A runner tackles Tokyo Marathon 2024 targeting sub-3 hours, hitting 25 km in 1:45:13 before settling into a controlled pace with gels every 20-25 minutes and salt pills hourly. After 12 weeks averaging 24 miles per week, he learned that marathons demand more mileage and that holding back prevents the late-race collapse.
Chapters
Let's do this! Tokyo Marathon 2024, 5th world major. Super excited to be running the streets of Tokyo. Today. So many people. Such a different Green Day vibe. It's awesome to run the streets of Tokyo like this. About 5 miles in, legs are feeling good. Turning point. It definitely takes a bit getting used to. 14K in, still well in front of us. Running at about just under a 3-hour pace so far. Body feeling good, mind in the right place, and I'm going to stop talking to save my energy. Taking a gel, Precision Fuel, on that duration about every 20 to 25 minutes, 90 grams of carbs. Then I take a salt pill, like the light pill, about once an hour because it's pretty cool out today. And I hear the helicopters coming, so I think Kachogi might be around the corner. Just missed Elliot in flying by. I'm pretty sure he was in the front. Let's see how far the second place is. Up in 128. 50. Well, it's 0.25 miles off from my watch because of all the zigzagging. Mile 15. Still running just under 3-hour pace. Average training volume over the last 12 weeks is 24 miles a week, 293 miles total. So this is why I'm not trying to run much faster, because I will blow up at the end. So just enjoying the streets of Tokyo here. 25 km in 1:45:13. Taking it all in. All right, let's go! 30K, 2:06. 06. I'm not going to lie, it's getting tougher. Not to mind over matter. 20 miles to 15:30. Oh boy, that is hard. The last pieces of the Tokyo Marathon. Once again, Sadie and Zoe and Man, it's only for you guys. That was a hard one, but we dug deep and we made it happen. Love you guys. Just looking at my own personal basics here. Hey, finish line of the Tokyo Marathon! So happy! So happy. That was hard. That was hard. That was way on the train for that one. Oh yes, thank you very much. World major number 5. Lesson learned today: put in more training miles. That was such a special experience. Wow, that was really— I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make that. That was hanging on for trying to just stay with the pace group. So yeah, Put in some more training miles. Don't ever think a marathon is going to be easy. Marathons are hard. We can do hard things, but we do have to train for it. I really had to execute everything in a row. Every 20 minutes, very consistent nutrition, taking a gel in, taking a salt pill in every hour, hydrating enough, trying not to zigzag too much, but probably ran about 0.4, 0.5 miles extra. Temperatures were good. Gear was good, the body held up well. But I'm so glad I didn't try to run faster than sub-3-hour pace because when I got to mile 20 and I tried to reevaluate, can I run faster? There was no way, there was no way. I was like, hopefully I can hold on to this pace. And sure enough, that just about worked. But marathons are tough, don't ever underestimate them. So that was a fun one. I'm off to interview Kipchoge at the hotel. Elliot, welcome back to the Extra Miles Show. It's very nice to sit down with you again.
