Marathon Training – experienced guys please

Buzz,

Distance running, especially the marathon is about diligence and patience. You can push or rush into anything. But consistnet progress work over a long period of time produces great results.

Here is how I'd recommend you start.

Pick a distance you know you can comfortably run (say 2 or 3 miles) at an easy pace. Run this every other day for a while. Gradually increase the frequency of this run so that after a few weeks you can do this every day. Then gradually over time increase this distance in small increments (half mile). Gradually work up to the point where you feel comfortable running 5 miles a day. Then start adding in a long run one day a week. Start easy with just 133% of normal distance and gradually work up to 175% to 200% of normal. Always follow your long run with an easy run day of just 50-75% of normal distance. Do this for a while, letting your body get adjusted to the work. All of these runs should be done at an easy comfortable pace. A pace at which you can hold a conversation at.

After you have worked-up to this (take several months) do this for a few months and let your body adjust to the workload and transform itself into a runners body.

After you have done this for a few months add in a hard workout in the middle of the week (3-4 days apart from the long run). In this hard workout alternate weeks between the following:

1) Normal distance but run the middle 75% at a faster pace (quick but comfortable)

2) Normal distance but incorporate 5 x 3 minute surges at a hard effort (faster than #1 but sustainable) with a 3 minute jog between surges.

Once you have adjusted to this new running schedule for several weeks (months) slowly begin to increase your milage again (5 miles, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7 .....)

After a few month of following this schedule you will be ready to start running races. Start with 5k's and 10k's, then after you have built up your mileage some add in 15ks and half marathons. Once you have a few of these under your belt, pickout a marathon a few months out and then you will be ready to start preparing with your choice of marathon programs.

I know it sounds like a long time but there is no short cut to successful distance running. Patience, diligence and consistency is rewarded. Inpatientience is met with frustration and injury.

Best of luck.

[quote]Experienced marathoner wrote:

You can push or rush into anything.

quote]

Sorry, it should read " You can NOT push or rush into anything"

Benji Durden's 84 week Marathon Program in Hal Higdon's "How to Train."

http://www.halhigdon.com/books/howto.html

According to Hal,

Benji designed the program for Hal Higdon's How to Train under my guidance. I asked him to design a no-holds-barred program to achieve Peak Performance with no limits on time and space. Benji, a good friend since about the time he was on the 1980 Olympic marathon team (which never did get to race), designed a program with 2 marathons and (I believe) 2 half marathons during that 84-week period. There are 4 separate build-ups: the first to a shorter distance, the second to a marathon which is mainly a test for the one to come, then another climb (after a rest naturally) to another shorter distance, climaxed by a final build-up to the race of your life.

http://www.doitsports.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000LW3

I think Pete Pfizinger's book is pretty comprehensive.

Build your base. I firmly believe in getting fast and fit first THEN marathon training.

The marathon is mostly aerobic. So you need to do mostly aerobic work.

When looking so long term, why not get a coach? You do not want the run of the mill runners world training plans.

And once you've gotten some miles under your belt, consider joining a local club. Most clubs have people training for a fall or spring marathon, but before you're at that level, you would do shorter races and participate in organized speed workouts. Indeed, you probably don't want to do a marathon until you've had experience running shorter races.

Thanks guys, thats great advice

Any other suggestions?