Today I’m sharing what a week of workouts during marathon training typically looks like. Since last week was peak week, which is not so typical, below is what I did on week 14 of 18.
First I’ll explain some of the running vocabulary I use throughout:
Easy: Easy pace; a pace at which you can breathe comfortably or chat with someone. For me, this is around 10 min/mile.
Strides: Short sprints that are done after the run. I usually sprint for .05 miles, recover for .03 miles, and repeat this 6 times. Some benefits of including strides in your workout: they improve your running form, incorporate some speed work into your otherwise easy run, and stretch out your legs.
Tempo: Faster than easy pace, but not so fast that you are dying. It should feel hard yet doable. For me, this is around 8:30 min/mile.
Pick-ups: Accelerated running, similar to strides but held for a longer period, done toward the end of a run. This is to improve your ability to run faster when fatigued.
Note: Justin Horneker, my coach for the NYC marathon, developed my training plan for me. He’s very knowledgeable and has been a HUGE help and source of support for me, so check him out if you’re looking for a coach!
Monday: 5 miles easy + 6 strides
Tuesday: 1 hour BURN class (a High Intensity Interval Training class I take at my gym; it’s pretty much a full body strength workout with some cardio bursts)
Wednesday: Tempo run (2 mile warm-up at easy pace, 35 minutes at tempo pace, cool-down at easy pace for rest of miles; 9 miles total)
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: 8 miles easy
Saturday: 18 mile long-run + 6 x 1 minute pick-ups with 2 minutes rest in between pick-ups
Sunday: 1 hour vinyasa yoga (I take a class at my gym)
Total breakdown:
40.5 miles
2 hours of cross-training
1 rest day
If you have any questions about training, or running in general, don’t hesitate to ask!
