Lift heavy. Run far.
Two disciplines. One body.
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Or get your hybrid score firstVienna Marathon Prep as a Former Powerlifter — Training Log
I'm documenting my Vienna Marathon prep as it happens. Background: i did powerlifting for years (300kg deadlift, multiple meets), ran my first marathon in 3:40 with a nasty blowup at the 3 hour mark, and now i'm training for Vienna Marathon with a sub-3:30 goal.
If you want the full backstory on how i went from pure powerlifting to hybrid training, i wrote about that here.
I'll keep updating this post as the prep continues and after the race.
9 weeks out
Quick update — i'm 9 weeks out from Vienna Marathon, aiming for sub-3:30.
Current training week looks like this:
Running (4x/week):
- 2 easy runs
- 1 tempo/interval session
- 1 long run (starting to include marathon pace finish segment)
- Volume around 55-60km/week right now
Strength (2x/week):
- Alternating squat and deadlift focus + one heavy press
- Keeping it simple — maintaining, not building
- Deadlift sitting around 180kg x5, squat struggling around 110kg x5, bench maintaining well with 100kg for reps
- Daily push-ups and pull-ups for upper body volume
Here's what this week actually looks laid out: training week
Current status:
Tweaked my back two weeks ago on the last squat set. Did not have that happen for a long time. Had to skip most runs for that week due to severity but was able to work back to goal volume very quickly.
Sleep has been very bad for the last two months as my daughter (now 10 months) hit major sleep regression. Made the early morning training very hard.
Squat, as expected, is suffering the most, but that is ok with my current focus and time/recovery constraints. It will be the main goal after the marathon to get back some of that.
Currently already feel confident on the sub 3:30, probably could aim lower but a "comfortable" 3:30 without blowup is good for now (especially considering current sleep schedule).
I am hoping that once my legs adapt more to consistent running volume, they'll better tolerate strength volume again. Basically, push endurance now to get to a solid baseline, then rotate more strength back in after the marathon.
6 weeks out
Short update and a minor injury scare.
The training structure is basically unchanged. Still trying to maintain strength and slowly increase the running volume. Also still running low on sleep, i will have to try and get this up in the last weeks leading up to improve recovery.
Strength level has pretty much stayed the same. Running fitness is slowly improving and i feel like the 3:30 goal is locked in if i don't mess anything up or get hurt. Easy runs are now almost at marathon goal pace.
Last two training weeks: Feb 23 - Mar 01 | Mar 02 - Mar 08
Last week was a slight setback as after the easy run on Tuesday my foot started to hurt pretty bad. From the type and location of pain it would match Morton's neuroma so i was worried about the rest of the prep.
But i think i played it right, taking 3 days off running and then only doing easy runs for rest of the week, that seems to have worked (knock on wood). I will now stop wearing compression socks and keep shoes tied looser to try and prevent another flare up by preventing compression of the nerve.
3 weeks out
Final hard block done. Taper starts now.
The last three weeks were the most consistent training i've had this entire prep. Hit 59km, 59km, and 62km across the three weeks, all with the same 4 runs + 2 strength sessions structure. No missed sessions, no injuries, no surprises. Just work.
Running:
- Easy runs sitting comfortably around 5:10-5:20/km now
- Did a 3x12min tempo session that went really well, splits were 4:21, 4:10, 4:06/km, each one faster than the last
- Long runs of 26km, 26km, and a final 30km today to close out the block
- That 30k was a proper negative split. Started around 5:20 pace and brought it down to sub-5:00 for the last 10km. It was hard, but that's just accumulated fatigue from training through winter. Honestly glad to be done with long runs for now.
Last three training weeks: Mar 09 - Mar 15 | Mar 16 - Mar 22 | Mar 23 - Mar 29
Strength:
- Squat: 100kg x4, down from 110kg x5 at the start of prep. Expected and fine.
- Deadlift: 170kg x5, down from 180kg x5. Holding better than squat.
- Bench: fluctuating between 90kg x6-7 and 100kg x4-5. Not worried about it.
- Still doing daily push-ups and pull-ups.
The foot thing:
Good news, the Morton's neuroma scare from a few weeks ago is a non-issue now. I still feel it slightly after high volume but with the taper coming that should resolve itself. The loose shoes approach is working.
Sleep:
Still a rollercoaster. Had some genuinely good nights recently but also some terrible ones. That's just life with a baby right now. Not going to change before race day so i'm not stressing about it.
The goal question:
This is the big one. Looking at the numbers, easy runs at marathon goal pace, tempo intervals comfortably under 4:30, a 30k long run closing at sub-5:00. The fitness is there for something faster than 3:30. If i manage 3:20 that would be crazy. But i'm not sure i want to risk blowing up chasing it and missing the 3:30. I'll probably decide on race day based on how i feel in the first 10km.
2 weeks out
Taper mode. Volume is down 24% from peak week — 47km vs 62km. The structure is the same (4 runs, 2 strength sessions) but everything is lighter and shorter.
The interesting thing this week was the long run comparison. Did 20km at 4:56/km with an average heart rate of 143. Last week's 30km was at 5:09/km — same heart rate, 13s/km faster. That's what taper does. The fitness is there, it just needs the fatigue to come off.
Running:
- 47km total (down from 62km peak)
- Long run: 20km at 4:56/km, HR 143
- Easy pace settling around 5:12/km
- 4 runs this week
Strength:
- Deadlift: 170kg x3, same weight as last week but fewer reps. Keeping the intensity signal, dropping volume.
- Squat: 100kg x4, holding steady. RPE 7.5. No reason to push.
- Bench: switched to dumbbells, 35kg x6. Less CNS fatigue but still pressing.
- 2 sessions this week, same as always.
Taper weeks are about discipline more than fitness. The work is done. Now the job is to not add stress. I keep catching myself wanting to "do one more" or "test something" — that's the trap.
The goal is 3:30. Maybe 3:25 if everything feels good on race day. Not chasing it, not playing it safe either.
1 week out
The work is done. No fitness left to gain. Just arrive fresh, rested, and ready to race.
46km this week. Volume has come down steadily: 62 → 59 → 47 → 46. The big moment was an 18km run at 4:48/km, average heart rate 150. Was supposed to be easy but it felt so good i just kept pushing. That was the biggest confidence boost of the whole prep — if i can hold 4:48 for 18km a week out, sub-3:30 is there.
Running:
- 46km total
- Key session: 18km at 4:48/km, HR 150
- 5 runs this week
- Easy runs ranging from 5:12 to 7:57/km
Strength:
- Deadlift: 170kg x3, 3 sets, RPE 7. Maintaining the signal.
- Squat: 100kg x3, 3 sets, RPE 7. No reason to push.
- Bench: DB 30kg x10. Lighter again, just moving.
- 2 sessions this week.
Everything is dialed back. The heaviest deadlift i'll touch before race day was today. From here it's just easy runs and staying loose.
Sub-3:30 is the floor. If the first 10km feel right, i'm going for something faster. Deciding at halfway.
Race day
3:28:45. Sub-3:30, with about a minute to spare.
The pacing held the whole way. Official average pace 4:57/km, average heart rate 155. Halves split 1:44:51 / 1:43:54 — a 57-second negative split in the second half. Every 5km segment finished inside a 46-second band, from 25:08 (slowest, km 15-20) to 24:22 (fastest, km 20-25). Heart rate drifted from 150 in the first 5km to around 160 in the back half — normal cardiac drift for a 3+ hour effort.
For reference, the 18km easy run a week out was 4:48/km at HR 150. Race day was 9 seconds per kilometer slower at 5 beats higher, for 2.3× the distance. That's roughly what taper math predicts.
The last 8km were very painful. Not muscular — just pain. That's the part i wasn't sure i'd get through cleanly, because last marathon i had a full muscular shutdown around the 3 hour mark. This time the legs kept turning over. The pace held.
The race itself
Vienna is a great event. The size of the start area, the number of runners, and the crowds along the course were all bigger than i expected. Weather was good — cool early, getting a bit warm in the last hour but never bad enough to change strategy.
A few things went right that i'd been worried about:
- Fueling didn't blow up. I lost one of my 5 Maurten gels somewhere around halfway, but the course handed out ESN gels at km 32 so i picked up a replacement. Kept the morning breakfast on the lower limit and gels on the lower limit too, on purpose. First marathon i've finished without a prolonged stomach cramp — just a few short discomforts.
- One short toilet stop, perfect timing. I'd been worried a city marathon wouldn't have any bushes — Vienna had plenty.
- No muscular shutdown. This is the big one. Last marathon i hit a wall at about 3 hours where the legs just stopped firing. This time it just hurt. Pain is fine. Pain you can run through.
What actually made it 10 minutes faster than the last one
I don't think my physical shape was that much better than last marathon. Two things made the difference:
- More total miles in the legs. The Mar/Apr training block hit 59, 59, and 62km in the three weeks before taper. That's the most consistent volume i've ever held. The shutdown at 3 hours last time was a durability problem, not a fitness problem. More miles fixed it.
- Less aggressive fueling. Last race i over-loaded carbs the day before and stacked gels too tight. Got cramps from km 25 onward and just managed them to the line. This time i pulled both back deliberately — smaller breakfast, gels at the lower edge of the recommended window. No prolonged cramps. The pace stayed where i set it.
Most of the 10 minute improvement came from those two changes, not from running fitness. That's a useful thing to know. There's still room.
The result vs. the goal
Sub-3:30 was the goal. I had said in the taper writeup that if the first 10km felt good i'd push for something in the 3:25 range. They felt good. I didn't push.
The honest answer for why: the 3:40 last time blew up at hour three and i wanted to know first whether 3:30 was actually clean. It was, and now i don't have to chase sub-3:30 again.
What's next
Recovery first. Then two months of disruptions — vacations, work travel, generally less training control — so the plan is to set a new baseline and start rebuilding strength. Running has been the priority for the last three months and it's time for the squat to come back. The numbers are in the founder origin post if you want the before/after.
The training log probably stops here for now. The next one will start when there's a new race on the calendar.