Continued from How to run a marathon (parts 0 to 14).
I have now covered most of the important aspects related to taking up running and preparing for a marathon, starting from absolute zero.
I haven't mentioned yet that it might be a good idea to join a running club in your area. The club would be your reference point where running is concerned. You will make lots of acquaintances there, and new friends who are also addicted to running, and who could give you tips for improving. The club will keep you informed of events that might interest you. It organises training runs, particularly long runs, to help keep you company in those very long or not-so-long runs. They provide coaching, training tips, organise races. You might even wish to become actively involved in the club's organisation. And you will proudly wear the colours of the club you're representing in running events.
It's now time to recap. Here I will give a summary of the entire beginners' training schedule for running a marathon, starting from nothing.
Phase One - get into the rhythm (running at an easy pace):
Week 1 (no. of minutes run, starting on Monday): 10, rest, 10, rest, 10, rest, 15 (on Sunday)
Week 2 (starting on Monday): rest, 15, 15, rest, 20, rest, 20 (on Sunday)
Week 3 (starting on Monday): rest, 20, 20, rest, 30, rest, 30 (on Sunday)
Week 4: rest, 30, 30, rest, 30, rest, 40 (on Sunday)
Week 5: rest, 40, 40, rest, 40, rest, 50
Week 6: rest, 45, 45, rest, 45, rest, 60
Week 7: rest, 50, 50, rest, 50, rest, 60
Week 8: rest, 10k, 10k, rest, 10k, rest, 1h 10min
In two months, we have progressed from a state of inactivity to a well-structured pattern of 3 midweek runs of 10km, and one longer run on Sunday. The second phase introduces the concept of quality training, consisting mainly of fartlek (speed play), tempo running, or interval training. This is done once, or at the most twice, per week. The long run on Sundays keeps gradually increasing, and will eventually become the mainstay of the build-up to the marathon.
Phase Two - the consolidation phase:
Week 9: rest, 10k, 10k fartlek, rest, 10k, rest, 1h 10min
Week 10: rest, 10k, 10k intervals, rest, 10k, rest, 1h 15min
Week 11: rest, 10k, 10k tempo, rest, 10k, rest, 1h20
Week 12: rest, 10k, 10k intervals, rest, 10k, rest, 1h20
Week 13: rest, 10k, 10k tempo, rest, 10k, rest, 1h30
Week 14: rest, 10k, 10k intervals, rest, 10k, rest, 1h30
Week 15: rest, 10k, 10k tempo, rest, 10k, rest, 1h30
From now on, it's just a matter of building up the Sunday (or whichever other day is most convenient) long runs to a marathon. The midweek quality training session may alternate between tempo running, interval training or fartlek. The other 10k "fillers" of easy running remain always the same.
Phase Three: building up to a marathon
Programming 4 weeks for each increment of 15 minutes in the long run will allow for one week off, due to a road race that you wish to do, or for unforeseen circumstances such as illnesses or the (caution) rare wild party. This will also give your leg muscles a well deserved chance to recover their strength after several consecutive weekends of running long distances.
From Week 16, the progression of long runs is therefore as follows (including one week without a long run in each batch):
Weeks 16 to 19: 1h45
Weeks 20 to 23: 2h00
Weeks 24 to 27: 2h15
Weeks 28 to 31: 2h30
Weeks 32 to 35: 2h45
Weeks 35 and 36: 3h
Alternatively, to simplify matters, you could progress by calendar months: 1h30 during the first month, 1h45 in the second, etc, taking one Sunday off each month. The whole, starting from 1h30 to marathon day lasts exactly 8 months. It's also possible to compress the build-up a bit by not including weeks off, but this could result in forced stoppages wreaking havoc with your schedule. The build-up recommended here is more likely to be fully achieved, and should get you to the big day in top form.
Phase Four: peaking
Week 37: 3h15
Week 38: 1h30 / short race / no long run
Week 39: 3h15 (exactly 3 weeks before the marathon)
The very long runs are the closest you'll get to the real thing itself, and they're crucial to enable you to get used to the physical and mental rigours involved in a 42km run. At the early stages of the build-up, a three-hour run would seem impossibly long. But with a gradual build-up the long distances become quite accessible, although you should of course be well prepared for the fact that you're not going out for a simple walk in the park... It probably helps to do these runs accompanied, but it's even more important that your companion(s) have more or less your own pace, otherwise one of you would certainly have to give up in sheer exhaustion.
Depending on your natural ability, the biggest run before the marathon, lasting about 3h15, will be around 33 km to 38 km long. Avoid a longer distance, otherwise you would have completed your marathon earlier than the organised event itself, wearing yourself out considerably in the process. This should be done at least 3 weeks before the event, after which training will taper out to enable your body to recover its full strength prior to the marathon.
Phase Five: tapering
Week 40 (Monday to Sunday): rest, 10k, 10k, rest, 10k, rest, 2h15
Week 41: rest, 10k, rest, 10k tempo, rest, 1h30 (on Saturday), rest
Week 42: 10k, rest, 10k, rest, 5k, rest, Marathon
That's rather neat. I swear I didn't plan this - a build-up from zero to 42k... in 42 weeks!
The tapering phase is a delicate part of the schedule. The hard work is over, but you need to be extra careful not to undo all the good work by falling ill or getting injured. If such a mishap were to happen, the time available for recovery would be limited indeed. So, take the precautions I mentioned in a previous post, and don't train too hard. What you need to do in these three weeks is to stay moderately active, while at the same time recovering from any nagging pains that you are bound to have acquired through all these weeks of hard work. Pamper yourself. Be moderate in everything you do and all you consume. You've invested too much effort into this to let it go to waste through carelessness.
There's a complicated diet for the last few days, called 'carbo-loading', that is said to boost the glycogen (fuel) levels in your muscles. I wouldn't bother. In my opinion, the best thing is to eat normally, avoiding excessive or heavy food like fats and red meat, drinking sufficient fluids and preferably no alcohol at all, and ensuring the required amount of sleep. That should get you to Marathon Day in top form and ready to go.
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