Run by Justin Bowyer
Additional Information to Supplement Run by Justin Bowyer
Marathon Plan
This 16-week plan assumes that you are already capable of running a half-marathon. If you can?t, then follow the plan for that distance.
The key to training for a marathon is to slowly build the longest run of the week until a maximum distance of 22 miles is reached. It is not advisable to include a run of the full 26.2 miles in any training plan, despite the fact that this still leaves an unknown element for race day. Never be tempted to train to the full distance.
This marathon plan also focuses on achieving the distance, rather than improving on speed. If you are looking to increase your pace, add a mixture of interval training and fartlek sessions to replace the base runs which are scheduled for day one of each week in this plan.
Day 1: Run slowly to warm up for five minutes. Run at an easy pace for 30 minutes. End with a 10-minute cool-down run and stretch.
Day 2: Rest.
Day 3: This is your tempo-run day ? designed to build strength and, to a lesser extent, some speed. The pace should be just at the upper limit of your comfort zone, a point at which it would be difficult (but not impossible) to hold a conversation. Run slowly to warm up for five to 10 minutes, run at tempo for 40 minutes, 10-minute cool-down run and stretch.
Day 4: Rest.
Day 5: Up until week 12, day five is always the same as day one. Cross training (such as cycling) can be substituted for a similar duration to bring variety to the training.
Day 6: The long run (but starting relatively short!). Run slowly to warm up for five to 10 minutes. Run at an easy pace for six miles. End with a 10-minute cool-down run and stretch.
Day 7: Rest. This is an increasingly important recovery day as your day-six long run increases.
Week 2: As for week one, but increase day six?s long run to 8 miles.
Week 3: Increase day three?s tempo run to 45 minutes and day six?s long run to 9 miles.
Week 4: Increase day one?s time to 40 minutes and day five?s to 40 minutes. Increase the distance of day six?s long run to 10 miles, trying to improve your pace slightly. Continue to observe all the warm-up and cool-down sections of your runs.
Week 5: As for week four, but increase day three?s tempo run to 50 minutes and day six?s distance to 12 miles.
Week 6: Repeat week five, but with an increase to 13 miles (almost a half-marathon) on day six.
Week 7: Increase day three?s tempo run to 55 minutes and day six?s distance to 14 miles.
Week 8: An all-round increase. Bring day one up to 50 minutes, day three to 60 minutes, day five to 50 minutes and day six to 15 miles.
Week 9: Day three?s tempo run should be decreased to 45 minutes, but continue building your long run, bringing day six to 17 miles.
Week 10: This is identical to week nine apart from an increase on day six to 19 miles. Make sure you continue to warm up, cool down and stretch with each run.
Week 11: Bring day three?s tempo run back up to 50 minutes and day six?s distance up to 20 miles.
Week 12: Increase day one to 60 minutes but decrease day five to 40 minutes. Your day-six long run should be brought up to 21 miles.
Week 13: The week of your longest run! All days as in week 12, but push your longest run on day six up to 22 miles. Make full use of day seven?s rest.
Week 14: The beginning of your ?taper period?, the final weeks before your marathon, when time and distance are reduced in preparation for the big day. Day one is reduced to 40 minutes ? keep this very slow, as you are still recovering from week 13?s longest run. Day three?s tempo run drops to 40 minutes and day five?s run to 30 minutes. Day six should be dropped all the way down to a very easy-paced 10 miles.
Week 15: Repeat week 14.
Week 16: Rest week leading to race day on day seven. A very gentle run on day one, two or three of no more than 5 miles is okay.
Ultra-running
Extreme distance runs are known as ?ultras?, and, whilst technically this applies to anything beyond the standard marathon distance, it is more usually applied to runs in excess of 30 miles.
Be the Best
A number of runners have become true superstars in this area. Chief among them are American Dean Karnazes and Britain?s Mimi Anderson, both holders of a range of utterly awe-inspiring world records. Anderson, known as ?Marvellous Mimi?, is a grandmother, proving, yet again, that age is no barrier to success with running.
Three of the Toughest
There are several ultra-runs available for the hardiest runners, but the three most difficult are:
Marathon des Sables: A six-day, 151-mile (243-km) race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco; competitors must carry everything (except water) they need for the duration.
Badwater: 135 miles (217 km) of running, without a break, through California?s Death Valley to Mount Whitney, in temperatures over 49?C (120?F).
Spartathlon: Held annually in Greece, this is a 153-mile (246-km) race from Athens to Sparta in celebration of the origins of the modern marathon.
