Marathon Training: When training for a marathon, do one run per week at your goal race pace. Start with just 3 total miles and add 1 mile per week. Max out at 10 miles, 3 or 4 weeks before your race. Consider it a dress rehearsal for your body.
Speedwork: Be careful about how quickly you add speedwork to your training schedule. Many overtraining injuries are the result of too much intensity too soon. Begin with one day of speedwork a week. Allow at least six weeks to adapt your body to this change of pace. Don't let the mileage get too high. A 10-K runner should only run 3 miles or less of fast repeats. And be careful about mixing volume and intensity, a sure formula for injury.
10-K pace: 10-K pace, when used in a workout to describe how fast to run, is simply the pace of a runner's last 10-K race. "10-K pace" is therefore different for every runner; for a 62-minute 10-K runner, "10-K pace" is 10 minutes per mile; for 31:00, it's 5 minutes per mile; for elite runner Paul Tergat, it's 4:16 per mile.
Downhills for Speed: The workout is for all levels. Pick a gentle, gradual hill about 100-200 meters in length and run two short repeats the first day. Ease into a quick downhill pace, then jog or walk back uphill. Add one or two repeats to the workout each week until you're running six to eight short ones (100 to 500 meters), or two to three long ones (600 to 1000 meters). Keep your stride normal and your feet close to the ground, and slow down at the first sign that your form is faltering. Back off if you notice any type of back pain.
Walk the Walk: Walk breaks offer a psychological benefit because they divide the marathon into a series of manageable chunks. They allow you to recover faster after your marathon. What many people fail to realize is that walk breaks can actually help you run faster -- even if you’re a sub-3 hour marathoner. In my experience, walk/run marathoners are usually running normally again 2 to 3 days after even a hard marathon. - Jeff Galloway
Tempo Training: Build a weekly tempo run into your schedule. Run at a steady lactate threshold pace for at least 20 minutes. Over a period of 4 to 6 weeks, extend this 20-minute run to 4 and then 5 miles. Run on a flat road or at track where you can check your mile splits to keep your pace steady. If you can’t maintain an even pace through the end of the run, you’re going too fast.
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Run More & Rest More at the Same Time: Just increase the distance of each workout while cutting back on your number of workouts. For example, if you currently run 3 miles a day, six times a week, you can shift to 4 miles a day, five times a week. When that feels comfortable, try 6 miles a day, four times a week.
LSD: Long, Slow Distance refers to running longer distances at an easy or slower pace than shorter distances often run to exhaustion. The slower pace allows the runner to go longer and, therefore (supposedly), gain more fitness.
Spice Up Your Weekly 5-Mile Run: On your regular 5-mile route, look for landmarks where you can do some pick-ups (accelerations done during a run, in shorter durations than fartleks). For example, increase your pace from mailbox to mailbox or telephone pole to telephone pole. When you’re not “picking it up” enjoy an easy pace for the rest of your run.
Workout to Improve Your Finishing Kick: Run 10 to 12 x 100 to 150 meters at close to top speed, with full recovery after each (that means a very slow jog of at least 200 meters). Or, you might do from 4 to 8 x 400 meters, where you run the first 300 meters fairly easy, then blast the last 100 at 90 percent of maximum speed. Do a 400-meter recovery jog after each hard 400.
3/1 Long Runs: Many runners don’t realize it, but they can build speed by running long. This is because after about 60 to 90 minutes of running you deplete the glycogen in your slow-twitch muscles. The body then begins utilizing glycogen in your fast-twitch muscles, thereby training them. To improve this effect, run the first three-fourths of your long runs gently, then pick up the pace the final one-fourth the distance. For instance, if a comfortable run for you would be 90 minutes at 8:00 mile pace, accelerate to 7:30 or 7:00 miles the final 20-25 minutes. Do this 3/1 Long Run every other weekend.
Hill Training: One way to improve leg strength (which equals speed) is to run hills. Hills vary in length and pitch, so pick what’s convenient. Ideal would be a moderately inclined hill that you can run up in about the same time you might run 400-meter repetitions on the track. Turn around and jog or walk back down. You can run hills once weekly, or every other week, alternating them with interval training.
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Cross Training | Flexibility | Safety
Strength Training | Tips for New Runners | Yoga
top of page
Speedwork: Be careful about how quickly you add speedwork to your training schedule. Many overtraining injuries are the result of too much intensity too soon. Begin with one day of speedwork a week. Allow at least six weeks to adapt your body to this change of pace. Don't let the mileage get too high. A 10-K runner should only run 3 miles or less of fast repeats. And be careful about mixing volume and intensity, a sure formula for injury.
10-K pace: 10-K pace, when used in a workout to describe how fast to run, is simply the pace of a runner's last 10-K race. "10-K pace" is therefore different for every runner; for a 62-minute 10-K runner, "10-K pace" is 10 minutes per mile; for 31:00, it's 5 minutes per mile; for elite runner Paul Tergat, it's 4:16 per mile.
Downhills for Speed: The workout is for all levels. Pick a gentle, gradual hill about 100-200 meters in length and run two short repeats the first day. Ease into a quick downhill pace, then jog or walk back uphill. Add one or two repeats to the workout each week until you're running six to eight short ones (100 to 500 meters), or two to three long ones (600 to 1000 meters). Keep your stride normal and your feet close to the ground, and slow down at the first sign that your form is faltering. Back off if you notice any type of back pain.
Walk the Walk: Walk breaks offer a psychological benefit because they divide the marathon into a series of manageable chunks. They allow you to recover faster after your marathon. What many people fail to realize is that walk breaks can actually help you run faster -- even if you’re a sub-3 hour marathoner. In my experience, walk/run marathoners are usually running normally again 2 to 3 days after even a hard marathon. - Jeff Galloway
Tempo Training: Build a weekly tempo run into your schedule. Run at a steady lactate threshold pace for at least 20 minutes. Over a period of 4 to 6 weeks, extend this 20-minute run to 4 and then 5 miles. Run on a flat road or at track where you can check your mile splits to keep your pace steady. If you can’t maintain an even pace through the end of the run, you’re going too fast.
Run More & Rest More at the Same Time: Just increase the distance of each workout while cutting back on your number of workouts. For example, if you currently run 3 miles a day, six times a week, you can shift to 4 miles a day, five times a week. When that feels comfortable, try 6 miles a day, four times a week.
LSD: Long, Slow Distance refers to running longer distances at an easy or slower pace than shorter distances often run to exhaustion. The slower pace allows the runner to go longer and, therefore (supposedly), gain more fitness.
Spice Up Your Weekly 5-Mile Run: On your regular 5-mile route, look for landmarks where you can do some pick-ups (accelerations done during a run, in shorter durations than fartleks). For example, increase your pace from mailbox to mailbox or telephone pole to telephone pole. When you’re not “picking it up” enjoy an easy pace for the rest of your run.
Workout to Improve Your Finishing Kick: Run 10 to 12 x 100 to 150 meters at close to top speed, with full recovery after each (that means a very slow jog of at least 200 meters). Or, you might do from 4 to 8 x 400 meters, where you run the first 300 meters fairly easy, then blast the last 100 at 90 percent of maximum speed. Do a 400-meter recovery jog after each hard 400.
3/1 Long Runs: Many runners don’t realize it, but they can build speed by running long. This is because after about 60 to 90 minutes of running you deplete the glycogen in your slow-twitch muscles. The body then begins utilizing glycogen in your fast-twitch muscles, thereby training them. To improve this effect, run the first three-fourths of your long runs gently, then pick up the pace the final one-fourth the distance. For instance, if a comfortable run for you would be 90 minutes at 8:00 mile pace, accelerate to 7:30 or 7:00 miles the final 20-25 minutes. Do this 3/1 Long Run every other weekend.
Hill Training: One way to improve leg strength (which equals speed) is to run hills. Hills vary in length and pitch, so pick what’s convenient. Ideal would be a moderately inclined hill that you can run up in about the same time you might run 400-meter repetitions on the track. Turn around and jog or walk back down. You can run hills once weekly, or every other week, alternating them with interval training.
Cross Training | Flexibility | Safety
Strength Training | Tips for New Runners | Yoga
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