‘How I cut 40 mins off my marathon PB in 6 months as a slower runner'
In August this year, I opened my inbox to see an invitation that made my hands shake. It was from New Balance, asking if I’d be interested in running the New York Marathon.
Interested? Yes. Slightly terrified? Absolutely.
But despite making quite a few marathon mistakes ahead of London earlier this year, I knew I had it in me to finish it. What I didn’t have was any of my previous naivety about what a slog the training would be.
I had heard from some of my marathoner pals that the New York course was particularly hard, so, although I was thrilled to be doing the race, I came to terms with the likelihood that I may not be able to score a PB.
To my great surprise, however, I was able to cut a full 40 minutes off my finishing time in just six months (and one week) after finishing London. I went from a 5:15 PB to a 4:35, without burning myself out, letting the training take over my life, and greatly enjoying marathon day for (almost) the entire race.
Fresh Foam X 1080 v14 Shoes
FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v2 Shoes
Perfect Rib Tank
Linear Heritage 6 Panel Hat
NB Sleek Pocket High Rise Legging 27"
Beta Fuel Gels
While I’m far from a running expert, being a slower runner with a congenital foot deformity (talipes or "club foot", if you’re curious) has taught me some important lessons about when to push and when to pull back, cutting significant time off your PB while avoiding an injury, and how to know whether a fitness goal is actually out of your reach or your limiting beliefs are keeping you stuck.
Know your limits but don’t limit yourself
If you’d asked me even a year ago whether I’d be able to run a marathon, it would have been a very firm no. I only signed up for London because I couldn’t pass up such an incredible opportunity, and I had a vague New Year's resolution about getting out of my comfort zone.
Since I was a kid, I’d always told myself that there were certain things I could and couldn’t do because of my dodgy foot. I have talipes, meaning I was born with one foot turned in and under at an angle, which I had surgically corrected as a baby.
Although the correction has enabled me to walk around fine, my left foot has far less mobility and is much weaker than my right side, which I had always assumed meant running was something to be avoided. I also didn’t like the way my left foot and leg looked, so I avoided PE and most other activities that would’ve drawn attention to it.
Over the past few years, as I’ve learned more about the mental and physical benefits of exercise – and stopped caring as much about what people think – I slowly started to add more movement into my daily life.
I started with strength training, then a bit of HIIT, before I decided to push myself by running a half marathon. I loved that experience, so I ran another half marathon. For both races, I finished in just under two-and-a-half hours.
As I’ve never considered myself a runner, I put very little pressure on myself when I was getting started. My only real goal was to finish and have fun doing it.
On reflection, this was the smartest thing I could have done. I didn’t just dive in headfirst by signing up for a full marathon, I gave myself the time to build my fitness at a slow and steady pace.
This meant that while I was still setting myself big, long-term goals, I wasn’t letting my ego get in the way of my progress by telling myself I ‘should’ be fitter or faster than I was. Working for Women’s Health means I’m working alongside some inspiringly fit people, but I never compared myself to them.
For want of a less cliched term, I focused on running my own race.
Set achievable goals
I sat down with Ben Parker, Co-Founder and Head Coach at Runna, an app that creates personalised training plans for runners. I’ve used Runna to train for both of my marathons and have found it to be incredibly useful.
I asked Ben about how to set a goal when you’re setting out to run a marathon and he advised that it’s worth ‘managing your expectations and setting a goal that’s the right level of challenging and achievable’. He also added that ‘it’s really important to be aware of where you are today to avoid setting a goal that’s unrealistic’.
He advised that another fundamental element of goal setting is taking into account how much time you have to train. ‘The amount of time you leave yourself dictates the level you need to build up your training,' he said. 'If we can build up our training more gradually, the jump from week seven to week eight will be smaller.'
Ben emphasised that you can really never start training too early for a marathon, and it’s helpful to make running a regular part of your schedule before you sign up for a race.
As a coach, he emphasised the importance of noting how fatigued you are and reducing your training load if need be while your body adapts.
Slow and steady consistency is key
I approached running in a very measured and considered way. Rather than gunning for a sub-4:00 finish time for my first race (or my second), I used my first two marathons as learning opportunities.
From my first marathon, I learned that despite my preconceived notions of what I was capable of, I could run a marathon. In my second marathon, I learned that it is possible to push myself and improve without burning out or getting injured – while still having an incredibly positive experience on the day.
If I was to give just one tip to a slower, beginner runner looking to take on a marathon, it would be to keep in mind that good things take time.
While your Instagram feed may be filled with people achieving insane finishing times, realistically most people are a lot slower than that and completing a marathon is a huge achievement, no matter what time you get.
When trying to improve your time, you need to keep in mind that it’s not going to happen overnight, especially if you’re new to the sport. It’s going to take time to gain the level of fitness required to smash a PB.
I’ve already mentioned that I’ve used Runna to train for my races, and a feature of the app I’ve found helpful is Pace AI. The app is able to assess my pace throughout my training, and re-adjust my goal time if it detects an improvement.
Stick to the plan, but don't make too many sacrifices
When I was training for London, I was hyper-focused. I eschewed weeknight activities to get enough sleep for an early run, I completely stopped drinking for a few months, and I cut way back on socialising.
While this method was great for my physical health, living a life that revolves around marathon training just isn’t for me. Not only was I extremely boring company (I embodied the stereotypical marathoner who can’t stop talking about their upcoming race), but by the time race day came I couldn’t wait to be done with it.
When it came to New York, I had no choice but to balance my priorities. I already had a two-week trip to Greece planned during my training block, and my mum was visiting from Australia for another couple of weeks.
On top of an often-hectic job, this meant there were weeks where it felt like I was spinning too many plates, and it was slightly overwhelming. However, by the time it got to running New York, I didn’t feel like I’d put my life on pause for the race, which made me feel a lot less pressure to make it all worth it.
While I was dedicated to my training, making time for other things I enjoy meant on race day I was excited for the experience, rather than just ready for it to be over.
Get comfortable gear
If you’re signing up for a marathon, you should know that you’re going to experience some discomfort. Committing to your plan week after week, with longer distances, faster speeds, and pushing yourself through mental blocks is no easy feat.
However, there are a few things you can do to make yourself as comfortable as possible, and one of them is wearing the right kit for you.
When I first started running I wore all the wrong stuff, and I could feel the difference. In my first race, I wore fancy carbon-plated shoes that were completely unsuitable for me, and I paid the price with knee pain that lasted for a week.
I also made the classic mistake of wearing new tights on race day, which weren’t comfortable and I felt like I spent a lot of the race pulling them up.
If you’re a slower runner like me, the latest and greatest running technology might be designed for a faster runner and not be giving you what you need. I chatted to Liz Ellyward, Senior Category Manager at New Balance, about what slower runners should keep in mind when they’re shopping for their shoes.
She advised that ‘ultimately the runner should look for comfort and this will be delivered through premium cushioning and stability. A long-distance running shoe will have the right balance of cushioning and stability for any speed. Slower runners will be on their feet for a longer period during the marathon, and fatigue will set in (at any speed over that distance), so the shoes need to be able to hold up to that.'
She also emphasised the importance of getting fitted at a specialist running store to ensure the ones you go for are the right fit.
When I asked Liz about what exactly slower runners like myself should be keeping in mind when they’re shopping for race-day shoes, she said it’s crucial to ‘ensure the shoe is fresh – it shouldn’t have been used for more than 300-400 miles of training, as this will give you the best experience’.
I’d heard mixed opinions about carbon-plated shoes for slower runners, so I was curious to hear Liz’s thoughts on the topic. She said, ‘Carbon-plated shoes like the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 are designed to increase efficiency and propulsion when running at a certain speed. They have generally been designed and tested at speeds of faster than 5min/km. However, we do see many runners of different speeds wearing Carbon shoes and there are no rules to say they’re exclusively for the faster runner’.
Though she did add, ‘It likely isn’t necessary for a slower runner to use a carbon plate as they won’t feel the benefit, and it won’t have the performance-enhancing effect as someone running faster. Potentially, it could negatively affect their biomechanics.'
During my training, I switched between two pairs of shoes: the FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v2 Shoes and the Fresh Foam X 1080v14. The FuelCell SuperComp Pacer v2 were a perfect race-day shoe for me. Although they are carbon-plated, they were still supportive and comfortable.
The Fresh Foam X 1080v14 are ideal for training, as they're versatile enough to wear for speed sessions, long runs, and just wearing around day to day.
Read now: How to practise self-compassion and become more confident
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