![]() Want the best marathon plan for you? My marathon training plans are here.įor every distance between 800 meters and the marathon, these scientifically-based training plans include your McMillan Calculator training paces integrated, coach’s notes, and access to our prehab routines. Next: Is it time to rethink your marathon program?Ĭheck out Greg McMillan’s Surviving the Marathon Freak Out: A Guide to Running Your Best Marathon This article was originally featured in the July/August 2010 issue of Running Times Magazine. Two Weeks to Race Day: 8-10 x 400m with 200m jog in sets of four at half marathon, 10K, 5K and 3K race pace Six Weeks to Race Day: 12-16 x 400m with 200m jog in sets of four at half marathon, 10K, 5K and 3K race paceįour Weeks to Race Day: 20-24 x 200m with 200m jog at 5K to 10K pace For her, this exposure to running slightly faster than marathon pace works much better than running 200m and 400m repeats at 5K to 10K pace.Įight Weeks to Race Day: 20-24 x 200m with 200m jog at 5K to 10K pace Her pace stayed closer to 10K to half marathon pace. With Paige, we did fartlek sessions (like 20-25 times 1 minute on with 1 minute off recovery jog between), but these were more like a tempo run with surges than a track workout. For example, I didn’t include these 200m and 400m workouts with another athlete I coach, Paige Higgins, who ran 2:33 in the same race where Brett ran 2:10. ![]() These “endurance monsters” can run all day but find that speed work leaves their legs feeling flat for several days post-workout. These short, fast repeats should not be used, however, for runners who struggle with speed work. Read about these seven speed and stamina workouts to prepare for a marathon. The goal was to augment the marathon workouts with some faster running to keep his form perfect and his legs fresh. Could he have run them faster? Of course! But that wasn’t the goal. All the short, fast workouts Brett did were very controlled. But you can adjust the intensity of the repeats for marathon training, making them less anaerobic or tiring than these workouts are for 5K-10K runners. Many runners think about 200m and 400m repeats only as preparation for a 5K or 10K. The goal was to run them in sets of four at the following intensities–half marathon, 10K, 5K, 3K. Again, these were fast but controlled efforts and we ran the repeats in a progressive manner. In other words, he should not be doing the slow, sprinter recovery stumble but should jog slowly but steadily between each repeat.įor the 400m workout, we performed the early workout (six weeks out from the marathon) as 12-16 times 400m with a 200m jog and the later session (two weeks prior to race day) as 8-10 times 400m with a 200m recovery jog. For Brett, the goal was to run 32-33 seconds per 200m (4:16-4:24 pace) and for the recovery jogs to be moderate as well. The pace was 5K to 10K which isn’t too taxing to run for 200m but gives the body/mind 2.5 to 3 miles of running at a pace quite a bit faster than marathon pace. The basic plan was to perform some short, fast running every other week during the last two months before race day.įor both 200m repeat workouts, I had Brett run 20-24 times 200m with a 200m jog between. We also performed two 400m repeat sessions–six weeks and two weeks prior to race day. The first was eight weeks before the marathon and the second was four weeks out from race day. In the last eight weeks leading into his marathon (Chevron Houston), we performed two 200m repeat sessions. While you may have to modify the exact placement of the workouts based on your individual training and racing schedule, here is how Brett and I inserted speed work into his successful marathon plan. For example, Brett’s goal marathon pace was 4:55 per mile so we were doing workouts at 4:15-4:40 per mile, which allowed 4:55 to feel easier. Short, fast repeats allow you to insert some volume of running at a pace that is significantly faster than marathon race pace.Fast repeats challenge you to turn your legs over and help avoid the “marathoner shuffle.” Often, marathon training starts to put runners in a pace rut. Short, fast repeats break the monotony of training.Think of it as getting better gas mileage–you can go longer before running out of gas. Short, fast repeats improve your running economy (the amount of oxygen consumed at a given pace), and improved running economy is very important in the marathon.The reason for including short, moderately fast workouts in marathon training is threefold: Join the McMillan Run Team and let’s work together toward your goal. Having a plan and a coach to help you is key to avoiding injury and performing your best. Want the best marathon plan for you? My marathon training plans are here.
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