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How to Train for a Sub-4-Hour Marathon

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Hi, I'm Tina!

I’m the owner of Carrots ‘N’ Cake as well as a Certified Nutrition Coach and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P). I use macros and functional nutrition to help women find balance within their diets while achieving their body composition goals.

Fit + Fueled

An in-depth, 4-week reverse dieting course for women who feel like their metabolism has slowed down, think they might have hormonal imbalance and can’t lose weight no matter what they do.
Get all the tools to take your physique into your hands. Over six-months, you’ll transform your life, mindset, and body in this program that’s part-course, part-coaching, and part-community.
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weight loss

Hello! This is Monica from RunEatRepeat!

monica from runeatrepeat

You should check it out if you like running or eating.

monica after the race

OR watermelon-loving, red-headed Mexicans, which is a very specific market, so I’m hoping you are one of the three people on this earth who are into that sorta thing.

monica and tapatio

Anyway.

I started RunEatRepeat to document training for my first marathon and trying to lose weight way back in 2009. My goal was to just run ONE marathon, cross it off my bucket list and move on with my life. I ran that race in 4:15 and swore never to do it again.

Three days later I realized I might be able to do it a little faster the next time. So, I set my goal to run a marathon in under 4 hours as my ”˜grand finale’.

Long story short – I didn’t do it the next race. Or the next one.

I was obviously doing something wrong because I kept hitting the wall. Finally I learned three key things that helped me get to my goal, and I’m sharing them with you today.

runeatrepeat

How I (finally) Ran a Sub-4 Hour Marathon

1. Fueling. I finally figured out my fueling. I would hit the wall every race around mile 18. I used to get really bad quad cramps too. It took a lot of trial and error during training, but I finally learned my body’s signals and needs.

Now I take in chomps or GUs with extra sodium every five miles. This works for me because I’m a salt-y sweater. Make sure you listen to your body to figure out what works for you.

marathon fuel (800x450)

2. Pace. I am the last person to give you some cheesy schpill about how you’re only racing yourself but yep”¦ it’s true. I would always go out too fast getting caught up in the excitement of race day. Then, I would crash and burn.

“Go out like a rocket! End up like a rock.” That was me.

Finally I figured out how to pace myself for a full marathon. Check out “Pace Yourself Foo” for more.

marathon training how to pace yourself

3. Train your brain. There will come a point in every marathon that your brain is like, “Hey – is that your mom?! Maybe we should just duck out and get a ride home.” or “This SUCKS! WHY?? WHY DO YOU LIKE TO DO THIS?!?!”

I have run 14 marathons now, and I quit running as some point during all of them. You have to have some kind of prayer, positive mantra, distraction or pre-planned thought to get you through this. The key is to have it ready to go so you stay in the game during the race.

running motivation when in doubt run it out

Good luck! If you have any other questions or want more check out RunEatRepeat.

Thank you Tina for letting me guest post on CNC today! And no you don’t have to name your first born after me in exchange”¦

tina and monica before the 5k

Do you guys have any tips or tricks to share with the class on what helps you run?

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