Developing Your Own Marathon Training Recipe——from runnersworld.com/2010/04/

老贝

Developing Your Own Marathon Training Recipe
04/29/2010 11:38 AM

I've trained for two marathons (I've only run one) and was injured both times.  I'm training for another one this summer.  Last year I think it was the speed workouts that did me in.  Any recommendations on how to train with less running and more cross-training?  Thanks.  P.S. Love your RW Blog! - Petra

Petra Sankari

Hi Petra.  I love your Facebook profile pic!  Volunteering at the Boston Marathon and other races is a fantastic way to earn good running karma down the road!
You are wise to evaluate your marathon training program because your injuries indicate there is a breakdown somewhere in your regimen.  It could be running too many miles, too fast a pace, not enough sleep, poor fuel or biomechanics issues.   A lot of variables go into preparing for a marathon.  Here are a few tips for modifying your training and developing a recipe that works for you.

• Mind your gears.  The bread and butter of any marathon training program is the endurance run.  It is the single most important workout in the plan and everything should be wrapped around it.  In order to run long, you've got to train long and in order to recover efficiently, you've got to use the right gear (effort level and pace) while running the longer distances.  This is especially true for first-time marathoners.  The single greatest error I see on the marathon training path every season is runners training at too fast a pace for the long runs.  They tend to run at one gear which is too slow for speed and too fast to recover effectively week-to-week.  This can lead to stale performance overall, burnout and injuries.  Run a 10K this spring and race it.  Use that as your gauge of fitness and plug it into the RunnersWorld.com Training Calculator to determine your paces.  You might be shocked when you see the suggested long run pace, but it works.  Running slowly for most (if not all) of your long runs builds endurance, allows your body time to adapt to spending time on the feet and is more efficient, recovery-wise.  The harder you run, the longer the recovery will be.  If you race the long runs that means you're racing every week and eventually it will take its toll on you.  An easy way to know if you are running slowly enough is to do the talk test:  If you can talk and have a conversation, you're going at the right pace for the day.  Once you complete a marathon without injury, you can build on that foundation and incorporate more speed and race pace runs.

• Mix it up. If you're trying to win the Boston Marathon you need to run every day and be on the edge of over-training.  If you're trying to finish a marathon without getting another injury, it is wise to run every other day and fill in the gaps with cross-training that will complement your training.  Cycling is great because it is non-impact and builds strong quadriceps and gluteal muscles (especially mountain biking) which tend to be weak in female runners and lead to injuries down the road.  Resistance training, yoga and Pilates are all great forms of cross-training for marathoners because they strengthen your foundation and work out muscle tension.  Run four days per week, every other day, to allow your body (muscles, tendons and joints) time to adapt and grow stronger.  This will aid in running with better quality and help reduce the risk of injury.  This is one way you could go at it:
  • Monday - Easy Paced Run (conversational)
  • Tuesday - Cross Training (easy to moderate pace)
  • Wednesday - Moderate Paced Run (hear your breathing but not hard)
  • Thursday - Cross Training (easy pace)
  • Friday - Short Easy Paced Run (30-40 minutes)
  • Saturday - Long Slow Run (conversational)
  • Sunday - Rest

• Weave in trail running. Mix in 40-50% of your training on softer, rolling terrain if possible.  Trails are much more forgiving and every step is an adventure (new), especially living in Boston where there are lots of hilly roads.  Downhill running on roads can be quite taxing on the body.  Mix up the terrain and give your body a break from the wear and tear of road running.

• Get the most out of every long run.  One way I train marathoners, especially newbies and those over age 40, is to build the long run like making a fine wine.  That is, once the schedule reaches 14 miles, I will cut back the long run distance to allow the body time to recover and focus on other areas. Versus building back-to-back long runs of 14, 15, 16, 17  miles which can lead to an impressive logbook, but aches and pains due to a lack of recovery.  Everyone is different; if you're 20, you may recover a lot faster. However, the idea is to reach the start line healthy and not broken and fatigued.  Since you've had injuries in the past, try ramping up more slowly and aim for running one 20-miler.  It is plenty to get you through a marathon and allows you to train at variable speeds on the mid-week run and the shorter long runs.  If you're not running super-long every week, you can run at the slower end of your endurance pace for the long stuff and weave in miles at the faster end of the endurance pace on the shorter long runs (not fast, per se, but maybe 15-30 seconds per mile faster than the long, slow run).   A sample long run progression from mid-season would look like this:
  • 14 miles (run at slower end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 8 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 15 miles (run at slower end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 8-10 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 16 miles (run at slower end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 10 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 18 miles (run at slower end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 10 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 20 miles (run at slower end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 10 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • 6 miles (run at faster end of endurance effort/pace)
  • marathon
• Think outside the box.  Running is only half of it.  Invest in the total package by focusing on all the variable that go into being a strong runner.  Get 7-8 hours of sleep, eat a balanced healthy diet with enough nutrient-rich calories, and incorporate flexibility work (foam rolling and massage) into your regimen to encourage complete recovery from every run.  Listen to your body for signs of breakdown and toss in extra rest if needed along the way.  You can get all the mileage in at the right pace, but if you're not sleeping enough or eating well your body can break down.  Focus on the balance and you'll be amazed at the things you can do!  Good luck and please keep me posted on your progress.

Happy Trails,
Coach Jenny Hadfield
Co-Author, Marathoning for Mortals & Running for Mortals
Have a question for Coach Jenny? Post it on her Facebook page or email her at coach@jennyhadfield.com

henrywoo

Sometimes to read and understand is one thing, but to strictly follow is totally another thing. So my experience: run in your own way and with your own capability without injury.  That's enough.
We are not professional and don't want to be. We run for joy, we run for health.
Surprisingly, I am partly following above rules: I can talk all the way through.