Monday: Five miles. Even though this is a stepback week, the Monday mileage prescription does change. It's up a mile from previous Monday workouts. The stepback week offers you a break between all the 20-milers. In order to train hard, you need to be well rested. How hard you run today probably depends on how you feel after the 20-milers run the last several weeks. What you do not want to do is get so wrapped up in following this schedule that you overlook what your body is telling you. If your body tells you to "rest" today, this might be a good time to listen to your body and not Hal Higdon. Of course, since I'm telling you to listen to your body, you'll be obeying us both if you rest.

Tuesday: Six miles today. It's often a good idea to select slightly different courses for near-mileage workouts done back-to-back. Since it takes less time to run 6 miles than the 10-milers last week and next week, maybe you can afford to go to a particularly scenic location for today's run. My favorite training area is Indiana Dunes State Park, despite having to drive 20-30 minutes to get there. I park at Wilson Shelter and do a figure-eight loop on Trails 2, 9 and 10 to get a 5-mile workout. A single loop gives me 3 miles. If you see me running in the park some day--maybe even today--be sure to say hello.

Wednesday: Five miles today. Remember that the theme of this week is "stepback." Punch the cruise control button for this workout. Remember also that stretching remains important for marathoners, who risk losing flexibility because of their high-mileage training. This is particularly important now that you are up at the 20-mile level for your long runs with accompanying high mileage for the full week. The best time to stretch is not before you run. Pre-workout muscles may be tight; the risk of injury is increased. Instead, stretch during--or after--your run, when muscles are warmest.

Thursday: Your tempo run today is 45 minutes. This is equal to the time you ran three weeks ago. Does it make that much difference whether you run 40, 45 or even 50 minutes? Probably not. In fact, I usually don't cut tempo runs this tight. I select a wooded course that I figure will take me about the length of time I have planned for the workout. If I'm five minutes plus-or-minus off my planned time, it hardly matters. Ten minutes off, however, and I probably should have selected a different course.

Friday: Total rest. The long run mileage is up. The weekly mileage is up. What is the best thing you can do to insure that you get maximum advantage out of all the training you're doing? It's a variation of the old Real Estate Agent response about what is important in selling a house: "Location! Location! Location!" For runners interested in getting maximum advantage out of their long runs--or any other hard training--it's: "Rest! Rest! Rest!"

Saturday: Six miles run at an easy pace. Do you need one final race as a test of your current fitness? This might be a good weekend for a 5-K or 10-K. If so, use the race in place of your shortened long run tomorrow, and either take an extra day of rest or do no more than a mile or two of jogging on Thursday instead of 5 miles. If you choose to race on Saturday, move everything up one day.

Sunday: Run 12 miles. Did you believe when you started this program there would come a day when we would tell you to go that distance, and you'd think, "Oh, an easy day." It all depends on your point of view. You're now looking down on 12, rather than up at it. Next Sunday's run, when you run another 20-miler, will not be easy. That's a promise. But this is the end of your stepback week, so enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

 

Tip of the Week: Too much racing can compromise your marathon training. In the CARA Marathon Training Class in Chicago, we used to recommend that students race no more than three out of the 18 weekends at distances between 10-K and 25-K. Now we don't recommend any racing out of fear of injury. Races, nevertheless, can help you determine your fitness level and help select you predict marathon pace. Here's a handy formula for predicting marathon time. Multiply your 10-K time by 4.66. (For instance, 40:00 for 10-K predicts 3:06:40 for the marathon.) First-timers, however, should take a more conservative approach and multiply 10-K time by a factor of 5. (For instance, 50:00 for 10-K predicts 4:10 for the marathon.) By choosing the more conservative formula, and starting more slowly, you're less likely to hit the wall.

How to Improve: Hal Higdon's Beginning Runner's Guide is a handy booklet for those taking their first running steps. Everything you need to know about starting to run: From your first steps to your first 5-K. Shoes. Clothing. Form. Breathing. Stretching. Goal setting. Nutrition. Weight loss. Training. You too can become a runner today! Buy one for a friend at a cost of only $4.50. To order an autographed copy of this and other books by Runner's World's best writer go to Books by Hal Higdon.

 

Copyright © 20010 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.