Sub 2.30 Marathon

I have set a new challenge for myself to run a sub 2.30 marathon this coming October in Dublin. Is it achievable? Yes. At present my personal best is 3 hrs 35 minutes, my slowest 4 hrs 27 minutes. I have run a total of 7 marathons since last June. The first was in Cork where I ran a 3.39. In July I ran four marathons each eight days apart: Longford 3.46, Killarney 3.54, Mayo 4.08 and Armagh 4.27. I attribute the slow time at Armagh principally down to dehydration. At the end of August I ran a 3.35 in Galway and a 3.40 in Dublin in October. My training never exceeded 20 miles a week (normally at a pace of around 8 min miles), but I hope to increase this to about 50 miles a week in the coming months. My fastest 5 mile race last year was 35 mins (7 min miles), though I hope to have this down to 6 min miles within the next three months. My diet is at present non existent, while I have been out of training for about 7 weeks due to lack of motivation. All this is about to change as I set this new challenge for myself – a sub 2.30 marathon in Dublin on the 31st of October 2011. Lets the games begin.