What is the 2:49 Marathon Project?

The 2:49 Marathon Project will be a chronicle of my 16 week training program targeting a 2:49 finish on December 1st in Valencia, Spain. I will share every detail about my training. I will turn 56 years old on the 31st of October, which will, of course, be my age on race day. A 2:49 finish, for me, is an ambitious, but I feel achievable, objective.

For context, I am a UK Athletics Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF) and have been coaching runners for the past 10 years. I have coached at club level and more recently taken to coaching independently. Although I coach all ages, over the past two years, many of my athletes have tended to be masters marathon runners, (masters being over the age of 35). I have much insight from my coaching experience and also from my own personal marathon running.

In 2022, I ran a 2:58 in Co. Kildare, Ireland. That was followed in 2023 with a 2:56 in London and most recently 2:54 in Manchester, England in April 2024. I felt I had a better time in me from my Manchester training. Therefore, I have made some necessary adjustments to help for this 2:49 Marathon Project.

How Will I Share My Training?

The 2:49 Marathon Project will consist of daily and weekly posts across my social media platforms. I have been asked how will I be sharing it? Five years ago I created a Google Sheet for my coaching clients that I used as a training log for us to share. This has evolved into a detailed spreadsheet capturing a multitude of data. I collate this data from across several apps, like Garmin, MyFitnessPal, and Strava. This has several advantages for the 2:49 Project as well as all my other races:

1. I have a complete 365 degree view of my training on one sheet. I don't need to scroll through a bunch of apps and view session details one day at a time.
2. More in-depth analysis can be made when the metrics are recorded on a sheet where I have full control of the data.
3. It is easier to identify when in-plan adjustments are required.
4. It is easier to see what is working and what isn't.
5. Fitness trends are easy to follow in a single view

Overall, it has proven to be extremely useful to me as an athlete and a coach. For the 2:49 Marathon Project it should prove even more useful as I share my stats.

The Lead Up to the 2:49 Marathon Project?

What am I doing in the lead up to the 2:49 Marathon Project? Well, mostly I'm giving myself space to enjoy my running, my eating, my resting. I know that on August 12th, when the program starts, I will be hyper-focussed on everything. I will have daily calorie goals, strength training, yoga, running sessions with targets, and a lot more. Knowing that ahead of time means I can not be so disciplined until it begins.

Where Can You Follow the 2:49 Marathon Project?

Daily updates will be shared on my Instagram account and Tiktok account. Weekly updates will be in longer form on YouTube, my Facebook page, and here on the A Heart for Running blog. Also, for anyone who wishes to get email updates, please just subscribe to the mailing list at the bottom of this page and the weekly updates will be delivered to your inbox..

A General Note Regarding This Project

This is completely free and I am putting myself and my training out there for the world to see. I only ask in return that everything is kept civil and friendly. I will admit that some of my training may look unique, and I follow a very strict methodology. However, everything I do has a purpose. I'm happy to take questions and criticism as long as it is done in a constructive manner.

There is no substitute for actual 1-to-1 coaching where you and your coach work together with the one objective in mind. This training program has been put together with me, my lifestyle, my experience, my work and family commitments in mind. It also takes into account the training that I enjoy doing most. It won't be for everyone. You may, and most likely will, find that if you had a similar goal in mind you can tweak my sessions to suit you. Additionally, you will, more than likely, be introduced to something you may not have thought of that you can adapt to or include in your training.

I ran the 2023 Valencia Marathon with no proper training. I vowed to go back in top form. The course is superb and the event is well organised. I owe it to myself and the race to give it a good rattle.

When Will the 2:49 Marathon Project Begin?

The 2:49 Marathon Project will begin with a pre-program kick-off post on Friday August 9, 2024. There will, however, be some content started, from July 19th onward, that will relate to the project. I hope we get some excellent and positive engagement over the course of the next 5 months. Good luck to everyone training for a winter marathon. I look forward to getting to know you.

#sub3hourmarathon #runningmotivation #runningcoach #2024valenciamarathon #the249marathonproject

Weekly Metrics:

Friday Weigh-in:
Average Resting HR:
Average Nightly Sleep:
Average Daily Protein:
Average Daily Water:
Total Weekly Miles (KM's):

Click here to see last week's metrics

Previous Weeks:

Week 1
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