I have planned to start following a sub 3-hour marathon plan. This is for the Budapest marathon. I don't think I will actually get under 3 hours this year, but I will give it a good try, and I hope to get under 3 hours 5, and if the preparation and taper is perfect, then who knows.

I found a good plan at http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/acatalog/sub_3_hour_schedule.html

Starting off should be fine, I am very fit. The trickier part for me is whether I can get my speed up. It mentions that on the first Saturday I should do a 5K in 18 mins 45. That is 3m45 pace. I don't think I can do that yet. However I am not so far off I suppose given I can run 800 meters in under 3 minutes.

Today I had a look at my calendar and panicked thinking that I had to start tomorrow. But then I realized that the marathon starts a week later than I expected, and also that this plan is 14 weeks, not 16 weeks – phew!

I am glad for that as I go on holiday to Tunisia this week. I also need to put in some serious practice for the Balaton swim. I hope the hotel has a running machine, otherwise I will have to venture outside which I did in Egypt and found a bit too exciting with stray dogs!

It will also be hard to follow through with this plan in that I struggle with the heat a bit. At K&H half marathon, the heat really got to me. Though I plan to do hortobagy, so I guess I just have to get used to it :)

I cannot do intervals properly in heat, so I`ll have to get up very early, though running intervals at 6am is very very hard - motivation wise.