Monday: This is our fourth stepback week featuring reduced mileage. It is also the end of our fourth three-week cycle, featuring two "hard" weeks followed by one "easy" one. Next week, with the mileage continuing to climb, we will shift to two-week cycles to make certain not to push you too far too fast. The weekend past featured the longest run so far in the program: 18 miles. That's a bit of distance. That's serious training. Today is your usual cross-training day. In keeping with the stepback theme of this week, do a little bit less than you otherwise might do.

Tuesday: Five miles at your normal pace followed by strength training--and don't forget to stretch. "There is little doubt that some form of resistance training is beneficial to all runners," says exercise physiologist and Olympic champion Peter Snell, Ph.D. "Weight training is not likely to produce further increases in maximum oxygen uptake in runners, but may improve muscle endurance." Nevertheless, with the mileage now up there in the stratosphere, consider cutting back somewhat on your strength training. Less weight, fewer repetitions will allow you to conserve energy and also reduce the risk of an overuse injury.

Wednesday: The midweek sorta-long run drops to only 5 miles, shorter than 8 miles last week and 8 miles next week. Make this a "listen-to-your-body" workout. Run as you feel. If you feel like running a little faster (no particular pace), do it. If you feel like really taking it easy (even including some walking breaks or stops for water), do that. Training schedules should not be inflexible. This is the week where I count on you to strike a sensible balance between undertraining and overtraining.

Thursday: Five miles at your normal pace. Three 5-milers in a row. To avoid getting in a rut, select several different 5-mile courses rather than doing the same one three days in a row. And as I suggest above, changing paces is also a good strategy. Note that I also have suggested as an option this weekend a race to test your fitness. Maybe even a half marathon, if you can find one. If you choose that option, and the race is Saturday rather than Sunday, you might want to cut back several miles on the distance today, or even take an additional full day off.

Friday: Savor this day of rest. Once this stepback week is past, we move forward to the peak part of your training. Are you suffering any aches and pains? This is not an easy training program. No marathon training program is, because of the necessity to log lots of miles to get runners ready to finish 26 miles 385 yards. If you have any nagging injuries, but have been postponing seeing a sports medicine professional, maybe now is the time to schedule an appointment. Prevention is sometimes the best therapy.

Saturday: Eight miles at marathon pace. Let me suggest a little test for you. Cruise the first several miles right on race pace, then run the next mile slightly slower. Get back on pace for the next few miles, then run the next mile slightly faster. During the marathon itself, you won’t be able to achieve a "perfect" pace. For instance, walking through water stops may slow you in certain miles. You need to learn how to make subtle shifts in pace to achieve your time goal.

Sunday: Run 13 miles. This is in place of the 19-miler you might have expected in a straight progression. If you want a test race, this might be a good weekend for it. A half marathon would fit perfectly into the training plan, particularly coming at the end of the fourth of our three-week cycles. If you choose this option, skip Saturday's planned workout and either rest or jog easily. You also have the leeway to juggle weeks to accommodate the local racing calendar. But do not overplay the racing card: Doing so can compromise your ability to do the necessary long runs in this program.

 

Tip of the Week: There is no such thing as "bad food," only bad choices. There's even a place for burgers, fries and shakes in your diet. You just need to balance everything you eat. If you eat a well-balanced diet, that includes ample fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, you can avoid expensive supplements. Tape these words to your refrigerator: "Eat a wide variety of lightly processed foods."

How to Improve: Planning to run a marathon? You won't find a better training schedule than the 18-week program available on this web site. But sometimes it's a bother to go on-line to check your training plan. (Paper still does serve a purpose.) Consider ordering a copy of Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide. It's a simple and convenient, 48-page booklet that reprints my on-line schedules for novice and advanced runners. It costs only $4.50, and you can obtain a free copy by ordering Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. To order an autographed copy of these and other of my books, go to Books by Hal Higdon.

 

Copyright © 2000 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.