Simple Marathon Training by Jay Johnson

Here's a plan for you. First, start running every day. If you're still in residency, then that may not be feasible, but plan to run every day that you can.

Build your training around two runs.

First is a long run, once a week or so. Aim to get it up to 90 minutes fairly soon, even if you have to do it at a dead crawl. The pace will improve over time, but it should stay relaxed.

Second is a 45-60 minute run. This one you want to work toward pushing the last 20 minutes fairly hard. You probably won't be able to at first, so first aim to run 60 minutes. Eventually your body will let you know that it's time to step it up. At this point, drop back to 45 minutes and start cranking. Get it back up to 60 if that works before your HM. Finish with extended moderate effort some days; other days, aim to drop the pace and finish quite hard.

The other days, run as much as you can at a very easy pace; by "very easy" I mean 60-70% of your heart rate reserve, if you're into the metrics thing; by feel, it should feel on the edge of embarrassing. Especially if you foresee only running 4-5 times a week, it wouldn't hurt to get these runs up to 60 minutes fairly soon.

In support of the 45-60 minute run, start doing strides 1-2 x week immediately. If you have access to a track, then 12-16 x 200 with 200 float recovery would also be good. 200s don't need to be that fast, just fast enough to regain decent mechanics. You could do this for the first 3-4 weeks in place of the 45-60 min tempo run.

1:22 seems a little ambitious, but you never know.

Couple of thoughts.

Plug 1:25 into a calculator and you get 18:20ish 5k pace. 1:22 is 17:40ish. Now, you might be 20 lbs more than when you ran low 16's for 5k, but I don't think you're crazy for shooting for that HM range.

If you have time, I would suggest listening to a podcast with a guy I've coached named Mark Hansen. 1:29 five years ago to 1:22 a few weeks ago. He is a busy adult - young kids and a demanding job - and is able to do HM training that has the same structure as the marathon training. I know you're super busy but listening to the podcast will sheed a lot of light on the training. Mark was a 4:20ish HS runner, didn't run in college, then got back into it. I think he's 37-38 years old. Great guy...who had reservations about some aspects of the training, until he ran a nice PR.

Podcast:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/run-faster-podcast/id969509765?mt=2

The subtitle to the book is key - and therefore is not intended for the message board folk who want to do the training from the Advanced Marathoning book.

"The Right Training for Busy Adults with Hectic Lives."

This sounds like you, and thus the following may be right for you.

The book has you:

Running 5 days a week

Cross training one day a week

Doing a (gasp!) brisk walk the day after the long run.

Lunge Matrix and Leg Swings before each run - 5 min

Core Strength, Hip Strength and Hip Mobility - SAM - after the run - 10-15 min

The focus of each week for the marathon book is the same as it is for Mark: the long run. The second most important day is workout where you run by feel.

Most people run the workout on Tuesday and the long run on Saturday. Knock out the long run Sat morning then you have the rest of the weekend to do as you please. Tuesday is assigned by minutes, so you know how much time you need to get in the work (though in the last 3-4 weeks of the training you need to run an assignment via miles, yet at your HM pace, this would only mean another 10-15 minutes)

If you don't listen to podcasts, email me and I can put you in touch with Mark.

I'll be writing a half marathon book that will be out this spring. The structure of the training is similar, with the key differences being that the training is shorter than the 20-week marathon training, plus the obvious difference that you have enough stored glycogen to run a half, but not enough to run a full marathon.

Bottom line is I want to help.

Even if busy how hard is it to find 45mins to run?

Just get up early and run... The rest is all overthinking

Sir Roger Bannister

first sub-4 miler while in med school training only at lunch

Bob Kempainen

vomited while crushing the field at the 1996 US marathon trials while in med school (Lananna coached BTW)

Tony Sandoval

1980 Olympic Marathon Trials winner whilst in med school

These are the guys you should ask.

If you have college fitness and were banging out 16 minute 5k's you shouldn't need to run any more than 2-3 days a week to get that time. In case you're one of the majority of people that need to be reminded of this: endurance hangs around for a looooooooooooooooong time. Maybe 5 days will get you sub 1:20.

Train with a hobby jogger group who put BQ'ing at the pinnacle of success. You'll be a star.

10 miles progression run

3 mile warm up, 5 mile "tempo" around half marathon pace, 2 mile cooldown

2 mile warm up, 1 to 2 minutes @5k pace with same time recovery for 6-8 miles.

The other days you can run easy if you have time.

If you like to race, replace 5 mile tempo with the race.