Monday: A day of rest. As marathon day draws near, you will need this rest day more and more. If you haven't already done so, now is the time to evaluate your equipment, beginning with your footwear. On this day of rest, consider how well you are being served by your running shoes. Are they worn? Are they comfortable? Will they carry you through 26 miles 385 yards of running? It may be time to purchase a new pair--in fact several pair so you can alternate shoes from day to day. This allows them to dry out and rebound, meaning they will offer more protection. If you are relatively new to the sport, you may simply have grabbed any soft pair of shoes you found in the closet when you started to run. That's not bad advice for someone who is not sure yet whether he or she wants to be a jogger or runner, but now you're a marathoner. Look in the mirror. "Oh yeah, that's a marathoner staring back at me!" If you haven't already done so, visit a running store and get a pair of shoes better suited for your purpose.

Tuesday: Run easy: 3 miles today at your usual comfortable pace. Don't be embarrassed to walk, even for this short a distance. I often walk in marathons, particularly when taking a drink. And I walk in training, particularly if it's an out-and-back course, even for a distance as "short" as 3 miles. That's the distance between my house and my son Kevin's house. So I'll run to Kevin's mainly as a point of reference, walk, turn around, then run back feeling refreshed after taking even this short a break. And this may sound silly to you, but you can injure yourself if you hit that 180-degree turn too fast running. Maybe not this early in the program, but as the mileage builds the stress levels build too. Don't take any chances. Make no quick moves, only slow and steady ones. Slow and steady guarantees a medal being hung around your neck after you exit the finishing chute.

Wednesday: Five miles, a jump of a mile from last week and the week before. Don't worry about the pace. Just cover the distance. This is the "tough" workout day in the middle of the week. But does this run of 5.0 miles still seem hard to you? Hopefully you're starting to get in shape so that running for 45-60 minutes is no longer quite the struggle it once seemed. You should feel confident. You're a Certified Marathoner--or will be in another 14 weeks. If people pass you on the jogging path, greet them a wave, a smile, a hearty "hello!" Say to yourself, "I'm a marathoner!"

Thursday: Three miles today, the same as Tuesday. Keeping the theme of running equipment begun on Monday, while shoes are the most important item of equipment a runner can own, comfortable clothing also is a must. If it's cold when you run, particularly in the early morning, you will want to layer on levels of clothing as the best approach to coping with varying temperature levels. And while you want to stay warm, the worst sin is to overdress so that you finish soaked with sweat. More a problem is coping with heat, since there is only so much clothing you can shed without getting arrested. Keep experimenting with different clothing variations. Wicking fabrics work better than the cotton T-shirt you might have won in a 5-K race. You'll figure it out.

Friday: Today being a rest day, maybe this is a day to head to that running store to purchase some of the items of clothing discussed earlier in the week. And make sure it is a running store. While you might be able to find better "bargains" at chain stores in the mall, it's better to shop in a specialty store owned by runners who understand our sport. (Please note the purposeful use of the word "our.")

Saturday: Run 10 miles. Your first single workout in double digits, thus somewhat of a milestone, particularly if you're new to running. Fourteen weeks from now in the marathon, you should be able to cruise past the 10-mile marker. "Ho hum. This is me the marathoner, floating on home to 26 miles 385!" Does this workout seem too easy for you in your advanced state of condition? You might want to consider picking up the pace a bit in the final mile just to see how you feel. But don't overdo it and launch an all-out sprint. Float beats sprint every time. Ten miles is the peak run in the second 3-week segment of your training. Next week is another "stepback" week.

Sunday: Cross-training. An hour of aerobic training. You want to exercise the body after your 10-mile peak run yesterday--but not too much. If you decide to flip-flop workouts and cross-train Saturday and run long Sunday, you won't want to overdo it on this day. An hour of cycling would be fine--as long as it's at an easy pace. An hour of walking would do you good too. If you choose to bike, you can ride past runners on the same bike path and still offer a cheery greeting, "Well, I'm up on my bike today, but I'm really training for a marathon." Okay, you probably won't have the nerve to say that, but think it!

 

Tip of the Week: Runners sometimes find it difficult doing the long runs, particularly on hot days. One secret is to stop frequently to walk, even if not forced to do so. Walk, grab something to drink, then resume running again. It will make the miles seem much easier plus you'll train yourself to go from running to walking to running during the race. Drinking is important too.

How to Improve: Run Fast is one of Hal Higdon's most popular books, a best-seller with 75,000 copies in print. It is designed to help runners improve their speed at basic distancesfrom 5-K to the half marathon, but the information you'll find in this handy book can help you with all of your training, including the marathon. Recently revised, the new edition will be available September 2000. 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.