Sub 2:30 Marathoners: How do you train?

I've only run one marathon (2:26) and I work 40 hours per week and have a decent social life (but no spouse/family--I'm 24.) I have a gym at work (and locker and shower), access to mass-transi. I also don't mind sleeping in and doing a long run at noon on a hot day. I was only able to get in one good 100 mile week before my marathon since I only had 10 weeks to build back up after 6 weeks off (broken toe), although the broken toe followed a period of solid 100 mile weeks. Basically, the 70, 80, and 90 mile weeks just invole me taking the Metro more often than the 100 mile weeks do. When I'm hitting my stride in training a typical week looks something like this:

Mon: Metro to work. Possibly run 5-6 miles at lunch. PM- Run home from work (9 miles.)

Tue: Run to and from work.

Wed: 5 mile shake out at lunch followed by a track workout in the evening (intervals or tempo.)

Thu: Run to and from work.

Fri: Run into work. Possibly run at lunch, maybe a tempo on the treadmill. Metro home.

Sat: Long run, long workout, or race. Or just distance if I'm feeling beat or ran too hard Friday.

Sun: Whatever mileage I feel like to hit a goal, or can squeeze in. Sometimes a double if that's easiest. Perhaps a long run if I didn't feel it on Saturday.

Getting in 100 miles a week isn't too hard for me when 72 miles of that is replacing my commute. Sometimes I would stretch the run home into a 13 mile trek and even got into the 120s at one point last winter.

Alacrity,

Spaniel is right, there are no short cuts. It takes a combination of a little bit of a talent and a shit load of hard work to dip under 2:30..long 'moderate' runs are essential. Everyone on this site will give you feedback on what works for them, what I do may totally ruin another marathoner trying to dip under that time. I broke 2:20 last december at the 2007 CIM Marathon and I would not have done anything different if sub 2:30 was the goal. You have to teach your body to deal with accumulating lactic acid in practise just as you are going to have to deal with in a marathon. Sub 2:30 pace is not a walk in the park. Volume, rest and diet are all essential. I believe running your long runs at a moderate pace is crucial in getting a top time. Someone else may run very slow for their long runs and get the same result if they have balanced other workouts out correctly.

If you can get your body and mind accustomed to running longer at an uncomfortable pace without overtraining in training the better you are going to be prepared to RACE with the big boys. I think Sebastion Coe said it best when he mentioned that there was never a race he ran that came remotely close to as hard as his workouts were.

Good luck

Nate P.

www.wcapsoldier.blogspot.com

It actually depends on the person really. I mean i'm the kind of person that must get at least 10 hours of sleep a night in order to train at really high volume. Then again i trick myslef into thinking that i need that because when I was at school and i used to run 100mpw i used to do it on average of 5-6 hours a night! I still raced great. It's all on your mindset and what goals you set for yourself really. Personally i cant do it. I know some friends who barley sleep and still are able to run monsterous volume. Coffee helps too. It has helped me get through some serious lackadaisical moments in my life. Try it out, if you really want to run youre best time EVER, you cannot work/have a social life/and run fast times. If you want to run fast you must focus on running fast...and getting a good amount of sleep.

Portrait of sub. 2:30 marathon runner.

Name: Cyril Perez

Club: Cagnes sur Mer Athletisme

Occupation: Fireman

Best time: Marathon - 2:22 minutes

Typical training

Sunday - Morning - 20 km run in the forest in a large group. Afternoon - 3 hour bike ride in the hills with group including Pascal Drewitz (2:19 marathon) and William Struyven (63:00 half marathon)

Monday - During the day shift at the fire station, Cyril will often run laps in the courtyard, which is only about 100 yards in length. He will jog for about 45 minutes to 60 minutes.

Tuesday - 20 km run at Vaugrenier forest, with the last few km's at around 3:30 per km pace - progressive run.

Wednesday - warmup - 25 minutes. Session of 3 times 3000 around the soccer fields at the Cagnes sur Mer stadium area with Pascal and William and others. The goal pace is usually around 3:15-3:20 per km. Warmdown - 15 minutes

Thursday - Steady run of 60 minutes - pace around 3:45-4:00 per km.

Friday - rest

Saturday - session at Vaugrenier forest. Warmup - 6 km easy. Then a session of 3 times 10 minutes of pace running on a hilly course through the woods. The goal pace is typically around 3:10 -3:20 per km, and this is a very good workout. Slow warmdown - 15 minutes.

Cyril achieved a decent time in the marathon (2:22) despite having very limited speed (15:30/5000 track) through hard work and guts. He is a heavily built runner who looks more like a boxer than runner. It shows what guts and determination can produce.

Ghost in Saudi Arabia

www.kfupm.edu.sa

Something like this:

M am 4 pm 8-10

T am 4 pm 10 with session e.g. 6 x 5mins

W am 4 pm 8-10 easy

T am 4 pm 10 with 6mile tempo

F am 8

S am 10 with tempo intervals e.g. 4 x 8min off 75 seconds OR race

pm 4 - 6 miles easy

S am 16-20

Total = 80 - 100 (usually)

Once Upon A time wrote:

No such thing.

Da Real BQer wrote:

someone with a 40-hour/week job and social life post their 2:30 schedule

______________________________________________________

A 2:30 marathoner with a social life and a real job of 40 hrs., is in actuality, a 2:15 marathoner, who does not have the time to train.

This is a cut and paste from Lydia Cheromei's last 10 weeks before Amsterdam this month, complements malmo's reception from Canova (it got messy in copying and pasting, it takes too much time to fix each day like I did with Monday):

1st Week (18.08.08 – 24.08.08)

Mon

am: 1 hr 10’ at 3’50” pace(18 km)

pm: 1 hr easy(14km)

32 km)

Tue

10 km in 35’03”

15 x 80m sprint uphill

6 km progressive run in 16’44” (17,2 km)

45’ easy regeneration (10.3 km)(27.5 km) (59.5 km)

Wed

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km) (28 km) (87.5 km)

Thu

1 hr easy regeneration (13.5 km)

1 hr easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed) (15 km) (28.5 km) (116 km)

Fri

8 km in 29’52” (3’44” pace) +

10 km in 34’03” (3’24” pace)

(18 km)

8 km in 29’32” (3’42” pace) +

10 x 1000m (track) in 3’15” – 3’12”2 – 3’09”8 – 3’11”6 – 3’14” – 3’12”4 – 3’11”2 – 3’09”7 – 3’10”4 – 3’06” rec. 200m (average 1’18”)

(20 km) (38 km) (154 km)

Sat

45’ (10 km)

45’ (10 km) (20 km) (174 km)

Sun

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

Mileage 1st week : 188 km

2nd Week (25.08.08 – 31.08.08)

Mon

1 hr 10’ at 3’50” pace (18 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (32 km)

Tue

20’ warm-up

7 x 2000 in 6’41“ – 6’38” – 6’36“ – 6’34“ – 6’33“ – 6’36“ – 6’28” rec. 600m in 2’44“ >`` 3’02“ (22 km)

40’ easy regeneration (8 km) (30 km) (62 km)

Wed

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km) (28 km) (90 km)

Thu

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

1 hr easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed) (15 km) (29 km) (119 km)

Fri

35 km with variations in 2 hr 12’40”

(15k at 4’ + 5k alternating 1’ fast / 1’ slow + 10k marathon-pace in 35’20” + 2k easy + 3k max intensity uphill

(Extensive-intensive long running)

(154 km)

Sat

45’ (10 km)

45’ (10 km) (20 km) (174 km)

Sun

1 hr moderate at 3’45” (16 km)

Mileage 2nd week : 190 km

3rd Week (1.09.08 – 7.09.08)

Mon

1 hr 10’ at 3’45” pace (18.5 km)

1 h easy (13.5 km) (32 km)

Tue

1 hr 20’ at 4’ pace (20 km)

50’ easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed) (12 km) (32 km) (64 km)

Wed

10k in 35’32” + 10k in 33’08” at 3’19” pace

(Special intensive block) (20 km)

10k in 36’05” + 10 x 1000m in 3’11”3 %%`` 3’03”4 (av. 3’08”8) recovery 200m in 1’45” (track)

(22km) (42 km) (106 km)

Thu

45’ (10 km)

45’ (10 km) (20 km) (126 km)

Fri

1 hr easy regeneration (13.5 km)

1 hr easy (13.5 km) (27 km) (153 km)

Sat

20’ warm-up

23k hilly progressive running in 1 hr 22’23”

(av. 3’35”) (27 km)

(180 km)

Sun

2 hr 15min easy at personal sensation (32 km)

Mileage 3rd Week : 212 km

4th Week (8.09.08 – 14.09.08)

Mon

1 hr easy (13.5 km)

1 hr easy (13.5 km) (27 km)

Tue

1 hr 20’ at 4’ pace (20 km)

30’ easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed) (8 km) (28 km) (55 km)

Wed

20min warm-up

6 x 3k in 9’54” – 10’02” – 9’48” – 9’45” – 9’56” – 9’42” rec. 600m in 2’52” %%`` 3’15” (tot 21 k) on track

(Specific marathon endurance)

(25 km) (80 km)

Thu

1 hr easy regeneration (13.5 km)

Travel ELD-NBO-AMS (93.5 km)

Fri

Travel AMS-Rotterdam

46’ easy (11.5 km) (105 km)

Sat

36’ easy jogging (8 km)

32’ easy jogging (6 km) (14 km) (119 km)

Sun

ROTTERDAM HM : 1^ in 68:35 (PB)

Mileage 4th Week : 145 km

5th Week (15.09.08 – 21.09.08)

Mon

Travel AMS-NBO

Rest

Tue

1 hr easy (14 km)

40’ easy (9 km) + Travel NBO-ELD (23 km)

Wed

45’ easy (10 km)

45’ easy (10 km) (20 km) (43 km)

Thu

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr 10’ at 3’50” pace (18 km) (32 km) (75 km)

Fri

1 hr 10’ at 3’45” pace (18.5 km)

50’ easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed)

(13.5 km) (32 km) (107 km)

Sat

20’ warm-up

25k hilly progressive running in 1 hr 29’18”

(average 3’34”) (25 km)

(132 km)

Sun

2 hr 30’ easy at personal sensation (39 km)

(171 km)

Mileage 5th Week : 171 km

6th Week (22.09.08 – 28.09.08)

Mon

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

(Period of three days of recovering)

Tue

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

(28 km)

Wed

1 hr easy regeneration (14 km)

(42 km)

Thu

1 hr 20’ at 3’45” pace (18.5 km)

1 hr easy (13.5 km) (32 km) (74 km)

Fri

50’ easy (12 km)

50’ easy (12 km) (24 km) (98 km)

Sat

20’ warm-up

5 x 4k increasing pace every time

(17’36” (3’31”) - 17’22” (3’28”) - 17’05” (3’25”) - 16’49” (3’22”) - 16’26” (3’17”) recovery 1k in 3’45” %%`` 4’22” (av. 4’04”) (on the track for controlling the speed) (4 + 24 km)

(Specific marathon endurance workout)

(28 km) (126 km)

Sun

50’ easy (12 km)

50’ easy (12 km) (24 km) (150 km)

Mileage 6th Week : 150 km

7th Week 29.09.08 – 5.10.08)

Mon

1 hr easy + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed)

(15 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (29 km)

Tue

1 hr 30’ moderate-progressive pace

(3’45” %% 3’30”) for 24.5 km

(Special extensive block)

1 hr 30’ moderate-fast progressive pace

(3’40” > 3’26”) for 25.5 km

(50 km) (79 km)

Wed

45’ easy (10 km)

45’ easy (10 km) (20 km) (99 km)

Thu

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (28 km) (127 km)

Fri

30’ warm-up

20 km alternating 1 km fast (3’12” / 3’17” pace) and 1 km moderate (3’30” / 3’35” pace) in 68’06”

(Specific variated speed endurance)

(27 km) (154 km)

Sat

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (28 km) (182 km)

Sun

20 km progressive running in 1 hr 14’45”

(3’50” > 3’30” pace) (20 km)

1 hr with easy variations of 30”/45” every 3’

(15 km) (35 km) (217 km)

Mileage 7th Week : 217 km

8th Week (6.10.08 – 12.10.08)

Mon

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (28 km)

Tue

45’ easy (10 km)

45’ easy (10 km) (20 km) (48 km)

Wed

10’ warm-up + 34 km progressive running

(10 km in 36’42” + 10 km in 35’48” + 10 km in 35’02“ + 4 km in 13’38“) in 2 hr 01’10“

(Specific Long Marathon Endurance)

(36 km) (84 km)

Thu

1 hr easy regeneration (13 km)

(97 km)

Fri

50’ easy (12 km)

50’ easy (12 km) (24 km) (121 km)

Sat

1 hr + 12 x 100m sprint uphill (max) (15 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (29 km) (150 km)

Sun

20’ warm-up

4 x 5k in 17’08” / 17’11” / 17’14” / 17’12” + 1 x 3k in 9’42” rec. 1 km in 4’15” average (4 + 27 km)

(Specific Marathon Endurance Workout)

Mileage 8th Week : 181 km

9th Week (13.10.08 – 19.10.08)

Mon

45’ easy (10 km)

45’ easy (10 km) (20 km)

Tue

1 hr 15’ with short variations (19 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (33 km) (53 km)

Wed

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (28 km) (81 km)

Thu

10k in 36’02” + 12k in 40’48” (av. 3’24”)

(Special mixed block) (22 km)

10k 36’04” + 6k in 18’48” (av. 3’08“)

(16 km) (38 km) (119 km)

Fri

45’ easy (9 km)

45’ easy (9 km) (18 km) (137 km)

Sat

1 hr easy (14 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (28 km) (165 km)

Sun

1 hr easy + 15k in 52’04” (av. 3’28”)

(Last extensive - mixed block) (29 km)

1 hr easy (14 km) (43 km) (208 km)

Mileage 9th Week : 208 km

10th Week (Monday 20.10.08 – Sunday 26.10.08)

Mon

1 hr moderate with short variations of speed

40’ easy regeneration

Tue

1 hr easy (14 km)

45’ + 10 x 100m sprint uphill (max speed)

Wed

1 hr easy (14 km)

40’ regeneration (8 km)

Thu

50’ easy

Travel to Europe

Fri

40’ (with 10’ medium-speed)

Sat

32’ very easy

Sun

AMSTERDAM MARATHON :

1^ in 2:25’57”

Part of it depends on where your talent point lies. I trained hard in college and was a mid-34 10K guy but at 40-50 mpw. I didn't show any real talent until I was 70+ mpw. It took 100-110 mpw consistently, with as much work in that volume as I could tolerate, to break 31 for 10K. I never ran a marathon in that conditioning but everything points to 2:21-2:23, I got injured during that sub-31 10K and hardly trained for a month before pretty much jogging a 2:28.

My 10K PR set 3 weeks before my first sub-2:30 marathon (2:29:28) was an all-out effort and was only 33:30. You don't need a ton of speed, but you need those long fast runs.

with passion

Here's what I did to run sub 2:30. I wasn't real consistent, though.

http://dougcross.tripod.com/training2001-2.htm