Welcome to Running Code.
A quick intro:
I'm Thomas. I’m 21 and just graduated in computer science, now building a startup. I spend most of my days writing code, building AI tools, and sitting at a desk for way too long.
Two years ago, I picked up running again and spontaneously signed myself up for a marathon. I loved it and immediately booked my place for the next year.
Fast-forward to today, and I’ve set a goal to run it under 3 hours.
The race is in 123 days.
If I don’t achieve it, I’ll shave my head.
This newsletter is the full documentary of what happens next.
Here’s the story of how I got here:
Part 1: The Beginnings
Two years ago, my friend and I signed up for the Montreal Marathon. Neither of us had ever run past 20km.
I trained for a few months and ran a 3:52, which is around a 5:30 pace per kilometer.
The race left me looking handicapped for the next 3 days.
That's because I was undertrained.
I did my long runs and hit okay mileage, but I barely did any intervals and hadn't trained that consistently.
Regardless, the feeling of crossing the finish line was exhilarating….
Part 2: Progress and Setbacks
The next year, naturally, I signed up for the same marathon.
This time, training more consistently and already having a strong running base.
I almost ran too much and got injured. That took me out for 2 weeks, about 2 months ahead of the race.
But at this point, I knew the distance could be run. I knew the course.
I got a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes. About 30 minutes faster!
It was a huge improvement, but as soon as I finished that race, I knew that 3 hours would be next.
Part 3: (hours)
Let's do some math:
Less than 1% of people in the world have run a marathon.
About 2.5% of those people have run under 3 hours.
That would put you in the top 0.025% in the world.
It would also get you an olympic gold (about 100 years ago)!
But this isn't about rankings and podiums.
This is about seeing what I’m capable of and becoming the first in my bloodline to cross that barrier (i think?).
It's about seeing whether a mediocre runner and engineer can get to that level and how difficult it really is.
So, where am I at?
I've been training on and off for a few months, and randomly decided to race a half marathon. I surprised myself with a sub-1:30 time and decided that sub-3 is doable with a bit more training.
So I signed up for the Rome Marathon next March, which gives me 123 days.
The Plan
This time, I'm following a structured training plan.
Naturally, I turned to YouTube and Reddit to see what plan is best.
I'll be following Jack Daniels' 2Q running program:
It's an 18-week training plan, with 2 hard sessions a week, and the rest easy. Totaling about 65km a week across 5-6 runs.
I’ve already tried one of the hard sessions, and man… this is gonna be hard.
But I'll be giving updates on the progress.
Every week, I'll be sending:
Training updates: the workouts, the splits, what's working and what's not
Lessons learned: both for running life (turns out they overlap a lot)
The mental game: accountability tactics, motivation strategies, how I'm staying consistent
Practical takeaways: even if you're not training for sub-3, what can you apply?
Running changed how I work. Better clarity, focus, energy.
If you’re reading this far, thank you. I hope this journey inspires you to set some crazy goals too.
123 days. Let's see what happens.
P.S. Reply to this email if you're training for something too, I'd love to hear about it!!