Monday: Today, being Monday, it's your cross-training day, designed to help you relax after your hard training this past weekend, when you did a 7-mile pace run on Saturday and a 14-mile long run on Sunday. Not easy, so today offers time to recover. In cross-training, you don't need to limit yourself to a single activity. Think like a triathlete: Combine sports. Follow a half hour on a bike with a dip in the pool. Walk for 45 minutes, then stretch for 15. Innovate. The most important point of cross-training on Mondays is that you not only train easy to recover from a weekend of hard running, but also you prepare for more of the same in the coming week.

Tuesday: Run easy: Four miles at your usual comfortable pace. Yes, you're still in recovery mode following the weekend. On these midweek workouts, run at a time convenient for you, a time when you will feel comfortable running. The majority of runners run in the morning, because that guarantees that nothing will interfere with their workout that day. Also, during warm-weather months, it is cooler during the early hours. Nevertheless, a fair number of runners run during their lunch hour. During the winter up north, I usually run midday because the sun is up, and it's usually somewhat warmer. A certain percentage prefer running late afternoon, using running to relax after a stressful business day. And a few run in the late evening after dinner. In families where both the husband and wife run, they often need to run separately, rather than together, so one of them can mind the kids. Pick the time that is most convenient for you--and for others around you. There's also nothing that says you can't run at different times on different days depending on your schedule.

Wednesday: Seven miles. Did you handle this distance pretty well last week? If so, you might want to run a nudge faster this day. Don't push too hard at the start, but see if you can pick up the pace the last mile or two. The fact that you're moving at a slightly faster pace over a slightly longer distance doesn't mean you can't hold a conversation with a partner while running, but allow yourself the luxury of getting slightly out of breath. Important to success in any sport is a distance base, and that is one of the purposes for running a bit longer today. Melvin H. Williams, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at Old Dominion University and a top-ranked masters athlete, was never a distance runner in high school, but he ran to get in shape for other sports. "All of that background running helped to lay a groundwork of base training that I took advantage of immediately when I got serious about being a runner," says Dr. Williams.

Thursday: Another 4-miler. Comfortable pace. You may get a bit bored running the same, or near-same, distances day after day, week after week after week. There are a lot of short runs of 3 to 5 miles in this program, and I suspect a lot of runners will run the same courses with minor variations. If it's an out-and-back course, your options are limited, but if it's a so-called "loop" course that goes in a circle, running it in the opposite direction will result in a needed change of scenery. Use the opportunity to do something different, when it suits your purpose, and don't be afraid to jump in a car occasionally and pick some scenic route you never run as a mood booster.

Friday: Preparing for the weekend's double-pronged endurance activities, claim a day of rest. Friday is Date Night in the Higdon household. Rose and I usually like to go out for dinner and maybe take in a movie, or rent a video. Assuming you're going out for dinner tonight, do you pay attention to your diet? Frequently, when people become runners, they find that they begin to eat differently. This is partly conscious and partly subconscious and reflects the fact that carbohydrates are the most efficient form of energy. People who embrace fitness routines discover this through their reading, but often it happens naturally. Runners crave carbs; their bodies tell them that breads and grains and fruits and vegetables are the best foods for fitness and for good health. You'll often find us in an Italian restaurant the night before long workouts or marathons. I'm lucky in that I don't have to eat out to get spaghetti; Rose is of Italian-American descent.

Saturday: Run 7 miles at whatever pace you choose, not necessarily marathon pace. Yes, I'm letting up a bit on you; that's because there's another mileage jump (to 15) tomorrow. Although it's fun to train with other runners, unless you're training with a friend who plans to run with you on marathon day, you might be better off running this workout alone. That's because it's too easy during a group workout to rely on others for pace cues. You need to develop the strength to go at your own pace, even while others around you are speeding up or slowing down. The type of discipline that permits you to do this will come in handy on race day.

Sunday: Run 15 miles. Use these long runs to practice your race strategy. If you haven't yet purchased the pair of shoes you plan to use in the marathon, you should begin to think about making that purchase, and deciding also what outfit to wear: shorts, singlet and a cap to keep the sun off your head. Don't leave anything to chance. And continue to practice drinking as well, both water and the replacement drink you plan to encounter in the marathon. Long runs often are best done with friends, one reason for the success of my marathon training class in Chicago. Camaraderie can keep you going at the end of the workout when the miles start seeming longer. But friends can get you in trouble, particularly if they force you to run faster or slower than you want. And some weekends, you will want to run faster or slower, because you feel good or bad. Don't be afraid to bid friends good-bye, either at the beginning or in the middle of your workout. Speed up or slow down, but be your own man--or woman.

 

Tip of the Week: To improve your ability to concentrate, visualize your race during workouts, particularly during marathon pace runs. "Put yourself into an emotional marathon mode," says Bob Williams, a coach from Portland. Oregon. "Picture different parts of the course." One workout, practice cruising miles 8-12; the next, rehearse miles 12-14. If you're running a hometown marathon, run specific portions of the course during practice for familiarization. If it's an out-of-town course, and you've run it before, replay the memory. Running Boston: Is there a hill similar to Heartbreak Hill near where you live? "Training on terrain similar to that on which you plan to race is essential," emphasizes Williams.

How to Improve: Hal Higdon's How To Train offers training schedules and advice on everything from fitness walking to running the marathon. Plus there's information on nutrition and recovering from injuries. Add a copy of this book to your collection. To order an autographed copy of this and other books by Runner's World's best writer go to Books by Hal Higdon.

 

Copyright © 2000 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.