The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Do you actually know your VO₂ max? 👀

👇 If you know it drop your number in the comments and tell me how you are tracking it!

Mine is 45 according to my COROS running watch. 53 according to Garmin. I take these number with a pinch of salt though...

I’ve just made a video explaining what VO₂ max actually means for your sub-4 marathon, how to measure it (the PROPER way!) , and four workouts you can use to improve it.

Video is live 👇

https://youtu.be/SVjU5sc2mpc

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 4

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Are you accidentally ruining your sub-4 marathon training by running too fast on your "easy" days? 🚨

We’ve all been there. Someone jogs past you, your ego takes over, and suddenly your recovery miles turn into a red-line tempo session. If you want to break 4 hours, you have to build that aerobic engine.

In the new video, I break down exactly why this happens, how to calculate your TRUE easy pace using a 30-minute threshold test, and 4 rules to finally force your heart rate into the basement.

Check it out here and fix your easy runs today: https://youtu.be/5fWama_ZxOM

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 4

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

New name, same sun! ☀️

Welcome to The Sub-4 Marathon Channel and a slight channel rebrand.

As I gear up for the Almaty marathon at the end of September, I wanted the channel to reflect exactly what we are chasing.

If you are a mid-pack runner trying to shave off those minutes and finally break the 4-hour barrier, grab a coffee (or a chilled gel) and join us.

Drop your current PR or your next marathon goal in the comments! ⏱️🔥

Paul

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Traveling for a Marathon soon?

I've put together 42.2km Marathon Travel Hacks - some obvious, some tongue & cheek and some way out there.

You can have a look here: https://youtu.be/QLBos1GG9_4

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 7

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

I always put my money where my mouth is. I always mention on this channel about how to run your long runs for a sub-4 marathon. The majority of the run should be under marathon pace with a sprinkling of marathon pace throughout the run.

And this is excatly what I did during today’s penultimate long long run of my own marathon training block.

The long run is the single most important run of a sub-4 training block, it gives you a chance to get time on your legs and practice your fuelling a pacing strategies for the big day itself.

If your in the final few weeks of marathon training and completing your last few long runs - your focus will turn to the marathon soon.

If you’ve not watched it already, I put together a 30 minute compilation on how to tackle the key KM’s in your marathon.

You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/7kAnnZonl_w?si=Kd4so...

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Went for a run. Realised I’m 4 weeks away from my next marathon. And probably 2 weeks away from Maranoia.

Went home. Made a quick video about it.

And here it is: https://youtu.be/mH_gR9jTk9w?si=9xZ8B...

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 7

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

This photo was taken right after the Songkhla Marathon in Thailand on this very day last year. 

I was exhausted, sweaty, and a good few minutes off my sub-4 goal. Looking back a year later, I'm actually really proud of that effort. 

I’ve put the full story into a new show called 'Chasing a Sub-4 Marathon.'  Become a member of the channel (for the price of a couple of gels per year!!) to watch the show here: youtube.com/@runinthesun_/join

It’s less about the clock and more about the grit it takes to even try. This is the full story of what it takes to push your limits. To not succeed but to come back and try again.

Cheers to everyone out there chasing their own 'impossible' times!

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 8

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

In the UK alone, 500,000 people started running this year.

Which made me think - how many of these new runners will set their sights on a marathon in the near future.

And how many will eventually be thinking about attempting a sub-4.

Which led me to looking at the data from all my sub-4 videos to see which segments resonated with viewers. Which parts were the most rewatched?

Here are the 4 most replayed, bookmarked, liked segments of those videos. And if you’re one of the 500,000 good luck in your running journey.

https://youtu.be/7CYfHLq6HOo?si=Dp3yk...

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 6

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Things you think about on a plane home.

I came up with a lighthearted look at the “7 levels of a sub-4 marathon runner”. And I then made a video about it.

You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/XsST_OKTnbk?si=F8f8O...

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

The Sub-4 Marathon Channel

Slightly different post than normal! But I think it’s an important one.

I never started this channel to make money nor is that the ultimate goal. The goal was always, and will always be, to inspire runners to run, perhaps run marathons and maybe aim for a sub-4. I enjoy it, the process and what I’ve learned.

In the YouTube creator world hitting “4,000” watch hours is the “holy grail” - like hitting the 42.2km distance in the marathon. If this is achieved in a year, the channel becomes “monetised”.

When I talk about monetised I’m talking about receiving 20 British pence, 0.5 American dollars or less than 1 Emirati Dirham per 1000 views on a video. You can do the maths. It’s not life changing unless you’re pulling in 500,000 views per video.

Fairs fair. That’s the rules.

However, the rules have now changed suddenly. To cross the “monetisation” threshold it will soon be 8,000 watch hours in a year instead of 4,000.

Think of it like changing the marathon distance from 42.2km to 84.4km. You’ve been training for a marathon but now you’ve been told you’ll actually be running an ultra.

I understand YouTube has to make money but without the small creators, who spend time, effort and their money on creating videos there would be no YouTube.

But for small channels the change means that all ad revenue will go to YouTube until 8000 hours have been watched on a channel.

I’m close to the current threshold (500 hours short - watch and share the video link below! 😂) but many others are not. This change will make YouTube more like a professional TV platform with only the “big hitters” surviving - polished, perfect, orderly. And sometimes we don’t want that. Small channels will cease to exist as their “finish lines” have changed.

I’ll continue regardless, but the next time you watch a small YouTubers video and those annoying “mid roll” ads, you know where the money is going.

Now, this time last year I was running a marathon in Thailand at 3am. With no sleep. In humid conditions 😂

And you can watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/1NbVg6hvP8M?si=-yLwY...

Enjoy the free content! Like, share and leave a message as always.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 0