Training of Sondre Moen between Valencia HM (59:48) and Fukuoka Marathon (2:05:48)

FYI a 6:00 mile is a 3:44 kilometer, so most of his easy runs are about 6:00s

Good stuff.

Nothing special about this?

Thank you for sharing Sondres training with us! Does Sondre train any cross country skiing in the winter? What do yoy think about using cross country skiing as a part of the training, like Ingrid Kristiansen and Grete Waitz used to do?

I think the intensity and length of the long run rather different from traditional marathon approaches.

reed wrote:

FYI a 6:00 mile is a 3:44 kilometer, so most of his easy runs are about 6:00s

Where are those people now that claim slow easy runs for an elite should be around 8 minutes and no faster than 7:00 per mile?

Jimbo Salladzar wrote:

Nothing special about this?

Are you asking a question? Did you want to know if it was special or something?

slow easy runs wrote:

reed wrote:

FYI a 6:00 mile is a 3:44 kilometer, so most of his easy runs are about 6:00s

Where are those people now that claim slow easy runs for an elite should be around 8 minutes and no faster than 7:00 per mile?

You are perfectly right! "Slow" runs should be steady up to the runners capacity.

2nd week (30 Oct - 5 Nov) :

Monday, 30.10 :

a) 56’45” at 3’50” > 3’40” (15 km)

b) 57’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (15 km)

Tuesday, 31.10 :

19’15” warm-up (5 km) + 30 km in 1h37’23” (average : 3’14”8) with 10 times 2 km recovery 1 km in : 6’22” / 3’22” – 6’16” / 3’25” – 6’14” / 3’20” – 6’15” / 3’29” – 6’16” / 3’32” – 6’16” / 3’30” – 6’19” / 3’29” – 6’28” / 3’36” – 6’24” / 3’25” – 6’16” / 3’09” (average 20 km fast : 3’06”3 - average 10 km recovery : 3’25”7)

Wednesday, 1.11 :

a) 1h15’ at 3’50” > 3’40” (20 km)

b) 1h06’ at 4’ > 3’45” (17 km)

Thursday, 2.11 :

a) 59’45” at 4’ > 3’50” (16 km)

b) 48’ at 4’ (12 km) + 12 x 80m sprint uphill

Friday, 3.11 :

a) 1h at 4’ > 3’50” (16 km)

b) 58’45” at 4’ > 3’50” (15 km) + 4 x 100m fast

Saturday, 4.11 :

a) 17’ warm-up (4.5 km) + 1h with short variations of speed (30” / 1’) every 3’ (17.6 km)

b) 58’15” easy (15 km)

Sunday, 5.11 :

a) 49’15” at 3’50” > 3’45” (13 km) + 4 x 100m fast

b) 49’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (13 km)

Mileage of the week : 226 km

With this training, I can see why Moen ran faster than any other white man has ever done before.. That workout on tuesday is pretty impressive. Bet only Galen works this hard of our marathoners. Total dedication!

Bear in mind all this workouts are done at altitude, which makes them even more impressive. Grazie mille Renato! Io voglio essere allenato per te.

How is your math, Canova? The average 20 km fast is 3.09.3 and not 3.06.3.

3rd week (6 – 12 November)

Monday, 6 :

a) 1h03’ at 3’45” > 3’40” (17 km) + 12 x 80m sprint uphill

b) 49’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (13 km)

Tuesday, 7 :

a) 58’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (16 km)

b) 39’10” easy (10 km)

Wednesday, 8 :

a) 15’ warm-up (3.5 km) + 33 km in 1h46’25” (average 3’13”4 / km)

(16’03” – 31’56” – 47’53” – 1:03’48” – 1:19’57” – 1:36’06” + 10’19”)

Note : Training planned on 40 km, but at 31 km Sondre felt some problem in one heel and I decided to stop at 33 km

b) 31’ easy (8 km) - Volume of the day : 44.5 km

Thursday, 9 :

a) 1h01’ easy (15 km)

b) 46’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km)

Friday, 10 :

a) 58’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (16 km) + Gym

b) 46’ at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km) + 5 x 100m fast

Saturday, 11 :

a) 18’15” warm-up (5 km) + Track :

2 x 3000m (recovery 3’) + 3 x 2000m (rec. 3’) + 5 x 1000m (rec. 2’) + 6 x 500m (rec. 1’30”) in :

9’00”8 / 8’55”2 –

5’54”8 / 5’55”2 / 5’53”7 –

2’57”4 / 2’57”1 / 2’57”3 / 2’56”9 / 2’59”2 –

1’27”6 / 1’27”3 / 1’28”7 / 1’27”3 / 1’27”8 / 1’25”6

b) 38’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (10 km)

Sunday, 12 :

a) 1h09’40” with short variations of speed at 3’35” > 3’25” (20 km)

b) 35’ easy (10 km)

Weekly Mileage : 222 km

You have reason, but it was not my mat, it was an error typing.

4th week (13 – 19 November)

Monday, 13 :

a) 1h04’15” at 3’40” > 3’30” (18 km)

b) 38’40” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km)

Tuesday, 14 :

a) 1h14’27” at 3’40” > 3’25” progressive (21.1 km) + 6 x 100m fast

b) 38’10” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km)

Wednesday, 15 :

a) 14’15” warm-up (4 km) + 27 km in 1h24’43” (average 3’08”3) with 7 x 3 km recovery 1 km in :

9’03” / 3’27” – 9’03” / 3’25” – 9’05” / 3’21” – 9’14” / 3’25” – 9’24” / 3’26” – 9’06” / 3’20” – 9’18”

(average 21 km fast : 3’03”7 - average 6 km recovery : 3’24”)

b) 38’30” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km) - Mileage of the day : 41.1 km

Thursday, 16 :

a) 1h07’30” at 3’50” > 3’40” (18 km)

b) 41’10” at 3’50” > 3’40” (11 km)

Friday, 17 :

a) 58’20” at 3’40” > 3’35” (16 km)

b) 45’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (12 km)

Saturday, 18 :

a) 58’ at 3’40” > 3’35” (16 km)

b) 45’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (12 km)

Sunday, 19 :

1h44’20” at 3’45” > 3’40” (28 km)

Weekly Mileage : 211 km

Thank you, Renato, for posting this information.

I always appreciate your contributions.

5th week (20 – 26 November) :

Monday, 20 :

a) 20’ warm-up (5 km) + 24 km alternating speed in 1h15’03” (average 3’09”5) :

2’56” / 3’14” – 3’03” / 3’20” – 2’56” / 3’20” – 2’57” / 3’26” – 2’59” / 3’22” – 3’03” / 3’20” – 2’59” / 3’24” – 3’00” / 3’14” –

3’07” / 3’31” – 2’56” / 3’23” – 2’52” / 3’20” – 2’56” / 3’10”

(Total time 12 km fast : 35’44”, average 2’58”3) - (Total time 12 km slow : 40’04”, average 3’20”3)

b) 38’ easy (10 km)

Tuesday, 21 :

a) 1h07’50” at 3’50” > 3’40” (18 km)

b) Rest (Sauna)

Wednesday, 22 :

a) 1h06’30” at 3’45” > 3’35” (18 km)

b) 38’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (10 km)

Thursday, 23 :

a) 46’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km)

b) 59’45” at 3’45” (16 km) + 4 x 100m fast

Friday, 24 :

a) 18’ warm-up (5 km) + Track (Tambach, 1930m altitude, very muddy for the rain of the night) :

10 x 600m (rec. 1’45” < 1’55”) in :

1’45”1 – 1’39”2 – 1’39”5 – 1’39”2 – 1’39”5 – 1’39”6 – 1’41”5 – 1’38”0 – 1’40”1 – 1’37”0 -

Rest 7’ -

10 x 400m (rec. 50” < 55”) in :

64”6 – 63”2 – 63”6 – 63”8 – 63”6 – 64”1 – 62”9 – 64”0 – 63”8 – 62”1

b) Rest

Saturday, 25 :

a) 1h07’ at 3’45” > 3’40” with short variations of speed (18 km)

b) Rest

Sunday, 26 :

a) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km)

b) 38’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (10 km)

Weekly Mileage : 172 km

What's more impressive than his marathon time is that Sondre made the jump to simply being able to handle this training volume/intensity. How did he build up to this? Obviously he has been a sub-elite runner for a long time, but this is a whole other level.

6th week (27 November – 3 December)

Monday, 27 :

a) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km)

b) Rest (Flight Nairobi – Abu Dhabi)

Tuesday, 28 :

a) Rest (Flight Abu Dhabi – Seoul – Fukuoka)

b) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km) + 4 x 100m fast

Wednesday, 29 :

a) 37’30” at 3’50” > 3’40” (10 km) + 4 x 100m fast

b) 44’30” at 3’45” > 3’40” (12 km) + 5 km on the road in 14’52” (Marathon Pace)

Thursday, 30 :

a) 28’55” at 3’40” > 3’35” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast

b) Rest

Friday, 1 :

a) 27’50” at 3’30” > 3’25” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast

b) Rest

Saturday, 2 :

a) 28’ at 3’35” > 3’25” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast

b) Rest

SUNDAY, 3 :

FUKUOKA MARATHON : 1st in 2:05:48 (European Record)

[ 14:59 – 30:01 (15:02) – 44:59 (14:58) – 1:00:02 (15:03) – 1:03:19 – 1:15:02 (15:00) – 1:30:08 (15:06) – 1:44:44 (14:36) – 1:59:23 (14:39) – 2:05:48 (6:25) ]

Weekly Mileage : 131 km