Marathon Training #1

The first step to running a marathon is to follow a marathon training schedule that works.

Whether you are a first time marathoner or an advanced marathoner, you will need to build up your mileage in order to finish your marathon. The way to do this is to follow a marathon training schedule that not only increases the amount of mileage so that you get the miles into your legs, but also minimizes the risk of developing frustrating injuries.

The way to do this is to follow a weekly routine that increases your total mileage over a period of 3-6 months. There is no point getting all excited during your first week of deciding to run a marathon and going out and training 35 miles that week. The reason for this is that your body simply isn’t used to running those distances and you’ll probably develop an injury in the process.

A better way is to start out slow and then build up to around 35-45 miles per week approximately 3-4 weeks before your marathon race. Ideally, you should increase your total mileage by around 10% per week.

The way to choose your marathon training schedule is to include one long run in your training sessions. This longer run is where you will get the majority of your endurance from. Sure, you need to also train during the week but most of your fitness and stamina will come from your long training session.

The reason for this is because your body’s physiology will change. This is just the same as going to a gym. If you stick with your gym program for a couple of months you will notice that your body actually changes. Perhaps you biceps get larger. Perhaps you notice that your pecs also increases… along with your quads and hamstrings. This is because you are exerting a force over a period of time and your body compensates by increasing it’s size.

The same thing happens when following a marathon training schedule, in particular your long training sessions. You are exerting your body over an extended period of time and the physiology of your body will change to compensate.

Ideally, your long training sessions should be done at a level that is around 70% of your maximum heart rate. If you train at a pace below this rule of thumb then you will not get the most out of your sessions. However, if you train at a pace above this rule of thumb then you are most likely to feel flat and lethargic during the week as your body recovers from the exertion.
The best marathon training schedule will have the long training session on the weekend, a semi-long run mid week with shorter sessions either side and a cross-training day, as follows:

Monday – Rest day
Tuesday – Short training session
Wednesday – Semi-long training session
Thursday – Short training session
Friday – Rest day
Saturday – Cross-training (swimming, cycling)
Sunday – Long training session

If this is your first time running a marathon then this is the ideal marathon training schedule to follow in the buildup to your race. Again, avoid the temptation to do too many miles in your first couple of weeks. The idea is to build up your training slowly by increasing your weekly mileage by approximately 10% each week in order to maximize your fitness levels and decrease the risk of injury.