BREAK OUT

After four achingly close calls, one last big push to go sub-four

MY MARATHON TRAINING started with tears. With a sage-green chenille throw around my shoulders and my legs curled on an ottoman, I cried as I recounted to a friend the disappointment of once again missing my goal of breaking four hours. I had clocked 4:11 at the 2007 Nike Women's Marathon, which was particularly stinging because I thought I'd trained well. Apparently, not well enough.

From the moment I'd signed up for my first marathon back in 1998, breaking the four-hour barrier was a big deal. Going sub-four would make me feel like more than a casual runner doing one 26.2-miler "just to finish." It would put me in rarefied company for an amateur: In a popular marathon like, say, New York City, only 15 percent of the women's field typically finishes under 4:00. I'd come so close in my third attempt, in 2003, crossing the line in 4:01:02. I knew I could do it, with smart training in good weather on a favorable course.

But as I had learned four times, breaking four hours in a marathon is tougher than it sounds. To clock 3:59:59, you have to run exactly 9:09.6 minutes per mile, easy enough once, but doing that 26.2 times was proving elusive and frustrating. Seeing my pain that evening, my friend, a former elite runner and a casual coach, offered to give me workouts to help me reach my goal. "I'm confident you can do this," she said.

Some months later, we jogged past still-dark Craftsman-style homes on our way to the high school in my Portland, Oregon, neighborhood for a final premarathon track session: 2 x 2 miles, which my coach-pal wanted me to run in 15 minutes or less. My stomach clenched as self-doubt seeped into my mind. We alternated leads on laps, and completed the first two-miler in 14:54. On the second two-miler, as we swapped laps again, I focused on technique, pushing my knees forward and pumping my arms faster to rev up my speed—and my adrenaline. We shaved four seconds off our time. As I shuffled home, I was in disbelief that I'd done such a hard workout. I logged the newly gained self-confidence into my mental reserves.

For my fifth attempt at sub-four, I chose the Eugene Marathon for its proximity to my home, early spring date, and relatively flat course. On race morning, I offered up thanks to the weather gods as heavy rain tapered to a drizzle by the time I shimmied into the corral between the 3:50 and 4:00 pacers. It was 53 degrees. Going out easy, I dodged a few puddles in the cracked pavement. The rain stopped and the sky brightened as I eased into a slightly more aggressive pace around mile three, comfortably clocking between 8:32 and 8:47 per mile. Near the halfway point, I hit a drab residential section of the course and felt my pace slacken. But almost immediately, Britney Spears snarled "Gimme More" through my earbuds and got my rear in gear.

The next 12 or so miles weren't exactly easy, but I kept passing people, which bolstered my confidence. I looked at my watch at mile 23, saw 3:23, and marveled at how strong I felt compared to how low I'd been at this point in previous marathons. Steps before the 26-mile marker, however, I went into complete shutdown. I managed to shuffle toward the finish line, and through the blur of waving arms and homemade banners, I spotted my friend Joanne in the crowd. In my last marathon, I cried as I crossed the finish line a full 11 minutes slower than I'd hoped. This time, Joanne was jumping up and down with tears streaming down her face. Even through my systems-failure haze, I distinctly heard her shouting, "Sarah, you did it! You did it!"

I had, indeed: 3:52:37. Satisfied? I was beyond thrilled. Of course, now I want to break four hours again.


MARATHON TRAINING PLAN: BREAK 4:00 OR BUST!

The Runner's World race-tested marathon-training program will get you to 3:59:59—or better!—with early hill work, later tempo sessions, and strategic goal-pace runs.

To purchase this plan or any of the Runner's World Training Plans, visit the RUNNER'S WORLD TRAINING PLANS STORE. Also, visit Runner's World.com to take the RUNNER'S WORLD CHALLENGE.

Your First Day
Here's when to begin training

Twin Cities (10/3): 6/14
Chicago (10/10): 6/21
Toronto (10/17): 6/28
Marine Corps (10/31): 7/12
New York City (11/7): 7/19
Richmond (11/13): 7/26

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