Monday: This is the infamous Week 15, the peak week of your training with 40 miles total for the week and a 20-miler on the weekend. (Check below and you'll see that I suggest moving your long run to Sunday rather than Saturday for this one climactic week.) Rather than fear this 20-miler, you should greet it with near the same enthusiasm you will greet the marathon one month from now. But, for the time being, take it easy.

Tuesday: Five miles at your normal pace. If you're running with a friend, the talk test prevails. You should be able to hold a conversation without getting greatly out of breath while moving along at a comfortable pace. If running alone, visualize running the marathon to motivate yourself. If you're familiar with the course, rehearse how you're going to run miles 1 through 5. Try to stay smooth. Concentrate on maintaining an efficient form.

Wednesday: Ten miles at a steady and comfortable pace. This is peak mileage for the midweek run. The combination of this 10-mile sorta long run and the 20 mile long run over the weekend brings you to near the top of the mountain. This will give you the confidence to reach your goal: finishing 26 miles 385 yards. Given the time it will take you to do this workout in the middle of a work week, consider taking a vacation day, or half day off.

Thursday: Five miles at your normal pace. You are entitled to feel a bit tired today. It's normal. That's what training is all about. As a visualization drill today, picture yourself running the last 5 miles of the marathon course. How are you going to feel walking through the finish chute. If you followed this program faithfully, I'm hoping that you will feel great!

Friday: No running today. Get to bed early tonight. This is important advice for two nights before the marathon. Why? Because a lot of runners get very nervous the night before and find it difficult to sleep. And in order to make it to the starting line in time, they oftentimes have to rise earlier than normal. "The night before the night before" is the time to stoke up on sleep. So get your sleep on Friday as much as on Saturday to make sure you're well rested on Sunday. Please note that I am recommending that you shift your long run (the "feared" 20-miler) to Sunday rather than Saturday. If you choose to stick with Saturdays (no problem), you may want to shift everything forward a day, making Thursday a rest day.

Saturday: Although you may have been doing your long runs on Saturdays, we suggest you flip-flop days and do the climactic long run on Sunday. Today, do an hour of cross-training. And it should be an easy hour, because you don't want to start tomorrow's run fatigued. An hour of walking sounds about right. Tonight, skip the lamb chops and go for spaghetti. In fact, eat a similar meal to that planned for the night before the marathon: pasta with a marinara sauce, bread, salad and a non-caffeine, high-carbohydrate beverage.

Sunday: The Big Twenty! Next to the actual marathon itself, you will find finishing today's workout to be the most important achievement of the 18-week training program. Not merely will you have run 20 miles, but you will do it at the climax of a 40-mile training week! It doesn't get much better, nor much tougher than this. Well, yes it does. Wait three more weeks. (Remember to practice drinking fluids and ingesting gels today, same as you will do in the race.)

 

Tip of the Week: What you do in any one workout doesn't matter. The most important point of any training program is the totality of that program, and the results it brings. A flash speed workout with quick splits may look good in your training diary, but it could bring you to the edge of overtraining. The same with running the long runs too hard. Your time in the final 20-miler won't count three weeks later. Your success will be measured by, 1) finishing the marathon, if you're a beginner, or 2) finishing it in a time that reflects your current capabilities, if you're an experienced runner. What you did while getting there doesn't count.

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.