A guide to going under 3 hours
Because it's only a 19 week program, there isn't much time to play with. Consequently, the training program starts reasonably hard and gets harder quite quickly. If however, you can keep up with the program, then come race day you'll be able to go into the race with every confidence of achieving your sub 3 hour goal.
The table below is a modified version of the actual diary I kept on my computer in Microsoft Excel.
Firstly, here's the legend:
| Long Run | Alternate Exercise | Medium Run / Tempo Run | Rest Day | Intervals |
cu - chinup
pu - pushup
su - situp
hs - hill sprint
Times are usually given in the format "minutes:seconds" for each kilometre. For instance, 10 km run, hilly, ~4:45 means a run over 10 km of hilly terrain, with an average time of 4 minutes and 45 seconds per kilometre. You can calculate the total time by multiplying by 10, to give 47 minutes, 30 seconds. Something like "13 km 5:10 - 3:50" means a run starting at 5 minutes 10 second kilometre pace, gradually getting faster and finishing at 3 minute 50 second kilometre pace.
Some times, however, are total times for the entire training run. For example, "10 km UQ course 40:27", means 10 km in 40 minutes and 27 seconds. Some of the long runs have the timing splits for 5 or 10 km segments, for instance: "25 km uni circuit 21:40, 21:29, 21:31, 21:23, 20:56, 1:46:59" are the 5 km split times and also the total time for a 25 km long run.
Average heart rates are given for some of the long runs and also the races.
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Total KM |
| 1 | 10 km run, hilly, ~4:45 | Rest day | 5x 800 metres 2:55 400 metres ~2:10 |
8 cu, 15 su, 30 pu 6 cu, 15 su, 30 pu |
2 x 20 pu |
7 km, ~5:45 hot, hilly |
21 km, 2:00 flat |
47 |
| 2 | Rest day | 8x 800 metres 3:12 400 metres ~2:10 |
9 cu, 20 cr, 30 pu 6 cu, 20 cr, 30 pu |
12-13 km 5:10 - 3:50 |
Golf - 83 :) | 26 km, ~5:45 pace 2:31 total time |
30 pu, 15 cr 30 pu, 15 cr 10 pu |
50 |
| 3 | 10 km UQ course 40:27 |
8 cu, 30 pu, 15 su 6 cu, 30 pu, 10 ru |
Rest Day | 13 km ~5:00 pace |
2x 25 pu 1 x 15 su |
31 km, 2:40 ~5:10 pace |
Rest Day | 54 |
| 4 | 4 x 200 m hs 2 x 30 pu 9 cu, 6 cu |
Rest day | Soccer 15-5 (8) ~12 km ~4:35 |
Rest Day | Rest Day | ~7-8 km, 4:40 | Rest Day | 24 |
| 5 | 20 km 23:25, 23:25, 23:04, 21:40 1:31:34, 4:34 |
Rest day Warm up, stretching 2 x 30 pu |
4 x 800 m 2:42, 2:45, 2:49, 2:55 |
Rest Day | InTraining 10 KM Easter Egg Run 38:47, HR: 185 |
Rest Day | Rest Day | 38 |
| 6 | 25 km, 2:05:18 Nige's place to story bridge, somewhat hilly |
Tennis with Andrew 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 7cu, 30pu, 6cu, 30pu |
8 x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:51, slow |
Rest Day | 2 x 5 km 18:58, 19:38 |
Kicking footy with Andrew Kicking soccer ball with Trosty etc |
20 km uni circuit 22:39, 21:37, 21:03, 19:28 |
75.6 |
| 7 | Rest day | 5 km recovery (slow) 30 pu, 3 x 10 pu |
8 x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:47, slow (inc. 1 x 2:30) |
Rest Day | UQ 5 KM Sunset Scamper 17:23, HR: 189 |
Rest Day | 25 km uni circuit 21:40, 21:29, 21:31, 21:23, 20:56 1:46:59 |
53.6 |
| 8 | Rest day | ~11 km 47:24 |
Soccer 5-5 (3 or 4) | Slow 5 km 2 x hill efforts (~180m) |
8 x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:47, slow |
Rest Day | 20 km 5 km:19:15 10 km: ~50:00 5 km: 19:59 |
55.6 |
| 9 | Rest day | 5 km inc 3km @ ~4 min/km |
Rest day | 3 x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:46, slow |
Slow 5 km inc. strides |
Rest Day | Lest We Forget Half Marathon 1:23:38, HR: 178 |
41.6 |
| 10 | Rest day | 5 km recovery (slow) | Soccer 5-5 (3) | 10x (800 m, 400 m) ~3:00, slow 20 slow pu |
Rest Day | 36 km, 3:12:35 Newfarm + 1xUQ HR:147 |
Rest Day | 59 |
| 11 | ~10.6 km 52:25 |
Rest day | Soccer 7-7 (5) 75 min sports massage |
12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:55, slow |
Rest Day | ~26 km, 2:04:05 Nige Story bridge + hills HR:152 |
Rest Day | 55 |
| 12 | ~12 km 60:00 inc 3x2km@4min |
~13 km 62:00 HR 158? |
Soccer 6-4 (3/4) | 12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:56, slow |
Rest Day | ~35(37)km, 2:53:26 26:30|54:38|1:17:25|1:42|2:08:04|2:31:25HR:152 |
Rest Day | 80.4 |
| 13 | ~14km inc 3x2km 7:40|7:45|8:30 57:11 for 12 km HR:151 |
~14km inc 2x5km 21:02|18:54 HR:172 (2nd 5 km) |
Soccer 6-1 (4/5) | 2 km recovery (slow) | 12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:55, slow |
Rest Day | 30(32)km, 2:01:07 20:46|40:45|1:00:41|1:20:45|1:40:54|2:01:07|HR:169 |
80 |
| 14 | Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) | Soccer 1-6 (1) ~20km 1:40:02 HR:150 |
Rest Day | ~7km inc 2x2km 20:08 HR:160 |
Rest Day | 35(37)km, 2:48:00 HR:153 |
69 |
| 15 | Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) 25:19 (inc break) HR: 142 |
12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:49, slow |
Rest Day | ~14km inc 2x5km 18:48|19:39 HR:167 (2nd 5km) |
Rest Day | 42(46)km, 3:08:20 HR:est 160ish |
83 |
| 16 | Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) | 5 km recovery (slow) | 12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:47, slow |
Rest Day | 30(34)km, 2:14:?? HR:est 155 Match of tennis w. Justin 7-5 |
Rest Day Soccer Trosts |
62.4 |
| 17 | ~10.6 km 51:01 HR: 147 |
Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) | 12x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:47, slow |
Rest Day | Rest Day | 30(34)km, 2:03:39 HR:161 |
67.6 |
| 18 | Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) | 9 km inc. 2 x 2 km reps 5 km in 19:41 HR: 165 (5 km) |
Rest Day | 8x (800 m, 400 m) ~2:45, slow |
Rest Day | 21(24)km, 1:29:33 HR:158 |
50.8 |
| 19 | Rest Day | 5 km recovery (slow) 22:45 |
Rest Day | ~6km inc 1x2km 2 km@ 4:05 min/km |
~5km inc 1x1km 1 km@4:09 min/km |
Rest Day | Gold Coast Full Marathon 42.195 km 2:59:39 HR:176 Time in Zone: 1:21 |
60.2 |
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