I started running consistently in the summer of 2022. My son had just learned to walk and was becoming a bit more independent, and for my wife and me, it felt like the first moment in a long time where we could reclaim a bit of personal time and hobbies.

Running was simply the most easy and sustainable activity. After putting my son to bed, I'd head straight out the door — no complex logistics, no getting to a gym or somewhere else. Just putting on running clothes, lacing up my shoes, and returning an hour later. Beyond the convenience, I quickly discovered that running was an easily repeatable routine that helped me unwind both mentally and physically.

That autumn, I watched my brother run the Berlin Marathon and immediately set a goal for myself: I'm going to do that next year. I got lucky in the lottery — living in Berlin certainly didn't hurt — and my official training began.

The first marathon

My initial training was quite basic. I logged about 3 to 4 runs a week (roughly 25–40 km total), but there was zero science behind it. My runs were simply labeled "easy," "medium," or "hard," depending on how I felt that day.

Over time, my weekly volume increased to 50–60 km. A month before the race, I completed a half-marathon in 1:32 and felt ready to tackle the full 42.2 km. But because most of my training happened late in the evening, I missed one critical element: proper long runs. Outside of that half-marathon, I had completed only two long runs, neither exceeding 23 km. That caught up with me on race day.

After a smooth and comfortable first half, my legs began to rebel early into the second. It felt as though they were saying, "We never go past 23 km — you're on your own now." My pace dropped, my feet throbbed, my gels stopped working around 32 km, and the final stretch became a pure grinder.

I crossed the finish line in 3:17:27. I couldn't walk properly for days.

Yet despite the pain, I left with a clear realization: I can do this. With structured preparation, dedicated training, and smarter execution, I knew I could run faster — and actually enjoy the final miles.

That realization sparked a quest for the ultimate target: the Sub-3 Marathon. It took me five more attempts to crack that barrier. The lesson that day was simple: long runs aren't optional, even when life makes them inconvenient

Next up: what those five attempts taught me, and what finally worked.

If you're building toward your first marathon — or chasing a barrier of your own — this is exactly the kind of thing we should talk about.