Marathons next year

[Sweder]

I didn't follow any particular schedules for previous Marathons.
I'm doing about 30 miles per week at the moment including a track session once a week, hill work, offroad runs (to protect the joints!) and roadwork. In other words, a mixed bag. I'll up the mileage each week by adding to my Sunday slog (this week 12, next week 12, then up to 14, 16, 20 up to 23).

I've entered the Almeira Half (end of Jan) and will enter the Sussex Beacon half again - I've used this as a yardstick for the FLM for the past 2 years. Running halves and 10K races is excellent preparation, if only to get accustomed to running in large groups. It can be tough to pace yourself when people start whizzing off at the start, and these races help you develop raceday discipline as well as practicing water stations and sharpening your elbows

If you're up to 16 mile long runs already I'd say you're well ahead of any schedule I've seen. It's hard to know if sub 3:30 is over ambitious as I don't know your best Half time, and even then quick halves don't always translate into quick Marathons. My best half time is 01:50:53 (last years Beacon) which some say should translate into a 4 hour Marathon, but it all depends how you are on the day.

Stick to your schedule and vary your training to include speed work and you'll do fine.