Monday: The beginning of our third stepback week featuring reduced mileage. Three miles at your normal pace. How is your running form? Usually I tell runners not to worry about form; just get out and run. But once runners seek to run fast, how they move is worth some consideration. For the rest of the week, I'm going to sneak some tips on running form into the daily instructions. As you run 3 miles today, consider your posture. You should run upright. Your back should be straight, roughly at a 90-degree angle to the ground. Ignore anyone who tells you to "lean into it," even when running uphill.

Tuesday: Even in this stepback week, the Tuesday workout increases to 9 miles. Assess how you feel. If you're still fatigued from Sunday's 17-miler, you may want to float this workout to allow for better recovery. If you're feeling frisky, don't be afraid to push the pace a bit, particularly in the middle of the run. Here's another tip on form related to head carry that you can consider while running today. Look straight down the road. Your eyes should be focused right on a point moving about 10 meters in front of you. Try to run in a straight line and not wander back and forth.

Wednesday: Four miles at your normal pace. Still need some relax time? Take it! A day off now and then won't hurt. Writing training schedules that will be used by tens of thousands of runners with varying levels of ability, it's hard for me to judge how any one runner will feel on any one day. You have to determine how hard or easy to train. When in doubt, be cautious. Continuing the discussion on running form, swing your arms naturally. The angle at the elbow between your upper and lower arms should be about 90 degrees. Your hands should be loosely cupped, about belly level. Let your arms swing in rhythm with your legs. The legs should control arm swing, not the other way around. Form is also important not only in strength training exercises, but it is also important when you stretch. Don't be sloppy in anything you do connected with your running.

Thursday: Track workout: 6 x 800 meters, jogging or walking 2-3 minutes between. Run the 800s at about 5-K pace. There's nothing magic about 800s, by the way. You might just as easily do 10 x 400, or 3 x 1600. The reason to go to the track is to run faster than race pace to help you in three areas: speed, efficiency and mental focus. When I say "efficiency," that means your ability to expend less energy at a specific pace than if you were a less efficient runner; that is, if you had poorer form. Doing interval workouts on the track is one way to fine-tune your running form, because it forces you to concentrate on your running.

Friday: This is your usual end-of-week day of rest, and it's interesting how running often forces people to change their lifestyles. Last week, we talked briefly about the fact that runners usually modify their diets, eating more carbohydrates than they might have before. Typically, they change their drinking habits too, realizing that moderation is the key. Rarely do I see runners drinking alcoholic beverages other than wine or beer--and usually not much of that. That's because when you start to run, you quickly realize that it's no fun to run with a hangover. Thus does running create positive habits for those who pursue it. As for eating form, don't dribble on the napkin tucked into your shirt.

Saturday: Nine miles at marathon pace. Visualize how you will feel while running this distance--perhaps the first 9 miles in the marathon itself. Have you seen the course? Do you remember landmarks along the route? Perhaps if you live near the actual marathon course, you might even want to consider doing this workout on a section of the course, assuming you can locate the mile markers. Continue to check your watch as you run this and other pace workouts. By the end of this 18-week training program, you will have developed an instinctive "feel" for exactly how fast you can run 26 miles 385 yards. This will increase your relaxation and improve your form.

Sunday: Run 12 miles. In a straight progression, you might have done 18 today (and you'll do 19 next week). Make this an easy run. Resist the temptation to run faster, because you're running shorter. You'll need the energy you save when we get back on schedule next week. One final word on form, and it concerns footplant. The most natural landing is mid-foot, the ball of the foot landing first, the heel contacting the ground a fraction of a second later. The toes push off a fraction after that. Some runners land further forward, or backward, than others, based on what feels natural to them. Attempt to modify this natural gait at your own risk.

 

Running Tips: Stretching is important for marathoners, who risk losing flexibility because of their high-mileage training. Include some stretching in your daily running routine. 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. If you own a hot tub, do some stretching while you're soaking.

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 © 2001 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.