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I've just signed up for a marathon at the end of September - 17 weeks from now. So I'm looking for training schedules to get me up to that - my current fitness is 1 long run (6-8 miles, about an hour) per week plus 1 session of swimming midweek. Obviously I have some way to go...
Looking at runnersworld, I fall into neither of their target groups of 'people who can just about walk but can't run for more than 20 minutes' and 'people who run 4-5 times a week, averaging 20+ miles per week'.
So can anyone point me in the direction of more realistic training schedules tailored more to the 'can run for an hour, don't currently run more than once a week' person, or at the very least, where they realise that 8 miles a week can also mean 1x8miles (rather than 4x2miles) per week?
I'll see if I can dig out a schedule I found on either Runners World or MapMyRun.com for you.
If memory serves, it had all the long runs at the weekend and relied on the weekdays for short runs and other training. Wait a bit and I'll have a look for it.
willard
could you cc me in too?
I am doing one in Sept also.
what can you do a 10k in now?
and what are your realistic targets for your first marathon?
I did a 10k race last Monday in 49minutes, which apparently puts me on for a sub-4 hour marathon. Which sounds nice, and certainly something I'd like to achieve...
What 29erKeith said, and also, how about looking at the plan for the "just about walk etc." people and sort of judge where you might be along the training line and go from there...
Best is to start with a realistic aim for a finish time and work to that...fair dues, a marathon's well 'ard
nicko74 I was around that pace 3-4 month from my first marathon too
and did a 3:48 so yeah, sounds very do-able.
I'll post up my original training program in a mo...
It was from a book called "The non-runners Marathon trainer"
Got me round in good shape.
Here's my first 16 week program.
Week Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Total
1 3 4 3 5 15
2 3 4 3 6 16
3 3 4 3 7 17
4 3 5 3 8 19
5 3 5 3 10 21
6 4 5 4 11 24
7 4 6 4 12 26
8 4 6 4 14 28
9 4 7 4 16 31
10 5 8 5 16 34
11 5 8 5 16 34
12 5 8 5 18 36
13 5 8 5 18 36
14 5 8 5 9 27
15 3 5 3 8 19
16 3 3 Walk 3 Marathon 35.2
pretty light compared to a lot of programs with only 4 runs a week
but still it takes alot of you time.
if it's a road marathon just make sure you do a fair chunk (not all) on the road, build up gently
and get some good shoes!
you'll love it, when it's over anyway 😉
but give it a week or two after and you may well be planning the next...
good luck.
apologies for the poor formating, my html's not up to scratch to do it properly
from my humble experience of training for the marathon the long weekend runs are the key to it and not increasing the distance of them too much week by week or else you'll get injured.
whatever you can do in the week is a bonus and certainly not as important as the long ones...
and get a training partner if you can or else you'll go mad...!
Even someone cycling alongside you will be fantastic compared to running on your own.
agreed the long onea are the most important
18-20 Miles is as far as you'll need to go on your first one really
agreed that your long runs are key for endurance base! Although that doesn't mean your weekday runs are not important. Miss them and you will struggle on your longer runs.
Ideally do tempo or hill work during the shorter sessions. Nothing too formulaic, just step up the pace for 20 minutes or run a hilly route. That will raise you aerobic threshold (the point that your body can convert oxegen) and will also help with your endurance without putting in all the miles. 3 good sessions, hill, tempo, long run plus whatever else you can do.
Good luck! Done a fair few marathons and marathon distance runs but never had the motivation for a road one. Takes more mental focus I reckon than off road or fells, I would even go to say it is harder on roads!!
Long runs are very important.
The only thing to add is to try and make sure you enjoy the training. Vary your runs and even the type of surfaces too. Keep your mind fresh and you will be more than fine.
Break a leg.
Get something to measure your distance and time accurately (forerunner/other GPS) and a bloody good selection of tunes on the iPod.
Done London this year, as others have said the long runs are the important ones, here's a 3 runs a week schedule:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=2493
There's lots of others on there also.
Got myself a Forerunner 405, and the Cowon has 25GB of music I need to catch up on 🙂
One thing I do struggle with is slowing myself down - I went for a 4 miler tonight and 8:30mins/ mile felt slooooooow. Will have to work on it