My Marathon Training Principles

This introduction shows my basic principles and they action you should take.

1. Consistency over months is more important than one or two big weeks of training.

Don't have two great weeks of training and then spending the next month injured. Trust in your training and be patient with with the process , and you will start to see big improvements. Don't  risk overtraining or peaking too soon.

Take Action:

• Month after month of consistent training and mileage is better in the long-term than two or three weeks of hard training and then getting injured. 

• Don’t be afraid to start slow, take your down weeks when they are needed, and be patient with your training.

2. Marathon specific sessions don’t always go perfectly.

The first time some runners train for a marathon, they struggle to hit the very difficult sessions.  Although disconcerting at first, you need to adjust the recovery and be able to race well during your build-up and have a a positive outcome in your marathon.

Take Action:

• Don't get too worried if you struggle during marathon training. 

• If you’re building the fatigue from session to session  you sometimes cross the line and get a little too tired. 

• Don’t let this fatigue shake your confidence it is normal.

• Not every day is going to go well.

3. Keep everything positive.

“You’re as good as your greatest day, even if you haven’t had it yet.” Don’t focus on the bad days; shake them off, learn a lesson, and put it behind you. Making this mental shift helps overcome the fear of the daunting paces, and you will develop the confidence to race against your peers

Take Action:

• Keep everything positive. 

• Never say anything bad when talking about an upcoming race, keep your notes in your training log positive, and “fake it until you make it” in regards to confidence.

• You are aiming to race and not just get around.

4. Teach your body to burn more fat while running at marathon pace.

Teaching your body how to burn a greater percentage of fat as a fuel source is one of the most critical aspects of running a great marathon. Your body burns so  many calories, glycogen only lasts so long, and you can’t put it all back in with energy gels or drinks,. the key sessions to run to improve your efficiency and ability to burn fat can be a great aid and game changer, most people ignore or don't appreciate this. Paula Radcliffe was a great exponent of this., but she also made use of fast twitch fibres lla insessions within a long run and converted them to her use as you do in VO2 sessions.

Take Action:

• You need to teach your body to burn less glycogen and more fat. Simply running long and slow does not accomplish this task as efficiently as specific long runs and workouts designed to target this system. 

• Train on an empty stomach, but eat well the night before you may go a bit light headed around two hours the first few times.

• One marathon event specific run, is  the LSD is alternating tempo, which teaches your body to conserve glycogen by burning more fat.  

• Some struggle at first on say 3 x 15 min @ marathon pace with 5 min plus easy / steady between. That last rep can be a struggle at first m but you can do them in a separate non LSD session  nearer to HM or threshold pace.

5. Don’t forget about core strength and speed development work.

Focus also on the little things like strength & Conditioning, core and ancillary work. Likewise, don't go missing out on strides and short hill sprints, speed work at least once a week. 

Take Action:

• Sometimes strides, hill sprints, and core work seem like the “extra, if I can get to it” type of work that is easy to skip. 

• Those types of sessions are just as important in the long term as the miles and hard workouts, if you want to keep whole body injury and illness free.

• I used to do 4 or 5 exercises after most runs. Just 5 to 10 mins of a cross between yog, pilates and isometrics. I didn't need a gym or weights as my own body was the weight / resistance.

• I would do a 20 - 30 minute weekly S&C session too, usually on a R&R or easy day. Rotating body areasupper, mid, and lower, obviously there is crossover.

• Don't go too heavy on exercises especially in the beginning, hold poses for five to 10 seconds, do them in reps, one body area another and then another, then repeat the exercises, you can build up the length of hold five seconds a time over the weeks.,  but most you don't need to go above 30 seconds. except maybe the plank.

• but after a run you can just do one rep of four or five and rotate the areas and the exercises over the week.

Event Specific Marathon Training     

Well it isn't rocket science, but it requires what they or I call these days as "smart training". 

And to carry it out, keeping injury free, staying healthy, getting the correct balanced nutrition and hydration routine, but most of all, being consistent and progressing to your goal race.

A Marathon needs motivation and is a commitment, so If you are going to do it, then do it properly. 

And that involves a foundation laid early enough,  of base endurance plus faster pace in your legs from racing at cross country, fell, mountain, trail or 10K to half marathon distances, longer distance races need more days recovery. 

For me it is a regularly built up year round endurance base, a capability of a good 10k pace in your legs, and then the event specific 12-15 week countdown to race day goal. 

Where familiarity with your marathon specific pace, is your primary objective, also just under tempo at HM and just over at steady state. 

Super extended long runs are not necessary generally , as can be detrimental to the rest of training for some people, but once in a while can be fun. Up to 2hrs 30 is fine, any more and ten you need longer to recover, also you don't generally need more than  half your run @ MSP on a 2H30m run, as I say any more starts to impact on the rest of your weeks training. But breaking it up into smaller efforts @ MSP with a little recovery, still gives you the same stimulus , muscle memory and neural pathways, and you can recover better.

Experienced marathoners can manage on 10 weeks of event specific training. 

A marathon programme is individual, as your work & life balance, health & injury history, body physiology, recovery ability, training & racing history, also your motivation and goals, dictate your correct approach and application,  on many levels.

BUILDING AN ENDURANCE BASE

Usually and preferably off road as much as possible initially, but can include hills, trails, parks, rivers, canals, footpaths, way-trails, farm trails, cross-country etc

In other words softer underfoot is better, to avoid lower leg stresses, apart from when doing event specific marathon pace runs, nearer to your goal race. 

It should be part of your weekly plan and at least three times a month, sometimes up to six times, depending on the stage of your training plan and which events your are eventually targeting. 

Along with medium distance and tempo pace runs, long runs are an essential part of training and progression, and the basis of building aerobic endurance so as to go in strongly to faster training sessions and races towards your goal.

They can be easier recovery pace after a race or for starting building distance and time on your feet.

Marathon Training Runs are done with a bit more structure and introducing and progressing event specific pace in stages for marathon training.  

N.B. There are a number of ways to do this, but it should not be overused, otherwise you leave too much tiredness in your legs for race day, making you a little flat or you risk injury and the wheels coming off after 30k of the race.

LONG RUNS

I prefer these on an empty stomach for greater fat utilisation training, but be well fed and hydrated the day before. By all means take water with you when hot. Ok you may suffer a little as you get used to this, but will benefit at the end of a race.

So what essential training effect and physical gains do Long Steady Distance Runs give you.

Better running economy and efficiency. Increased mitochondria, multiplying your capillary system, improving your oxygen carrying capacity, increased glycogen storage ability, and increased fat utilisation at race pace.

In other words, you can be stronger for longer and keep a faster pace going for longer, whilst giving you the base for progressing to greater volume, and better quality sessions.

The key Arthur Lydiard principle of maintaining continuous pressure on your heart for long steady periods of aerobic activity, builds a fantastic aerobic fitness base and it is aerobic fitness that is a key factor in the success of athletes in all endurance events from 800m  upwards.

The benefits of long runs are not just obtained by simply accumulating "time on your feet." 

Long, slow distance is often touted as the most effective way to train, but advanced runners, have always known that would only prepare them to run a long way slowly, and is not sufficient for marathon racing.

In my mind LSD is Long Steady Distance, and we realise that many of the physiological adaptations to long runs (e.g., increased glycogen storage, and increased fat utilisation at race pace) are specific to your training pace.

With LSD (slow only), your body does not gain the beneficial adaptations at speeds approaching race pace, necessary for translating that into racing fast.

LSD (slow only) is great for novice runners whose goal is simply to finish a marathon, but more experienced runners should do their long runs at a variety of paces depending on the specific goal of the run that week.

As I said before, time on your feet runs over hills and trails, steady runs, marathon pace sections in runs, progression runs ie easy to steady, marathon, 1/2 marathon tempo to easy. 

Example run at maybe 8 weeks out is MP broken down : 35min easy, 6 x 8 mins marathon effort w’ 2mins easy recovery, 35mins easy,. :  Total 2 hours, 10 minutes total.

But preferably for me, it is marathon pace second half’s to runs. 

Starting with the last third and progressing to the last half of the run in later weeks, but risky for most if you go more than 13 miles @MP, unless you have really good recovery powers.

Marathon event specific race rehearsal mimicking race conditions and pace for a specific period, possibly do this in a 10 miles or Half Marathon Race 6 weeks out, but you can replicate it in a training run, as in the paragraph above. 

As some people take longer to recover from races and so disrupt training, so a 10 miles race may be preferable and best 6 weeks out.

The long runs should be of approx 2 hours+ duration as a norm, but progressing for a longer 2hours 30, during the 13 week marathon event specific period, to possibly 3 hours one week, but used with caution if two hours plus is totally alien to you, otherwise there is far too much impact on the rest of your week. 

Preferably at least once per week, or 3 times per month, depending on any lead up races, and in some periods even twice a week, by extending a normal 60min mid-week, medium long run to,  75mins - 90mins, this can include some marathon speific pace (MSP).

It is best to alternate the type of long runs, but depending on races planned as to how that works out, with one week time on your feet adding minutes to each run as easy w/u start, steady middle , easy w/d  finish, up to approx 2h30m, but maybe longer for some, 

On other weeks your long run would have marathon pace in later stages or in blocks or third week a good steady pace for most of the run. 

I prefer these long runs done in a group, as that helps runners stay relaxed and enjoying them more, as they should be fun and sociable as well great training, and time just flies by, as I also like them to be run in nice scenic surroundings on soft surfaces and on hilly courses.

Hills help build strength and maintain the pressure on the heart without requiring you to run faster every week.      Hills also require you to vary the requirements of the key working muscles whether you are going up or down.

I like a big challenging hill or hills in the second half of long runs as I believe it helps you develop efficient technique and rhythm running up these hills when already feeling tired.

The first 75 minutes of these long runs is so as to become sufficiently tired, so as you are in a position to really affect your fitness in the last 45 minutes or more, when glycogen stores are getting seriously depleted.

In any training programme, the first time you able to achieve a milestone builds confidence and it can be seen that when you complete your first 90 minute or 2 hour run you soon notice a big step up in your aerobic fitness in the following weeks.

This increased aerobic fitness needs to be constantly monitored with regular 90 min+ runs throughout the year and I don’t believe that these long runs necessarily leave residual fatigue in athletes’ legs harming athletes going into important races, but obviously 2 hour plus, needs a little more recovery for the adaptation process to take place fully.

I see many athletes run very well within a few days of a long steady run,  but obviously the harder you make it, then more  and longer recovery is needed.

Long Steady Runs in a nutshell

• Long runs are the key to your marathon success and an essential part of building your endurance base and stamina.

• Your long runs should be run preferably over a hilly course and on trails, include a combination of soft and moderately hard surfaces as long as a good paced effort can be maintained, and you are not up to your knees in bog, so try to minimize impact and shock.

• As a marathon event comes closer gradually start making your long runs less hilly and run a greater portion of them on harder surface terrain, so that you get used to running on the road.

• Marathon Tempo pace in the second half every 2 -3 weeks. start with 45-50mins approx, next time add about another 15-20mins section with 5mins between in last 4-5 weeks add another 15-20min section at marathon tempo or not much slower.

• Other weeks you should start your long runs at a moderate intensity while the desired general pace is steady, not slow and about 30sec/per/ml slower that your marathon pace, but include sections where you are pushing on the pace for some of the run.

• Cruise efforts of 5min tempo 5min easy / steady or these could be 3mins MP / 3mins easy, easier recovery sections can be shortened to 2mins as you get fitter.

• Don't forget that these would be part of a 1h45m to 2h15m or more for some.

• Although after racing, take the run at an easier pace to start and finish, to recover.

• These runs are a great time to run with a training group, for relaxed fun.

• When building up, try not to increase each week by more than 10% if possible.

• Your longest runs off road relaxed and social, but include some challenges of hills or faster sections or even 5-10 x 15-20secs strides  sometimes or 10 second hill sprints

Medium Long Runs @ Steady State Tempo (5 - 10 secs down on your marathon pace)

• Medium long runs are what you are going to use as your longish mid-week aerobic run, also called steady state,  and at the very low end of tempo ranges and 30 - 35 seconds down on Threshold (LTP) pace.

• They are similar to long runs in terms of desired running pace, still able to talk although not in flowing words, but you should work up to MP and sometimes HMP, but should not be exhausted, but easily recoverable for the following day.

• You should also try to run these over hilly courses and all-terrain or off-road or trails where possible, but nearer to your goal race go on to harder flatter surfaces.

• Run 30 – 60 minutes at marathon pace, building from an easy/ steady first 10 to 15 minutes warm up at the run start and finishing with an easier last 5 to 15 minutes cool down.

• You can build up this tempo middle section to one hour over the weeks.

• Alternatives are a steady 75 to 90mins @ 20- 30 secs slower than your marathon pace. 

• 3 mins hard and 3 mins easy/ steady as part of a 60 -75min run with 15min warm up / down.

• Progression run 15 - 25min easy, 15 - 25min steady, 15 - 25min hard, 15min easy ir total 60 - 90 mins total, some progress to more.

Tempo Runs and Sessions ( this coukd be your medium long run)

• Tempo runs are used to prepare your body to run economically at a  controlled pace, with the first and last 

• 7-10 minutes at an easy pace.

• For 10k ability this is done for 15 – 30 minutes @ 10mile pace or 10-15secs seconds per mile slower than 10k  pace.

• For longer race distances run 40 – 60 minutes at marathon pace or just over.

• These can be broken down into intervals runs of i.e. 3 - 5 X 1 mile at 10 mile pace or 6 - 8 X 1.5k - 2k @ MSP, with recovery between each interval a short easy jog.4  X 15mins @MSP with 5 - 7min rasy between.

N.B All these above are not for everybody and should not be used fully by those just trying to finish, So preferably only those going for under 3 hours 30mins, with others using this with caution.

There are also long and short reps for sharpening fitness towards your goal.  10 x 800m, 8 x 1k,  15 - 20 x 400m etc

Fartlek, strides, hill reps and sprints.

Dynamic mobility exercises, proprioceptive drills, yoga and core exercises.

Keeping your body in balance and strong, keeping niggles minimised.

N.B. This is not complete, I have not shown the complete picture.

It is an individual journey, so lifestyles come into play.

I need to lay this out in a more practical and user friendly way, with monthly plans for various levels.

I will develop more when time allows.

I will put up seperately an example of weekend training and races from Jan to April end.

Not possible for all, but a template to work from, for your own work life, train, race balance.

It will show examples of weekends of running, races and training (not suitable for all).

I will show midweek moderately long runs with mara tempo separately. 

Which would include a fortnightly run of 60 - 75mins, (90mins if run 1 home), with half or Mara tempo progressing up to 45-50 mins.

So 2019 Spring Marathon 12 - 15 weeks build of Long Steady (Distance) Runs (LSR along with races and sessions. Focusing on Manchester mid April and London at end of April.