Training Schedule
Week # |
Date |
Weekend Run |
Additional Runs |
Week 1 |
May 24/25 |
Timed 3 miles |
(2) 30-min runs |
Week 2 |
May 30/June 1 |
4 miles |
(2) 30-min runs |
Week 3 |
June 8 |
5 miles |
(2) 30-min runs |
Week 4 |
June 15 |
6 miles |
(2) 30-min runs |
Week 5 |
June 22 |
7 miles |
(2) 35-min runs |
Week 6 |
June 29 |
8 miles |
(2) 35-min runs |
Week 7 |
July 6 |
9 miles |
(2) 35-min runs |
Week 8 |
July 13 |
10 miles |
(2) 35-min runs |
Week 9 |
July 20 |
12 miles |
(2) 40 min runs |
Week 10 |
July 27 |
14 miles |
(2) 40-min runs |
Week 11 |
August 3 |
10 miles |
(2) 40-min runs |
Week 12 |
August 10 |
16 miles |
(2) 40-min runs |
Week 13 |
August 17 |
10 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 14 |
August 24 |
18 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 15 |
August 31 |
10 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 16 |
Sept 7 |
12 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 17 |
Sept 14 |
20 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 18 |
Sept 21 |
10 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 19 |
Sept 28 |
12 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 20 |
Oct 5 |
22-24 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 21 |
Oct 12 |
10 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
Week 22 |
Oct 19 |
6 miles |
(2) 45-min runs |
RACE Day |
October 26, 2008 |
26.2 |
REST/RECOVER |
Training Pointers by Personal Trainer Leigh Anne Adusei
The above training schedule is designed for first time marathoners. On your first week you should time yourself for your three mile run in order to figure out your training pace for the long runs. Don’t sprint, but don’t dawdle. If you can comfortably run 3 miles in 24 minutes, your pace is an 8 minute mile. Plan to add 90 sec to 2 min to that pace to come up with your training pace for the marathon. Therefore in the above example you would train for the marathon at 10 min/mile. It might seem awkwardly slow at first but this is an ENDURANCE event and for first timers looking to finish think about the tortoise and the hare…”slow and steady wins the race”. You can use your short runs to work on speed and try covering more distance in the same amount of time. Your long runs are not intended to be speed work. You are just trying to cover the distance.
In order to limit the pounding on joints and minimize overuse injuries (runner’s knee, IT band issues, plantar fasciitis) while building your mileage slowly, participants are encouraged to limit high impact activities to your three weekly runs. Two additional days a week should be “cross training”. You can achieve cardiovascular gains through other low impact activities like biking, spinning, and swimming or muscular strength gains through weight lifting or resistance training. Don’t forget to devote time each week to stretching as well. There are a myriad of issues which can be avoided with a consistent stretching program.
You will start bringing food with you on the runs more than 10 miles. Your muscles can only store about 90 minutes worth of glycogen. You will have to find what your system tolerates the best. You can try power bars or cliff bars or “Goo” or some of those other “running shots. You will be bringing water with you of course, but as the distances get longer you may find you need to mix 1 part Gatorade w/ 1 part water to replenish your electrolytes or get “Smart Water” which is an electrolyte infused water.
Back to top