After a Marathon, I give one week full rest, followed by one week of easy run, alternating days with 2 sessions of 40 / 50 min, and days with only one session lasting from 1 hr 20:00 to 1 hr 40:00. From the 3rd week, I put the circuits for rebuilding strength. This training of circuits lasts 8 weeks : during the first 3 weeks we increase the number of circuits, during the next 3 weeks we reduce recovery time between the circuits, during the last 2 weeks we increase the length of every part of the circuits. Examples :
First 3 weeks : starting from 6 circuits, then 8, then 10.
Circuit :
* 100m fast (flat course)
* 50m skipping (flat)
* 100m fast (uphill)
* 50m bounding (uphill)
* 100m fast (uphill)
* 50m heels to buttocks (uphill)
* 200m fast (uphill)
* 10 squat-jumps on the place
* 350m going down (downhill)
We use about 1 km, mixed, for the circuit. The gradient is between 8 and 10 %. Every test must be done at 90% of the max. effort, and there is continuity between tests and exercises. This circuit last about 4:30 / 5:00, depending on the gradient of the hill. Recovery is jogging coming back, so at the moment the total duration is about 50 min.
Next 3 weeks :
We use the same circuits (10 times), but we go to qualify the speed of recovery, that during last week is at fast speed. For example, if during the first period the average for every circuit is 4:30, at the end of the 6th week becomes 3:45 / 3:55.
Last 2 weeks :
We use 10 circuits, increasing the distance of every test to 150m, and the last to 300m. In this way, the distance of every circuit goes to 1,250m about, and the final total distance becomes 12.5 km instead 10.
During this period, the athlete has in his program one long run per week, increasing duration (from 2 hr to 2 hr 40 min, with the last 30 min fast), and one session for increasing Aerobic Power (intervals of 800m / 1000m / 1200m / 1500m / 2000m at a speed of 5-8% faster than Marathon Pace, recovery half distance of the test run at 80% of Marathon Pace, for a global volume of 20-25 km). All the other sessions are at moderate speed, with a volume of about 20 miles per day.
After this period, we go for the final 9 weeks (2 months) of SPECIFIC PREPARATION. We cancel circuits, but we put short sprints uphill (100m) also twice per week. The long run becomes more qualified (we go to alternate one week using DURATION (for example, 2 hr 30) at moderate intensity, and one week using DISTANCE at 98% of Marathon Pace, starting from 30-32-34-36-38 km), and we have another SPECIFIC MARATHON ENDURANCE TRAINING, with an evolution in total volume and in the length of the tests, at the same speed (2 % faster than Marathon Pace).
Example (Marathon runner of 2:10, 3:05 per km) :
* 8 x 2000 in 6:00 rec. 1 km in 3:30 (23 km)
* 6 x 3000 in 9:00 rec. 1 km in 3:30 (23 km)
* 4 x 5000 in 15:10 rec. 1 km in 3:30 (23 km)
* 3 x 7000 in 21:20 rec. 1 km in 3:30 (23 km)
* 4 x 5000 in 15:10 + 1 x 3000 in 8:45 rec. 1 km in 3:10
I also use 2 times a SPECIAL BLOCK, that is a day with a lot of km. faster than Marathon Pace, divided between the morning session and the session in afternoon. When I use this type of training, I need to be very easy the two previous days, and also the two next days, because is very important to recover very well after, and to be fresh before. Don't forget that we NEED TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC QUALITY, that is a quality of extension, but FAST. When body and mind are tired, is not possible to develop any kind of quality, and training becames damageous.
An example of special block, from Rita Jeptoo, before winning Boston (but before NY was better, but she had an injury) :
Morning : 10 km in 36:30 + 6 x 2000 (track) rec. 400m in 2:00, average 6:26 (km. 12 at 3:13, 10 at 3:38, 2 at 5:00)
Afternoon : 10 km in 38:40 + 20 km in 1:09:40 (20 km at 3:29, 10 km at 3:52).
Globally : 52 km (12 at 3:13 + 20 at 3:29 + 10 at 3:38 + 10 at 3:52 + 2 at 5:00). If the final goal is to run a Marathon at 3:20 (2:20:40), this means 12 km at 104% of Marathon Pace, 20 km at 95 %, 10 km at 91 %, 10km at 84% and 2 km at regeneration speed.