Marathon Training & Racing from
Joe Bowman
All 50 States & DC under 3:00
Now the table below is not intended to push you through a specific weekly workout schedule, but rather is a three
week block of time within which you need to produce these results.  The three weeks gives you time to adjust your
intensity and distance and in doing so you'll give each of these workouts a shot or two or three during the 3 week
block.  Then it's time to step up to the next block.
Weeks out
from your
marathon
Speed
Strength
The closer you get to the race, the more on
target your training needs to be to this table.
 Don't panic if you're not doing the work
shown 12 weeks out but get busy running
because things only getting tougher.
Repeats
Pick-ups
Med.
Long
Long
Pace
12
Quantity
5 X
7 X
12
miles
15
miles
3 miles
on the
track at
6:40
pace
Three months from the race.  You should
be getting stronger and faster.  You've got to
get your weekly long runs up near 17 miles
and keep them there for the duration of your
training.
Distance
Miles
.35 to .4 miles
  (85% effort)
Time
6:10 mins
2:30 mins
1:30
2 Hrs
9
Quantity
6 X
9 X
13
miles
16
miles
6 miles
on the
track @
6:35
pace
Your mile repeats should be getting faster
and easier which should help make all your
key workouts a bit quicker.
Distance
Miles
.35 to .4 miles
  (85% effort)
Time
6:05 mins
2:30 mins
1:30
2 Hrs
6
Quantity
6 X
9 X
13
miles
16+
miles
6 miles
on the
track @
< 6:35
pace
A month and a half to go.  You're about at
your peak.  You need to hold this for the
remainder of your training.
Distance
Miles
.4 to .45 miles
 (90% effort)
Time
6:00 mins
2:30 mins
< 1:30
2 Hrs
3
Quantity
6 X
11 X
13
miles
16+
miles
9 miles
on the
track @
< 6:40
pace
It's about time to wrap up your hard stuff.  
Keep the throttle down for one more week,
then back it down some.
Distance
Miles
.4 to .45 miles
 (90% effort)
Time
< 6:00 mins
2:30 mins
< 1:30
< 2
Hrs
Marathon Training & Racing from
Joe Bowman
All 50 States & DC under 3:00
Thinking about joining
the 50 states under 3:00
club?
Are you out of your mind!!  Cross
your fingers and toes (you're
gonna need some luck) then get
busy running.  No dues, no
meetings, no fame, but it will cost
you a small fortune (both in time
and money).  It's just
me and Toby
at this point, but Chuck is
making a push and
Jerry has a
solid plan.  Be forewarned
though, even with sponsors &
speed, you still have some big
hurdles in front of you.
Just to Name a Few...
Rebounding - Can you get your
legs ready for another quality
marathon race in just 6 days?  
And you better not be one of
those people who develops
blister and chaffs.
Your Brain - Do you have
one...many will question.  And
you'll question yourself too.  But
on race day, get it together.  You
have to relax, run tough and be
smart.
Travel - Better have a good
airport and a lot of patience...oh
yeah and some money...and you
still could end up sleeping in your
car...
Ridge Runner 2001
Nature's Call  - Too much food
and drink, too many people in the
potty line, nerves in general...you
don't have time to stop and deal
with these things, so find a food
and drink routine that works for
you a stick to it.
Durability - Marathons are
packed into 6 months of the year
so unless you think you can
break 3:00 when you're 60 (a
long range goal of mine), you
better learn to run a minimum of
4 or 5 a year...oh yeah, all under 3
hours...I had to repeat 17 states!
Health - A cough due to cold, the
flu, a stomach bug...all things you
have no control over.  That
overuse injury...kind of in your
control, but they still happen.
Scheduling - Travel itineraries,
race schedules (some states
only have one or two marathons),
training time, your work
schedule...you need a plan...but
expect it to change.
Weather - Mother Nature can be
cruel on race day.  I had like a 5
week stretch of cold, wind and
rain at every marathon.
Join !?!
Are You
Ready?
Maybe
Boston
Joe Now
Links
Joe
Train
Race
Pace
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
TTL
8 on trails
(7:30 pace)
6 on track
(6:40 pace)
10 miles
(7:15-30 pace)
1 hr of 2:30
pick-ups
Off
1 hr hilly gravel
(7:00 pace)
16 miles gravel / trail
(7:00-15 pace)
55 to 60
miles
OK...does the week below look remotely similar to your normal running week?  It's my normal week of running.  
Regardless of whether I have a marathon on the schedule, I try to keep a routine similar to this so that I maintain a
sold base.
Then once I get within about 8 weeks of marathon race day, the weeks start looking more like the one below.  Note
that it's not a lot more mileage; it's simply more intense mileage.  And it's not sexy or gimicky stuff...no ladders, no
400s, no 'at 5K pace workouts'...if you know your 5K pace, you're probably racing too many 5Ks right now.
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
TTL
8 on trails
(7:15 pace)
6 on track
(6:40 pace)
1:30 @
7:00 pace
1 hr of 2:30 pick-ups or
6 x 6:00/mile repeats
Off
1 hr hilly gravel
(7:00 pace)
16 miles gravel /
trail (7:00 pace)
60 to 65
miles
Sub3 Records
Joe Bowman's 51
Toby Skinner's 51
Chuck Engle to date
Jerry Rief to date
Michael Wardian to date
When I was working on my 50 states, my normal Sat / Sun out of town marathon looked like this...

Sat - Up at 5am, pack travel backpack, head to train station, take train to airport, land at destination by early
afternoon, get rental car, find packet pick-up, get a sandwich and a local beer, check in to hotel, go drive some or
maybe all of course, stop at a convenience store for food and drink for morning, check out the town in general, find
some carbs for dinner, watch the weather channel, go to sleep.

Sun - Up at 5:30 (if the race was at 8:00), eat whatever sugary bread product I bought, drink alittle, watch the
weather channel, stop eating by 6am, take a nice long warm shower, start dressing (don't forget the deo and nipple
protection), do my 'business' (usually more than once), pack my to-go bag, leave so I get to the start about 30
minutes before, sip alittle sports drink, find some bushes if I have too but hopefully just sit in my car til 10 minutes
before the start, take one last pee at the car (not quite so easy for the ladies), do a couple of 50 yard turnovers on
the way to the start, double check my laces (double knots!), get done by 11:00, grab alittle food and drink, head back
to the hotel, hit the shower (yes warm shower, I don't care what they say), check out by noon, back to the airport, on
a plane by 3:00, home before dark, at work at 8:00am Monday, do it all again next Saturday.