How do you train for a fast marathon while working full time?

This blog’s a survival guide for busy people who want to run long distances but are short on time. It’s about what I learned chasing a sub-3 marathon before sunrise, with real training examples and mistakes made, and six timeless lessons for busy runners.

I can see by my Garmin, without moving my head, that it’s five in the morning. The rain, even from my bed, sounds bad. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

It started with a spreadsheet and a dream. I was working full-time at KPMG, trying to run off the city stress and client dinners, and had somehow convinced myself I could break three hours in the marathon.

At 5:00am the alarm would go. I’d pull on the kit I’d left by my bed before my brain could object. And if all went well, I’d finish my run just in time to get the kids up and fed.

This is a story of that time. Of 5am alarms, overcooked threshold reps, undercooked sleep, and chasing progress before the city fully woke up. But it’s also a reflection on what I got right—and what I now coach differently.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned since, it’s this: consistency beats everything.

I. Scene: The First Club Run

I ran my first marathon in 3:20 and shaved it down to 3:07 just by joining a running club. Suddenly Tuesday evenings meant intervals in Richmond Park and I had training partners to chase.

The breakthrough wasn’t magical - it was social. And committing to a group made it easier to show up, even when work bled past 7pm.

Chautauqua 1: Consistency

Consistency isn’t glamorous.

It’s showing up tired. It’s squeezing in a 40-minute run between work calls. It’s deciding that imperfect training done regularly beats chasing the perfect run once in a while.

It’s not about intensity, it's about getting out there running. It’s not ‘junk miles’. It’s building your engine.

For busy professionals, the real art is stringing together 80% weeks, not maxing out 100% weeks.

II. Scene: Having a Coach (& Eating All the Bagels)

I ran London for the NSPCC in 2019 and they paid for a coach to give me a training plan. That’s when training got serious - and breakfast even more so. I was terrified of under-fuelling, so I made sure I never did.

I also ran my threshold sessions like races. Classic error.

Every rep too fast, every session ending with “I definitely couldn’t do another”. I dropped time, sure - but I also gained a few kilos and barely slept. One friend said if I ever slept more than six hours a night, I’d be world-class. The trouble was then I wouldn’t be able to do any training…

Chautauqua 2: Recovery

I coach it differently now. Training is a stimulus. Recovery is where the adaptation happens. You don’t get faster by doing more. You get faster by absorbing what you do. And that includes working late and being kept up by the kids.

And most of us need to hear this: “You can’t outrun sleep.”

On the subject of recovery, the last weeks before a marathon are for tapering not cramming.

III. Scene: Life in 6-Hour Chunks

There’s a romance to early morning miles. Empty streets, racing a badger (yes, really), the quiet before clients and school runs. But there’s also a cost.

Back then, I was surviving on willpower and coffee (admittedly, some things never change). Now, I help runners balance the equation better. Not every session is sacred. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is skip the double and go to bed.

Chautauqua 3: Fuelling

Eat early. Eat often. Don’t fear carbs. And if you’re training hard and getting slower - check your plate before your pace.

Fuelling isn’t just a race-day strategy. It’s vital for health and for the long haul.

IV. Scene: Getting Faster, Not Just Busier

Eventually, I ran 2:38. Which sounds impressive - until you learn how inefficient I was getting there. Too fast, too tired, too often. I was doing more and expecting better.

These days, I coach smarter. For most time-poor athletes, the best way to improve isn’t to squeeze in more. It’s to add one quality faster session per week and protect the long run.

Chautauqua 4: Faster Running

You don’t need three sessions a week. You need one done well. Controlled threshold work, progression runs, strides - these build speed without tipping the load into red.

And here’s a coaching secret: what the session IS matters a whole lot less than just DOING IT.

And if the choice is between a heroic 12 x 400m or a strong long run - choose the long run.

V. Scene: Me ≠ You

I’ve coached city lawyers and physios. Parents of toddlers and shift workers. What works for one doesn’t work for all.

When I trained myself, I chased every little advantage. Now I chase what fits you.

Chautauqua 5: Individualisation

You can copy a pro’s training - and I guarantee it’ll break you.

The art of coaching is matching the plan to the person, not the other way round. Pros finish their session and rest, you on the other hand may have kids, work and life to lead.

That means knowing when to push and when to pull back. When 60 miles is perfect - and when 30 is plenty.

VI. Scene: How not to run the Richmond Marathon

My first three marathons involved easy long runs and then cranking up the speed on race day. Guess what - it didn’t work very well.

When I ran 3:07, I was through halfway just below 1:30 chasing sub-3. Then the wheels came off and I was struggling through Ham dazed and confused and ready to quit.

It was only the thought of the kids at the finish that kept me going.

Chautauqua 6: Specificity (or sub-3 = 4:15/km for 42.2K)

The marathon rewards specificity. It’s not just about being fit - it’s about being ready for the distance and ready for the pace.

Long runs with race pace sections. Fuelling practice. Learning how your body behaves after 90 minutes.

Training isn’t just for your legs - it’s for your pacing brain. Practising discipline in training helps you make better decisions at mile 22.

If you’ve got limited time, spend it on the work that counts.

Epilogue: Simplicity Over Grind

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is my favourite book…

… but it’s a strange one. Equal parts road trip and philosophical inquiry. Its author searched for “Quality” the way runners chase the perfect training plan.

And the searching caused Phaedrus to have a psychological breakdown.

Looking for the perfect plan is also the route to madness. The truth is: perfect doesn’t exist. And chasing it too hard will break you.

These days, I see training as a balancing act. Not a grind. A quiet rhythm. Fewer reps. Better recovery. More joy.

Because whether you’re running for sub-3 or simply trying to stay sane between meetings - consistency beats intensity.

And the best marathon plan is the one that fits your life and leaves you enough energy to live it.

Training never really ends, of course. Illness and injury are bound to happen as long as people run.

But I have a feeling now that wasn’t there before - and it’s not just on the surface, but runs all the way through: We’ve won it. It’s going to get better now. You can sort of tell these things.

Zen & the Art of Marathon Running: An Inquiry into Consistency, Coaching, & Sub-3 Dreams