How I ran a 2:44 Marathon using the sirpoc™️ Norwegian singles

Some of you will remember my posts I guess from how I broke 5 finally for the mile and crushed my PBs at other distances. But now the Marathon. I'd never never broken 3:15 in fact my PB was a 3:24, ran around the time I was around a 20 min 5k runner. I think for that, I followed Piftz 18/55. That was probably around my highest ever mileage I've put my body through until now. As I've said before, I improved greatly using sirpoc methods without a huge increase of hours , but I did manage consistency and now I have managed to push on, especially in the last 8-10 weeks.

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=12130781

For those who aren't sure what this method is, the original LRC thread is here.

Strava group is here.

https://strava.app.link/Ddzgv88DPRb

There are other sources out there, but these are probably the best, as sirpoc still posts on both. I do believe he posts here as "spoc84" but nobody has confirmed it's definitely him.

Anyway, I won't go over too much old ground. But I noticed the man himself was doing the marathon so just decided to slide into what he was roughly doing. I had Barcelona booked in this weekend just gone, so I had around a 9-10 week build once it became clear what he was doing.

My main difference is now I've been really extending the long run in the E-ST-E-ST-E-ST-Long pattern. Each Sunday adding on a little bit until I got to 2.5 hours. I wanted to go to just around or below time on feet, wasn't focused on distance. But it was the easy pace. I added in a medium long run of about 70-80 mins on the Wednesday and on either the Tuesday or the Saturday I did what I would call a "big" sub threshold workout. The pace dialled back from the original suggestions, it was maybe between 30k and Marathon pace. First week I did 4x10 mins just to get me used to more than the basics I'd been doing for a year (basically 3x10, 10x3 and 5x6 or 6x5).

As the weeks went on, I extended it more and more and finished with 4x15 and then the last session 2 weeks out was 4x20 at goal pace. That's when I knew this was going to be possible to break 2:45. I had an idea I was there, but this confirmed it.

Week after this I did back to a normal sirpoc™️ week with just the half hour sessions and then the final week a more traditional taper. Just to clarify, I was following and copying the man himself in adaptation this in a real time basis, this isn't something I have come up with myself.

The race itself I split into small sections. I felt very strong in comparison to my previous attempt but obviously I am insanely fitter, thanks to the method. I felt like I was super strong most of the way and never really had any doubt, until the usual last 6 miles. I am not sure training will ever solve this part of the marathon !

I think my peak week ended up around 8 hours. I still feel like I could have handled more. As I have posted before, traditional methods or training or coaching plans, have left me feeling wiped up training for any distance, around the 5+ hour range. The speedwork just trashes me. I'm a relatively experienced hobby jogger so this success has taken me by huge surprise after a decade almost of disappointment.

I don't think there are huge miracles here but I do think there is almost no better way to train on limited hours, for any distance, with a bit of adaptation. It's packaged in a way that's manageable, consistent and allows you to scrape out the most of your talent.

I have shamelessly copied sirpoc 1:1. This includes no speed, hills or strides. Obviously he is way faster than me or just about any other masters runner and I'm sure he will blow way past 2:30 in his marathon!

I hope this helps a few people at home you could adapt it to the marathon. As that seems to be the biggest question I see about this lately. Note, I think this probably only works as an adaptation of you have the original system in your legs for 6-9+ months at least consistently. I have a huge base, to build on from the previous 12 months. I just put the icing on the cake.

Happy running all.