Monday: This is your fourth week of marathon training, and you begin it with a day of rest. This is actually the first week of your second 3-week cycle, after the stepback Week 3 during which you cut mileage somewhat. Fifteen more weeks of training ahead of you, then the fun begins. And the marathon will be fun if you follow the program faithfully. It's always a good idea at the beginning of each workout week to take a few minutes to both evaluate Running Past and contemplate Running Future. This week your total running mileage will be 19 miles, the long run on the weekend 9 miles. In Week 15 (peak week before tapering begins), you will run 40 miles for the week, 20 on the weekend. That means in the next 11 weeks you will double your mileage. It's doable. A lot of people before you have been there, done that. I have no doubt in your ability to do the same!

Tuesday: An easy day: Three miles at a comfortable pace. There are several ways to judge "comfortable." If you are running with a partner, the two of you should be able to converse without getting significantly out of breath. Or, if you're running alone, you could even talk to yourself--although people will think you're crazy. If you train with a Heart Monitor, you would be running somewhere between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Particularly after a day's rest on Monday, you should finish this workout feeling better than when you started.

Wednesday: Four miles. A mile further than yesterday and tomorrow. The same distance you ran last Wednesday. If you're feeling good--and we hope you are after the stepback week--push the pace a bit today. Maybe for a mile or so toward the end of your run, increase your pace by about 15-30 seconds a mile. You still can converse, but you become more out-of-breath, and your training partner (if she isn't following this program) will say, "Hey, what's your hurry?" Smile and ease back. In terms of heart rate, you probably would be closer to 75 than 65 percent. If you examine the schedule you'll notice that Wednesday mileage remains the same for two weeks, then goes up a mile. As we continue, I will probably ask each second time you run the distance (odd-numbered weeks) to increase the pace a bit. If your answer is, "No, I don't want to," that's okay. I'm the coach, but you're the boss.

Thursday: Repeat Tuesday's workout. Three miles, comfortable pace. I forgot to remind you on Tuesday that you might want to do some stretching after you run. And if you're doing strength training, today is a good day to do it. Don't do too much of either. Moderation is the secret to success, both in running and in everything associated with running.

Friday: Friday, like Monday, is another day when the workout never changes. It's "rest." Take the day off. How can doing no running be considered a workout. I count it as such, because your day of rest is designed with a purpose. It's to get you ready for your weekend workouts, which generally are harder than weekday workouts. People who work 9-to-5 jobs--or have other obligations with children--often find it easier to find time to train over the weekend.

Saturday: Run long. Nine miles today. We're back into the mileage progression. The pace should remain comfortable, similar to the early miles of the marathon. Don't be afraid to walk occasionally to break the pace. (You may need to do so in the marathon.) Start teaching yourself to drink fluids before, during and after your runs. At the end of your 9-miler, listen to your body. How did it feel? Legs tired? Out of breath? Some fatigue is normal, but you don't want to finish exhausted, otherwise you are training too hard.

Sunday: A cross-training day. If you experience some fatigue after yesterday's 9-miler, that's natural. Use today's workout to relax and loosen your muscles. A college runner I trained once asked if it would be okay for her to roller-blade. I said okay, as long as she, (1) wears protective equipment so she won't get hurt if she falls down, and (2) skates at a recreational pace so she doesn't turn an "easy" day into a "hard" day. The same advice goes for you when you cross train.

 

Tip of the Week: If you are training through the summer, one way to avoid hot weather is to run early in the morning. The days are longer. Use these extra hours of daylight to get out before the sun rises too high. Temperatures are cooler, the air cleaner and the scenery prettier in the hours around dawn. If work schedules force you to run midday, be sure to wear a cap to protect against the sun--and drink plenty of water! If you are training through the winter, midday may be the best time for you to run.

How to Improve: If the advice encountered here is helpful, you should consider obtaining a copy of Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. It will help get you to the starting line and, most important, get you to the finish line. 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.