Monday: This Advanced-I Training schedule is for experienced runners seeking to fine-tune their training by following a program that includes some speedwork plus more mileage than the programs followed by Novice and Intermediate runners. (The Advanced-II program features two days of speedwork weekly.) Hopefully you arrived at this program with a background of speed training and know what it's like to do hill repeats, interval training on the track and tempo running in the woods. If not, this is no time to start. You would be much better following one of the Intermediate programs and saving this program for a later marathon. Okay, you read my disclaimer and agreed to the conditions for acceptance into this very tough program. For the next 18 weeks, you will use Monday as a day of comparative rest by running an easy 3-5 miles, then adjourning to the gym for 15-30 minutes of stretching and strength training. (This might be a good workout to do in a health club, since you can do your 3-miler on a treadmill before heading to the weight room.) Wednesday workouts will be about the same. Fridays are rest days, since even Advanced runners need to rest. Are you up to the challenge? Only a small percentage of runners can benefit from a program this demanding, but let's give it a try.

Tuesday: Five miles at whatever pace seems comfortable to you. As the countdown continues, your Tuesday mileage will increase gradually from 5 miles in Week 1 to 10 miles in Week 14. This is what I describe as a "sorta-long" run, done midweek at longer distances than usual, but not as long as the weekend long runs. Feel free to punch the acceleration button if you're feeling good, particularly toward the end of the workout. 

Wednesday: Tuesday and Thursday workouts form a tough one-two punch in this Advanced-I schedule--but that's what it takes if you want to run a fast marathon, perhaps qualify for Boston, or go even faster! In between, you get to run easy. Jog an easy 3 miles today, then do some stretching, spending more time on this than you normally might do to ready yourself for tomorrow's speed session. You can also do some lifting today, but I don't recommend excessive strength training during the marathon buildup, and I suggest cutting back on what lifting you do as the marathon draws near. Go to the area on my Web site, where Olympic Trials qualifier Cathy Vasto offers Six Spectacular Strength Exercises and Physical Therapist Debbie Pitchford provides Five Fantastic Stretching Exercises. Put together a regular routine that you can use each Monday and Wednesday.

Thursday: In this Advanced-I program, Thursdays feature hill workouts, tempo runs and interval training on the track, alternating between each from week to week. I do this mainly to provide some variety to the program. Today the prescription is "3 x Hill." But the workout is slightly more complicated than that. Warm up with a couple of miles. Find a hill 200-400 meters long. Run 3 uphill repeats on it, jogging back down between. Cool down with a mile or two. That will give you a workout today of about 5 miles--but counting mileage is not important. More important is the quality of what you do, not the quantity. Even in the marathon, quality counts--at least for Advanced runners.

Friday: A day of rest to get ready for the weekend. Each Friday, as the marathon countdown continues, you will be asked to rest. Notice I said "rest," not cross-train or play a pickup basketball game or do something else that might get you injured. In this training schedule, the Saturday/Sunday combination will test your body's reserves, so you need to be well rested going into the weekend. Some stretching and at least a minimum of strength training can be done today. By the way, in the Novice schedules for this day, I libeled Advanced runners saying that being compulsive, not all of you listen to my advice. So prove me a liar: Do listen! 

Saturday: Five miles at marathon pace. You need to implant in your mind what it feels like to run the exact pace needed to meet your goal on marathon day. Pick a measured course where you can catch your time each mile. Measure the course yourself or run on a track if necessary. Or enter a 10-K road race with the intention of ignoring the competition and running 5 of its miles at what will seem like a slow (marathon) pace. I know: that's not easy for an Advanced runner to do. Revisit the introductory screen for more directions on how to do "Pace" workouts.

Sunday: Run long. Begin your progression at 10 miles. By gradually lengthening your mileage 1 mile a week, you can reach 20 miles eight weeks before the marathon and have time for three 20-milers, instead of one. Run 45 to 90 seconds or more per mile slower than marathon pace. In the Advanced schedules, the long runs are on Sundays. If necessary, you can flip-flop your workouts and run long on Saturdays, but it's usually easier to go from fast to long than the other way around. If your work schedule dictates, you can do your long runs on any day of the week. In general, however, I would rather see you do pace work Saturdays followed by the long run on Sundays.

 

Running Tip: With the marathon 18 weeks away, plan the training now that will permit you success. Marathon training works best if you start easy and build gradually: A long run of 10 miles in June becomes 20 miles in October. Most important at this time is to establish a goal, whether that goal is to finish or to run fast. Once that goal is chosen, everything else will fall in place.

How to Improve: Hal Higdon's Smart Running is a collections of questions and answers from his on-line Ask The Expert column. It covers everything you wanted to know about running, but were afraid to ask. To order an autographed copy of this and other books by Runner's World's best writer go to Books by Hal Higdon.

 

Copyright © 2001 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.