Monday: Continue with an easy 3-miler on Monday, as part of your recovery from the hard weekend. If you want a full day's rest, this would be a good time to do it, since this is a "stepback" week with lesser distance. Most training programs are progressive, meaning you gradually increase mileage over a period of weeks and months. But we progress by moving up, then sliding backwards slightly before the next upward movement. It's a very effective way to train for a marathon, since it minimizes the risk of injury and overtraining that comes with never taking a rest.

Tuesday: Speed day. We move to the track to run 4 x 800 meters. Jog or walk 2-3 minutes between each repetition. Run each rep at about the pace you might run in a 5-K race. Or you might want to consider running these like "Yasso Repeats," as mentioned in the introductory screen to the Advanced program. Bart Yasso is Promotions Director for Runner's World. Bart suggests that you run your 800 repeats using the same numbers as your planned marathon time. In other words, if you want to run a 3-hour marathon, you do the 800s in 3 minutes. A 3:10 marathoner does 3:10 repeats; 3:20 marathoner, 3:20 repeats, etc. It seems silly, but it works. Try it and if it works for you, use it. If not, discard the idea.

Wednesday: Three easy miles. And don't forget to do some stretching afterwards, since running this short distance today should leave you with plenty of extra time. While you should have stretched before and after your speedwork yesterday, realistically, a lot of runners skip or short-change this important part of training. Remember that fast speedwork and long running will have the tendency to tighten your muscles. So stretching is particularly important in this Advanced-II program.

Thursday: A 30-minute Tempo Run. Build in the middle so that you're running near 10-K pace. Notice I said "near." Don't run too hard. There are three increments involved in a tempo run: 1) lead-in, 2) speed segment, 3) fade out. A 30 minute tempo run might divide 10/10/10, although when I run tempo runs I usually do a longer lead-in than fade-out. But you don't have to be right on the minute in shifting from slow to fast to slow. And the fast portion should be a steady acceleration to top pace rather than hitting the Warp Speed button to skip from this galaxy to the next. Let your body dictate when you are ready to accelerate and ready to decelerate. In fact, if you're doing a tempo run right, the pace changes should be almost imperceptible.

Friday: Your day of rest. You will continue to rest one day each week, on Fridays, to allow you to gather strength for the tougher training that comes Saturdays and Sundays. If Friday rest doesn't always fit your schedule, feel free to adjust the days. It's more difficult for an Advanced-II runner to juggle workout days, because there is less "air" in your schedule. But if you chose this Advanced-II program, you signified your willingness to more work than the others.

Saturday: Run 6 miles at marathon race pace. Establish your course (or courses) for these pace runs early in your training program. It is important to know how fast you are going, so that when race day comes, you can fit right into your pacing groove. Your watch (or the clocks along the course) will be your guide on race day. Or if you're running a marathon like Chicago where they offer Pacing Teams, join the group.

Sunday: Run 8 miles today at a comfortable pace. One difference between yesterday's 6-miler and today's 8-miler (despite the slight difference in distance) is that today you run slower. I don't want you trying to run fast during your long runs. Most important is that you cover the distance and cover it with a reasonable level of comfort. There is a cumulative effect from all the miles you run in training that is often difficult to measure, but your fitness level should be increasing. As mentioned above, this is a "stepback" week where you drop down in distance. This is done every third week on long runs to offer you extra rest. Although today you run 8 miles, keep an invisible "12" in your mind, since we jump ahead to 13 miles next week.

 

Tips of the Week: Be flexible with your training, particularly while traveling. Don't be afraid to modify workouts occasionally when it seems appropriate. The general pattern of the program--the steady buildup--is more important than what you do on any one day. Don't get so hung up on your training schedule that you are unwilling to make adjustments when an opportunity for an interesting run develops.

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! And it costs 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.