2024 Valencia Marathon

The stage is set for December 1st, 2024 – the Valencia Marathon. This will be my next attempt to crack the elusive sub-3-hour marathon, a goal that has been at the forefront of my running journey for years. With 16 weeks to prepare, I’m easing into a new training routine, but this time, I’m approaching things differently.

Building a Patient, Personalised Plan

One of the biggest changes I’ve made is focusing on patience. I’ve decided to tailor my training, allowing for more recovery and really listening to my body. In the past, I’ve mostly followed pre-made training plans, except for one time when I created my own plan—and that just so happened to be my personal best at the Manchester Marathon in 2022. So this time around, I thought, Why not back myself again?

I’ve stopped buying plans and have decided to create my own. But to make sure I’m on the right track, I sought a bit of assistance—from AI. I asked for a 16-week build specifically designed to help me break 3 hours, with rest days on Mondays and Fridays, using kilometers for my metrics, and with long runs always scheduled for Sundays. After some tweaking and adding in time for strength and conditioning, I ended up with a plan.

Going Solo but Open to Advice

Over the summer, I had a number of coaches reach out to me—from local areas to as far as London. I appreciated the offers and the chats, but I started this sub-3 marathon journey on my own, and I’m determined to finish it on my own. That said, from time to time, I’ve reached out to certain coaches, trainers, and fellow runners, and I’ll definitely use their insights to support my Valencia build. But the core of this journey is mine, and I’m trusting myself to get it right.

Nutrition and Recovery: A New Focus

One of the biggest changes in this build-up is how I’m handling nutrition and recovery. I’m aiming to lean down while staying strong, becoming better fat-adapted, and reducing my weekly runs to five. This gives me two full rest days, which I’ll use for mobility and stretching rather than squeezing in strength sessions like I used to. In the past, I’d combine strength and conditioning with my rest days, and looking back, that wasn’t ideal for true recovery.

I’ve also massively increased my daily protein intake, and I’m using grass-fed whey protein to help. I’m not obsessing over exact numbers, but I’m aiming for about 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight, which for me is around 90g per day. I’ve been taking it in both the morning and before bed to make sure I’m supporting muscle repair and growth.

Fat Adaptation and Fueling Strategy

Another big change is incorporating fasted easy runs and long runs into my training. These are fueled only by a coffee with a splash of milk. From what I gather keeping insulin levels down by fasting from sugar/starches best allows the body to burn fat for fuel. I'm open to experimenting with this approach, and if it doesn't work out, at least I'll know what did or didn’t suit me. Hydration during these runs is still a priority, though, and I always make sure to carry water. My carb intake is mainly centered around immediate recovery and for pre fuelling and during the weekly speed and tempo sessions.

As I approach the peak training block, I’ll start to rehearse my carb fuelling strategy during the last three long runs of the 4 week block using Veleforte products which consists of chews, bars and hydration.

Looking Ahead to Valencia

As I enter the peak phase of training, time will tell if I feel prepared and confident enough to take on the challenge of breaking 3 hours at the Valencia Marathon. Stay tuned!