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Marathon Training for Beginning Level Competitive Runners

By Rick Morris

There is somewhat of a leap between participating in a marathon for fun or fitness and running competitively in a marathon. While both marathon running goals are excellent and righteous reasons to run a marathon, the training involved is very different. Running a marathon for the pure joy of running, for fitness gains or for the socialization has fewer and less difficult training needs than those of competitive running. Running for fun really only requires endurance training combined with some strength and flexibility to get you to the marathon finish line safely and hopefully enjoy the process. On the other hand, competitive marathon running places much greater needs on not only your running speed, sustainable running speed, stamina and lactate threshold, but also your mental and spiritual toughness.

As a beginning level competitive marathon runner, you will be making that marathon training leap for the first time. Just as when you first learned to run, you need to make the transition to higher intensity, more difficult and higher mileage training, gradually and progressively. The beginners competitive marathon training plan is a 20 week training schedule that will gradually, progressively and safely help you adapt to this more difficult style of training and will assist you in making this initial step into the world of competitive marathon running. While this is a beginners competitive marathon program, it does have some prerequisites. As this program begins with a long run of 6 miles, you should be able to run at least 6 miles without stopping. If you are not currently at that level, please build up to that mileage before beginning this marathon plan.

You do not need to begin with week one of this marathon training plan if you are more advanced than that training week level. Begin this program at the most appropriate level for you. Be sure to time your marathon training carefully so you begin your marathon taper at the proper time.

Your beginning level competitive marathon plan includes easy endurance runs, pure long runs, long runs that combine easy endurance running with goal pace running, entry level speed training, beginning level lactate threshold workouts, stamina runs and basic hill training. If you don't have appropriate hills in your area, please use an inclined treadmill for these important workouts. 

The purpose of the plan is to progressively improve your endurance, speed, stamina, strength and lactate threshold level so that you are able to begin running your marathon at a competitive level. You easy endurance runs should be performed at a pace that feels relatively easy. If you are struggling at any time, you are probably running to hard. Don't make the mistake of pushing too hard on the easy endurance runs. That could lead to over training, burn out and decreased marathon performance. The easy portions of your long runs should also be done at a pace that feels easy, but keep in mind that you will feel moderate to high levels of fatigue during the later stages of a long run. Some of your long runs finish at goal race pace, which should be a moderate pace, but again, keep in mind that you are already fatigued at that time, so it will feel harder than normal. Speed training pace is fairly self explanatory, you should be running at a pace that feels hard to very hard. Stamina runs are performed at a moderate but relaxed pace. Stamina runs are sometimes called cruise runs because you feel like you are cruising along at a nice strong pace. Stamina pace is very close to your actual marathon race pace. Lactate threshold runs are performed at very close to your 10K race pace or a moderately hard to hard pace.

 

 

Before beginning your workouts, warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of very easy running and some dynamic warm up drills. After your workout run 4 x 100 meter acceleration strides or sprints and then cool down with easy running and static stretching.

 

 

Training Schedule for Beginning Competitive Marathon Runners
Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
1  Rest Run 30 minutes alternating between 5 minutes at an easy pace and 1 minute at 5K or a hard pace  3 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 2 x 800 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run 400 meters at easy pace between each hard repeat  3 miles at easy pace  6 miles at easy pace
2  Rest Run 2 x 1200 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat  3 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 3 x 800 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run 400 meters at easy pace between each hard repeat  3 miles at easy pace  7 miles at easy pace
3  Rest Run 3 x 1200 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat.  3 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 4 x 800 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run 400 meters at easy pace between each hard repeat  3 miles at easy pace  8 miles at easy pace
4  Rest Run 1 mile at easy pace, then run 4 miles at your goal marathon pace. Finish with 1 mile at easy pace. 4 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 6 x 100 meter repeats up a steep hill at a hard pace. Recovery by jogging down the hill.  3 miles at easy pace  9 miles at easy pace
5  Rest Run 3 x 1600 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat.   4 miles at easy pace  Rest Run for 20 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 1 minute at an easy pace  3 miles at easy pace  10 miles at easy pace
6  Rest Run 3 x 1200 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run 800 meters at an easy pace between each repeat.  4 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 8 x 100 meter repeats up a steep hill at a hard pace. Recovery by jogging down the hill.  3 miles at easy pace  4 miles at goal marathon pace
7  Rest Run 4 x 1600 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat.  5 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 4 x 800/400 meter compound sets. Run the 800 meter portions at 5K or hard pace and the 400 meter portions at 3K or very hard pace. No rest between components. Recover between each compound set with 2 minutes of rest.  3 miles at easy pace  12 miles at easy pace
8  Rest Run 2 miles at 10K or moderately hard pace followed by 3 miles at goal marathon pace. Finish with 1 mile at easy pace  5 miles at easy pace  Rest Run for 25 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 1 minute at an easy pace  3 miles at easy pace  5 miles at goal marathon pace
9  Rest Run 2 x 2400 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between the repeats  5 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 4 x 800 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run 400 meters at easy pace between each hard repeat. With no recovery after your last 800 meter repeat, run 1600 meters at 10K or moderately hard pace  3 miles at easy pace  14 miles at easy pace
10  Rest Run 1 mile at easy pace, then speed up to goal marathon pace for 5 miles  6 miles at easy pace  Rest  Run 2 x 1600/800/400 meter compound sets. Run the 1600 meter segment at 10K or moderately hard pace, the 800 meter segment at 5K or hard pace and the 400 meter segment at 3K or very hard pace. No recovery between segments. Recover between each compound set with 4 minutes of rest  3 miles at easy pace  6 miles at goal marathon pace
11  Rest Run 5 x 1600 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat.  6 miles at easy pace  Rest Run for 30 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 1 minute at an easy pace  3 miles at easy pace Run 16 miles. Run the first 13 miles at easy pace then speed up to goal marathon pace for the final 3 miles.
12  Rest Run 1 mile at easy pace, then speed up to goal marathon pace for 6 miles  6 miles at easy pace  Rest Run for 20 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 30 seconds at an easy pace  3 miles at easy pace 7 miles at goal marathon pace
13  Rest Run 2 miles at 10K or moderately hard pace. Then slow to goal marathon pace for 4 more miles  6 miles at easy pace  Rest Run a 5 mile hill climb up a hill of moderate incline. Run at what feels like a moderately hard pace  3 miles at easy pace  Run 18 miles. Run the first 14 miles at easy pace and the final 4 miles at goal marathon pace
14  Rest Run 2 miles at 10K or moderately hard pace. Then slow to goal marathon pace for 5 more miles  6 miles at easy pace  Rest  Run 2 x 400/800/1600 meter compound sets. Run the 400 meter segments at 3K or very hard pace, the 800 meter segments at 5K or hard pace and the 1600 meter segments at 10K or moderately hard pace. No rest between segments. Recover between each compound set with 4 minutes of rest  3 miles at easy pace  Run 8 miles at goal marathon pace
15  Rest Run 42 minutes alternating between 5 minutes at goal marathon pace and 2 minutes at 5K or a hard pace  7 miles at easy pace  Rest Run for 20 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 60 seconds at goal marathon pace  3 miles at easy pace  Run 20 miles. Run the first 15 miles at easy pace and the final 5 miles at goal marathon pace
16  Rest Run 2 miles at 10K or moderately hard pace. Then slow to goal marathon pace for 6 more miles  5 miles at easy pace  Rest Run 1 x 800/1600/2400 meter compound set. Run the 800 meter segment at 5K or hard pace, the 1600 meter segment at 10K or moderately hard pace and the 2400 meter segment at goal marathon pace. No rest between segments  Rest  Run 9 miles at goal marathon pace
17  Rest  Run 2 x 2500 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Recover between each repeat with 800 meters at easy pace  8 miles easy  Rest  Run 1 x 2400/1600/800 meter compound set. Run the 2400 meter segment at goal marathon pace, the 1600 meter segment at 10K or moderately hard pace and the 800 meter segment at 5K or hard pace. No rest between segments  Rest Run 22 miles. Run the first 16 miles at easy pace and the final 6 miles at goal marathon pace
18  Rest  Run 6 x 1600 meter repeats at 10K or moderately hard pace. Run 800 meters at easy pace between each repeat.  5 miles easy  Rest Run for 25 minutes alternating between 30 seconds at a very hard, nearly all out, pace and 60 seconds at goal marathon pace  Rest  Run 8 miles at goal marathon pace
19  Rest  Run 4 x 800 meter repeats at 5K or hard pace. Run for 400 meter at easy pace between each repeat  3 miles easy  Rest  6 miles at easy pace  Rest  Run 6 miles at goal marathon pace
20  Rest Run 2500 meters at 5K or hard pace  3 miles easy  Rest  Rest  Rest  Race Day! 26.2 miles

 

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