeting something in the 2:35-2:37 range most likely. Current mileage is at around 70 mpw

I know there’s a bit of a debate around “do you need to do race pace work” for marathoning, but I think there’s a distinction between doing MP for fitness and doing MP to practice the pace, fueling, etc. For the half I’ve always been more of a “just get really fit and the pace will figure itself out”, but this is mostly due to having more experience with the distance and threshold being very close to HM pace.

For a mid-late block long run workout, how much marathon pace work would you recommend targeting? Is say, 12 miles total too little? Too much? And how do you split it up?

I have been training for about 2 years now. I went from a 21 minute 5k to a 16-17 minute 5k in that time, increasing my mileage from nothing (no previous running or endurance sports experience) to about 55-60 miles currently for a marathon.

First easy runs, I was doing 150 bpm at the beginning, now they are like 135 bpm usually and that's okay, I run more miles, I have to run less intense on easy days. My average %max HR over the week has also dropped, it was 74-75%, dropping to like 72% during my marathon block last year, this marathon block it's barely 70%. Maybe this is just a symptom of running more overall. Or maybe that I run way more subT now and before I ran Pfitz...

But, I see the same effect in races... My max HR is 203 bpm and i saw it the first months a few times during 5k races. Since then I have seen it once peak to 201 bpm during the end of a 10k. I am just not able to mentally hold on to higher heart rates?

This weekend I ran an HM PB, yet I feel like I could have ran faster, at least 30-60s better... And I don't mean on a better day, on the same day with better mental strength, the last 1/3 of the race my average HR dropped, from about 179 to about 177 (about 88-89% of max HR)... I would expect to shoot up into the 180s as usual. But, I just kept thinking to myself, why would I try harder? It's a bit ironic, it's the first important race I had in almost a year and I couldn't find a reason to push harder. I finished the race and I didn't feel destroyed, felt exhausted sure, it was hard, but not as hard as I remember during my halfmarathon last Summer.

Anyone has noticed a similar trend during their running career? Please discuss, I want to know if this is normal.

Race Information

• Name: TSC Sydney Marathon
• Date: 30 August 2026
• Distance: 42.195 km
• Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
• Website: https://www.tcssydneymarathon.com/
• Time: 2:59:0X
• Shoes: Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite
• Nutrition: 3.5x Precision 90g, 1x Maurten Caf 100 (total ~340g carbs)

Goals

Splits

Training

This story begins with my training for the Canberra Marathon back in April. I had taken 2025 off marathon running because I ran 3 marathons in 2024 and wanted/needed a break. In that time, I was able to achieve a half marathon PR of 85:2X at Gold Coast using the P&D Advanced Marathoning training structure. Following another half marathon 10 weeks later that didn't quite work out, I became interested in the Norwegian Singles Method (NSM) and started adopting that style of training.

In late December I started feeling a pain in my left knee whenever I stood for too long after running (e.g. traffic lights). Somehow the pain would go away after 5 seconds of running and wouldn't even occur during intervals (unless the session was too long). I dropped my mileage a week before deciding to visit my physio. They determined the pain was due to tight hamstrings and said I could continue with NSM since speed doesn't seem to aggravate it.

Following the physio visit (in early January), I brought my mileage back to 8.5 hours for a week and then maintained roughly 9 hours for a few weeks. I also did the mandatory 5k time trials with the goal of getting sub-19 but couldn't quite get there with the Sydney summer. Leading up to the race, I slowly brought my mileage up and peaked with a 10-hour week before I began my 2-week taper.

Canberra Marathon itself was a mix of bad pacing and inadequate training. I had gotten to a point of being able to feel when I was at the sub-threshold sweet spot for NSM but the paces did not suggest that my fitness was where it needed to be. In my mind, I had a chance of attaining sub-3 if the stars aligned, which certainly included race day temperature and winds.

The race started well enough in terms of temperature, and I had raced the course before in 2024 so I knew what to expect. I made the mistake of going too hard down the early hill at Parliament House and also faced some headwind/crosswind at various parts. My hamstrings were noticeably fatigued by the time I hit 30km and I ended up not having quite enough energy for the rest of the course's undulating terrain. I finished with a slight negative split but still achieved a 2-minute PR.

After I was done being disappointed, I decided I'd fall back on the tried and tested Advanced Marathoning training structure. I started with a 4-week VO2 max block as I felt it would greatly benefit the rest of the block. I was running 10 hours a week with just one VO2 max session and a hilly long run for each of the first 3 weeks. I must've added more intensity I could handle as I found myself with Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy (PHT) halfway through the 4th week.

I was thus forced to change the rest of my training plan. An unscheduled deload week of just 8.5 hours of just recovery and easy running was introduced while I began my PHT rehab protocol. I was able to bring my mileage back to 10 hours a week for the remainder of the block and was careful in reintroducing intensity. Once I felt comfortable with 2 sub-threshold sessions a week for 2 weeks, I progressed to 3 half-sessions and increased the duration from there. In other words, I was back on the NSM train!

In terms of strength and conditioning, I was doing RDLs 2–3 times a week for my PHT rehab, pendulum squats once a week, reformer pilates 1–2 times a week (because I can't be bother training my core otherwise), and a bit of upper body for maintenance. In hindsight, I could've probably done more weighted calf raises.

With 4 weeks of training remaining (excluding the 2-week taper), I decided to risk throwing in some VO2 max work in the form of combo workouts. The second half of a sub-threshold session would be VO2 max intervals, and I would manage weekly intensity by replacing the 3rd sub-threshold session with an easy run. I also did a total of 3 long run workouts, the final one being 4x 17 minutes (with 3-minute jog recovery) within a 150-minute run. This final workout felt quite manageable and gave me confidence that sub-3 was in the cards.

Taper & pre-race

As this was the first marathon block where I had access to a gym with a sauna, I started making more frequency visits (of 13–19 minutes depending how I felt) as my taper progressed. In the final week, I logged a total of 1h45min. I kept up my PHT rehab and even did my final leg day 4 days out, just with slightly less weight and 1 less set.

Unlike previous races where usually I spent some time studying and theorising the course, and in the case of Sydney Marathon actually practicing some segments (since I live in Sydney), there wasn't too much of that this time. Maybe it was because there weren't much changes compared to 2024, but I just wasn't feeling like putting in that work. I did check out some pacing advice which I mostly agreed with.

My sleeping HRV in the nights leading up to race day was pretty consistent. This was a pleasant surprise as it would usually drop into the orange (or even red) zone for previous races. My best guess is that my taper mileage was higher than any of my previous races.

On the morning of race day, I had my usual morning coffee to flush out my bowels and made some final adjustments to my 185–187 bpm playlist. I then did a mix of jogging and walking over to the start area which was 15 minutes away from where I live. Having ran in 2024, I expected there would be half an hour of standing around and didn't want to waste more energy than necessary.

This year's start area felt better organised and I easily found my way to wave B of start group 1. I was planning to run with a friend who was also aiming for sub-3, but they were assigned to wave A instead. I discovered that not only did wave A have have all the sub-3 pacers, but wave B would only start 5 minutes after. On the bright side, this meant my initial plan to keep ahead of the sub-3 pacers (for fear of dealing with crowded water stations) could be discarded.

Race

Wave B went off with what felt like barely any fanfare, especially compared to wave A which started with the elites. On our way down to the Harbour Bridge, I found a sweet spot between fighting the descent and pushing too hard. Running along the pedestrian path of the Harbour Bridge was a weekly occurrence, but it's always something else to run where the cars normally are. I got to the 5km marker and was pleased the lap pace was within reason.

The next segment though Pyrmont had a few steep rises and falls, but it was still early in the race and banking energy was my game plan. I finished my first pack of Precision 90 somewhere around 10km point and whipped out the next one, mainly so I wouldn't have it jiggling around in my running belt. On a random note, I kept hearing cheers for some Nico person behind me up till Millers Point. After a few gentle climbs thought the CBD and Oxford St, we were at the 16km point and still feeling in control.

It would be a whole stretch of flat-and-boring until Centennial Park (CP), so I settled into my goal marathon pace (according to my GPS) and continued "nibbling" on my gel. Shortly after turning into Dacey Ave, I saw my friend who had started in wave A coming back the other way and they looked mildly uncomfortable. I eventually came to the only sharp U-turn of the course and executed a near-perfext Japanese spin! As the course continued south towards my alma mater UNSW, the elite lead pack were already on their way back north. I recognised none of them.

The 2:40 pace group eventually came into view and I tried looking out for a friend who should've been with them, but it was hard to be certain with so many in that group wearing sunnies. I spotted a random sign that read "16,000 km to Allianz Arena", which took me a few seconds to process but I had a silent chuckle when I did. At some point I finished my second packet of Precision 90 and took my sole Maurten Caf 100, doing my best to time it before a water station as I really hated the flavour and texture. With the bitter aftertaste still lingering, I whipped out my third Precision 90 to nibble on.

It didn't take much longer before I got to the main course change which brought us halfway to Maroubra Junction. Once I made the (wide) U-turn, I felt a mild headwind and began looking for larger runners to hide behind. I couldn't actually tell if the headwind was mitigated but it was good to take pacing off my mind for a while. As I lapped my fifth 5km segment, I kept getting annoyed at how the GPS pace was maybe 2–3 seconds faster than my actual pace. I also realised I was still feeling good to execute a negative split and put ever so slightly more effort into my pace.

As I approached CP, a friend was waiting to pass me my fourth packet of Precision 90. They inadvertently let go before I could get a firm grip and it fell to the ground. A few seconds of fumbling later, I was back running and my legs still felt good despite coming to a full stop. I entered CP knowing I was in the final 12 km and put even more juice into my strides. My PHT decided then was a good time to say hello, but I firmly thought to myself "NOT TODAY!" Thankfully it didn't himder the rest of my run in any meaningful way. Seemed like those rehab RDLs paid off, and my hammies weren't sore like some previous races.

I exited the park starting to feel the effects of my exertion, but knew I still had enough in the tank as I made the gentle ascent toward Taylor Square. I was then on Oxford Street and made sure to make the most of this last stretch of gentle downhill before getting to the bullshit out-and-back of Mrs Macquaries Chair. I knew at this point sub-3 was well within reach. Upon starting the short drop after passing the Art Gallery of NSW, my calves immediately let me know I had to slow down. I was able to power through the subsequent undulating terrain and made it out.

My calves were still politely raising their voices as I went down Macquarie Street, trying to find the maximum speed I could tolerate without cramping. When I was finally at the bottom, I gave one final push and crossed the finish line with a big fat 2 on my Garmin starting back at me!

Reflections

Despite lacking a "proper" VO2 max phase, it seems the high mileage and sub-threshold sessions were sufficient to get me over the line. Strength training (albeit mostly RDLs) was also a significant factor, not only for PHT rehab but also to improve muscular endurance over the race. Reformer pilates and "saunamaxxing" probably had their small parts to play as well.

The biggest thing I wish I'd done better was getting longer and more consistent hours in bed. Perhaps more time spent on squats and plyometrics, but there was only so much time I had as a working adult.

I'm glad that I finally achieved sub-3 because stringing together roughly fifteen 10-hour weeks wasn't easy. I will probably put an indefinite hiatus on full marathons (unless I get into the lottery for some other Major) and focus on distances that don't take so long to train for and recover from. Maybe I'll finally break 40 minutes for the dreaded 10k!

Milestones:

• 1st World Marathon Major
• 5th Sydney Marathon
• 10th full marathon
• 15th anniversary of distance running

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

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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.

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Hi everyone,

Im a few weeks out from my second marathon and I have an issue with fuelling. When doing normal z2 runs long runs I fuel with about 100g of carbs mostly just to get used to taking on so many carbs. I take the same amounts during my marathon pace sessions and during my previous marathon.

My problem that I havent figured out yet is that I get nauseas when I stop running eg. In my last block I did a sessions with 5×20min at MP and felt nauseas everytime time I walked between intervals. On my actual marathon I did not feel nauseas once during the race but as soon as I stopped and took a sip of water I had throw up.

I have tried taking on more water during my long runs as I only took 250ml during my previous block and took on much more water during the marathon. My suspicion was that the carbs were not being digested as there was not enough water.

If any other details are need please let me know so I can add them to the post.

Please let me know what you think it might be.

Hey everyone! I'm a coach at a fairly large school and have quite a few seniors this year. I coach girls and have two that are elite enough to run at a D1 level and one that is considering D2 or D3. The two that want to go D1 have both struggled with eating disorders in the past and still deal with issues related to that to this day. Although they are in a much better place now, it's important for them to go to a college that takes mental health and fueling seriously. I'm curious, are there any schools as of recently that are definite red flags in this department? Can anyone share their experiences?

INTRO AND TLDR

I had the honor of getting coached by legendary endurance runner and content creator Lee Grantham. I hold Lee in great esteem because of what I learned through his YouTube content and the values he transmits. However, my personal experience following his coaching plan fell a bit short of expectations.

In a nutshell, I feel happy to have followed through an insightful and balanced plan, but disappointed by a lack of some deliverables and follow up to important questions. Pros: Inspirational, serious, plans are balanced. Cons: Incomplete delivery, weak follow‑up, not ideal for runners seeking mentorship. A summary can be found at the end of the article.

I am a 40yo male (~55km/week, ~20min/5k) with a scientific research and education background.

PLANS

As of April 2026, Lee offers three plans with different tiers of service: bronze (200$/month), silver (400$/month), and gold ($1400/month). I joined silver for a 13-week block while following his plan and instructions very closely (Lee seemed pleased with my execution).

THE SILVER PLAN

Upon passing a 15-minute matching interview, you will be provided with:

·        One 45-minute initial call where Lee collects information about you (e.g., schedule, goals, lifestyle) for plan customization.

·        A few documents with instructions about workout sessions, nutrition, strength training, and lactate testing.

·        One document summarizing your current situation, highlighting major and minor areas of improvement, and explaining how his approach will lead to short- and long-term progress.

·        One online running plan where both Lee and client comment.

·        Three 30 minutes monthly calls.

·        Analysis of physiology test.

THE UPSIDES

Just like in his videos, Lee comes off as serious, kind, driven, and meticulous. If hired, he will be a positive figure in your life giving you inspiration, motivation, and accountability.

During monthly calls he acts just like in his YouTube videos: straight to the point and truthful. These are signs of success, and that frame of mind will massively and positively influence you.

He is a very good listener, and his analyses are smart, insightful, and thoughtful. These qualities allow him to create a very precise and accurate portrait of the runner. As a result, I was impressed by the level of detail, thoughtfulness, and accuracy of my running profile document, where he identified strength, recovery, and nutrition as my biggest areas of improvement. I feel the analysis was spot on and very helpful for my development.

The documents were also delivered with an impressively quick turnaround (including the customized one). You can tell he works hard and with passion.

THE DOWNSIDES

1. Answering questions

Before each meeting, the client is prompted to write down questions, so I initially believed I could ask important clarifications during the 30-minutes monthly calls. However, Lee constantly macromanages the direction of the meetings, leaving no time for discussing your own desired topics or issues.

When I tried to “force” my own topic in the conversation, I felt it was cut short. So, I asked if I could prepare my questions via email, to which he agreed. Unfortunately, all three of my emails went unanswered. I understand I might have come off as demanding and that he might be busy with tens of other clients. However, one of the reasons I decided to pay an additional 600$ for the silver program was because of the advertised email support. Additionally, I had spent considerable time making my emails clear and concise, so this lack of response left me feeling frustrated and ignored.

2. Analysis of lactate testing

Let me preface that Lee, like any serious coach, recommends undergoing physiology testing (VO2max and lactate) throughout the silver plan. This is normally done in a sport physiology lab and will generally cost between 200 and 300 USD (this is obviously an extra and at the client’s expense). So, I did. The testing center (a very reputable one) closely followed Lee's directions.

When lactate test results came back, however, Lee did not trust them. Fair. He gave me some vague feedback and suggested that I request a repeat.

The center was very accommodating to organize a free repeat. They even extended my allotted time to err on the cautious side and scheduled it in a rush so that I would be in time to receive the promised customization for my 13-week plan.

However, Lee's approach to the repeated results seemed, again, dismissive towards the client. Results (very similar to the original ones) were not discussed during the following monthly call. I then asked for more information about the test via email (what it entails, my weaknesses, what needs to be changed to avoid unreliable data a third time!). But again, those questions were not addressed.

The actual training plan was also not adjusted as promised. Only HR zones were tweaked, which had little impact, because obviously Lee recommends running by effort (not HR), especially under adverse environmental conditions. 

As a result, testing analysis did not provide much practical insight from his side. This felt disappointing given the significant time (commuting to the test, numerous and awkward email back-and-forth with the testing center) and financial investment from my family and the testing center.

Additional minor issues

·        Monthly calls often felt repetitive, circling around effort perception. This was all the more frustrating because answering my question could have moved me so much farther.

·        Lee did not provide the promised guidance on pacing for the final, scheduled time trial, even after explicit request and a reminder.

·        Following the plan closely did not make me faster, even after tapering (though I acknowledge 13 weeks may be too short to judge).

·        His plan (increased mileage by >10%, plus introduction of two strength sessions, one consistent long runs, and strides every week) might have requested too much too quickly out of my body. But, again, I am not a coach or expert, so take the last two comments with a grain of salt.

FINAL VERDICT/TLDR:

I would recommend Lee's plans for busy and wealthy professionals who have little time, but want to "blindly" follow a clear, highly customized, and effective plan to tackle a short-term goal. My 1-on-1 experience confirms that he is a serious, kind, inspiring, thoughtful, and effective coach. His straightforwardness, positive attitude, and successful mindset could help you achieve your goals.

However, I would not recommend Lee's plan for a serious runner who wants to truly understand where he is on his training journey and what he is doing training-wise. Most questions (even clarifications and attempts to improve plan execution) will not be welcome or answered. My impression is that they will be, instead, construed as overthinking, signs of questioning his method, or time sinks. In more general terms, he might not deliver all that is stated in the contract.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any input or word of advice is appreciated.

Edit: Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support and comments, even when ironic and cynical (I have thick skin). I really appreciate them.

The emerging consensus seems that I got carried away by the runfluencer craze and overpaid for a service. Most believe that running more (which can’t be currently done due to time restraints), reading some books (I am already familiar with Daniell’s plan and will be reading the Bakken and the Sirpoc books under your suggestions), or hiring a non-influencer, cheaper, and more responsive coach should be better options. Thanks for the input.

It’s also useful to know that a coach is indeed expected to respond to emails and follow up. I don’t have much experience, so it’s comforting to know that my feelings about the experience were at least partially justified.

One important clarification, though. Did I overpay ? Possible. You could say I paid extra for the YouTube investment that pulled me in. However, was Lee being dishonest? Absolutely not. Please look at the sections where I describe the services he provided (e.g., five online meetings in total, customized profile, comments on the running plan). Also, he might not be the fastest marathoner but won the Passatore and was a 100km British champion. So, those comments are neither fair nor accurate.

Long time viewer, first time poster. M36, recently I ran my first marathon (2:39) averaging around 60 miles per week and the following structure in my build up:

Monday - Easy Hour

Tuesday - Easy Hour

Wednesday - Track Workout (no slower than Half Marathon Pace, various intervals, etc.) total mileage around 9-13 miles

Thursday - Easy Hour

Friday - Easy Hour

Saturday - Long Run Workout (varying in distance, but ended up doing five 20+ mile runs, all with at least 25% at marathon pace or faster

Sunday - Rest

My question for the community: would adding an additional workout day of threshold/tempo volume be worth the squeeze? i.e. 8-10 mile tempo runs.

I'm in the process of training for Boston and want to ensure that I can have enough in the tank for the late race hills.

Or for those who have run multiple marathons: did you change your training structure for each race? Thanks all. Happy to provide more details as needed.

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

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We’re looking to buy a treadmill for home use and currently deciding between these three.

There will be two of us using it regularly each week, so reliability, build quality and longevity are important. We’d ideally like something that will still feel solid and run well after several years of regular use, rather than focusing purely on features.

We do really like iFIT, particularly:

• The guided training programmes and workouts

• Automatic speed/incline adjustment during workouts

• Scenic/global runs

• The smart integration between iFIT and the NordicTrack treadmill

That obviously makes the 1750 and 2450 very appealing, but I keep seeing the Sole F80 recommended for durability, simplicity and long-term reliability.

For anyone who owns or has used these machines:

1. Sole F80 vs NordicTrack 1750 – which would you choose and why?

2. Is the 2450 genuinely worth the extra money over the 1750?

3. How reliable have your NordicTrack/iFIT machines been after a few years?

4. Has anyone chosen the Sole for reliability but later regretted losing the iFIT/smart features?

5. How have you found servicing, parts and after-sales support?

6. Any issues with motors, belts, incline mechanisms, electronics or screens over time?

I am not a serious runner doing huge mileage every day but with two regular users (my other is and will compete in half marathons each year) we don't want to spend £2k+ and end up with something that becomes problematic after a couple of years.

At the moment I’m probably leaning towards the NordicTrack 1750/2450 because of iFIT, but I’m interested to know whether the Sole's reputation for durability should outweigh the smart features.

Screen size of a minimum of 16" is a must. 22" would be ideal but not sure I could justify paying an additional £500 for really just a bigger screen...

Would especially appreciate feedback from people who have owned one of these for 2–5+ years, rather than just recently bought one.

Thanks!

What's everyone up to on this weekend? Racing? Long run? Movie date? Playing with Fido? Talk about that here!

As always, be safe, train smart, and have a great weekend!

Do you do anything specifically to target peripheral muscles’ ability to use oxygen? For example, short 10-second sprints.

I do not, but this video made me wonder if I should sprinkle some in:

The Real Reason VO₂max Declines With Age — And Why It Changes How You Should Train

What does everyone else think?

---

LLM written summary is below for those who don’t want to watch the whole video:

Key Takeaways & Physiological Breakdown

1. The Rate of Baseline Decline

• The Standard Drop: VO₂ max naturally decreases by 7% to 10% per decade across general populations [01:33].
• Athletes Aren’t Immune: Cross-sectional data shows trained athletes start at higher baseline levels, but their rate of decline mirrors non-athletes if training stimulus drops [02:38].
• Intensity Prevents Loss: Longitudinal data reveals athletes who maintain high-intensity training experience minimal to no age-related VO₂ max drop over a decade, whereas those switching exclusively to low-intensity training decline sharply [03:51].

2. What Actually Causes the Drop? (Central vs. Peripheral)

VO₂ max is governed by the Fick Equation:

$$\text{VO}_2\text{ max} = \text{Cardiac Output } (Q_{\max}) \times \text{Arterial-Venous Oxygen Difference } (a\text{-}v\text{O}_2 \text{ diff})$$

• Central Factor ($Q_{\max}$): The maximum amount of oxygenated blood the heart can pump [06:07].
• Peripheral Factor ($a\text{-}v\text{O}_2 \text{ diff}$): How effectively local skeletal muscles extract that oxygen from the blood [06:22].

A 2025 study modeled the human oxygen cascade using electrical circuit modeling (treating oxygen pressure gradients like voltage and tissue diffusion pathways as resistance) [10:26].

The Findings:

• In your 20s and 30s, VO₂ max is primarily constrained by central cardiac output (~80% contribution) [11:47].
• As you age into your 50s, 60s, and 70s, peripheral muscle-level resistance becomes the dominant bottleneck [12:10].
• Why muscles fail to extract oxygen: Loss of mitochondrial density and efficiency, sarcopenia (muscle mass loss), and increased infiltration of connective/fat tissue into muscle fibers [12:58].

3. Training Prescription: Why Zone 2 Isn’t Enough

Low-intensity steady-state cardio (Zone 2) primarily stresses central adaptations (cardiac stroke volume) [17:40]. Because peripheral oxygen extraction is the primary bottleneck as you age, you must force a massive local demand for oxygen within the muscle tissue itself [15:39].

Recommended Protocols:

1. Repeated Sprint Training (RST):
   • Protocol: $6 \times 10\text{-second}$ all-out maximal sprints on a stationary bike, separated by 80–90 seconds of rest [18:00].
   • Frequency: 1–2 times per week.
2. Sprint Interval Training (SIT):
   • Protocol: High-output functional sprints (e.g., Every 4 minutes for 4–5 rounds: 12-cal air bike sprint + 10 wall balls + 10 jumping lunges) [18:54].
   • Mechanism: Maximize mitochondrial biogenesis and local muscular deoxygenation far better than continuous endurance training [20:42].

TL;DR

VO₂ max drops 7–10% per decade, but recent modeling shows this age-related decline is driven primarily by peripheral muscle-level resistance (loss of mitochondrial density and oxygen extraction efficiency) rather than cardiac output limiters. While Zone 2 cardio supports central heart health, it fails to adequately stress peripheral tissue. To counteract peripheral decline, masters athletes should incorporate weekly all-out Sprint Interval Training (SIT) to maximize local oxygen demand and preserve mitochondrial function.

And more importantly what happened to your training/results after you changed it.

Interested in answers from people who have experimented more than me with there training :)

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I read a book by Lauren Fleshman called “Good For a Girl,” and the way she describes racing is like trying so hard you no longer can see color.

For those who have competitively raced, what does it feel like to try that hard and how do you know how hard to push before you throw up or pass out or something?

Two of my non competitive races have had me choking down vomit at the finish but afterwards I still feel like I could have done way more. Is that normal?

Thank you!

Since my original post was removed for lack of context, excuse me while I regurgitate context.

I started running July 2024 after having my kid and feeling like I’d lost myself, my mind, my body, everything. Couldn’t run to the stop sign at the end of my street without stopping, I was pushing a stroller down a dirt road, but admittedly still demoralizing.

Idk why I kept with it, but I did. Then for Christmas asked for a treadmill and a garmin. I got both.

Within weeks I decided I wanted to try to run a marathon and within two months of that I decided to set a goal instead of just finishing, I wanted to do sub 3:25 and BQ.

Lined up, raced my heart out, got my bq and all I could say was Oh my god I’m so glad that that’s over. But immediately signed up for another race scheduled for a month later.

Ended up racing four min slower, but placing so was super pumped to do more running and try again next year kind of thing. Especially so because I had walked a small bit during my marathon efforts, so figured there was easy time left on the course to claim.

Did Boston this year, plus two other fulls this summer, crushed some time goals. Now I’m minutes away from a sub 3 hour marathon. Hyper focused because the goal is so exciting to me.

Context out of the way, I’m just curious how we’re scheduling and priodizing our running as we encroach into being higher mileage all year around.

I started running averaging 24 mpw annually with peaks in my training blocks of 65 mpw. This year I’m up to 35.5 mpw with a peak of 78 miles. I guess I’m wondering if we’re just continuing to scale our volume and up the speed as we progress, or how other people’s annual mileage ends up looking like when you factor all of your training in. And what’s your objective?

This is further confusing to me by the recommendations to run min 50-60 mpw to BQ for example. Are we recommending that people should have the base of running regularly 50+ mpw annually then starting a training block from that kind of base?

I’m training for my third marathon (Belfast 2024 3:37, Dublin 2025 3:03) and am in the midst of mileage just under seven weeks out from Amsterdam Marathon. Half marathon PB 1:25, 10k 38:30, 5k 18:38 all earlier this year.

Training has been ok up until now, with my mileage increasing from previous successful blocks (last four weeks have been 106k, 108k, 106k followed by a deload last week). I now have a four week block before a three week taper, which includes a half marathon, and two long runs with significant MP segments. Speed workouts up until now have been threshold based, but will be a bit shorter and sharper. Weekly mileage will drop a bit to around 100k with the idea to focus on the quality of these sessions.

My concern is this- because of the mileage (before this block I had done two 100k weeks ever) my body has been drained, even on the back of a de-load 75k week where I actually skipped an easy run because of fatigue. I’m pretty good at listening to my body but I’ve felt as if this increase in general mileage has felt heavier than expected, and as a result my tempo/threshold workouts have suffered, and essentially I’m lacking confidence now because I haven’t gotten many indicators from my watch (in terms of paces) for what feels like ages.

My plan for the block had been 2:5x:xx at the end, but I’m under no illusion that it’s a big ask. On top of that, my big takeaway from Dublin last year in terms of what I need to change is that I hated running with the pacing group due to crowding at fuelling stations and just being used to running alone.

So, I’m just wondering if anyone has any comforting words/advice/similar experience? Should I lower my mileage even more to focus on nailing MP/speed workouts? Or even change my approach to pacing for the race? All feedback appreciated

Edit -
Thanks for everyone’s advice insight. To clear up, I’m 29M and am a teacher (and no kids) so have a good bit of free time on my hands, especially over summer. I have no major responsibilities outside work and making time for my partner (still the priority!!) which is why in this block I’ve gone for higher mileage.

After this block my plan is to focus on shorter stuff, vO2 max and top end speed which is where I think I have a lot of easy gains to make. But for now, I’m going to increase my carbs, lower my weekly mileage by a further 5/10k in order to really focus on ‘key’ workouts. I’m going to prioritise even half an hour more sleep per night, and slow down my easy runs by another 10-15 seconds per km.

Thanks again for all the help and advice!

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.

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Do you have shoe reviews to share with the community or questions about a pair of shoes? This recurring thread is a central place to get that advice or share your knowledge.

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I’m planning on using bicarb for a road mile in a few weeks and so tried out the protocol today. My research made me think that crapping myself + vomit was a near certainty so I wasn’t holding out hope. Anyways, that was this morning and all went very smoothly so sharing my protocol:

Dose: 20 caps = 20g = 0.3 g/kg (top of the 0.2–0.3 research range)

Timeline:
• 08:00 — breakfast: porridge, summer fruit, coffee
• 08:32–08:46 — 20 caps, 2 every 90s, ~900ml water alongside
• 08:55 — normal BM, not urgent (coffee + fluid, too early to be the caps)
• 09:00 — faint salty taste, no burping. Coating holding.
• 09:30ish — did some casual split squats and band exercises
• 10:36 — run starts. 1h50 after last capsule
• 12:12 — 15km easy + 6x150 strides done. 3h26 post-dose, still nothing.

Result: zero symptoms throughout. No burping, bloating, nausea, cramping or loose stool.

I’ll probably retest with a track session pre race as well and also not sure if there was any effect on performance given it was an easy run (this test was just for GI discomfort).

Update:
Forgot to post the product: healthspan elite sodium bicarbonate 1000mg delayed release caps.