Nice Marathon Training
Legs are lying. Lungs are fine. Keep going. 💨
Nice, France · Sunday, November 8, 2026
35
days
11
hrs
51
min
1
sec
76% of the journey done
Mon, Sep 28 – Sun, Oct 4 · 44.5 km planned
0/3 sessions done · 0 of 44.5 km
25-30' tempo @ 5:30-5:45
25–30 minutes of continuous running at 5:30–5:45 per km — comfortably hard, about the effort you could hold for an hour.
▸ Feel & fueling
💭 'Comfortably uncomfortable' - controlled discomfort you could hold ~1hr in a race. If gasping, you're going too fast.
🥤 Small carb snack 60-90 min before helps. Start conservative; the second half should feel strong, not desperate.
Easy Z2
An easy run — easy Zone 2, where you can still talk in full sentences.
▸ Feel & fueling
💭 Truly conversational - full sentences. If your watch says Z2 pace but it feels hard, slow down. Ego stays home.
🥤 No mid-run fuel needed under 75 min. Water only; drink to thirst. Eat a normal meal within ~1hr after.
29km Z2 - full race fueling rehearsal
29 km at a steady, conversational pace — easy Zone 2, where you can still talk in full sentences. Full race fueling rehearsal.
▸ Feel & fueling
💭 Your hardest long runs. Z2 throughout, patience early. Expect the last 5km to feel like work - that's the point.
🥤 FULL race rehearsal: race breakfast 2-3hrs before, race shoes/kit, gel every 35-40 min, 500-750ml/hr. Electrolytes if hot.
🔤 How to read a session Show Hide ▸ The shorthand the plan is written in — 6 x 2' @ 5:00-5:10 and friends.
6 x 2' @ 5:00-5:10 and friends.- 6 x 2'
- Six repetitions of two minutes each.
- 2'
- Two minutes. The apostrophe means minutes.
- 90"
- Ninety seconds. The double quote means seconds.
- @ 5:00-5:10
- At a pace of 5:00 to 5:10 per kilometre.
- w/ 90" jog
- With a 90-second easy jog to recover between reps.
- MP
- Marathon pace — the pace you plan to race at.
- Z1 – Z5
- Effort zones, easiest to hardest. See the pace zones below.
- Strides
- 15–25 seconds of relaxed fast running, full recovery between.
- Tempo
- Sustained "comfortably hard" running, roughly one-hour race effort.
🎚️ Pace zones Show Hide ▸ Training Zones (estimated from your Feb fitness)
Z1Z2Z3Z4Z5Reps
Recovery jogs, rebuild weeks
Very easy, could chat endlessly
Most runs incl. long runs
Comfortable, full sentences
MP segments; goal race pace
Comfortably hard, short sentences
Tempo runs, cruise intervals
Hard but controlled, ~1hr race effort
2-3 min intervals
Very hard, 3-5 min max effort
1 min reps, strides
Fast & relaxed, short bursts
- After ~1 month off sick: paces feel 15-30s/km harder for the first 3-4 weeks. Run by EFFORT, not pace.
- Zones reflect Feb fitness; realistic again by ~week 4-5. Re-test with a 10k time trial around week 10.
- Implied marathon target: ~4:15-4:30 (start at 6:10-6:20/km).
Locating…
🏃♂️ 🌊 ☀️ · One run at a time, all the way to the Promenade des Anglais.