| Marathon Training & Racing from Joe Bowman All 50 States & DC under 3:00 |
Hope you aren't looking to me for a cookie cutter 18 week marathon training program. I did one for my dad who
was retired and whose daily regiment I knew better than my own and it still required periodic modification.
HOWEVER, if you're looking for structure, thank Hal Higdon. Hal spent the time and energy to give you five levels of
training, plus excellent commentary for every day of every week... Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Schedules.
was retired and whose daily regiment I knew better than my own and it still required periodic modification.
HOWEVER, if you're looking for structure, thank Hal Higdon. Hal spent the time and energy to give you five levels of
training, plus excellent commentary for every day of every week... Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Schedules.
At the end of the day, I'm not a high mileage guy. I like quality and avoid quantity for the same reason...I enjoy other
things beside running. Lately I've been thinking about a simple way to summarize my quality over quantity profile
and here's what I came up...
1 mile a day @ 6:00 or under
1 mile a day between 6:00 and 6:20
2 miles a day between 6:20 and 6:40
3 miles a day between 6:40 and 7:00
things beside running. Lately I've been thinking about a simple way to summarize my quality over quantity profile
and here's what I came up...
1 mile a day @ 6:00 or under
1 mile a day between 6:00 and 6:20
2 miles a day between 6:20 and 6:40
3 miles a day between 6:40 and 7:00
Now, regardless of whether you crave structure or take life as it comes, you have to put in the work in order to have
a successful marathon performance. For a sub three marathon, that means both speed and distance work...see
Core Workouts. How you mix, match and combine them will be largely up to your life challenges.
a successful marathon performance. For a sub three marathon, that means both speed and distance work...see
Core Workouts. How you mix, match and combine them will be largely up to your life challenges.
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Did you just say, Joe that's stupid. Honestly, as a 7 mile workout, it would be a little weird, but I think I'll try it
sometime. Ultimately I'm trying to get you to think about your daily workouts in a different way. For me these days,
the 14 miles between 6:20 and 6:40 are a no brainer because I'm at the track at least 2 days a week running my 3
laps in 5 minutes workout. The 21 miles around 7 minutes just happens too (see below). The real trick is how do
you get the sub 6:00 to 6:20 work in. Most of us aren't going to do 14 miles of mile repeats in a week, so how do
you get this speed in? Well, you do it in workouts like balanced pickups. This workout is more like an 800 repeat
workout and that's fine; the goal is to get the legs turning over. I'll get some mile repeats in, but I'll also do 2 mile
repeats and 3 mile tempos.
sometime. Ultimately I'm trying to get you to think about your daily workouts in a different way. For me these days,
the 14 miles between 6:20 and 6:40 are a no brainer because I'm at the track at least 2 days a week running my 3
laps in 5 minutes workout. The 21 miles around 7 minutes just happens too (see below). The real trick is how do
you get the sub 6:00 to 6:20 work in. Most of us aren't going to do 14 miles of mile repeats in a week, so how do
you get this speed in? Well, you do it in workouts like balanced pickups. This workout is more like an 800 repeat
workout and that's fine; the goal is to get the legs turning over. I'll get some mile repeats in, but I'll also do 2 mile
repeats and 3 mile tempos.
And what about the long and the medium long runs? Well the sub 7:00 stuff totals about 50 miles and you need to
be doing something in the range of 65 miles per week. The pace on both the long and the medium long should
target 6:40 to 7:00. These two runs should round out both your semi fast miles and your full mileage because
sometime you start slow, sometimes you slow down, but sometimes they're all fast.
be doing something in the range of 65 miles per week. The pace on both the long and the medium long should
target 6:40 to 7:00. These two runs should round out both your semi fast miles and your full mileage because
sometime you start slow, sometimes you slow down, but sometimes they're all fast.
Reality check...This would be hard to pull off for a week much less multiple weeks right. I'm never going to tell you
to shoot for less, but don't get down if you're not getting all this in. The missing link here is the word EFFORT.
Make the effort, but more importantly think about your pace as effort pace not actual pace. It's 95 degress and your
running hilly trails at about a 7:30 pace...what's your effort pace? I'd consider using that as part of my 7:00 work.
There's no set formula; it's a personal thing, just don't use effort pace as an excuse...OK.
to shoot for less, but don't get down if you're not getting all this in. The missing link here is the word EFFORT.
Make the effort, but more importantly think about your pace as effort pace not actual pace. It's 95 degress and your
running hilly trails at about a 7:30 pace...what's your effort pace? I'd consider using that as part of my 7:00 work.
There's no set formula; it's a personal thing, just don't use effort pace as an excuse...OK.