48 Weeks
It’s 2025, and my goal is to run a sub-3 hour marathon at the California International Marathon (CIM) on December 7. That gives me 48 weeks.
With this blog, I plan to document my roughly 1 year training block (Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 7, 2025) to get to sub-3 hours at CIM. I hope that this will be helpful to anyone interested in running - new runners, experienced folks, running lovers and running haters.
Most marathon training plans are limited to about 12-16 weeks, not 48. But for me, diving into a 16 week block feels too intimidating. I want to give myself ample time to train my body and mind, and relieve any pressure that comes from a highly structured short-term plan. Don’t get me wrong - this year is going to be very structured. There’s going to be a lot of running, a lot of strength work, and a lot of mental training. It’s just going to be a gradual build. Time won’t be the enemy, but it’s the gift I’m giving myself to take a real crack at breaking the sub-3 barrier.
Sub-3 is a goal I never imagined I’d have. It feels scary and overwhelming. Truthfully, it feels impossible. But a few years ago, completing a marathon felt impossible. Running one mile around my neighborhood was torture, let alone 26.2. So it might be time to chase another impossible goal.
Back during COVID, sheltering in place left me pretty stagnant. It was time for my body to move more, and running was a pretty accessible way to do it.
That was the end of 2021, and since then, I haven’t looked back. In mid-2022, I signed up for my first half marathon (SF Half) and surprised myself by actually finishing it without walking in 2 hours 18 minutes and 22 seconds. That was the first of 19 races that I’ve completed since beginning my running journey. I’ve done:
2 - 5ks
4 - 10ks
1 - 15k
7 - Half Marathons
3 - Marathons
2 - 3ks
I love running all distances - each one requires a unique set of skills and paces. But, in my head, the holy grail is the Marathon. I never thought I could even attempt running 26.2 miles. 26.2 miles is a pretty long car ride honestly. I’m still surprised that I was able to run that distance 3 times. The marathons I’ve completed are:
Eugene Marathon - Eugene, OR - April 20, 2023 - 4 hours 13 minutes 47 seconds
Marine Corp Marathon - Washington DC - October 29, 2023 - 4 hours 29 minutes 24 seconds
Chicago Marathon - Chicago, IL - October 13, 2024 - 3 hours, 30 minutes, 35 seconds
But I feel that I’m entering a new stage in running. I’ll always consider myself a “growing runner”, but I have a bunch of races under my belt and a few thousand miles on my feet. I enjoy chasing meaty goals, and I am extremely motivated to become a better runner. So breaking the 3 hour marathon barrier is a goal that checks a lot of boxes.
It’s rare for me to set an audacious goal that I genuinely feel uncertain about. Hitting 3:30:35 at Chicago in October 2024 was audacious, and it took a significant portion of my time and mindshare to pull off, but I did have confidence I could do it. Sub-3 is a different beast. I’m trying to shave off 30+ minutes off of my already elusive time, and I’m giving myself 48 weeks to do it. Let’s see how this goes.
