5 Tips to Break the 4-Hour Marathon

5 Tips to Run a Sub-4 Hour Marathon

March 21, 2019

Following up on last week's recap from Rock 'n' Roll DC, I thought I'd dive into a few specific tips and strategies that really helped me to run my first sub-4 hour marathon.Before I dive into my tips, I'll also say that having one marathon under my belt was supremely beneficial. I went into my first marathon having no idea what to expect but having the experience of even just one race at that distance helped prepare me for what to expect this time around.I learned a lot while training for my first marathon and learned just as much the second time around. What's important is taking what you learn and making changes to keep improving.

1. Increase Mileage

Increasing my mileage was the first main improvement to my training and is probably a pretty obvious tip but. Actually increasing your mileage though can seem like a daunting task. For me, it was really two main strategies up my weekly mileage.First, I added an extra day of running, that's probably the easiest way to add some significant mileage to your week. Rather than running just four days, I added a Sunday recovery run. The recovery run was an awesome way to add mileage without adding much stress to my legs.Second, I also upped the mileage during my weekday runs. My long runs stayed somewhat consistent but I went from running 3-5 miles on weekdays last year to running anywhere from 5-9 miles on weekdays this time around. This was a huge jump but switching to morning running gave me the extra time I needed.Just another quick note about mileage. Looking back on last year's training, I also tended to skip a run almost weekly. Switching to morning running helped bring that down a bit, but also working with a coach held me WAY more accountable training for this year's marathon.

Mix Up Your Training

Another popular tip for increasing your speed is adding speedwork to your training. Again, something that seems obvious but can be really hard to do, especially if you haven't done much if any speedwork in the past. That's why I think it's important to specify that I didn't just add speed to my training but I added more "variability."What I mean by that is that I didn't just speed up for tough workouts but I slowed WAY down on other runs. For my first marathon, I ran virtually every run at a consistent 8:00-9:00 pace. On any type of easy effort or recovery run this year, I was running closer to a 12:00 pace.This adjustment was actually significantly harder to get used to than the speedwork, but each time, finding that pace got a little easier. My coach can attest that I complained a lot about how tough those runs were throughout the first few weeks. He told me they'd get easier though, and by the end of training, the recovery runs were some of my favorites.Those slower runs also allowed me to push myself a lot harder during my speed workouts. My biggest worry adding speedwork was a fear of injuring myself but the added variability brought balance to my training to make sure I was recovering between workouts.

3. Strength Training

I had little to no experience with strength training until I trained for the Rock 'n' Roll Philly half marathon this past fall. Even then, I did minimal strength training apart from doing some short bodyweight workouts a few times a week. Even this small change had a huge benefit not just to my speed during the race, but also to my ability to recover after a run.Strength training not only aids in recovery but it increases the power you can exert with each step which increases your speed. Additionally, strength training benefits your running efficiency as well as your muscle endurance. This is incredibly important to keep you going in those final miles when the exhaustion starts to set in.Apart from some of the traditional bodyweight stuff I'd been doing, I also took the leap and got a gym membership so I could do some weighted exercises as well. My coach had me doing plenty of squats, lunges, and good mornings (which I had to Google). My legs were still burning by the finish line of the race but they held out for a lot longer than last year. I could also walk after the race which was a HUGE improvement!

4. Run the Race to Break 4-Hours

Outside of training, if you want to break 4-hours, you need to have a specific strategy on race day to break 4-hours. Last year, I just wanted to finish so I didn't have any specific paces in mind when I started the race. This year, I not only had a plan for the race but I actually practiced it during training.To plan my race, I looked a lot at my splits from my first marathon as well as the elevation chart for DC. Using that info with some strategies I found online, I broke the race into specific chunks and set goals for myself to hit with each chunk. I also built in a little wiggle room for myself so that if I needed to, I could slow down slightly towards the finish and still make my goal. You can see the full breakdown of my goals in my race recap.Once I had a pacing plan, I added in my fueling and hydration strategy, then came the most important step, I practiced the plan during my longest training run (18-miles). I slowed down my goal paces by around 10% for the test run but felt great on the run. That was a huge confidence boost preparing me to push myself harder on race day which leads me to my final tip.

5. Trust your Training

The last thing you need to do to make it across the finish line under the 4-hour mark is to have faith in the training that got you there. Pre-race anxiety and even race-day anxiety can be a big factor in performance so you need to focus on your preparation.What helped me in the days leading up to the race was to go over all of my day-of plans so I knew them in and out by the time I got to the starting line. Even little things like preparing my race playlist helped set my mind at ease. Even still, there were definitely moments where the nerves crept up.Any time I was feeling particularly anxious about the race, I would go through the months that lead up to the race. I especially like to think of the hardest runs in training that I got through to remind myself what I was capable of. That way you can start the race with confidence and stick to the plan you've set to snag that sub-4 hour finish!

Final Thoughts

If you want to look at specific data from my training, you can always check out my training updates, or find me on Strava. Just remember, everyone's paces and strategies are different, you have to play around with your training to find what works best for you.Every race and every training season is an opportunity not only to try new strategies but to learn from those strategies to continue to grow as a runner. The best part about achieving a goal like a sub-4 hour marathon is that you get to start all over with a new goal.I know I'm already eager to sign up for my next marathon, hopefully on flat ground. I can't wait to see how much more time I can shave off my PR next time!

What have been your top strategies for hitting your running goals?