The marathon demands respect. The physiological and psychological demands of the marathon are extreme; therefore you must plan your preparation intelligently and thoroughly.

Unfortunately, intelligent and thorough aren�t the two words that most readily come to mind when thinking about some marathon training programs. Search the Web under �marathon training� and you�ll find thousands of well-meaning but only intermittently helpful sites. The training advice on many of these sites is based more on personal anecdotes and handed-down folk wisdom than on exercise science. You�d be hard-pressed to cull through these sites and summarize why they�re prescribing the type of preparation they present.

That�s too bad because while running a marathon isn�t easy, training for it should be relatively simple. Running a marathon requires specific physiological attributes. The task at hand is to run 26.2 miles (42.2 km) as fast as possible. The requirements for this feat in terms of fuel use, oxygen consumption, biomechanical requirements, and even psychological attributes are highly predictable. In this chapter, we look at the physiological demands of the marathon and how to train most effectively to meet those demands.

First we look at the physiological demands, such as having a high lactate threshold and the ability to store large amounts of glycogen in your muscles and liver. Then we look at the types of training that are most effective for improving marathon performance and explain why. Next we investigate how to structure your training so that it progresses logically to your desired end point. Finally, we look at the importance of using shorter races as tune-ups to the marathon. After reading this chapter, you�ll see the logic underpinning effective marathon training and will better understand which types of training to emphasize and why.

Successful marathoners have many factors in common. Most of these factors are determined by both genetics and training. Genetics determines the range within which you can improve; training determines where your current abilities fall within that range. In this section, we�ll consider the physiological variables necessary for marathon success.

Successful marathoners have these physiological attributes:

��High proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers. This trait is genetically determined and influences the other physiological characteristics listed here.

��High lactate threshold. This is the ability to produce energy at a fast rate aerobically without accumulating high levels of lactate in your muscles and blood.

��High glycogen storage and well-developed fat utilization. These traits enable you to store enough glycogen in your muscles and liver to run hard for 26.2 miles (42.2 km) and enable your muscles to rely more on fat for fuel.

��Excellent running economy. This is the ability to use oxygen economically when running at marathon pace.

��High maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max). This is the ability to transport large amounts of oxygen to your muscles and the ability of your muscles to extract and use oxygen.

��Quick recovery. This is the ability to recover from training quickly.

Remember, no one factor makes a successful marathoner. Frank Shorter, for example, had 80 percent slow-twitch fibers and aO₂max of 71.4 ml/ kg/min (milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute). In contrast, Alberto Salazar had 93 percent slow-twitch fibers and aO₂max of 78 ml/kg/min. More anecdotally, consider that marathon world-record holder Haile Gebrselassie has the sprint speed to have won an indoor world title at 1,500 meters, while Bill Rodgers never broke 2:00 for 800 meters. Still, each was the best in the world at his peak. The combination of these physiological factors, in conjunction with biomechanical variables and psychological makeup, determines marathoning success. Let�s look more closely at each of the main physiological factors.

Your thousands of muscle fibers can be divided into three categories � slow-twitch, fast-twitch A, and fast-twitch B. The higher the percentage of slow-twitch fibers in your muscles, the greater your likelihood of marathon success. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are naturally adapted to endurance exercise.

They resist fatigue and have a high aerobic capacity, a high capillary density, and other characteristics that make them ideal for marathon running.

The proportion of slow-twitch fibers in your muscles is determined genetically and is believed not to change with training. Although fast-twitch muscle fibers can�t be converted to slow-twitch fibers, with general endurance training they can gain more of the characteristics of slow-twitch fibers, especially the fast-twitch A fibers. These adaptations are beneficial because they allow your fast-twitch fibers to become better at producing energy aerobically.

A muscle biopsy is the only method of determining your proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers. In a biopsy, a small amount of tissue is cut out of your muscle and analyzed. Though it is interesting (and painful), this procedure is pointless � once you know your fiber-type distribution, there�s nothing you can do about it. In contrast, you can improve other physiological characteristics with training.

A high lactate threshold (LT) is the most important physiological variable for endurance athletes. Lactate threshold most directly determines your performance limit in any event lasting more than 30 minutes. Your marathon race pace is limited by the accumulation of lactate (a by-product of carbohydrate metabolism) and the associated hydrogen ions in your muscles and blood. A close relationship exists between your lactate threshold and marathon performance because lactate threshold reflects the rate at which your muscles can sustain aerobic energy production. Successful marathoners typically race at a speed very close to their lactate-threshold pace.

The average runner�s lactate threshold occurs at about 75 to 80 percent of his or her VO₂max. Successful marathoners generally have lactate thresholds of 84 to 88 percent of VO₂max; elite marathoners tend to have lactate thresholds of about 88 to 91 percent of VO₂max. This means that elite marathoners can use a larger proportion of their maximal aerobic capacity before lactate starts to accumulate in their muscles and blood.

Lactate is produced by your muscles and is used by your muscles, heart, liver, and kidneys. The lactate concentration in your blood represents a balance between lactate production and consumption. Even at rest, you produce a small amount of lactate. If your blood lactate were measured right now, you would have a lactate concentration of about 1 millimole. As you increase your effort from resting to walking to easy running, your rates of lactate production and lactate consumption increase, and your blood lactate concentration stays relatively constant. When you run harder than your lactate threshold, however, your lactate concentration rises because the rate of lactate clearance can no longer keep up with lactate production.

When you accumulate a high level of lactate, the hydrogen ions associated with lactate production turn off the enzymes used to produce energy and may interfere with the uptake of calcium, thereby reducing the muscles� ability to contract. In other words, you can�t produce energy as quickly, so you�re forced to slow down. This explains why you run the marathon at an intensity just below your lactate threshold.

Brian Sell

Fastest Marathon: 2:10:47

Marathon Highlights:

Third place, 2008 U.S. Olympic

Trials; Ninth place, 2005 World Championships

Brian Sell should be an inspiration to every runner out there who is willing to believe that great things are possible through sheer hard work.

In high school, his best 3,200-meter time was a mediocre 10:06, more than a minute slower than the best scholastic runners in the U.S. Yet a decade later, Sell was able to average under 5:00 per mile for a marathon. As he said after placing fourth at the 2006 Boston Marathon, �I started thinking about how I just ran 26 miles faster than I could run two miles in high school. I just hope that people look at it and say, �Hey, if this yahoo can do it, then I can do it too.� It�s just a matter of putting the miles in and working. It�s not so much how much talent you have.�

Obviously, to have become an Olympic marathoner, Sell was born with above average genetics for distance running. But that innate ability only really started to surface in 2004, by which time he had already been averaging well over 100 miles � per week for years. After leading the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials for 19 miles but then fading to 12th, Sell could have been excused for thinking he wasn�t meant to run at the elite level. Instead, he got back to work � upping his mileage to 160 miles per week in marathon buildups � and continued to progress, making the 2008 Olympic team ahead of runners such as former world-record holder Khalid Khannouchi and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi.

Although few, if any, readers of this book are going to be able to handle repeated weeks of 160 miles, all can draw inspiration from Sell. First, consider his dedication to and faith in simply getting out the door and putting in the miles. How many other runners of Sell�s caliber in high school might potentially be 2:10 marathoners today? Put another way, how do you know how good you can be until you try?

Second, think about Sell�s ability to handle such high mileage. Being able to put in the training necessary to run a good marathon is itself a form of talent. Although you may not consider yourself blessed with a lot of �natural talent,� as judged by your ability to run a really fast 5K, you might very well have Sell�s ability to hold up to and absorb a lot of miles, which should translate to faster marathons. Again, how will you know until you try?

Finally, Sell is part of the Brooks-Hanson training group. They meet for distance runs most days and do almost of all their long runs and hard workouts together. Sell credits the group with pulling him through tough physical and emotional times in his training. You, too, can benefit from finding regular training partners who share your goals and are of roughly your speed.

With the correct training, adaptations occur inside your muscle fibers that allow you to run at a higher intensity without building up lactate. The most important of these adaptations are increased number and size of mitochondria, increased aerobic enzyme activity, and increased capillarization in your muscle fibers. These adaptations all improve your ability to produce energy using oxygen.

Increased Number and Size of Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the only part of your muscle fibers in which energy can be produced aerobically. Think of them as the aerobic energy factories in your muscle fibers. By fully utilizing your ability to produce energy without accumulating high levels of lactate, lactate-threshold training increases the size of your mitochondria (i.e., makes bigger factories) and the number of mitochondria (i.e., makes more factories) in your muscle fibers. With more mitochondria, you can produce more energy aerobically and maintain a faster pace. This is a relevant adaptation for marathoners because more than 99 percent of the energy needed for running a marathon is produced aerobically.

Increased Aerobic Enzyme Activity

Enzymes in your mitochondria speed up aerobic energy production (i.e., increase the rate of production in your aerobic energy factories). Lactate-threshold training increases aerobic enzyme activity; this adaptation improves the efficiency of your mitochondria. The more aerobic enzyme activity in your mitochondria, the faster you are able to produce energy aerobically.

Increased Capillarization of Muscle Fibers

Oxygen is necessary to produce energy aerobically. Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to your muscles through a remarkable system of blood vessels. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels, and typically several border each muscle fiber. With the correct training, you increase the number of capillaries per muscle fiber. With more capillaries per muscle fiber, oxygen is more efficiently delivered where it�s needed. Capillaries also deliver fuel to the muscle fibers and remove waste products such as carbon dioxide. A more-efficient delivery and removal system provides a constant supply of oxygen and fuel and prevents waste products from accumulating in your muscles as quickly. By providing oxygen to the individual muscle fibers, increased capillary density allows the rate of aerobic energy production to increase.

High Glycogen Storage and Well-Developed Fat Utilization

Glycogen is the form of carbohydrate stored in the body, and carbohydrate is the primary fuel used when racing a marathon. The two ways to ensure that glycogen stores last throughout the marathon are to train your body to store a large amount of glycogen and to train your body to conserve glycogen at marathon pace.

A large supply of glycogen in your muscles and liver at the start of the marathon enables you to work at a high rate throughout the race without becoming carbohydrate depleted. During the marathon, you use a combination of carbohydrate and fat for fuel. When you run low on glycogen, you rely more on fat, which forces you to slow down because fat metabolism uses oxygen less efficiently. With the correct training, your muscles and liver adapt to store more glycogen. Design your training so that toward the end of certain workouts, you run very low on glycogen; this provides a stimulus for your body to adapt by storing more glycogen in the future.

Because your body can store only a limited supply of glycogen, it�s an advantage to be able to use as much fat as possible at marathon race pace. Successful marathoners have developed their ability to use fat; this trait spares their glycogen stores and helps ensure that they make it to the finish line without becoming glycogen depleted. When you train your muscles to rely more on fat at marathon race pace, your glycogen stores last longer. In the marathon, that means that �the wall� moves closer and closer to the finish line and eventually disappears. (The concept of �the wall� is really a reflection of improper marathon preparation and pacing.) Later in this chapter, we�ll look at how to train to improve glycogen storage and fat utilization. In chapter 2, we�ll examine how your diet affects these vital processes.

Excellent Running Economy

Your running economy determines how fast you can run using a given amount of oxygen. If you can run faster than another athlete while using the same amount of oxygen, then you�re more economical. This concept is similar to the efficiency of an automobile engine � if a car can travel farther using a given amount of gasoline, then it�s more economical than another car.

Running economy can also be viewed as how much oxygen is required to run at a given speed. If you use less oxygen while running at the same speed as another runner, then you�re more economical. If you know how much oxygen a runner can use at lactate-threshold pace, as well as that athlete�s running economy, you can generally predict marathon performance fairly accurately. In fact, a classic study by Farrell and colleagues found that differences in pace at lactate threshold predicted 94 percent of the variation in racing speed among distance runners (Farrell et al. 1979).

Running economy varies widely among runners. While testing elite runners in the laboratory, Pete has found differences of more than 20 percent in running economy among athletes. Obviously, a large advantage exists in being able to use oxygen as economically as possible during the marathon � your aerobic system supplies nearly all of the energy for the marathon, and oxygen is the main limiting factor in the rate of energy production by the aerobic system.

For example, say two athletes with identical lactate-threshold values of 54 ml/kg/min are racing at a pace of 5:55 per mile (per 1.6 km). Although it seems that they should be working equally hard, this often isn�t the case. If Stacey has an oxygen requirement of 51 ml/kg/min at that pace and Christine requires 57 ml/kg/min, then Stacey will be comfortably below lactate threshold and should be able to maintain a 5:55 pace. Christine will steadily accumulate lactic acid and will need to slow down. Stacey has a faster pace at lactate threshold because she uses oxygen more economically to produce energy.

The primary determinants of running economy appear to be the ratio of slow-twitch to fast-twitch fibers in your muscles, the combined effect of your biomechanics, and your training history. The proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers is important because they use oxygen more efficiently. One reason that successful marathoners tend to be more economical than slower marathoners is because they generally have more slow-twitch muscle fibers. Runners with more years of training and more miles �under the belt� also tend to have better running economy, possibly due to adaptations that gradually allow fast-twitch muscle fibers to have more of the characteristics of slow-twitch fibers.

Running economy is also related to the interaction of many biomechanical variables, but no single aspect of biomechanics has been shown to have a large impact on economy. We don�t know, therefore, how to change biomechanics to improve economy. One of the problems is that it�s impossible to change one biomechanical variable without affecting others.

High Maximal Oxygen Uptake (O₂max)

Successful marathoners have highO₂max values. This means they�re able to transport large amounts of oxygen to their muscles, and their muscles are able to extract and use a large amount of oxygen to produce energy aerobically.

The average sedentary 35-year-old man has aO₂max of about 45 ml/ kg/min, while the average 35-year-old male runner has aO₂max of about 55 ml/kg/min. A locally competitive 35-year-old male marathoner tends to have aO₂max in the range of 60 to 65 ml/kg/min, whereas an elite male marathoner would tend to be in the range of 70 to 75 ml/kg/min. Although successful marathoners tend to have highO₂max values, they typically aren�t as high as theO₂max values found in elite 5,000-meter runners, whose maxes can reach as high as 85 ml/kg/min. Women�sO₂max values tend to be about 10 percent lower than those for men because women have higher essential body fat stores and lower hemoglobin levels than do men.

The primary factors in increasingO₂max appear to be related to improvements in the ability to transport oxygen to your muscles. This ability is related to four factors: your maximal heart rate, the maximal amount of blood your heart can pump with each beat, the hemoglobin content of your blood, and the proportion of your blood that is transported to your working muscles.

Your maximal heart rate is determined genetically. In other words, it doesn�t increase with training. Successful marathoners don�t have particularly high maximal heart rates, so it isn�t a factor in determining success.

The maximal amount of blood your heart can pump with each beat is called your stroke volume. If the left ventricle of your heart is large, then it can hold a large amount of blood. Blood volume increases with training, resulting in more blood being available to fill the left ventricle. If your left ventricle is strong, then it can contract fully so that not much blood is left at the end of each contraction. Filling the left ventricle with a large amount of blood and pumping a large proportion of that blood with each contraction result in a large stroke volume. Stroke volume increases with the correct types of training. In fact, increased stroke volume is the main training adaptation that increasesO₂max.

The hemoglobin content of your blood is important because the higher your hemoglobin content, the more oxygen can be carried per unit of blood and the more energy can be produced aerobically. Some successful marathoners train at high altitude to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of their blood. Other than by training at altitude (or through several illegal methods, such as taking synthetic erythropoietin, known as EPO), the hemoglobin concentration of your blood won�t increase significantly with training.

We�ve talked about the amount of oxygen per unit of blood and the amount of blood that your heart can pump. The other factor that determines the amount of blood reaching your muscles is the proportion of blood transported to your working muscles. At rest, just more than 1 liter of blood goes to your muscles per minute. During the marathon, approximately 16 liters of blood are transported to your muscles per minute. When you�re running all out, it�s more than 20 liters per minute. Much of this increase is due to increased heart rate and stroke volume, but redistribution of blood to your muscles also contributes. At rest, approximately 20 percent of your blood is sent to your working muscles; during the marathon, it rises to roughly 70 percent. With training, your body becomes better at shutting down temporarily unnecessary functions, such as digestion, so that more blood can be sent to your working muscles.

Quick Recovery

Successful marathoners are able to recover quickly from training. This allows them to handle a larger training volume and a higher frequency of hard training sessions than those who recover more slowly. The ability to recover quickly is related to genetics, the structure of your training plan, your age, lifestyle factors such as diet and sleep, and your training history. (The 30th 20-miler of your life will probably take less out of you than your first one.)

Head Games

�Mind is everything; muscle, pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.� So said Paavo Nurmi, the Finn who won nine Olympic gold medals at distances from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters. Although he wasn�t a marathoner, Nurmi knew the need for psychological strength in distance running.

Most of this chapter deals with the physiological attributes that most directly determine your marathoning success. Traits such as your lactate threshold andO₂max. can be measured; if we were to gather 10 readers of this book and run them through a series of laboratory tests, we could reasonably predict their order of finish in a marathon.

What we couldn�t so easily measure and predict, though, would be which of those runners would come closest to reaching their physiological potential. That�s where the mind comes in. Just as there are wide variations among runners in attributes such as percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers, so too are there great ranges in the less-quantifiable matter of what we�ll call, for lack of a better word, �toughness.� We all know midpack runners who have a reputation for thrashing themselves in races; at the same time, most followers of the sport could name a few elite runners who often seem to come up short when the going gets tough.

Despite being unmeasurable in a scientific sense, mental toughness can be improved. In fact, it�s one of the few determinants of marathon performance that you can continue to better after even 20 or more years of running. Maturity, years of training, and some positive reinforcements along the way can enhance such necessary weapons in the marathoner�s arsenal as perseverance and willingness to suffer in the short term for long-term gain.

Nurmi also said, �Success in sport, as in almost anything, comes from devotion. The athlete must make a devotion of his specialty.� Having a challenging but reasonable marathon goal provides you with the necessary object of devotion. Intelligent, thorough preparation for that goal � such as that provided in the training schedules in this book � provides the confidence to attack that goal. Do the right training, and both your body and your mind will benefit.

Runners vary in how many workouts they can tolerate in a given time. Recovery runs are an important element of your training, but they must be handled carefully. If you do your recovery runs too hard, you run the risk of overtraining and reducing the quality of your hard training sessions. This is a common mistake among distance runners, particularly marathoners � many runners don�t differentiate between regular training runs and recovery runs. The purpose of your regular training runs is to provide an additional training stimulus to improve your fitness; the purpose of your recovery runs is to help you recover from your last hard workout so that you�re ready for your next hard workout.

Recovery runs improve blood flow through the muscles; this process improves the repair of damaged muscle cells, removes waste products, and brings nutrients to your muscles. These benefits are lost, however, if you do recovery runs so fast that you tire yourself out for your subsequent hard training sessions. In addition, by doing your recovery runs slowly, you use less of your glycogen stores, so more glycogen is available for your hard training sessions. Optimizing your diet to enhance recovery is discussed in chapter 2. Recovery runs and other strategies to improve your recovery are discussed in depth in chapter 3.

Now that we�ve discussed the physiological requirements for successful marathoning, let�s look at the components of training that improve the key physiological variables and how to do each type of session most effectively in your marathon preparation. Of the six physiological variables we�ve discussed, all but muscle fiber type improve with the appropriate training. In this section, we�ll look at how to train to improve your lactate threshold, ability to store glycogen and utilize fat, running economy at marathon pace, andO₂max. We�ll also consider a specialized training session that integrates the various aspects of your training. In chapters 2 and 3, we�ll look at strategies to enhance your recovery from this targeted training.

The most effective way to improve lactate threshold is to run at your current lactate-threshold pace or a few seconds per mile faster, either as one continuous run (tempo run) or as a long interval session at your lactate-threshold pace (cruise intervals or LT intervals).

These workouts make you run hard enough so that lactate is just starting to accumulate in your blood. When you train at a lower intensity, a weaker stimulus is provided to improve your lactate-threshold pace. When you train faster than current lactate-threshold pace, you accumulate lactate rapidly, so you aren�t training your muscles to work hard without accumulating lactate. The more time you spend close to your lactate-threshold pace, the greater the stimulus for improvement.

Lactate-threshold training should be run at close to the pace that you can currently race for 1 hour. For serious marathoners, this is generally a 15K to half marathon race pace. Slower runners should run closer to a 15K race pace on tempo runs; faster runners should run closer to a half marathon race pace. This should be the intensity at which lactate is just starting to accumulate in your muscles and blood. You can do some of your tempo runs in low-key races of 4 miles (6 km) to 10K, but be careful not to get carried away and race all out. Remember that the optimal pace to improve lactate threshold is your current LT pace and not much faster.

A typical training session to improve lactate threshold consists of a 15-to 20-minute warm-up, followed by a 20- to 40-minute tempo run and a 15-minute cool-down. The lactate-threshold workouts in this book mainly fall within these parameters, although most of the schedules include one longer tempo run in the 7-mile (11 km) range. LT intervals are typically two to five repetitions of 5 minutes to 2 miles (3 km) at lactate-threshold pace with 2 or 3 minutes between repetitions.

For runners competing in shorter races, tempo runs and LT intervals are both excellent ways to prepare. For marathoners, however, tempo runs are preferable to LT intervals. After all, the marathon is one long continuous run, and tempo runs simulate marathon conditions more closely. There�s both a physiological and a psychological component to the advantage of tempo runs. The extra mental toughness required to get through a tempo run when you may not be feeling great will come in handy during a marathon.

The most accurate way to find out your lactate threshold is to be tested at the track or in a sport physiology lab. During a lactate-threshold test in a lab, you run for several minutes at progressively faster speeds until your lactate concentration increases markedly. The tester measures the lactate concentration in your blood after several minutes at each speed by pricking your finger and analyzing a couple of drops of blood. A typical lactate-threshold test consists of six increasingly hard runs of 5 minutes each, with 1 minute between runs to sample your blood. By graphing blood lactate concentration at various running speeds, physiologists can tell the pace and heart rate that coincide with lactate threshold. You can then use this information to maximize the effectiveness of your training.

The lower-tech method to estimate lactate threshold is to use your race times. For experienced runners, lactate-threshold pace is very similar to race pace for 15K to the half marathon. Successful marathoners generally race the marathon 2 to 3 percent slower than lactate-threshold pace.

In terms of heart rate, lactate threshold typically occurs at 82 to 91 percent of maximal heart rate or 77 to 88 percent of heart rate reserve in well-trained runners. (Heart rate reserve is your maximal heart rate minus your resting heart rate.) Instructions on finding your maximal heart rate can be found later in this chapter.

Your ability to store glycogen and use fat for fuel tends to improve with the same types of training. Pure endurance training stimulates these adaptations and increases the capillarization of your muscles. For marathoners, the primary type of training to stimulate these adaptations is runs of 90 minutes or longer. Your total training volume, however, also contributes. That�s one reason to include two-a-day workouts and relatively high weekly mileage in your training program.

Long runs are the bread and butter of marathoners. For all marathoners, including the elite, the marathon distance is a formidable challenge. To prepare to race 26.2 miles (42.2 km) at a strong pace, train your body and mind to handle the distance by doing long runs at a reasonable pace.

A long run also provides psychological benefits. By running long, you simulate what your legs and body will go through in the marathon. When your hamstrings tighten 23 miles (37 km) into the race, for example, it helps to have experienced a similar feeling in training � you�ll know you can shorten your stride a few inches, concentrate on maintaining your leg turnover, and keep going. More generally, you�ll have experienced overcoming the sometimes overwhelming desire to do anything but continue to run.

During your long runs, you encounter many of the experiences � good and bad � that await you in the marathon.

No scientific evidence will tell you the best distance for your long runs as you train. However, a clear trade-off exists between running far enough to stimulate physiological adaptations and remaining uninjured. If you regularly do runs longer than 24 miles (39 km), you�ll become strong but slow because you won�t be able to run your other hard workouts at as high a level of quality. You�ll also increase your risk of injury because when your muscles are very fatigued, they lose their ability to absorb impact forces, greatly increasing your risk of muscle strain or tendinitis.

Experience suggests that steadily building your long runs to 21 or 22 miles (34 or 35 km) will maximize your chances of reaching the marathon in top shape while remaining healthy. Experienced marathoners who are not highly injury prone should include one run of 24 miles (39 km) in their preparation.

Long runs shouldn�t be slow jogs during which you just accumulate time on your feet. The appropriate pace for a specific long run depends on the purpose of that run within your training program. The most beneficial intensity range for most of your long runs is 10 to 20 percent slower than your goal marathon race pace. (A few of your long runs should be done at your goal marathon pace � the rationale for these sessions is explained later in this chapter.) If you use a heart monitor, your long-run pace should be roughly in the range of 74 to 84 percent of maximal heart rate or 65 to 78 percent of your heart rate reserve. This will ensure that you�re running with a similar posture and are using similar muscle patterns as when you run at marathon pace.

My experience as a runner and coach indicates that long runs greater than 22 miles (35 km) take much more out of the body than do runs in the range of 20 to 22 miles (32 to 35 km). I occasionally included runs of 27 to 30 miles (43 to 48 km) in my marathon preparations and believe that I ran slower in my marathons because of those efforts.

The only time I really got carried away with long runs was in preparing for the 1985 World Cup Marathon in Hiroshima. The previous year, I had won the Olympic marathon trials in 2:11:43; 3 months later, I placed 11th at the Olympics. I figured that training even harder would bring even greater success. During a 4-week period, I did two very hilly 27-milers and a 30-miler in New Zealand, and I ran them hard, trying to drop my training partners, Kevin Ryan and Chris Pilone.

The World Cup Marathon was on a lightning-fast course. I was very strong but had little speed, and I finished 18th. Although my time of 2:12:28 was satisfactory, the conditions were excellent, and I blew my best opportunity to run 2:10.

��Pete Pfitzinger

If you do long runs much slower than this, you risk being unprepared for the marathon. Slow long runs reinforce poor running style and do a poor job of simulating the demands of the marathon. If you run long runs too fast, of course, you risk leaving your marathon performance out on your training loops because you�ll be too tired for your other important training sessions. Using the suggested intensity range of 10 to 20 percent slower than marathon goal pace, table 1.1 lists suggested long-run paces for a wide range of marathoners.

The first few miles of your long runs can be done slowly, but by 5 miles (8 km) into your long run, your pace should be no more than 20 percent slower than marathon race pace. Gradually increase your pace until you�re running approximately 10 percent slower than marathon race pace during the last 5 miles (8 km) of your long runs. In terms of heart rate, run the first few miles at the low end of the recommended intensity range, and gradually increase your effort until you reach the high end of the range during the last 5 miles (8 km). This makes for an excellent workout and provides a strong stimulus for physiological adaptations. These workouts are difficult enough that you should schedule a recovery day the day before and 1 or 2 days after your long runs.

If you do long runs in this intensity range, a 22-mile (35 km) run will take approximately the same amount of time as your marathon. By running for the length of time you hope to run the marathon, you also provide psychological reinforcement that you can run at a steady pace for that amount of time.

Where the training schedules call for a long run the day after a tune-up race, you should run at a more casual pace. After a Saturday race, your Sunday long run should be at a relaxed pace because you will be tired and have stiff muscles, which increases your likelihood of injury. Start these long runs like a recovery run. If your muscles loosen up as the run progresses, increase the training stimulus by increasing your pace to about 15 to 20 percent slower than marathon race pace.

The total volume of your training also improves your ability to store glycogen and use fat, and it reinforces some of the other positive training adaptations, such as increased capillarization. There is some benefit, therefore, in doing relatively high mileage. The best marathoners in the world train from 110 to 170 miles (177 to 274 km) per week.

More is only better to a point, however. You have a unique individual current mileage limit that is dictated by your biomechanics, past training, injury history, shoes, running surface, diet, and various other life stressors. (For starters, most of those people running 150 miles [241 km] a week don�t commute to a 50-hour-per-week job.) The challenge in pursuing marathoning excellence is to find the mileage range that you can handle without breaking down.

Also, although racing performance improves with increased mileage, the incremental improvement decreases the more mileage you do. In Daniels� Running Formula (2005), renowned coach and physiologist Jack Daniels, PhD, explains the principle of diminishing return: �Adding more and more mileage to your weekly training does not produce equal percentages of improvement in competitive fitness� (page 13). Increasing from 70 to 90 miles (113 to 145 km) per week, therefore, will not improve performance as much as increasing from 50 to 70 miles (80 to 113 km) per week, but it may produce a benefit nonetheless.

Although you have an individual current mileage limit, this limit changes over time. The mileage that contributed to your shin splints 5 years ago will not necessarily cause problems for you again. You need to be a good detective and figure out the causes of your past injuries. Many runners say, �I tried high mileage once years ago, and I just got tired and hurt,� and they permanently return to what they consider to be their safe mileage range. They don�t consider that in the ensuing years their bodies may well have gained the ability � and their minds the wisdom � to handle higher mileage and to reap the concomitant benefits.

An important determinant of marathon performance is running economy at marathon race pace. Although some evidence shows that economy improves with training, no one fully understands the secrets of improving running economy. Various studies have found running economy to improve with weightlifting, biofeedback, relaxation training, hill training, exhaustive distance running, speed work, and long intervals. Jack Daniels (2005) recommends running fast intervals to reduce wasted motion and to train the body to recruit the most effective combination of muscle fibers. A variety of biomechanical factors, such as a narrow pelvis, small feet, and �faster rotation of shoulders in the transverse plane,� have been suggested as contributors to running economy.

Throughout this book, we�ll prescribe specific intensities for various types of workouts to help you prepare most effectively for the marathon. Heart rate monitors are a useful tool you can use to check the intensity of your training. Training intensity can also be described in terms of speed, but unless you train daily on a track or measured stretch of road or run with a GPS, you don�t really know how fast you�re training most of the time. Monitoring the intensity of your training in terms of heart rate, however, is simple.

The intensity of your runs can be stated relative to your maximal heart rate or as a percentage of your heart rate reserve. Your maximal heart rate is, quite simply, the fastest that your heart will beat during maximal-effort running. The most accurate formula for estimating maximal heart rate is 207 minus.7 times your age. Using this formula, a 43-year-old would have a predicted maximal heart rate of 177 [207 � (.7 � 43)]. Because of the variability between individuals, however, your actual maximal heart rate may be more than 10 beats per minute higher or lower than your predicted maximal heart rate. Using an estimated maximal heart rate, therefore, can lead you to train too hard or not hard enough, so it�s better to do a performance test to determine your actual maximal heart rate.

You can find your maximal heart rate quite accurately during a very hard interval session. An effective workout is to warm up thoroughly and then run three high-intensity 600-meter repeats up a moderate hill, jogging back down right away after each one. If you run these 600s all out, your heart rate should be within two or three beats of maximum by the end of the third repeat.

Heart rate reserve is an even more accurate way of prescribing training intensities because it takes into account both your maximal heart rate and your resting heart rate. Your heart rate reserve is simply your maximal heart rate minus your resting heart rate, and it reflects how much your heart rate can increase to provide more oxygen to your muscles. By resting heart rate we mean your heart rate when you first wake up in the morning. As an example of calculating heart rate reserve, Scott�s current maximal heart rate is 188 and his resting heart rate is 38. His heart rate reserve, therefore, is 188 minus 38, which equals 150 beats per minute.

To calculate the proper heart rates for a workout using heart rate reserve, multiply your heart rate reserve by the appropriate percentage, and then add your resting heart rate. For example, as a highly experienced runner, if Scott wanted to do a lactate-threshold workout at 82 to 88 percent of his heart rate reserve, he would stay in the range of 161 [(heart rate reserve of 150 �.82) + resting heart rate of 38] to 170 [(150 �.88) + 38] beats per minute. This compares closely to using 86 to 91 percent of his maximal heart rate, which would put him in the range of 162 to 171 beats per minute.

The prescribed training intensities used in this chapter and chapters 3 and 7 are summarized in table 1.2. These intensity ranges are appropriate for most experienced marathon runners. Less-experienced runners should generally train at the lower end of the recommended ranges, while elite runners will generally be at the high end of the ranges.

During a lactate-threshold session or long run, your heart rate will tend to increase several beats per minute even if you hold an even pace. On a warm day, your heart rate increases even more because of dehydration and as your body sends more blood to your skin to aid in cooling. This phenomenon is discussed in greater detail in chapter 2. The implication for your lactate-threshold sessions and long runs is that you should start these sessions at the low end of the specified intensity zone and allow your heart rate to increase to the high end of the zone during the workout.

On a low-humidity day with temperatures in the 70s (low 20s), increase your zones by two to four beats per minute to gain the same benefits as on a cooler day. On a high-humidity day in the 70s (low 20s) or a low-humidity day in the 80s (high 20s to low 30s), increase your zones by five to eight beats per minute. On a high-humidity day in the 80s (high 20s to low 30s), just take it easy (Lambert 1998).

According to Don Morgan, PhD, who has conducted a large number of studies on running economy, the most important factor for improving economy may be the number of years (and accumulated miles) that you have been running rather than the specific types of workouts that you do. The mechanism for improvement may be that with training your fast-twitch muscle fibers gain more of the characteristics of the more economical slow-twitch fibers. Morgan speculates, however, that different types of training may improve economy depending on the specific strengths and weaknesses of the individual athlete. This individuality in response may explain why no clear consensus exists on how to improve running economy.

As with most aspects of running, there are no guarantees, but the following guidelines will help you increase your mileage without getting injured or overtrained:

��Bite off small chunks. Over a few years,you can double or triple your mileage, but increasing mileage too much at once is almost certain to lead to injury or overtiredness. Unfortunately, there�s no scientific evidence indicating how great an increase over a given period is safe. A commonly used, but unvalidated, rule of thumb is to increase mileage by a maximum of 10 percent per week. Jack Daniels (2005) recommends increasing mileage by no more than 1 mile (1.6 km) for each training session that you run per week. For example, if you run six times per week, you would increase your mileage by up to 6 miles (10 km) per week.

��Increase in steps. When charting new territory, don�t increase your mileage week after week. That approach is very likely to lead to injury. Instead, increase your mileage 1 week, then stay at that level for 2 or 3 weeks before increasing again.

��Avoid speed work while upping your mileage. Don�t increase your mileage during a phase of training that includes hard speed work. Fast intervals put your body under a great deal of stress. Increasing your mileage adds more stress. Save the majority of your mileage increases for base training, when you can avoid intervals.

��Reduce your training intensity. When increasing your mileage, it helps to slightly reduce the overall intensity of your training. By backing off the intensity, you can increase your volume without increasing the strain of training. You can then return the intensity to its previous level before upping your mileage again.

��Not all miles are created equal. When building your mileage, it�s particularly important to train on soft surfaces to reduce the accumulated jarring on your body and to wear running shoes that suit your needs and are in good repair.

��Give yourself a break. Don�t let mileage become a goal in itself. Aimlessly running high mileage can lead to chronic overtiredness and burnout. Your training should be focused on a target race such as a marathon. When you have run your target race, give your body a break before building your mileage for your next goal.

My highest sustained mileage was before the 1984 Olympic trials marathon. With Alberto Salazar, Greg Meyer, Tony Sandoval, and Bill Rodgers in the race, making the Olympic team necessitated no compromises. My previous training had peaked at 125 miles (201 km) per week. At the time, I thought that was all my body could handle.

The trials were held in May. For 8 weeks during January and February, I averaged 143 miles (230 km) per week, with a high week of 152 (245) and a low week of 137 (220). Most of this was run at a fairly brisk pace (5:40 to 6:10 per mile), but I was in base training and didn�t need to do much speed work.

After I cut my mileage to 100 to 120 miles (161 to 193 km) per week for the last 2 months before the trials, my legs felt fresh and strong all the time. Having adapted to the higher volume, I was able to do high-quality intervals and tempo runs while still running well over 100 miles (161 km) per week. While that mileage looks daunting to me now, there�s little question that January�s and February�s high-mileage training contributed to the improvement that allowed me to win the 1984 trials.

Besides the physiological benefits, high-mileage training provided me with psychological benefits for the marathon. When I was coming up through the ranks, 2:10 marathoner Garry Bjorklund revealed to me that he was running 160 miles (257 km) per week. When I asked him if that much mileage was necessary, he said, �It�s not necessary before every marathon, but you need to do it at least once to know you can.�

��Pete Pfitzinger

High-mileage training � and its many benefits � needn�t be solely the domain of the elite. When I was training most seriously, during the 1990s, I averaged 72 miles (116 km) per week, with a peak of 125 miles (201 km) in a week; in 1993, I averaged 95 miles (153 km) per week for the year. All of this occurred while I usually worked 45 hours a week or more at a regular job and put in additional time as a freelance writer.

For many people, our priorities are reflected in how we spend our time. I enjoy running, and I would rather try to be modestly good at it than to simply accept being mediocre, as I would definitely be without hard training. So to the question �Where do you find the time?� the answer is simply �I make it.� I�ve chosen to have running be one of the few things that I concentrate on, and I allot my time accordingly. (Which means you won�t see me at a lot of after-work happy hours.)

For the most part, running a decent amount while living a �normal� life means giving a day�s one or two runs as much importance when planning my schedule as I do work and other obligations. Besides setting aside time for running, this also means getting to bed at a decent hour most nights; allowing time for a few good stretching and weightlifting sessions each week; and not cramming my weekends with activities so that I can use these days to recharge physically and mentally.

If you�re devoted to getting in the miles, you can almost always find ways to squeeze more time out of your schedule. For example, I�ve had three jobs where logistics allowed running to or from work at least once a week. For another job with a horrific commute on the Washington, D.C., beltway, the best solution was to run from the office at the end of the workday so that by the time I started driving home, the worst of the traffic was over. On other days, I would leave the house early to beat the morning rush hour and run from the office before work.

Of course, you might have other high priorities in your life besides running. In the months before a marathon, however, it�s worth setting some of them aside to concentrate on your training. High mileage and the real world aren�t inherently incompatible.

��Scott Douglas

Putting all of the evidence together suggests that your running economy should gradually improve over the years and that there may be ways to help hurry the process along. For marathoners, probably the two most worthwhile ways to try to improve running economy are increasing mileage over time so that your fast-twitch fibers gain the positive characteristics of slow-twitch fibers and running short repetitions (80 to 120 meters) fast but relaxed.

Running short repetitions quickly but with relaxed form � strides � may train your muscles to eliminate unnecessary movements and maintain control at fast speeds. These adaptations may translate to improved economy at marathon pace. Along with improved running form, you�ll gain power in your legs and trunk that may also contribute to improved running economy. Because these intervals are short and are performed with sufficient rest between them, lactate levels remain low to moderate throughout the workout. As a result, they won�t interfere with your more marathon-specific workouts.

A typical session is 10 repetitions of 100 meters in which you accelerate up to full speed over the first 70 meters and then float for the last 30 meters. It�s critical to remain relaxed during these accelerations. Avoid clenching your fists, lifting your shoulders, tightening your neck muscles, and so on. Concentrate on running with good form, and focus on one aspect of good form, such as relaxed arms or complete hip extension, during each acceleration.

These sessions aren�t designed to improve your cardiovascular system, so there�s no reason to use a short rest between accelerations. A typical rest is to jog and walk 100 to 200 meters between repetitions; this allows you to pretty much fully recover before you start the next strider. The most important considerations are to maintain good running form and to concentrate on accelerating powerfully during each repetition. When in doubt, take a little more rest so that you can run each strider with good form.

Improving YourO₂max

The most effective running intensity to improveO₂max is 95 to 100 percent of currentO₂max (Daniels 2005). Well-trained runners can run atO₂max pace for about 8 minutes. Ninety-five to 100 percent ofO₂max coincides with current 3,000-meter to 5,000-meter race pace. This coincides with an intensity of approximately 94 to 98 percent of maximal heart rate or 92 to 98 percent of heart rate reserve. Running intervals at this pace or intensity is part of the optimal strategy to improveO₂max.

The stimulus to improveO₂max is provided by the amount of time you accumulate during a workout in the optimal-intensity range. This fact has implications for how best to structure yourO₂max sessions. Consider two workouts that each include 6,000 meters of intervals � one of 15 � 400 meters and the other of 5 � 1,200 meters. When you run 400-meter repetitions, you�re in the optimal zone for perhaps 45 seconds per interval. If you do 15 repetitions, you would accumulate about 11 minutes at the optimal intensity. When you run longer intervals, you are in the optimal-intensity zone much longer. During each 1,200-meter interval, you would be in the optimal-intensity zone for 3 to 4 minutes and would accumulate 15 to 20 minutes in that zone during the workout. This would provide a stronger stimulus to improve yourO₂max.

The optimal duration forO₂max intervals for marathoners is approximately 2 to 6 minutes. Intervals in this range are long enough so you accumulate a substantial amount of time at 95 to 100 percent ofO₂max during each interval but short enough so you can maintain the optimal-intensity range throughout the workout. Intervals for marathoners should generally be between 800 and 1,600 meters. The training schedules in this book include some workouts of 600-meter repeats during weeks when your top priority lies elsewhere, such as when the week also calls for a tune-up race.

The training schedules don�t include 2,000-meter repeats. Although repeats of this length can provide a powerful boost toO₂max, for all but the elite they take more than 6 minutes to complete. That�s fine if you�re focusing on a 5K or 10K, whereO₂max is the primary determinant of success. As a marathoner, though, you want to be fresh for the week�s more-important endurance workouts, so you don�t want yourO₂max workouts to require several recovery days before and after.

The total volume of the intervals in a marathoner �sO₂max session should be 5,000 to 10,000 meters, with most workouts in the range of 6,000 to 8,000 meters. Any combination of repetitions of 800 to 1,600 meters will provide an excellent workout. Longer intervals (e.g., 1,200s or 1,600s) make for a tougher workout, physically and psychologically, and shouldn�t be avoided.

The optimal amount of rest between intervals is debatable. One school of thought is to minimize rest so that your metabolic rate stays high during the entire workout. This strategy makes for very difficult workouts (which can be good), but you risk shortening your workouts. Another school of thought is to allow your heart rate to decrease to 70 percent of your maximal heart rate or 60 percent of your heart rate reserve during your recovery between intervals.

For the lower-tech crowd, a good rule of thumb is to allow 50 to 90 percent of the length of time it takes to do the interval for your recovery. For example, if you�re running 1,000-meter repeats in 3:20, you would run slowly for 1:40 to 3 minutes between intervals.

TheO₂max sessions in these schedules feature repeats that strike a balance between being long enough to provide a powerful training stimulus and short enough to leave you fresh for your other important workouts of the week. BecauseO max training is not the highest priority during marathon preparation, theO₂max intervals in the training schedules in chapters 8 through 12 are run at 5,000-meter race pace. This coincides with the lower end of the optimal heart rate range, approximately 93 to 95 percent of maximal heart rate or 91 to 96 percent of heart rate reserve for most marathoners. Running yourO₂max intervals in this intensity range reduces the recovery time required before your next hard workout. (Be sure to use an accurate assessment of your current 5K pace, namely, a race run under optimal conditions, not a hilly course on a hot day.)

Don�t Max Out YourO₂max Workouts

Two related mistakes that marathoners sometimes make in training are running intervals too fast and running intervals too frequently. Let�s consider why you should avoid these errors.

A common mistake among marathoners is to do speed work too hard. The idea that running your intervals harder will make you run better is appealing, and it seems logical. It�s also incorrect. Running your intervals faster than the optimal zone will do two things � build up a high degree of lactate in your muscles and shorten the duration of your workout. Both of these effects are counterproductive for marathoners.

The marathon is an aerobic event. More than 99 percent of the energy you use in the marathon is supplied by your aerobic system. As you saw earlier in this chapter, during the marathon, you run slightly below your lactate-threshold pace; therefore, you don�t accumulate much lactate in your muscles and blood. In fact, when lactate levels are measured at the end of a marathon, they are only slightly above resting levels.

There�s no reason, then, for marathoners to do training that builds up high levels of lactate, such as intervals run at 1,500-meter race pace or faster. Running intervals at this pace produces high levels of lactate and improves your ability to produce energy using the glycolytic system (what you probably think of as running anaerobically) and to buffer high levels of lactate. None of these adaptations is relevant to the marathon. Running intervals much faster than 3,000- to 5,000-meter race pace also produces a smaller stimulus to improve yourO₂max.

RunningO₂max Sessions Too Frequently

Another common mistake among marathoners is trying to include too manyO₂max sessions in their marathon training programs. As discussed previously in this chapter, the most important adaptations for marathon success are a high level of endurance, a fast pace at lactate threshold, and the ability to store a large quantity of glycogen in the muscles and liver.O₂max sessions are definitely a secondary consideration for a marathoner. Intervals require large amounts of physical and psychological energy, which can be better used doing more specific marathon training.O₂max sessions have their place in marathon preparation, but they should be included sparingly.

Your goal for the marathon is to be able to maintain your goal race pace for 26.2 miles (42.2 km). The physiological demands of this task require a high lactate threshold, an excellent capacity to store glycogen, a well-developed ability to burn fat, and so on. Each of the various types of training that we have discussed so far focuses on improving a specific aspect of your physiology for the marathon. Now we�ll discuss a type of training that integrates the various physiological attributes as specifically as possible for the marathon race.

Long runs at marathon race pace directly prepare you for the demands of the race. The principle of specificity of training states that the most effective way to prepare for an event is to simulate that event as closely as possible. The closest way to simulate a marathon, of course, is to run 26.2 miles (42.2 km) at marathon pace. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), long runs at marathon pace are very hard on the body. If you run too far at marathon pace, the required recovery time will negate the benefits of the effort. Similarly, if you do long runs at marathon pace too often, you will greatly increase your likelihood of self-destructing through injury or overtraining.

The training programs in this book include up to four runs in which you�ll run 8 to 14 miles (13 to 22 km) of a longer run at goal marathon race pace. These runs are the most specific marathon preparation you�ll do. The intention is to stress your body in a similar way to the marathon, but to limit the duration so that your required recovery time is held to a few days. On these runs, use the first few miles to warm up, then finish the run with the prescribed number of miles at marathon race pace. In addition to the physiological and psychological benefits these runs impart, they�re an excellent opportunity to practice drinking and taking energy gels at race pace.

Where should you do your marathon-pace runs? Races of the appropriate distance are ideal � you�ll have a measured course, plenty of aid stations, and other runners to work with. As with doing tempo runs in races, though, be sure to limit yourself to the day�s goal and run them no faster than is called for.

If you can�t find a race of suitable length in which to do your marathon-pace runs, try to run at least part of them over a measured course so that you can get feedback about your pace. A reasonable way to check pace is to do 1 or 2 miles in the middle of a road-race course that has markers painted on the road. Similarly, many bike paths have miles marked, or you can use a GPS to check your pace. Your entire run needn�t be over a precisely calibrated course, but try to include at least a few stretches where you can accurately assess your pace, and then once you have a good sense of what your pace feels like, rely on perceived exertion or heart rate during the other parts of the run.

Given the opportunity for regular splits and frequent fluids, a track would seem to be an ideal locale for marathon-pace workouts, but bear in mind the reason for these runs. The purpose is to simulate marathon conditions as closely as possible. This means running on a road, not doing endless repeats of a 400-meter oval. Learn your goal marathon�s topography, and attempt to mimic it on your marathon-pace runs. Many runners do this when preparing for courses with obvious quirks, such as Boston, but the principle applies for all marathons. Pancake-flat courses such as Chicago also take their toll because your leg muscles are used exactly the same way from start to finish.

Wear your marathon shoes when doing at least one of these workouts, even if you�ll be racing the marathon in flats. You want to have at least one run of 15 miles (24 km) or so in your race-day shoes to learn whether they provide enough support when you start to tire and whether they give you blisters.

Now that we�ve discussed the types of training that help improve marathon performance, the next step is to develop your overall training plan. You need to prepare so that you�re at your best on marathon day. Systematically structuring your training to bring you to your desired end point is called periodization. The challenge in developing a periodized training plan is to decide how many hard sessions to do, which types of sessions to do, and when to do them.

A useful framework is provided by organizing your training into macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles. These concepts are used for preparing training programs in a wide variety of sports and have been used extensively in track and field.

For a marathoner, a macrocycle is the entire training period leading up to the marathon. You�ll likely have two macrocycles per year, each consisting of 4 to 6 months. Both of your macrocycles may culminate with a marathon, or you may have one goal marathon for the year and a second macrocycle leading up to a goal race at a shorter distance. Runners doing more than two marathons in a year will probably still have only two macrocycles per year. Multiple marathoners can do only a partial buildup for some of their marathons.

A macrocycle is divided into several mesocycles, each of which has a specific training objective. For a marathoner, a mesocycle may last from 4 to 10 weeks. For example, the first mesocycle in marathon preparation will almost always be a high-volume base training block of at least 4 weeks. As the race approaches, the priorities in your training shift. Each shift in priorities is reflected in a new mesocycle.

Each mesocycle is divided into several microcycles. A microcycle is a series of days that make up a shorter block of training. Microcycles can be anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks long. Often, the most effective training pattern is a microcycle of 8 to 10 days. Because we realize that the rest of your life revolves around a 7-day week, we�ve made a practical compromise on the ideal. We�ll use the terms microcycle and week interchangeably in this book. (Just for kicks, see what happens next Friday at the office when you say to a coworker, �Boy, I thought this microcycle would never end.�)

Let�s consider a runner whose annual training plan centers around two marathons per year. She would train for the marathon for 12 to 18 weeks culminating in the race, followed by 5 to 8 weeks to recover before starting focused training for the next target race. This indicates a minimum of 17 weeks for a marathoner �s macrocycle.

Now, let�s consider the training objectives in preparation for the marathon. The macrocycle will generally be divided into five mesocycles (table 1.3). The first mesocycle will focus on increasing mileage and improving pure endurance. This will likely be the longest mesocycle in the program. The second mesocycle will focus on improving lactate threshold, with further improvement of pure endurance as a secondary objective. The third mesocycle will focus on race preparation and will include tune-up races. The fourth mesocycle will include a 3-week taper and the marathon. The fifth and final mesocycle in a marathoner�s macrocycle will consist of several weeks of recovery.

Each 7-day microcycle will typically consist of three hard training sessions. This is the maximum number of hard sessions that most distance runners can respond to positively. A few runners can handle four hard sessions per week, and some runners can handle only two. Considering that there are at least five categories of hard training sessions that you can do, it takes a good deal of intelligent planning to come up with the optimal training program for you. The training schedules in this book are structured around five mesocycles per macrocycle and generally include three hard training sessions per microcycle.

Training provides a variety of stimuli that lead to adaptations that improve your marathon performance. Training also gives you the confidence that comes with setting and achieving challenging training goals. However, training doesn�t completely prepare you for the marathon. An additional component to successful marathoning can be gained only by racing.

Tune-up races are important benchmarks of your fitness and prepare you mentally for the rigors of racing. Because less is at stake, even the toughest workout isn�t as mentally demanding as a race. After all, in a race, when you�re competing against other runners, there�s a fine margin between relative success and relative failure. Similarly, in a race you�re committed to finish (or you should be) whether you�re having a good day or a lousy day; in a workout, if things aren�t going well, you can always stop early with your pride relatively intact. The all-out aspect of racing provides a mental hardening that�s necessary to run a good marathon. When runners do no premarathon tune-up races, they have greater anxiety leading up to the marathon.

Tune-up races serve two purposes. First, they provide feedback on your fitness, reducing an element of uncertainty about your marathon preparation. Second, they make you go through the nerves of racing, helping to reduce anxiety in the last few days and hours before the marathon. When you�re at your limit in the marathon, feeling tired, wondering whether you can hang on even though there are still 10 miles (16 km) to go, it helps to have been through the demands of racing at shorter distances. Even though the ultimate test (the marathon) is crueler, the preparation gained from shorter races is priceless.

By tune-up races, we mean all-out efforts, not races in which you give less than your best, such as races you use as the setting for a tempo run or marathon-pace run. Tune-up races can vary in length from 8K (5 mi) to 25K, depending on their training purpose. Races of 5K or shorter are less specific to marathon success, and races of 30K or longer require too much recovery.

Tune-up race distances can be divided into two categories. Races of 15K to 25K take at least 5 days to recover from, and you must place them strategically in your training program. These races provide the greatest physiological and psychological benefit. Therefore, prepare for these races with a mini-taper of 4 to 6 days. You can�t afford to taper any longer than 6 days because the tune-up race isn�t your primary goal, and you need to keep training for the marathon. A tune-up race of 15K to 25K really represents a training block of at least 10 days, consisting of 4 to 6 days of tapering, the race itself, and several days� recovery before the next hard training session.

The second category of tune-up race distances is 8K to 12K. These races take less out of you and require less tapering and fewer recovery days than races of 15K or longer. You can approach tune-up races of 8K to 12K in two ways. First, you can train through them and treat them as an all-out effort done while fatigued. This will provide an excellent training stimulus as well as a mental challenge that will help steel you for the marathon. Racing when tired, however, brings the danger of believing that your finishing time and place represent your current fitness level. If you typically race 10K in 32:00 but run 33:10 in a tune-up race, you could interpret the result as meaning you�re not in shape, and you might start to train harder or become discouraged. It�s important to put the result in the context of the situation.

The other way to approach a tune-up race of 8K to 12K is to do a mini-taper and give yourself a couple of recovery days. This is the appropriate approach if you�re using the race to assess your fitness level or as a confidence booster leading up to the marathon. Table 1.4 indicates how close to a tune-up race you can do a hard workout without going into the race fatigued. Although you won�t see the benefits of the workout in this week�s race, you should be recovered enough so the workout doesn�t detract from your race performance.

Tempo runs are the easiest to recover from because they don�t break down the body as much as other forms of hard training. Long runs require at least 4 days of recovery to put in a good race effort, although replenishing glycogen stores generally requires only 48 hours. Interval workouts put the body under the most stress and require the longest time to recover from.

Now you know what physiological traits are needed to run a good marathon and how to train to improve those traits. More so than with any other popular distance, though, success in the marathon depends not only on what you do to your body but also on what you put in your body. Proper nutrition and hydration are critical when training for and running a marathon. They�re the subjects of the next chapter.

This chapter looks at two critical but often misunderstood factors in marathon preparation and racing � nutrition and hydration. Why are these matters critical? Because the two factors that typically conspire to make you slow in the last few miles of the marathon are glycogen depletion and dehydration. By understanding the role of nutrition for marathon preparation and racing, you can develop strategies to optimize your marathon performance.

This chapter discusses the importance of staying well hydrated and how to prevent dehydration, the roles of carbohydrate and fat as the primary fuels for endurance exercise and how to prevent glycogen depletion, the role of protein for endurance athletes, the need to maintain normal iron levels, and nutrition considerations for racing the marathon. Understanding the information in this chapter is an essential component of your marathon preparation.

Staying well hydrated is vital to successful marathoning during training and racing. Becoming dehydrated negatively affects your running performance and also slows your ability to recover for the next workout. Your blood and other fluids help remove waste products and bring nutrients to tissues for repair. Replacing lost fluids as quickly as possible after running, therefore, will speed your recovery.

Let�s take a look at the physiology of dehydration. When you sweat, the following chain of events occurs:

��Your blood volume decreases, so

��less blood returns to your heart; therefore,

��the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat decreases, so

��less oxygen-rich blood reaches your working muscles; therefore,

��you produce less energy aerobically, and

��you must run at a slower pace.

These effects are magnified on a hot day because one of your body�s major responses to hot weather is to increase cooling by sending more blood to the skin to remove heat from the body; this process means that even less blood returns to the heart to be pumped to the working muscles. The result is a higher heart rate for a given pace and an inability to maintain the same pace as on a cool day. Looked at in another way, dehydration also reduces your body�s ability to maintain your core temperature because less blood is available to be sent to your skin, and your sweat rate decreases. Struggling to maintain a fast pace on a hot day becomes more dangerous as you become progressively more dehydrated and can lead to heatstroke.

The need to drink during the marathon is obvious. But staying well hydrated is also important during training. Don�t rely just on your thirst � your body�s thirst mechanism is imperfect. Marathoners sometimes become chronically dehydrated without realizing it. Interestingly, this seems to happen most often in the winter, when the need to drink isn�t as obvious. But whenever you�re running high mileage, you need to replace your body�s fluid losses daily, even if you�re training in conditions of -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius). (Fun fact: One reason you can get dehydrated while running even in extremely cold weather is because some bodily fluids are lost when you burn glycogen.)

Dehydration isn�t all bad. When you become dehydrated from exercise, you provide a stimulus for your body to adapt to similar situations in the future by conserving more of what you drink after. The resulting expansion of your blood volume is a positive adaptation. The positive aspects of dehydration are true only up to a point � beyond a moderate amount of dehydration, you sacrifice performance during training, increase your recovery time, and increase your risk of heat-related illness.

That �moderate amount of dehydration� is usually surprisingly small. Studies have found that dehydration of 2 percent of body weight leads to about a 4 to 6 percent reduction in running performance. Ed Coyle, PhD, a former competitive runner and now professor of exercise physiology at the University of Texas at Austin, has provided evidence that even a small amount of dehydration causes a decrease in running performance. This is because any reduction in blood volume will reduce the amount of blood returning to your heart.

Conventional wisdom indicates that strength-trained athletes such as weightlifters need lots of extra protein to build muscle but that the protein needs of endurance athletes are the same as for sedentary folks. Over the past 15 years, however, studies have clearly shown that endurance athletes have elevated protein needs. As a marathoner, your body needs protein to repair damaged muscles, to make red blood cells to deliver oxygen to your muscles, to make mitochondria in your muscles to produce energy aerobically, to maintain a strong immune system, and to make enzymes and hormones that keep your body functioning normally.

Sedentary individuals need about.8 to 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (.35 to.45 g/lb per day). Endurance athletes have elevated protein needs because of their greater wear and tear on muscle tissue and red blood cells, need for more mitochondria, and so on. Several formulas are used for calculating the protein needs of endurance athletes, but a typical guideline is 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (.55 to.75 g/lb of body weight) per day (Eberle 2007). Table 2.1 presents daily protein requirements for marathoners.

Chances are that most marathoners meet or exceed their protein requirements through a typical American diet. Runners who are vegetarians or who greatly restrict their meat intake may not meet their protein needs. If you�re a vegetarian, it�s not difficult to meet your protein requirements, but it does require some knowledge and planning.

Eating too much protein can also have negative consequences for your running performance. If you eat too much protein, you may not be consuming enough carbohydrate, so such a diet would reduce your energy levels. Your body would use the excess protein as energy by removing the amino groups and oxidizing the resulting carbon skeleton. This process requires the removal of waste products, which stresses the kidneys and can lead to dehydration.

Iron is vital to running performance. Despite this importance, many runners don�t monitor their iron levels. Even many physicians don�t understand the complete role of iron for endurance athletes.

Iron is necessary for producing hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Oxygen attaches to hemoglobin for transport in your blood to your muscles. If your hemoglobin level is low, less oxygen reaches your muscles, which means your muscles can�t produce as much energy aerobically. The result is that yourO₂max and lactate threshold are reduced, and you can�t maintain as fast a pace. In addition, iron is a component of many other substances in the body, such as enzymes in your muscle cells that affect aerobic energy production, so low iron levels may cause low energy levels by altering the composition of these other substances.

For many years, top athletes and coaches have recognized the benefits of a high red blood cell count; this awareness has led to the illegal practices of blood doping and using synthetic erythropoietin (EPO) to increase red blood cell count. EPO is a hormone the body produces naturally that determines the body�s level of red blood cell production. When EPO levels rise through natural means or through injection of synthetic EPO, red blood cell production and hemoglobin levels increase. The result is that the runner can produce more energy aerobically and, therefore, maintain a faster pace.

Though a few athletes try to artificially achieve a high red blood cell count, the typical marathoner needs to ensure that she or he doesn�t have a low red blood cell count or low iron stores. Low iron levels may be the most prevalent nutrition deficiency in Western marathoners. With iron-deficiency anemia, your iron stores are gone and your hemoglobin level is reduced. With iron depletion, on the other hand, your iron stores are low but not gone, and your hemoglobin is still normal. Although anemia is more detrimental, both of these conditions can negatively affect your running performance.

Runners tend to have lower iron levels than do sedentary folks for many reasons: increased blood volume, low iron intake, foot-strike hemolysis, iron loss through sweat and urine, and iron loss through the gastrointestinal (GI) system. For marathoners, the iron losses tend to be higher than for those doing shorter races, primarily because of higher training volumes. Let�s look at each of these factors.

Ergogenic aids are substances that may enhance athletic performance. In The Ergogenics Edge, Melvin Williams, PhD, classifies ergogenic aids as nutritional aids (e.g., vitamins, minerals, protein supplements, carbohydrate supplements, bee pollen, and ginseng), pharmacological aids (drugs such as anabolic steroids and amphetamines), or physiological aids (e.g., human growth hormone, EPO, creatine, and glycerol) (Williams 1998). Most supposed ergogenic aids have no scientific evidence to support their use and will do nothing to improve your running performance.

The multimillion-dollar supplement industry is poorly regulated, with the result that many unsubstantiated claims are made. The advent of unregulated Internet sites pushing supplements with advertisements written as though they�re the results of scientific studies has made it even harder for runners to know what works. It doesn�t help when famous athletes endorse these products. The manufacturer tells the athlete wonderful things about the supplement, and the athlete gets paid to build credibility for the product by repeating those wonderful things. As a result, many people waste money on products that neither harm nor help performance.

Taking supplements that you know little about also carries a risk, as they may contain harmful or illegal substances. For example, many athletes who failed drug tests for the steroid nandrolone in the 1990s claimed that small amounts of the substance or of a precursor of nandrolone must have been in one of the supplements they were taking. (Of course, almost everyone who fails a drug test claims the result is false.)

Are there any legal pills you can pop that will help your running performance? The answer is yes, and the list is short. We could spend page after page discussing the supplements that don�t work. In The Ergogenics Edge, Williams discusses 61 types of supplements and drugs that claim to improve athletic performance. Thirty-nine of those claim to improve aerobic endurance, which, if true, would improve marathon performance. Imagine how fast you would run if you took all 39! In reality, you would be a lot poorer and would still need to eat a healthy diet to get the nutrients you need. Let�s look at supposed ergogenic aids by category.

The many nutritional supplements available on the market can be put into the following four categories:

1.�Those that have been clearly shown to enhance endurance performance

2.�Those that lack evidence from well-controlled scientific studies that they enhance endurance performance

3.�Those that enhance performance only if you have a nutrition deficiency

4.�Those that require more research

Category 1 includes only carbohydrate supplements and fluid. We have already discussed these topics in depth.

Category 2 includes almost all nutritional supplements that make miraculous claims, including ginseng, bee pollen, and various herbs and plant extracts.

Category 3 includes most vitamins and minerals that have an established RDA. If you fall below the RDA for a prolonged time, you�ll develop a nutrition deficiency that could inhibit your running performance and your ability to recover. All of the vitamins and minerals you need can be obtained from foods. Vitamin and mineral supplements are expensive, and relying on them for your vitamin and mineral needs is simply an admission that the quality of your overall diet is poor.

Within category 4, evidence exists that antioxidants can help marathoners and other endurance athletes. Antioxidants work by neutralizing oxygen free radicals, which are formed during aerobic metabolism. Free radicals damage cell membranes and other parts of muscle cells. Antioxidant supplementation, therefore, reduces the damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants may also help maintain immune function after strenuous exercise. The most commonly used antioxidants are beta carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium.

Studies on the benefits of antioxidant supplementation have had mixed results � some show links between antioxidant supplementation and reduced muscle damage, whereas others show no benefit. Similar mixed results have been reported for the role of antioxidants in maintaining immune function. In one study, runners who took 600 milligrams of vitamin C a day for 3 weeks had more than 50 percent fewer head colds after the Comrades ultramarathon than did runners taking a placebo.

As more evidence accumulates, it�s prudent to take only moderate doses of antioxidants. Large doses of one vitamin or mineral may lead to decreased absorption of other nutrients, decreased immune function, or both. For example, studies have found that very high doses of vitamin E, vitamin D, or zinc reduce immune function.

New substances and combinations of substances are being introduced to the market each week, almost all of which will be of no benefit to your athletic performance.

Of the pharmacological and physiological ergogenic aids that have been shown to have a positive effect on athletic performance, almost all have been banned by the International Olympic Committee and many other sporting bodies. Within the realm of legal pharmacological or physiological ergogenic aids, the only ones that may provide benefits for an endurance athlete are moderate amounts of caffeine or glycerol.

The effects of caffeine were discussed earlier in this chapter. That leaves glycerol, a product that our bodies produce naturally. Glycerol supplementation increases total body water stores. This may be an advantage for a warm-weather marathon because if you start the race with more stored fluid, then it should follow that the effects of dehydration will be postponed until later in the race. Although several sports drinks on the market contain glycerol, it�s still open to debate whether glycerol leads to enhanced performance during warm-weather competitions. (Glycerol supplementation isn�t advisable for shorter races in cool conditions because the weight of the extra fluid you carry would be detrimental to performance.)

So you�ve followed the advice in this chapter and eaten properly and stayed well hydrated throughout your months of preparation. Guess what � your work isn�t done yet. Your strategies for taking calories and fluid on race day can have a strong influence on your marathon performance.

As we saw in chapter 1, every time you do a hard workout, you provide a stimulus for your body to improve in some way, such as your lactate threshold, fat-burning ability,O₂max, and so on. Any one workout, though, provides only a mild stimulus for improvement; it�s the sum of your workouts over time that determines the total stimulus to improve a specific component of your fitness. For example, if you do one tempo run in the few months before your marathon, you provide a mild stimulus for your lactate threshold to improve. If you do six tempo runs in 8 weeks, you provide a strong repetitive stimulus for your lactate threshold to improve.

The training stimulus, however, is only half of the formula for performance improvement. To improve, your body must recover from training and adapt to a higher level. By learning to manage your recovery, you�ll optimize your training. If you manage your recovery so that you can do hard workouts more frequently or so that the quality of your hard workouts consistently improves, then you�ll provide a greater stimulus for your body to improve its capacities.

Recovery from training is important, both from day to day and over the course of your marathon-preparation program. Poor management of your recovery can lead to overtraining, which simply overwhelms your body�s ability to respond positively to training. In this chapter, we�ll review how to optimize your recovery for marathon success.

One of the realities of running is that if you do a hard workout today, you won�t be a better marathoner tomorrow. In fact, tomorrow you�ll just be tired. Hard training causes immediate fatigue, tissue breakdown, dehydration, and glycogen depletion. Depending on the difficulty of the training session (and other factors discussed in this chapter), you�ll require from 2 to 10 days to completely recover from a workout.

At some point, however, the fatigue of each workout dissipates and you adapt to a higher level. To optimize your training, you need to find the correct balance between training and recovery for you. Training provides the stimulus for your body to adapt, but recovery is when you allow your body to adapt and improve. Well-designed training sessions also provide a stimulus for your body to adapt to a higher level, which is called supercompensation.

Effectively managing your recovery means answering two questions:

1.�How many days after a workout do you reap the benefits of that workout?

2.�How much time should you allow between hard workouts or between a hard workout and a race?

Let�s try to answer those questions.

The intensity, duration, and frequency (number of sessions per week) of your training all influence the rate at which your body adapts. The adaptations in hormone levels, fat-burning ability, capillary density, and so on that result from endurance training occur because of repeated training bouts rather than as a result of one workout in isolation. It�s as though your body must be convinced that you�re really serious about training before it makes the physiological adaptations that let you reach a new level.

The process of adaptation begins with your genes. Training provides stimuli (e.g., glycogen depletion) that turn specific genes on or off. By altering the expression of genes, training changes the rates at which your body makes and breaks down specific proteins. For example, endurance training turns on genes for the production of mitochondrial protein. More endurance training leads to more mitochondria in your muscles so that you can produce more energy aerobically. Your muscles and cardiovascular system adapt over days, weeks, and months to the cumulative effects of your repeated training.

Runners vary greatly in how long it takes them to recover from and adapt to a workout. Differences among runners in recovery time and rate of improvement are determined by genetics, age (you tend to recover more slowly with age), training history, gender (women tend to recover more slowly because of lower testosterone levels), and lifestyle factors. Your genetics determine your predisposition to adapt to training; some of us are programmed to adapt more quickly than others. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, quantity and quality of sleep, general health, and various life stressors (such as work, finances, and relationships), all influence how quickly you recover from and adapt to training. Because so much variation exists among runners in how many workouts they can tolerate in a given period, you shouldn�t copy your training partner �s running program. Only through experience will you learn how much training you can handle.

As an example, figure 3.1, adapted from Tudor Bompa�s Periodization Training for Sports (2005), details two runners who do the same workout and experience the same amount of initial fatigue but who recover at different rates. Rachel (represented by the solid line) recovers more quickly than Karen (represented by the dashed line). Rachel will be able to recover from and adapt positively to more high-quality workouts in a given period and will, therefore, improve more quickly than Karen. Rachel would also require a shorter taper before a race than Karen.

Only through trial and error will you know how much training your body can positively adapt to in a given time. Successful marathoning requires that you go through this self-discovery process intelligently and systematically. Determining this balance can be tricky because it can be hard to isolate variables. For example, if your job is now much more stressful than the last time you trained for a marathon, your current rate of recovery might be slower. You must find the correct balance of training stimulus and recovery for your specific circumstances over the long weeks that constitute marathon training.

Unfortunately, the scientific literature doesn�t provide clear evidence of the amount of time required to realize the benefits of an individual training session. Personal experience and discussions with many runners and coaches indicate that 8 to 10 days is an adequate amount of time to recover from and reap the rewards of most hard training sessions. Given that any one workout provides only a small fitness benefit � on the order of magnitude of less than 1 percent � but that a workout can cause severe short-term fatigue, it�s wise to err on the side of caution and allow enough time to fully recover from training before a race. For the marathon race itself, complete recovery from training is critical for success. Marathon tapering generally requires a full 3 weeks; tapering is the subject of chapter 5.

Table 3.1 shows typical times to reap the benefits of three major types of workouts. The third column indicates typical amounts of time to recover from a workout of each type. For example, the table indicates that you should allow at least 4 days between tempo runs or between a tempo run and a tune-up race. You don�t, however, need to allow 4 days between a tempo run and a long run or interval workout. That�s because each type of workout uses different combinations of energy systems, so complete recovery from one type of workout isn�t necessary before you do another type of workout.

Although you won�t see the benefits of this week�s workout in this weekend�s race, if you do the workout early enough in the week you should recover sufficiently for it not to have a detrimental effect on your race performance. The timelines in Table 3.1 take into account the fact that we often do a tune-up race when the fatigue of previous training is reduced rather than when supercompensation has occurred. You generally can�t afford the time required to be optimally rested for tune-up races. Marathoners should allow only enough rest and recovery to obtain optimal results for the marathon itself and possibly for one tune-up race.

Of the major types of workouts, tempo runs are the easiest to recover from because they don�t break down the body as much as the other forms of hard training. Tempo runs are neither fast enough to cause substantial muscle damage nor long enough to totally deplete your muscles of glycogen.

Long runs seem to cause the most variability in recovery time among runners, although replenishing glycogen stores generally requires only 24 to 48 hours. Some runners are able to recover relatively quickly from long runs, whereas others are wiped out for days after one. The variability in recovery time depends on your training history, the genetic and lifestyle factors discussed previously, the type of courses you train on (downhills cause more muscle damage and greater recovery time), and the weather (the same long run in 85-degree F [29-degree C] weather will take longer to recover from than one on a 50-degree F [10-degree C] day).

Interval workouts put your muscles and cardiovascular system under the most stress and generally require the longest recovery time. Later in this chapter, we�ll discuss strategies that you can use to speed your recovery.

Regardless of the type of workout involved, the pattern of workout and recovery is basic to effective training. Generally known as the hard/easy principle, this dictates the structure of your training over the weeks and months leading up to the marathon. Let�s investigate the rationale for following the hard/easy principle.

Conventional wisdom calls for following the hard/easy principle of training, which is typically interpreted to mean that a hard effort is always followed by 1 or more recovery days. A recovery day may consist of an easy run, a light cross-training session, or total rest. During your marathon preparation, however, it�s sometimes best to violate this training pattern and do back-to-back hard days. The appropriate interpretation of the hard/easy principle is that 1 or more hard days should be followed by 1 or more recovery days. Let�s investigate the physiological rationale for following the hard/easy principle and look at two situations in which you should do back-to-back hard training days.

The hard day/easy day training pattern follows from the physiological dogma of stimulus and response � hard training provides a stimulus for your body to improve, but rest is then needed to allow your body to recover and adapt to a higher level. Three reasons to follow the hard/easy principle are to prevent total glycogen depletion, to prevent illness, and to minimize the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Preventing Glycogen Depletion. As discussed in chapter 2, your body can store only a limited amount of glycogen. With a typical runner�s high-carbohydrate diet, you probably have enough glycogen to get you through a 20- to 22-mile (32 to 35 km) run or a hard interval workout. It takes about 24 to 48 hours to completely replenish your glycogen stores. When you do two hard workouts in a row, therefore, you risk going into the second workout with partially filled glycogen stores, becoming depleted, and having a bad workout. Although glycogen depletion is potentially a problem on the second hard day, with a bit of planning it needn�t be an insurmountable problem. Three hard days in a row, however, would very likely lead to glycogen depletion and a more-prolonged recovery period. By following the hard/easy principle, you give your body time to build up your glycogen stores so you are prepared for the next hard workout.

So far in this chapter, we�ve discussed the necessity of incorporating recovery into your training schedule. Following the hard/easy principle, 1 or more hard days are always followed by 1 or more easy days. Easy training days are more appropriately called recovery days because their purpose is to allow you to recover for your next hard effort.

So what constitutes a recovery day? As with most aspects of running, the answer depends on your physiology. Recovery days should be less difficult than hard sessions in the volume (distance) and intensity of training. In some cases, a recovery day should be a day of rest or a day of cross-training.

The most common training mistake marathon runners make is training too hard on recovery days. If you train too hard on a scheduled recovery day, then you�ll be a bit tired for your next hard day, and that workout won�t go as well as planned. If you�re like most runners, you�ll be ticked off, and you�ll run your next scheduled recovery day a bit harder. So begins a vicious cycle in which your recovery days are done too hard and the quality of your hard days declines. The result is mediocre performances in training and racing. Just as it takes discipline to push through a tempo run when you feel bad, so does it take discipline to train easily when you feel good on a planned recovery day.

The other mistake that marathoners often make is trying to squeeze in too much distance on recovery days. Early in your training program, when the marathon is still more than 8 weeks away, it probably doesn�t hurt to add a couple of extra miles to recovery days because the overall intensity of training tends to be rather low. When you�re into the last 8 weeks of training, however, you have hard sessions with specific purposes. If you go into your hard days tired from too many slow miles on your recovery days, then your overall progress will be compromised.

Your recovery days shouldn�t impose additional training stress on your muscles or your nervous system. You should try, therefore, to minimize the pounding on your legs on those days. Running on soft surfaces on your recovery days will reduce the cumulative impact your legs and back experience over the course of the week. When you consider that your recovery days occur when you�re the most tired and when your muscles are the most fatigued and least resilient, it makes sense to take it easy on your muscles on those days. This also implies avoiding hill running on your recovery days, not only because running uphill is likely to require more effort than is optimal for an easy day but also because downhill running tends to induce muscle damage, and you certainly don�t want to incur additional muscle damage on a recovery day.

Using a heart monitor is a good way to prevent yourself from training too hard on your recovery days. (See chapters 1 and 7 for information about training by heart rate.) If you keep your heart rate below 76 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve plus your resting heart rate, you�ll let your body recover to allow high-quality workouts on your hard training days.

For example, say your resting heart rate is 50 beats per minute and your maximal heart rate is 185 beats per minute. If you train by maximal heart rate, then you would want to keep your heart rate below 141 (185 �.76) on your recovery days. Heart rate reserve is your maximal heart rate minus your resting pulse. In this example, then, your heart rate reserve is 135. If you train using this more-complicated but more-precise method, you would want to keep your heart rate below 144 [resting heart rate of 50 + (135 �.70)] on your recovery days.

The lower-tech way to determine your appropriate recovery training intensity is to run approximately 2 minutes per mile (per 1.6 km) slower than your 10-mile (16 km) to half marathon race pace. For example, if you run the half marathon in 1:18, or just under 6 minutes per mile (per 1.6 km), then your recovery runs should be done at roughly an 8-minute-per-mile (per 1.6 km) pace.

At his peak, Bill Rodgers used to say that nobody working a full-time job would beat him in the marathon. He knew that even if someone could string together training to match his around the constraints of regular employment, the extra rest and attention to detail that his schedule allowed would give him an edge on race day.

Of course, you�re probably not trying to win Boston, nor do you likely have the luxury of quitting your job for the sake of your running. Still, you can hasten your recovery from hard workouts by regularly paying attention to these matters at work.

��Hydration. Always have a water bottle at your workstation, and commit to draining it several times a day.

��Calories. Keep healthful foods at work so that you can graze throughout the day as opposed to getting so famished that you hit the vending machines in desperation.

��Posture, part I. Make sure your computer screen is at eye level and not too far away so that you don�t sit with your head tilted and thrust forward all day.

��Posture, part II. Even if your computer is set up ideally, it�s still easy to sit with a slumped upper body when you�re at a desk all day. Sit with your head, shoulders, and hips aligned, and with a slight curve in your lower back. Good posture at work translates into fewer biomechanical woes on the run.

��Move. Get up and walk around at least once an hour to lessen the strain on your lower back and hamstrings. If the smokers in your office are allowed to leave their desks throughout the day to tend to their habit, then you should be able to stand and stretch your legs to tend to yours.

Overtraining is a danger for any motivated marathoner. In striving to improve your performance, you progressively increase the volume and intensity of your training. At some point, you hit your individual training threshold. When you exceed that threshold, positive adaptation stops, negative adaptation occurs, and your performances in training and racing suffer.

Individual training thresholds vary greatly among runners. Beijing Olympic marathoner Brian Sell handles repeated 150-mile (241 km) weeks, whereas some runners struggle to maintain 40-mile (64 km) weeks. Similarly, some runners can handle 2 hard days of training in succession, whereas others need 3 easy days after each hard workout. Your individual training threshold also changes with time. Sell couldn�t always handle such big mileage, but he increased his mileage as his capacity to withstand the stress increased. A detailed training log that you update at least a few times a week will help you discern your limits and how they evolve throughout your running career.

It�s important to clarify what overtraining is and isn�t. Fatigue for a day or 2 after a hard training session isn�t overtraining. In fact, it�s a necessary step in the process of recovery and development. When training stress is applied in the appropriate dosage, then you improve at the optimal rate. If your training stress is above the optimal level, you may still improve, but you�ll do so at a slower rate. Only above a higher threshold (your individual training threshold) does true overtraining occur.

What�s much more common than overtraining is overreaching. Unfortunately, this zone is where many marathoners spend much of their time. Overreaching occurs when you string together too many days of hard training. Your muscle fatigue is most likely primarily from glycogen depletion, and you may simply need time for metabolic recovery. A few days of moderate training combined with a high-carbohydrate diet should quickly remedy the situation. Overreaching can also be caused by dehydration, lack of sleep, or other life stressors on top of your normal training. In all of these cases, your body should rebound in less than a week when the extra stress is removed.

Repeated overreaching eventually leads to overtraining syndrome. The simple explanation for overtraining syndrome is that the combination of training load and other life stressors is greater than the body�s ability to recover and adapt positively for a prolonged period of time. The combination of contributing factors and threshold for overtraining syndrome varies greatly among athletes.

The body�s response to overtraining may be regulated by the hypothalamus. Located at the base of the brain, the hypothalamus controls body temperature, sugar and fat metabolism, and the release of a variety of hormones; it�s essentially your master control center for dealing with stress. When your hypothalamus can�t handle the combination of training and other stressors in your life, typical symptoms include fatigue, reduced immune system function, disturbed sleep, decreased motivation, irritability, and poor athletic performance. Chronic inflammatory responses from repeated muscle damage without sufficient recovery have also been hypothesized to contribute to overtraining syndrome.

Overtraining is caused by poor planning and not heeding your body�s feedback. In 1998, exercise physiologist Carl Foster, PhD, presented an interesting concept to help avoid overtraining. The concept is based in part on evidence that horses progress after a hard/easy training program but become overtrained when the workload on the easy days is increased. (Stick with us here; this has applications for running.)

The hypothesis is that overtraining is related to both the difficulty of training (the training load) and the �monotony� of training. Monotony of training is a lack of variation in the difficulty of training from day to day. Monotonous training typically consists of 1 moderately hard day after another, whereas varied training consists of a mix of hard days, easy days, and the occasional rest day.

The concept is that training strain is the combined effect of the training load and the training monotony. Foster found that training strain can predict overtraining-related illness and injury, with both load and monotony as contributing factors. This is further evidence that mixing recovery days into your training program is necessary for optimal improvement without breaking down. Again, a good training log can help you here. If you can gain an awareness of the combination of training load and monotony that puts you over the edge, then you can try to adjust these elements for optimal training and optimal marathon performance.

If you�re truly overtrained, you need to take immediate action. The first step is to see a sports physician to check that you don�t have an illness that mimics the symptoms of overtraining. The possibility always exists that excessive fatigue is caused by something worse than running. Also ask the physician to check your hemoglobin and ferritin levels to see whether your iron levels are normal (see chapter 2).

Unless you have a particularly severe case of overtraining, 3 to 5 weeks of greatly reduced training should bring your energy level back to normal. It appears that reducing training intensity is more important than reducing training volume in breaking out of overtraining syndrome. Reducing your training intensity so that you�re doing only easy aerobic running is the most important step in breaking out of overtraining.

You should, however, also reduce your training volume. The correct amount to reduce your training volume depends on your individual circumstances and how deeply entrenched in overtraining you�ve become. As a rule of thumb, reducing your mileage by 50 percent should be enough to allow your body to recover. In addition, if you�ve been training twice a day, it will be necessary to reduce to one training session a day. Your body needs time to recover, and a second workout will slow your progress. For the first several weeks, it�s also helpful to have at least 1 day a week off from training.

Monitoring your body provides valuable information on your adaptation to training, your risk of injury or illness, and your readiness for the next hard training session. There are several good ways to determine when you are overreaching so you can avoid overtraining and remain healthy. You can use this information to improve your recovery by modifying your training schedule.

There are many ways to monitor your recovery, but the simplest measures are often the most useful and the easiest to adhere to. In combination, these measures provide insight into your adaptation to training. Typically, when results on these measures decrease, running performance and recovery deteriorate a few days later. In addition to the details of your training, try recording the following details in your training log, and review your log periodically to find the patterns that predict overtraining, illness, and injury.

��Weight: Check your weight at the same time of day each day or several times per week. Decreases in weight over a few days usually indicate dehydration. Decreases in weight over a few weeks can indicate that you are not eating enough calories, have an illness, or are overtraining.

��Morning heart rate: Your heart rate when you first wake up in the morning provides an indication of your recovery. It is important to check your heart rate soon after you wake, because it increases as soon as you start thinking about your plans for the day and by about 10 beats per minute when you get up. In addition, waking to an alarm can increase your heart rate and make the data less reliable.

��To find your resting heart rate, therefore, take your pulse immediately upon waking for several days. Your true resting heart rate is the lowest rate you find. If your morning heart rate is more than 5 beats per minute higher than usual, this may be an indication of inadequate recovery or illness. An elevated morning heart rate can be particularly useful in preventing illness, as the increased heart rate is often the first sign that you are not well.

��Environmental conditions: Record the temperature and humidity on hot days. Because of increased core body temperature and dehydration, your body undergoes substantially more stress when you run at 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) and 80 percent humidity than at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) and low humidity. If you train hard or compete on a hot, humid day, the heat you generate can overwhelm your body�s ability to eliminate heat, causing your core temperature to climb, which can greatly increase recovery time. Similarly, as discussed in chapter 2, dehydration also increases recovery time. There�s great variation in how runners are affected by heat. Your training log will reveal patterns that can help you make needed adjustments during a stretch of hot weather.

��Hours of sleep: The number of hours of sleep that you obtain is not particularly important for any one night. Over several nights, however, your quantity of sleep can influence your recovery and ability to adapt positively to training. Your quantity of sleep is one of several measures that, in combination, can explain a lack of recovery and can indicate needed lifestyle changes to help prevent illness or injury.

��Quality of sleep: The quality of your sleep is arguably more important than the number of hours. Evaluate the quality of your sleep each night � How soundly did you sleep? Were you awake a lot in the middle of the night? Did you get out of bed feeling refreshed?�� and try to be as consistent as possible in your assessment. A reduction in quality of sleep is often associated with overtraining. Reduced sleep quality can also be caused by nonrunning stressors, but the result for your running performance is the same.

��Diet quality: Evaluate the overall quality of your diet each day � Were each of your meals balanced? Did you get so hungry that you binged? Did the bulk of your calories come from fresh grains, fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein?�� and try to be as consistent as possible in your assessment. Often, a lack of energy can be traced back to poor diet in the previous few days.

��Hydration level: Dehydration has an immediate effect on running performance and slows recovery from training. Evaluate your hydration level each day � Was your urine clear throughout the day? Did you drink small amounts regularly so that you seldom felt thirsty? Did your mouth and throat often feel dry?�� and try to be as consistent as possible in your assessment. Your daily weight provides a good indication of your hydration level.

��Muscle soreness: It is not unusual for runners to have slightly sore muscles most of the time. An increase in muscle soreness can be due to a hard workout or running downhill. Evaluate your general muscle soreness each day � Were any of your leg muscles much more sore than others? Did your soreness lessen after a few miles of running? Did your soreness seem explainable by your most recent workouts?�� and try to be as consistent as possible in your assessment. If increased general muscle soreness lasts more than 4 or 5 days, then it is likely that you are ill or overreaching. Soreness in a specific muscle indicates a potential injury, whereas more-general muscle soreness provides an indication of your recovery and adaptation to training.

��Energy level: An assessment of energy level is one of the best indications of recovery from training. Evaluate your energy level each day � Did you have the energy to accomplish your running and daily life goals? Did you feel alert and focused when running or performing a task? Were you willing to undertake activities that required effort, or did you dread them?�� and try to be as consistent as possible in your assessment. If your energy level is reduced for more than 3 days, it is important to determine the cause of the reduction. Typical causes of reduced energy levels are lack of carbohydrate intake, training hard too many days in a row, illness, low iron levels, dehydration, and lack of sleep. By reviewing your training log and considering your lifestyle factors, you should be able to identify the likely cause of a low energy level.

��Heart rate at a standard pace: If your heart rate at a set pace is more than about 7 beats per minute higher than usual, then you may not be recovered from your previous training sessions. For example, if your heart rate at an 8-minute-per-mile pace is typically 145 beats per minute, and one day you find it is 155 beats per minute at that pace, then you likely need additional recovery before doing your next hard training session. Heart rate during running at a given pace varies by a few beats per minute from day to day, and it is also influenced by factors such as dehydration and hot or humid conditions, so take this into consideration in evaluating the implications of a higher-than-usual heart rate.

In addition to finding the correct balance in your training and optimizing your diet, there are a variety of techniques you can use to enhance your body�s rate of recovery. Two traditional aids to recovery from marathon training are hot/cold contrast therapy and massage therapy; compression apparel may also be helpful. Adequate postworkout nutrition and thorough cool-down practices have well-documented recovery benefits.

Hot/cold contrast therapy was initially most popular in team sports but is now widely used by endurance athletes from a variety of sports. Olympic marathon medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi are known for placing great emphasis on this therapy to speed their recovery.

This chapter focuses on several important aspects of training that can make the difference between mediocrity and marathoning excellence. The chapter discusses five types of supplementary training that often get lumped into the category of cross-training but that really deserve to be treated separately.

First we look at the importance of flexibility for marathon performance and how to improve it. Next we examine core stability training, which is a vitally important but often overlooked aspect of training, particularly for marathoners. Third, we look at whether strength training is beneficial for marathoners and how to incorporate it into your overall training program. Then we describe a few technique drills that can improve your running form. Finally we discuss various forms of aerobic cross-training that will enhance your cardiovascular fitness and reduce your likelihood of incurring injuries.

For the flexibility, core, resistance, and form exercises, we�ve given a brief explanation of how the exercise in question benefits marathoners. If you have an especially hard time with any of the exercises, you�re most likely weak or tight � or both!�� in that area. Addressing your most troublesome areas will lead to faster, more enjoyable training and racing. Figure 4.1 provides a diagram of the muscles of the body to use a reference when performing the stretches and exercises in this chapter.

Supplementary work, especially core stability training, form drills, and flexibility exercises, is easy to skip when you�re tired and your main training goal is getting in your long runs and tempo runs. These extra sessions, however, will provide refreshing variety to your training. Even more important, by correcting imbalances and weaknesses in your body, they can contribute to better running form. With that improved form, you can train harder and longer at a lower risk of injury, and you will be able to maintain a more-effective running technique throughout the marathon. When scheduling your training, count time for these sessions as an integral part of your marathon preparation.

Marathon training takes a toll on the body. One of the greatest costs of all that mileage is a loss of flexibility. Improving your natural range of motion can improve your running technique and increase your stride length while reducing your risk of injury.

Tight muscles provide resistance that limits your ability to stride out. Stretching not only increases your muscle length but also improves the length of the connective tissue surrounding the muscle fibers. Your regular stretching routine before and after running helps maintain your flexibility but is unlikely to improve it. To achieve gains in flexibility, include one or two training sessions of at least 30 minutes per week devoted to flexibility exercises or yoga.

Always do your stretching when your muscles are warmed up. A warm muscle stretches more easily and greatly reduces the likelihood of injury while stretching. If you�re doing a specific flexibility training session, then walk, jog, or cycle for 5 minutes or so to improve the blood flow in your muscles. If you�re doing a normal training run, then warm up for 5 minutes and stretch before starting the run. We know you�ve probably heard this advice before, and you probably know some good runners in your area who pride themselves on never stretching, but there�s no getting around the facts: Even a small amount of stretching before running will improve the flow of your running and help improve your running form. After running, try to allow a minimum of 10 minutes for stretching your major muscle groups.

Stretching should be firm enough to create adequate tension in the muscle, but gentle enough that your muscles can relax. If you stretch aggressively, your muscles will tighten in a protective reflex to prevent straining or tearing of muscle fibers. You need to stretch gently and consistently to obtain improved length in the muscle and surrounding connective tissue.

There are several schools of thought on how long to stretch and how many times to repeat a stretch. The traditional recommendation is to hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds and to do each stretch once or twice. To strike an optimal balance between effectiveness and time-efficiency, we recommend holding stretches for 20 to 30 seconds and repeating each stretch twice.

Be sure to breathe while you stretch. Some runners inadvertently hold their breath while stretching, thereby reducing stretching�s effectiveness.

Two important areas for marathoners to focus on are the hip flexors and hamstrings. Your hip flexors (primarily iliopsoas and rectus femoris) are the muscles that lift your thigh relative to your hip. These are some of the strongest muscles in the body, and they tend to become short and inflexible in runners. Improving the flexibility of your hip flexors increases your thigh�s ability to move back relative to your pelvis, thereby allowing your stride length to increase.

Tight hamstrings restrict your stride length by preventing your thigh from swinging forward completely. The combination of tight hip flexors and tight hamstrings causes the familiar marathoners� shuffle. Stretching your hamstrings consistently (a slow but steady process) will allow your stride to increase to its natural length.

The following program provides total-body stretches and is recommended if you�re serious about improving your flexibility. It�s ideal for after your run, or you can do it as a stand-alone session after a few minutes of walking, jogging, or cycling to warm your muscles.

Do each stretch twice. Perform the first repetition with a gentle intensity and the second stretch with a moderate intensity. Don�t stretch forcefully. If you don�t have time to do the entire program, then select the exercises that work your tightest muscles.

��Perform two repetitions of each stretch before moving to the next stretch.

��Breathe normally while stretching; don�t hold your breath.

��Don�t stretch an area that�s painful.

Long-distance running develops muscular endurance in specific leg and hip muscles and is wonderful for your cardiovascular system, but it tends to make some muscles strong and tight while others remain weak. Modern lifestyles, which often consist of sitting for long periods, exacerbate these problems. Core stability training � also called proximal stability training because proximal means close to the center of the body � can eliminate these imbalances, thereby preventing injuries and reducing the degree to which your form deteriorates as you fatigue during the marathon. Core stability training consists of strengthening your abdominal, hip, lower back, and gluteal (butt) muscles using a series of exercises. You don�t need a gym or machines, just the dedication to stick with the exercises.

When you run, your trunk acts as a fixed base while your legs work as levers relative to that base to propel you forward. If the torso and pelvic muscles that form your fixed base are weak or fatigue quickly, then you can�t maintain an efficient body position while running. By improving the strength and muscular endurance of your pelvis and torso, you provide a more-stable base of support for your legs to work from. This improvement will allow you to maintain your stride length throughout the marathon; part of the reason that many marathoners slow as the race progresses is that their stride shortens as they tire.

In addition, runners often have weak abdominal muscles, which allows the pelvis to rotate forward and put more stretch on the hamstrings. This is a less-efficient position for your running and also increases your risk of lower back problems. Proximal stability exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles and work on other stabilizer muscles of the pelvis and trunk. By improving the position of your pelvis, you create a more stable base.

Elite marathoners increasingly incorporate core work into their training. Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor and her teammate Ryan Hall, for example, do lengthy sessions every week. The results can be seen both in their low incidence of injury and in their late-race form, which varies little from the form they exhibit in the early miles.

Core stability training should generally be done three times a week. You can do this type of training year-round.

Following are two core strength training programs. The first program contains basic exercises for runners who don�t have much experience with core conditioning. The second program (beginning on page 90) is more advanced and includes more-difficult exercises. For optimal results, do one of these programs three times per week. If you don�t want to do the whole program, select at least a few from this list that most target your weakest, tightest areas.

��Perform these five exercises as a circuit. That is, do one set of the first exercise, then move immediately to the second exercise, then the third, and so on. When you have completed the fifth exercise, return to the first exercise and complete a second circuit.

��Rest briefly (15 to 20 seconds) between exercises and 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

Resistance training using weights, bands, or your own body weight can correct muscle imbalances and prevent injuries. We�ve already discussed core stability training, which is a type of resistance training with a specific purpose. Other types of resistance training will get your arms and shoulders, which don�t get much benefit from running, in shape and strengthen your leg muscles. Done correctly, weightlifting can reduce your risk of injury by strengthening the connective tissue, including tendons and ligaments. Weightlifting may even improve your running economy so that you use less oxygen at a given pace.

If done to excess, however, weightlifting will make you muscle-bound, tighten up your muscles, leave you injured, and give you extra bulk that you might not want to be carrying around come the 23-mile mark. Marathoners, after all, want to be the classic vertical hyphen, with no extra baggage � Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall probably don�t get asked for help too often on moving day. Resistance training does have a role, however, in a marathoner �s overall training program.

Whether weight training can improve marathon performance is still open to debate; however, it can reduce your likelihood of injury and may improve running economy. The greatest gains for marathoners are obtained by including exercises that strengthen your propulsive and stabilizing muscles. The closer those exercises simulate how you would use those muscles during running, the greater the benefits for your running performance.

If you decide to lift weights, get advice from a coach or trainer who understands that you are weightlifting to improve your running, not to look good at the beach. If you decide to weight train your legs, schedule your weight sessions so that they�re not right before or after a hard running workout. If you run before or after work, lunchtime is an excellent opportunity to get in lifting sessions that won�t detract from your running.

An early study by biomechanists Peter Cavanagh, PhD, and Keith Williams, PhD, found that most runners naturally use the most economical stride length for a given speed (Cavanagh and Williams 1982). This led to the belief that runners shouldn�t alter their stride length. That advice is correct for the short term, but that doesn�t mean you can�t or shouldn�t attempt to improve your body to make it a more-effective running machine. Over months and years, you can increase your stride length by improving your strength and flexibility. The gains per stride will be small, but when multiplied over thousands of strides, the benefits can be substantial.

If lifting weights isn�t for you, then try another form of resistance training � hill training. During hill running, your body weight is the resistance. There is some evidence that running hills can produce improvements in running economy similar to those that occur through �normal� resistance training.

Running uphill requires that your legs propel your body weight upward against gravity. Moreover, they do so under conditions that more closely replicate racing conditions than does even the most well-designed weight machine. Anecdotal evidence for the benefits of hill running comes from the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners of today and goes back to coaching legend Arthur Lydiard and the great New Zealand runners of the 1960s and 1970s. The best runners in the world run hills day after day. Of course, genetic factors separate elite runners from recreational runners, but it certainly appears that hill training is an important element that, unlike your genes, you can influence.

Another advantage of hill running over lifting weights is that you simultaneously build your cardiovascular system. Doing some of yourO₂max sessions on a moderately steep hill will build muscle strength and power that in theory should improve your running economy and that will definitely build your confidence for a hilly marathon.

Your running style is determined by your biomechanics, including the length of your bones, your muscle and tendon flexibility, the strength and endurance of various muscles, and the coordinated contraction pattern of your muscles and the resulting movement of your limbs. Because everyone has a unique physical makeup, there is no ideal or perfect form.

Because running form is determined by your unique makeup, the best way to achieve a more-efficient form is by performing the flexibility and strength training exercises outlined earlier in this chapter. Stride length, for example, is almost always determined naturally by your physiological make-up and is best improved by increasing strength and flexibility. To take another example, excessive forward lean at the waist can be overcome by strengthening the gluteal and abdominal muscles. And trunk instability can be improved through the various core exercises provided in this chapter as well.

But there�s something else you can do to improve your form and, therefore, how efficiently you run. You�ve probably seen sprinters doing various combinations of high-knee running, butt kicks, skipping, and so on. Well, several of these drills are great for distance runners too. First, these exercises can improve your coordination and running form. Second, they lead to gains in strength endurance that can allow you to maintain your stride length throughout a race. Drills up a moderate slope provide even greater resistance. By concentrating on a high knee lift; a complete toe-off; good arm drive; a relaxed neck with the head positioned over the body; relaxed shoulders, arms, and hands; minimal vertical movement (not bouncing with each stride); and an upright posture (not leaning too far forward), you will improve your ability to hold good running form and maximize your running efficiency. When you consider how even a slight flaw in your form will be magnified over the course of a marathon, and when you add the likely scenario of your form, no matter how good, faltering in the last few miles of a marathon, it should be obvious why working to streamline your running technique will help you be a faster marathoner.

When doing drills, the key is to exaggerate various aspects of the running stride and to concentrate on maintaining your form as you begin to fatigue. This attention to various aspects of the running gait will, over time, become ingrained, and pay dividends late in your marathon.

There are endless drills you could do; we�ve selected four that will significantly help your marathoning. They�ll help you maintain your stride length and lessen your ground-contact time, two aspects of running form that can deteriorate with lots of relatively slow marathon training.

You should do drills when you are warmed up but still fresh � there is no use trying to improve your coordination and technique when you are already tired. You�ll notice benefits if you do them regularly, at least once, and preferably twice, per week. A good way to easily incorporate drills into your routine is to do them before a session of striders and before harder workouts such as tempo runs andO₂max sessions.

Perform the drills as a circuit; that is, do one repetition of each, and then repeat the sequence. Do one repetition of each drill for 15 to 20 meters, and rest before the next one by walking back to the starting point. Visualize yourself completing the drill perfectly.

Predictable training errors, such as increasing mileage or adding speed work too quickly, lead to the majority of running injuries. Just as the risk of coronary artery disease can be reduced through regular exercise, so can the risk of running injuries be reduced through modifying risk factors. One way to do this is to reduce pounding on your legs and back by substituting cross-training for a portion of your running.

The primary reason to cross-train is to provide additional cardiovascular fitness without increasing the repetitive wear and tear associated with running. Cross-training indoors can also be useful when the weather or pollution levels prevent you from running outside. Unfortunately, many runners cross-train only when injured and then return exclusively to running as soon as the injury recovers. Sure, cross-training is highly effective for maintaining fitness during times of injury, but that shouldn�t be the only time that most runners do it. If you�re careful about increases in mileage and intensity, the surfaces you run on, and the like, and you still can�t consistently reach the level of weekly mileage you�d like, then you should incorporate cross-training into your training program year-round.

No form of cross-training is a perfect substitute for running because your body adapts very specifically to training. Though you will gain cardiovascular benefits from cross-training, your neuromuscular system will not make similar gains because the movement patterns are different in cross-training activities. That�s okay, however, because cross-training should be viewed as a supplement to, not a replacement for, your running. Use cross-training in place of recovery runs and, if necessary, in place of a portion of your general aerobic conditioning. The advantage of using it for recovery training is that the increased blood flow improves your recovery without increasing the cumulative impact forces on your body.

But won�t your racing performances suffer if you replace some of your running with cross-training? The specificity-of-training principle states that your body adapts very specifically to the type of training you do. That�s why you won�t have much success as a runner by doing all your training on the bike or in the pool. But if the majority of your training is running, you can enhance your running performance by doing other types of aerobic workouts.

Scientific evidence suggests that reasonably well-trained runners can improve their running performance through cross-training, but the improvement is likely to be less than through increased running.

Cross-training activities that work the large muscle groups of the legs (such as cycling, stair climbing, in-line skating, rowing, deep-water running, and cross-country skiing) are most similar to running and should lead to the greatest improvements in performance, whereas activities less similar to running (such as swimming) would likely lead to smaller improvements in running performance.

Although the evidence suggests that cross-training can lead to improved performance in moderately trained or even well-trained runners, no scientific evidence exists concerning cross-training for elite runners, and the specificity-of-training principle likely becomes more critical the higher the level of performance.

For all but the elite, then, it appears that if you increase your training volume by cross-training, you can improve your running performance. The improvement, however, won�t be as large as if you had increased your mileage. This point goes right to the heart of the mileage versus injury trade-off. Sure, you would improve more by increasing your running, but you would also increase your risk of injury. The challenge for marathoners is to manage that trade-off by running as much as you can handle before the risk of injury shoots up.

There are many ways to cross-train, including cycling, water running, in-line skating, rowing or kayaking, cross-country skiing, stair climbing, and swimming. Let�s look at the pluses and minuses for marathon runners of the various types of cross-training.

Cycling offers many options in that you can ride a bike outdoors, use your bike on a wind trainer indoors, or use an exercise bike at home or at a gym. An advantage of cycling is that it works the cardiovascular system while eliminating the impact forces that cause most running injuries. You can therefore add cycling to your training program with little risk of bringing on typical running injuries. An advantage of cycling compared with other cross-training options is that you get to cover ground and feel the wind in your hair, just as in running.

The downsides of cycling are the risk of getting squashed by a car, the large amount of time required compared with running, and the risk of developing a short running stride. The first downside is all too possible, particularly for runners with good cardiovascular fitness but poor bike-handling skills; to keep your heart rate up, you�ll likely have to maintain speeds that could put you in danger. In a low-traffic area, cycling outdoors is a great option, but if you�re limited to cycling in an urban area without bike paths, then you may want to stay with the more-boring indoor options.

Riding indoors can be a surprisingly satisfying experience because you can concentrate on your workout without distractions or dangers such as traffic lights and cars. Although the maximum time a sane person should sit on a bike indoors is about an hour and a half, when injured, Scott laid claim to the dubious achievement of a 3-hour, 40-minute ride in his garage. (This is what iPods were invented for, right?) During times of injury, an indoor bike can also be used for lactate-threshold training.

Training provides the long-term improvements in fitness that are necessary for marathon success. As you�re no doubt aware, though, training also tends to leave you a bit tired most of the time. As we�ve noted, despite much of the popular running literature, this doesn�t mean you�re overtrained � a moderate amount of residual fatigue is fine during the many weeks of training in preparation for the marathon. The periodic recovery weeks in your training schedule are designed to reduce, but not totally eliminate, the accumulated fatigue of training.

When the marathon approaches, however, you need to cut back your training for a more-prolonged period so that you�re optimally rested for the marathon. Tapering your training is critical for reaching the starting line in peak fitness and with maximal energy reserves. The challenge during the last several weeks leading up to the marathon is to find the best balance between continued training to get into the best possible racing shape and resting to eliminate the fatigue of training. In this chapter, we�ll look at the best way to strike that crucial balance.

Put simply, tapering corrects the accumulated wear and tear of training. More specifically, it appears that tapering leads to improvements in running economy (how much oxygen you need to run at a given pace) and muscle strength. As you saw in chapter 1, improvements in running economy have a direct relationship to improvements in marathon race pace, so tapering is money in the bank in improving your marathon performance. In Lore of Running, Fourth Edition, renowned exercise physiologist Tim Noakes, MD, emphasizes that recovery of the shock-absorbing function of the muscles is an important benefit of tapering for marathon runners, which may explain the improvements in running economy. Interestingly, Noakes also suggests that �Perhaps the brain must also be adequately rested to ensure that it can continue to recruit the muscles appropriately once the pain of the marathon becomes increasingly severe� (page 621). Tapering also allows repair of the ongoing microcellular muscle damage from training and full replenishment of the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver, as well as bolstering your immune system.

A review in the International Journal of Sports Medicine of more than 50 scientific studies on tapering (Mujika 1998) concluded there�s no question that tapering works. Various studies have found improvements in performance or physiological measures of up to 16 percent when athletes taper their training before competition, with most studies finding performance improvements of 3 to 5 percent. In studies with runners, the benefit is generally around 2 to 4 percent, which equates to 3.5 to 7 minutes for a 3-hour marathoner.

So the potential gains from tapering are substantial. What�s the most effective way to cut back your training before the marathon?

Key Principles for Marathon Tapering

��Begin tapering 3 weeks before your marathon.

��Maintain training intensity.

��Reduce mileage.

��Make recovery days easy, or take days off.

��Optimize recovery strategies with proper diet and hydration.

��Eliminate muscle tightness with stretching, physical therapy, massage, and rest.

Several studies investigating the relationship between racing performance at various distances and taper duration concluded that the optimal length of a taper is from 7 days to 3 weeks. For the marathon, the general consensus is to taper for a minimum of 2 weeks, with 3 weeks being optimal. Too short a taper will leave you tired on marathon day, whereas tapering for too long will lead to a loss of fitness. When you consider that any one workout will give you less than a 1 percent improvement in fitness, but that a well-designed taper can provide an improvement in race performance of several percent, it�s wise to err on the side of tapering too much rather than not enough. For the marathon, a well-designed 3-week taper will leave you optimally prepared and recovered for the race.

The scientific evidence indicates that the key to effective tapering is to substantially reduce your mileage while maintaining the intensity of your training. Reducing the amount you run reduces accumulated fatigue to improve your marathon performance, while interspersing efforts that you have been doing throughout your buildup, includingO₂max intervals and strides, maintains the adaptations that you have worked hard to gain over the past several months. (During your taper, you should do shorter sessions at those paces, so while you�re maintaining the intensity of training, you�re still reducing the quantity of higher-intensity training.) A tune-up race 2 weeks before the marathon is also a key session for advancing your fitness (and, ideally, providing psychological reinforcement that you�re almost ready to roll).

How much you reduce your overall mileage depends on your current training volume, past experience (know thyself), and overall health. In general, older runners tend to require slightly more time to taper than younger runners. Our guidelines for cutting back your mileage, based on research, discussions with elite marathoners and coaches, and personal experience, are as follows:

��Third week premarathon: Reduce mileage by 20 to 25 percent.

��Second week premarathon: Reduce mileage by 40 percent.

��Marathon week (6 days before race): Reduce mileage by 60 percent.

For example, a marathoner whose training peaks at 70 miles (113 km) per week would reduce her mileage by 20 to 25 percent (to 52 to 56 mi; 84 to 90 km) in the third week before the race, by 40 percent (to 42 mi; 68 km) the following week, and by 60 percent (to 28 mi; 45 km) during race week. For race week, the 60 percent mileage reduction is for the 6 days leading up to the marathon.

Three weeks before your marathon is arguably the most important time for a successful taper. This is the week that many marathoners do too much because the marathon still seems a long way off. If you work too hard during this week, however, you may find yourself feeling flat with 2 weeks to go and struggling to rest up as quickly as possible for the race. It�s much better physiologically and psychologically to allow your body to start to freshen up during this week. This will put you in a much more relaxed state of mind, feeling that your marathon preparation is on track rather than stressing that all of your efforts are going to be wasted.

Marathoners tend to progressively decrease their training efforts during their marathon taper. That method presents two problems. First, by steadily decreasing training effort over the 3 weeks, they risk a small loss in fitness (adaptations to training are lost at about the same rate that they are gained) before the marathon.

When you start cutting back your mileage, it can be tempting to increase whatever nonrunning training you do. For the most part, try to resist that urge. The various forms of supplementary training we looked at in the preceding chapter have the same general purpose as your running training � to get you to the marathon start line in optimum fitness for racing 26.2 miles (42.2 km). Approach your core, resistance, flexibility, and cross-training as you do your running when the marathon nears. That is, realize that the main work is done, and your goal now shifts to maintaining the gains you made while allowing your body to rest up for race day.

Keep your core and resistance workouts to a minimum in the last 10 days before your marathon, and eliminate them in the last few days. If you�re used to cross-training, it�s okay to continue gentle versions of your normal activities until a few days before the race. Flexibility training is fine to do right up to race day, but don�t go overboard. If you�re used to a few 10-minute stretching sessions per week, don�t suddenly devote half an hour a day to it in the week before your marathon.

The same goes for form drills. If you�re used to doing them, then it�s fine to do a short sequence in the week before the marathon. As with flexibility training, the drills will help you feel looser during your taper, which, if nothing else, can provide peace of mind while you�re reducing your running. Again, though, don�t suddenly add new exercises or increase the amount of drills you do during your taper. The hay is already in the proverbial barn.

If at all possible, during the last week before the marathon, reduce not just your training but also the amount of stress in your life. Assuming the cooperation of your family, friends, and coworkers, try to do the following:

��Avoid having major deadlines at work or other energy-draining undertakings.

��Wash your hands frequently to lower your risk of catching a cold.

��Get plenty of sleep early in the week.

��Let others do the driving.

��Minimize the amount of time you spend at the prerace expo.

��Save sightseeing for after the marathon.

��Spend a few minutes each day in a quiet spot visualizing a successful race.

As race day approaches, it�s normal to feel anxious. The marathon can seem more like a concept than a reality when it�s 10 weeks away, but when it�s just a matter of days to go, it can become all too real a presence in your thoughts. That�s especially true when you�re tapering your training and might be a little more on edge as a result. (And because, if you�re like most marathoners, you�re worried that all the months of training are quickly evaporating after just a few rest days.)

To keep your mind at ease, practice visualization during your taper. In some of the time that you would usually allot to running, sit or lie in a quiet spot and mentally run through your race. Anticipate potential problems � a twinge in your calf, sudden rain, and so on � and see yourself overcoming them. Also visualize yourself running relaxed in the early stages of the marathon and then running strongly over the final 10K. If you have a time goal for your marathon, repeatedly picture yourself crossing the finish, with the clock showing your goal time.

Your overall preparation for the marathon occurs over several months. During that time, you meticulously plan and diligently train so that you�re in peak condition for the race. To do your best, however, you also need to have a plan for the marathon itself. That plan is the focus of this chapter. How much should you warm up for the marathon, and what should that warm-up consist of? How should you handle the first few miles, the first half of the race, the long stretch up to 20 miles (32 km), and the final 6 miles and 385 yards (10 km)? Let�s take a look at race-day strategies that help you get everything out of your months of preparation so that you cross the finish line exhausted but satisfied.

Warming up for any race is important. The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare your body to run at race pace. This involves increasing your metabolic rate, your body temperature, and the circulation of blood (and thus oxygen) to your muscles. The warm-up activates your aerobic system to work optimally from the start of the race.

There�s a downside, however, to warming up for the marathon. One of the challenges in the marathon is to reach the finish line before becoming glycogen depleted. In chapter 2, we emphasize the importance of carbohydrate loading before the marathon and taking in carbohydrate during the marathon to help ensure that you don�t run out of carbohydrate before the finish. But during a warm-up, you burn a mixture of carbohydrate and fat, thereby slightly reducing your glycogen stores. The key, then, is to find the minimum amount of warm-up necessary to prepare your body to handle race pace as soon as the starter �s gun is fired so that you save as much of your precious carbohydrate reserves as possible for the 26.2 miles (42.2 km) ahead.

The optimal warm-up for the marathon depends on the level of the marathoner. For beginners, whose main goal is to finish, no warm-up is necessary. They can warm up during the first couple of miles of the race. For more serious marathoners, who will attempt to run the distance significantly faster than their normal training pace, the optimal warm-up consists of two runs of about 5 minutes each, with some gentle stretching in between.

You should start warming up about 30 to 40 minutes before the start of the race. Start your first warm-up run slowly, and gradually increase your pace so that you finish at about 1 minute per mile (per 1.6 km) slower than marathon race pace. Next, stretch for about 10 minutes, including loosening up your shoulders and neck. Follow that with another 5 minutes of running, this time gradually picking up the pace until you reach marathon pace for the final 30 seconds or so. Then stretch a bit more.

That�s it. Try to time your warm-up so that you finish no more than 10 minutes before the race starts. If you warm up too long before the race, you�ll lose some of the benefits of the warm-up yet will have still used up some of your carbohydrate stores. The ability to time your warm-up like this is an advantage of running a smaller marathon, as compared with a megarace, where you�re more likely to be herded to your starting position long before the race begins.

Before the start of the Olympic marathon, the athletes do a bit of nervous jogging around, but almost no one does more than 10 minutes of easy running plus one or two accelerations up to race pace. This is enough of a warm-up for these runners to handle a 5-minute-per-mile pace for the first mile. A similar routine will get you to the starting line prepared to handle your goal marathon race pace.

Assuming that you have a time goal for the marathon, how should you go about trying to achieve that time? Some marathoners go out hard and then try to hang on as well as possible in the second half. Others try to run an even pace throughout. A few take it easy early on and then run the second half faster. Let�s consider the physiology of the marathon and the implications for your optimal pacing strategy.

In chapter 1, you saw that your marathon pace is very close to your lactate-threshold pace, which is determined by your oxygen consumption at your lactate threshold and your running economy. If you run faster than your lactate-threshold pace, then lactate accumulates in your muscles and blood; the hydrogen ions associated with the lactate deactivate the enzymes for energy production and make you slow down. When you exceed your lactate-threshold pace, you also use more glycogen, so your limited glycogen stores are depleted more quickly than necessary.

These basics of marathon physiology indicate that the best strategy for the marathon is relatively even pacing. If you run much faster than your overall race pace for part of the race, then you�ll use more glycogen than necessary and will likely start to accumulate lactate. If you run much slower than your overall race pace for part of the race, then you�ll need to make up for this lapse by running faster than the most efficient pace for another portion of the race. The optimal pacing strategy, then, is to run nearly even splits, taking into account the idiosyncrasies of the course you�ll be running.

Most runners shouldn�t try to run dead-even splits, however, because during the marathon you�ll gradually fatigue your slow-twitch muscle fibers and will start to recruit more of your fast-twitch A fibers to maintain your pace. Unfortunately, these fast-twitch fibers tend to be less economical than your slow-twitch fibers in their use of oxygen. Therefore, your running economy will tend to decrease slightly during the race, meaning that your lactate-threshold pace will decrease slightly as well. The result is that your optimal pace will be slightly reduced during the latter stages of the marathon.

For example, if your goal is to run 2:39 for the marathon, then even splits would require you to run 1:19:30 for each half of the race. To run even splits, you would have to increase your oxygen consumption and lactate level as your fatigue level increases during the second half of the race. A more efficient pacing strategy would be to go through halfway in 1:18 to 1:19 because doing so would allow you to slow by 2 to 3 percent during the second half and still achieve your goal. If you ran negative splits for the marathon (i.e., the second half faster than the first half), chances are that you ran more slowly than optimally during the first half of the race and could have had a faster finishing time.

For world-class marathoners, whose genetics and training put them on a higher plane, the optimal pacing strategy is likely a bit different. These select few are so highly trained that they have a lower tendency to recruit less-economical muscle fibers as the race progresses. In addition, they can pick up the pace over the last several miles and gradually accumulate lactate to the finish. For the best marathoners in the world, therefore, the most effective pacing strategy is to run the second half of the marathon at the same pace as, or even slightly faster than, the first half.

Most of the recent world records have followed this model of slightly faster second halves. In setting the world best of 2:03:59 at the 2008 Berlin Marathon, Haile Gebrselassie ran the first half in 62:05 and the second half in 61:54. In setting his first world record at this distance, Gebrselassie ran 2:04:26 at the 2007 Berlin Marathon, with half times of 62:29 and 61:57. Similarly, in her first world record, at the 2002 Chicago Marathon, Paula Radcliffe ran 2:17:18 by running the first half in 69:03 and the second half in 68:15. When

Although in most cases you should stay with your pacing plan, occasionally the weather or the tactics of other runners merit slightly altering your strategy. If you�re running into a headwind, there�s a substantial advantage to running in a group of runners and letting others block the wind. Though you may need to do your share in leading the group, you�ll still save considerable energy compared with running by yourself into the wind. On a windy day, therefore, you may need to run faster or slower than planned to stay with a group.

Even on a calm day, the best strategy may be to deviate slightly from your goal pace rather than running most of the way by yourself. In a big-city marathon such as Boston, New York, or Chicago, being stuck by yourself isn�t a problem. At almost any pace, you�ll be among a number of runners, and you can work with them to reach your goal time. In a smaller marathon, however, you have a reasonably high chance of running by yourself for many miles. In that situation, you must make a judgment call as to whether to go a few seconds per mile faster or slower than planned to stay with a group. Although drafting behind other runners will give you a small energy advantage, most of the benefit of staying with a group is psychological. You don�t have to set the pace, and you can relax and go along with the group.

Marathoners vary widely in the types of shoes they prefer to race in. On the theory that even an extra ounce adds up over the course of 26.2 miles (42.2 km), some like to wear as light a shoe as possible. On the other hand, some runners figure that during such a long run, they�ll need as much cushioning and support as they can get.

Most competitive marathoners should choose their race-day shoes toward the light end of the spectrum. Most shoe companies make a lightweight trainer that works well in the marathon � these are minimalist enough so that you can feel light on your feet but are built up enough in the heel and midsole to provide some protection, especially as you fatigue late in the race.

Most elites, of course, race the marathon in flats. Bear in mind that these runners are usually whippet thin and have excellent biomechanics. Flats have less support and less heel lift than training shoes. The lack of support increases the risk of injury and can make muscles that have to work harder fatigue because of the decreased support. In addition, the lower heel lift puts more strain on Achilles tendons and calf muscles.

In the last few years, many companies have introduced a broader range of racing flats so that marathoners have more choices between the shoes they race 5Ks in and their training shoes, no matter how light the latter are. Usually weighing around 8 ounces (230 g), with a decent amount of cushioning and some heel support, these longer-distance flats are a good choice for marathoners attempting to race the marathon significantly faster than normal training pace. In his world record, for example, Gebrselassie wore the Adidas version of this type of flat. Paula Radcliffe wore Nike�s version of a marathon flat in her record. On the other hand, multiple London and New York City champion Martin Lel wears a flat that most average runners wouldn�t even dare to do a 5K in. As always, the key is to find what works best for you. Regardless of which shoes you choose for race day, be sure to try them out on tempo runs and at least one of your longer marathon-pace training runs (in addition to the short dress rehearsal run during taper week).

Following are some rough guidelines about the most likely candidates to wear flats in the marathon.

Top candidates for wearing flats in the marathon:

You�re finally at the starting line, warmed up, and ready for the task ahead. It�s all too easy to get carried away and run the first mile (1.6 km) too fast. A better approach is to run the first mile at, or a bit slower than, your goal pace. Because you won�t have done much of a warm-up before the start, your body won�t be prepared to go faster than race pace. Also, if you run too fast at the beginning of the race, your body will burn off extra glycogen and accumulate lactate that could negatively affect the rest of your race.

Once the first mile is out of the way, the best strategy during the next few miles is to settle into a good rhythm. Try to run fast but relaxed. Establishing a relaxed running style early in the race will go a long way toward helping you avoid tightening up so that you can maintain your goal pace to the finish. Go through a mental checklist periodically to make sure your shoulders are relaxed, your body is upright, and so on to help you maintain good running style throughout the race.

Take a carbohydrate drink at the first aid station. It�s important to drink right from the start rather than wait until you think you need carbohydrate or fluid. Your thirst mechanism isn�t particularly closely matched to your hydration level, so waiting until you feel thirsty to drink is a mistake. Similarly, if you wait until you feel tired and light-headed to take in carbohydrate, it will be too little too late. The longer you can postpone dehydration and carbohydrate depletion, the longer you will be able to maintain your goal pace. Taking in carbohydrate and fluid early will help postpone or prevent dehydration or carbohydrate depletion later. As we discussed in chapter 2, a few seconds lost at each aid station can translate into several minutes gained toward the end of the marathon.

Mentally, the first half of the marathon is the time to cruise. Try to save your mental and emotional energy for the second half of the race. All other factors being equal, if there is a group of runners in the lead pack at halfway, the winner will be the one who has cruised along at the back of the pack saving his or her energy for the demands of the second half of the race. Regardless of your ultimate finishing place in the marathon, you should realize that the second half is much harder than the first half; just try to get the first half out of the way at the correct pace without using any more mental energy than necessary.

From the halfway mark to 20 miles (32 km) is the no-man�s-land of the marathon. You�re already fairly tired and still have a long way to go. This is where the mental discipline of training will help you maintain a strong effort and a positive attitude. It�s easy to let your pace slip 5 seconds per mile (per 1.6 km), and then 10 seconds per mile or more, during this stretch. By using all the available feedback on your pace � whether in the form of mile or kilometer splits � you�ll know exactly how you�re progressing, and you should be able to concentrate and maintain your goal pace during these miles.

Slowing during this portion of the marathon is often more a matter of not concentrating than of not being able to physically maintain the pace. Focusing on your splits gives you an immediate goal to concentrate on. The ability to do a bit of adding in your head while running is a helpful skill. If you�re supposed to be running 5:40 per mile, and there are markers every mile during the marathon, then just add 6:00 to your previous mile split and subtract 20 seconds to calculate what your next split should be. If you�re 5 seconds too slow, don�t try to make up the lost 5 seconds during the next mile; add 5:40 again as your target to get yourself back on track. By focusing on these incremental goals along the way, you�ll prevent a large drift in your pace and should be able to stay very close to your goal.

It�s not unusual to have a few miles when you just don�t feel good. These bad patches are a test of mental resolve. Often these stretches will last a while and then mysteriously go away. For example, you might feel tight and uncomfortable from miles 15 to 17 but then get back in the groove again and feel good to the finish. The key is to have the confidence that you�ll eventually overcome this bad patch.

In my marathon career, I started 18 marathons and finished 16, including 8 victories. Of the two dropouts, one was because of injury and the other was because of stupidity. Both occurred in 1986.

The dropout because of stupidity was the Boston Marathon. This was the first professional Boston Marathon, with lots of media excitement and financial incentives. I ignored my usual race plan of running even splits and got carried away early. During the first 10 miles, Greg Meyer and I exchanged the lead several times. Whenever Greg would take the lead, I would try to take it back.

This was overly aggressive racing for so early in the marathon. Meanwhile, Rob de Castella, who won that day, sat in behind us, probably laughing to himself at the lack of patience of the two Americans. By 12 miles, my breathing wasn�t in its usual rhythm, my legs were already pretty beat up, and my intestines were becoming increasingly uncomfortable. During the next mile, I fell off the lead bunch and started to tighten up. Knowing that I had gone too hard too early, I stopped just past the halfway mark and quietly cursed myself. It was a lesson well learned and a mistake I never made again. Note that stupidity doesn�t fall under the list of legitimate reasons to drop out of a marathon.

The only positive aspect of dropping out so early was that I recovered fully in about a week. A few weeks later, I used my fitness and frustration to set a personal best of 28:41 for 10,000 meters on the track, and in July I redeemed myself over 26.2 miles by winning the San Francisco Marathon in 2:13:29.

My other dropout was in the 1986 Twin Cities Marathon, which was also the trial race for the next year�s world championships. I went into the race with a tight hamstring from stretching too hard after a track workout several weeks earlier. It felt okay early in the race but gradually tightened up in the drizzly 40-degree weather. At 20 miles, I was at the back of the lead pack when the hamstring tightened completely. I couldn�t run another step. After walking for about a mile, I gratefully accepted a ride to the finish. That dropout was easier mentally because the decision was out of my hands.

Having had a frustrating year in the marathon, I was determined to get a decent race under my belt as quickly as possible. My physical therapist said that the hamstring wasn�t too badly damaged and that I should run easily for about 10 days. With regular massage, it loosened up, and I decided to run the New York City Marathon, which was 3 weeks after Twin Cities. I ran conservatively and gradually moved from 30th place at halfway to finish 9th in 2:14:09. It had been a year of lessons learned.

��Pete Pfitzinger

Pete learned this lesson during the 1983 San Francisco Marathon. After working quite hard from 13 to 16 miles, he had a stretch of about 3 miles when his breathing felt out of sync, and he struggled to stay with the other two leaders. Pete kept telling himself to relax and that the other guys might be hurting, too. Fortunately, he settled back into a comfortable rhythm by 19 miles, felt strong enough to drop the other two runners by the 20-mile mark, and cruised home to victory. If Pete had let himself think negatively during the bad patch and let the other two runners get away, he wouldn�t have won that race.

Taking in carbohydrate as often as possible during the second half of the race can help you maintain your mental focus. The only fuel for your brain is glucose (carbohydrate), and when you become carbohydrate depleted, the amount of glucose reaching the brain starts to decrease. If you�ve carbohydrate loaded, this shouldn�t start to affect you until well past the 20-mile (32 km) mark. Taking in carbohydrate during the race and particularly between miles 13 and 20 (km 21 and 32), however, will help ensure that you stay alert and think clearly throughout the race.

Having made it to 20 miles (32 km), you�re at the most rewarding stage of the marathon. This is the part that you have prepared for during your long months of training. This is when your long runs, during which you worked hard over the last stages, will really pay off. Until now, everything required the patience to hold back. Now, you�re free to see what you�ve got. During these final 6 miles and 385 yards (10 km), you get to dig deep and use up any energy that you have left. This is what the marathon is all about. This is the stretch that poorly prepared marathoners fear and well-prepared marathoners relish.

The key from 20 miles (32 km) to the finish is to push as hard as you can without having disaster strike in the form of a cramp or very tight muscles. You will have prepared yourself for this during your long runs, your marathon-pace runs, and, to a lesser extent, your tempo runs. You need to use your body�s feedback to determine just how hard you can push. Chances are that, by now, your calf muscles, hamstrings, quads, or some combination of these are on edge and will limit how fast you can go. You need to test the waters a bit and push to what you perceive to be the limit that your muscles will tolerate. This is a progressive meting-out process, in which you can take progressively greater risks as the finish line nears.

Although doing the how-many-miles-to-go math can be daunting early on in the marathon, in this final stage it can help keep you focused. As the finish approaches, telling yourself, �Less than 3 miles to go,� or �Just 15 minutes more,� can be motivating. If you�re struggling a bit toward the end, picture yourself finishing a run on your favorite training loop so that the remaining distance seems more manageable.

If you�ve been taking in fluid and carbohydrate throughout the race, your muscles should be in pretty good condition. Keep drinking until 25 miles (40 km). Keeping up your blood sugar level will keep you alert so that you can concentrate well to the end. When you see the finish line approaching, give a little more effort so that you run strongly over the line. Show yourself that you have mastered the marathon and are able to kick it in a bit to the finish. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor.

In these first several chapters, we�ve looked at preparing for and running the marathon from all the necessary angles. Now it is time to put theory into practice. The rest of this book contains training schedules that implement the physiological principles of marathoning. The knowledge gained from this first section of the book, combined with the marathon-specific fitness that following the schedules will bring you, should leave you well prepared for marathon success.

As we note in the preface, many readers want to get right to the training schedule of their choice and start working. That�s fine, but before getting too far into your training, you�ll want to read this chapter. In it, you�ll learn the best way to do each of the types of runs called for in the schedules. You�ll also see what to do with your schedule when the almost inevitable roadblocks pop up during your training.

The training schedules in chapters 8 through 12 include the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate-threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each run is explained here, including how to get the most benefit from a given workout. For an in-depth explanation of the physiological benefit and role of each type of training, see chapter 1.

In the training schedules, a long run is any run of 16 miles (26 km) or longer. The intention of long runs is (obviously) to improve your endurance in preparation for the marathon�s 26.2 miles (42.2 km).

To gain the most from your long runs, do them in the correct intensity range. Long runs shouldn�t be slow jogs during which you just accumulate time on your feet. As discussed in chapter 1, the appropriate pace for a specific long run depends on the purpose of that run within your training program. The most beneficial intensity range for most of your long runs is 10 to 20 percent slower than your goal marathon race pace. For most marathoners, this pace range coincides with about 74 to 84 percent of maximal heart rate or 65 to 78 percent of heart rate reserve. In this intensity range you find the optimal balance between running hard enough to simulate the muscle patterns and posture you will use at marathon race pace and running moderately enough that you can recover relatively quickly for your other important training sessions.

Start out at the slow end of the range. Gradually pick up the pace so you run the last 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km) at about 10 percent slower than your goal marathon race pace. Gradually picking up the pace during your long runs and finishing strongly will also provide positive psychological reinforcement that you�re in control of the marathon. To gain the greatest benefit, design your long-run courses to simulate the hill profile of your marathon. (See the section on hill running later in this chapter.) If your long-run course is much hillier than your marathon, then your pace will be somewhat slower.

The schedules also include marathon-specific long runs at goal marathon race pace (discussed later in the chapter) and slower long runs the day after a tune-up race. After a race or hard workout on Saturday, your Sunday long run should be at a relaxed pace because you are likely to be somewhat tired and have stiff muscles, which will increase your likelihood of injury. Start these long runs like a recovery run. If your muscles loosen up as the run progresses, increase the training stimulus by increasing your pace to about 15 to 20 percent slower than marathon race pace.

A medium-long run is any run of 11 to 15 miles (18 to 24 km). Medium-long runs reinforce the physiological benefits of your long runs. To gain the greatest physiological benefits, the pace for these runs should be similar to the pace for long runs. If you do a hard training session the day before a medium-long run, do the medium-long run toward the slower end of the intensity range.

Avoid the temptation to do your medium-long runs too hard on days when you feel fresh, because this will prolong your recovery time and reduce the quality of your other key workouts. As with long runs, design your courses for medium-long runs to simulate your marathon.

Marathon-pace runs are medium-long or long runs during which you run most of the miles at your goal marathon pace. These runs provide the precise physiological benefit of allowing you to practice the pace, form, and so on of race day. They�re also a great confidence booster.

General aerobic runs include your standard, moderate-effort runs of up to 10 miles (16 km). They are slower than lactate-threshold runs, shorter than medium-long runs, and faster than recovery runs. The intention of general aerobic runs is to enhance your overall aerobic conditioning through boosting your training volume; these runs improve your marathon readiness because many of the beneficial adaptations that improve endurance are related to the total volume of your training.

For most runners, the optimal intensity range for these runs is about 15 to 25 percent slower than marathon race pace. Usually, this pace range coincides with about 70 to 81 percent of maximal heart rate or 62 to 75 percent of heart rate reserve. Because the primary purpose of these runs is to increase your training volume, if you�re too tired to do a hard training session the next day, then you�re doing your general aerobic runs too hard.

Lactate-threshold runs are tempo runs in which you run for at least 20 minutes at your lactate-threshold pace. This coincides closely with your current 15K to half marathon race pace. For most marathoners, this pace range corresponds with about 82 to 91 percent of maximal heart rate or 77 to 88 percent of heart rate reserve. Tempo runs provide a strong stimulus to improve your lactate-threshold pace, which leads to similar improvements in your marathon race pace. The lactate-threshold sessions are done after a 2- to 3-mile (3 to 5 km) warm-up and should be followed by a 10- to 15-minute cool-down. The tempo runs in the schedules range from 4 to 7 miles (6 to 11 km) long. As an example, if the schedule calls for 10 miles (16 km) for the day and a 5-mile (8 km) threshold run, warm up for 3 miles (5 km), do the tempo run, then cool down for 2 miles (3 km). Slower runners should run closer to their 15K race pace on tempo runs, whereas faster runners should run closer to their half marathon race pace during these workouts.

Recovery runs are relatively short runs done at a relaxed pace to enhance recovery for your next hard workout. These runs aren�t necessarily jogs, but they should be noticeably slower than your other workouts of the week. The optimal intensity for recovery runs for most marathoners is to stay below 76 percent of maximal heart rate or 70 percent of heart rate reserve. On a subjective basis, on recovery runs you should feel as if you�re storing up energy rather than slowly leaking it. You should finish the run refreshed. Going too hard on recovery days � when your body is most tired � means you�ll be more tired than you should when it counts later in the week.

Try to find flat courses for your recovery runs, but if your recovery runs include some hills you will need to extend the range by a few beats per minute on the uphills or run exceedingly slowly. Whenever possible, do your recovery runs on soft surfaces to help speed recovery that much more.

TheO₂max intervals in the schedules range from 600 meters to 1,600 meters in duration and are run at current 5K race pace. ThoughO₂max work is an important part of your marathon preparation, it�s not as crucial in the marathon as it is in races such as the 5K and 10K. TheO₂max sessions in these schedules, then, feature repeats that strike a balance between being long enough to provide a powerful training stimulus and short enough to leave you fresh for your other important workouts of the week.

The same reasoning applies for the prescribed pace in theseO₂max workouts: Whereas runners focusing on shorter races need to do some of their intervals closer to 3K race pace, marathoners gain maximum benefit from sticking to 5K race pace. By sticking to the lower to middle end of the effective intensity range (i.e., about 93 to 95 percent of maximal heart rate or 91 to 94 percent of heart rate reserve), you�ll provide a strong stimulus to improve yourO₂max while recovering quickly for your other important workouts. For that reason, the training intensities forO₂max workouts in table 7.1 (see page 144) call for only the more conservative 5K-pace ranges.

The optimal amount of rest between intervals is debatable. One school of thought is to minimize rest so that your metabolic rate stays high during the entire workout. This strategy makes for very difficult workouts (which can be good), but you risk shortening your workouts. Another school of thought is to allow your heart rate to decrease to 70 percent of your maximal heart rate or 65 percent of your heart rate reserve during your recovery between intervals, which provides close to the optimal balance of effort and recovery.

For the lower-tech crowd, a useful rule of thumb is to allow 50 to 90 percent of the length of time it takes to do the interval for your recovery. For example, if you�re running 1,000-meter repeats in 3:20, you would run slowly for 1:40 to 3:00 between intervals. We use this method of measuring recovery in the schedules.

Speed runs are repetitions of 50 to 150 meters that improve leg speed and running form. These workouts train your nervous system to allow you to maintain a faster rate of leg turnover during your races.

Marathoners have a tendency to start running twice a day before their weekly mileage warrants it. Doing doubles sounds like serious training, so runners often assume it must be better marathon preparation. The reality is quite different; as you increase your training mileage in preparation for a marathon, you should resist the urge to switch from single runs to doubles.

In chapter 1, we discussed the various training adaptations that are specific to improving your marathon performance. Marathon training focuses on endurance-based adaptations such as depleting your glycogen reserves to provide a stimulus for your body to store more glycogen and training your muscles to utilize more fat at a given speed. You�ll provide a greater stimulus for these adaptations through a single 12-mile (19 km) run than by doing a 7-miler (11 km) and a 5-miler (8 km) at the same pace.

It might sound counterintuitive, but runners preparing for shorter races should run more doubles at a given level of weekly mileage than marathoners. Runners focusing on 5Ks, for example, should start adding doubles when their weekly mileage gets above 50. That�s because the 5K specialists� main training emphasis is high-quality interval sessions, and more frequent, shorter runs will help keep their legs fresh for these workouts.

For marathoners, the basic guideline is to not do double workouts until you�ve maximized the amount you�re running in single workouts. If you�re preparing for a marathon and are running less than 75 miles (121 km) a week, then you shouldn�t regularly be running doubles. If you�re running less than 75 miles (121 km) a week, by the time you get in your long run and a midweek medium-long run, there�s no reason to double more than once or twice a week to get in the remaining miles. It�s better to get in longer runs and give your body 22 or 23 hours of recovery between runs.

Once you get above 75 miles (121 km) a week, however, double workouts have a definite role in your marathon program. As with any other aspect of training, doubles should be introduced gradually. Start by adding one double per week and then another, as you gradually increase your mileage. The schedules in chapters 8 through 12 reflect this approach to adding doubles, with double days called for only in the higher-mileage programs.

The minimum time for an added second run should be 25 minutes. If you run less than that, it�s hardly worth the extra time and effort � both physiologically and in taking time from your busy life � to change, get yourself out the door, stretch, shower, and so on. That�s especially the case if a too-short, not-crucial run means cutting into precious sleep time. In some situations, it�s wiser to add cross-training to your program than to increase your risk of injury with more miles of running. Various options for cross-training are discussed in chapter 4.

How, then, should you introduce doubles into your program? The training schedules in this book add second runs to a day�s training for specific reasons. One main category of second runs is on hard days. An easy run in the morning will loosen you up for an eveningO₂max session or tempo run. Similarly, 30 minutes of easy running in the evening will help you recover from a morning tempo run.

A second main use of doubles in the schedules is on recovery days. When your mileage increases to where your recovery days call for more than 8 miles (13 km) of running, it�s time to switch those days to easy doubles. It�s easier on your body, and your recovery will be enhanced, if you do two runs of 5 miles (8 km) rather than a single 10-miler (16 km). Avoid the temptation to add mileage to your recovery days for the sole purpose of boosting your weekly mileage. Extra mileage on these days is counterproductive because your recovery will be less complete for your subsequent hard days.

The schedules may also call for an easy second run on the day of your medium-long run. These runs will provide an incremental training stimulus by depleting your carbohydrate stores and training your muscles to rely more on fat at a given speed. It�s preferable to do the second, short run in the evening after a medium-long run in the morning. If your schedule is such that you�ll be doing your medium-long run in the evening, be sure to run very easily in the morning. As we discuss earlier in this chapter and in chapter 1, medium-long runs bring you the most benefit if they�re done at a good pace, so don�t let a short morning run detract from the medium-long run�s quality. A better-quality medium-long run is preferable to a double in which the medium-long run is a slog.

The schedules never call for a second run on the day of your weekly long run. This is a perfect example of mileage for mileage�s sake because an evening run after your long run will only slow your recovery. As soon as you finish your long run, your objective switches to recovering as quickly as possible for your upcoming hard training days.

Looking at these schedules, you might be wondering, Where are all the �speed� workouts? After all, it�s normal to think that anyone preparing for a marathon should be training as hard as possible, and what better way to be sure that you�re doing so than by hitting the track at least once a week for lung-searing intervals, right?

In chapter 1, we explained at length the principles underlying these schedules. Briefly put, we designed the schedules to provide the optimal stimuli to the physiological systems that most determine marathoning success � endurance, lactate threshold, andO₂max, in that order of importance. In the long run, so to speak, it�s your long runs and tempo runs that have the most relevance to your performance on marathon day, not how often you�ve churned out a sterling set of half-mile repeats.

During your long buildup, understanding the components of marathon success can provide confidence that you�re training properly. Use the explanation of marathon physiology from chapter 1 not only to explain to your training buddies why you won�t be joining them for quarters next week but also to remind yourself why you�re doing yet another 15-miler (24 km) in the middle of the workweek. If your running friends continue to chide you that you�re not training hard enough, invite them to follow the schedules with you for a few weeks, then report back. We suspect they�ll have gotten the message by then.

In the training schedules, we don�t prescribe specific hill training sessions. That�s because how much to focus on hill training depends on the topography of your marathon. For one of the pancake-flat courses designed to yield fast times, such as London, Chicago, or Berlin, you�ll need to be prepared to run for more than 2 hours over unvarying terrain. If, however, you�ll be racing on a hilly course, then the more closely you can simulate the terrain of the race in your training, both up and down, the better. (The classic course for which race simulation is essential is the Boston Marathon, which has sucked the lifeblood from many an unprepared runner.) By planning training runs to include hills of roughly the same length and steepness as your upcoming race, you�ll give yourself the best chance for an optimal performance on race day.

Any of the workouts in the training schedules can be run on hills. Once or twice per week, your tempo runs, long runs, medium-long runs, and general aerobic runs should mimic the hill profile of your upcoming marathon. Simply adjust your pace to keep the effort at the correct intensity. (Allow your heart rate to increase by 5 to 8 beats per minute on the uphills, but be sure to ease up after the hills to get back into the appropriate range.) You can even do some of yourO₂max sessions up and down hills, although it�s easy to blow up by going too hard early in the workout.

If you live in the flatlands but are training for a hilly marathon, don�t despair � with a bit of creativity you can gain the benefits of hill running. Runners in Miami have been known to run the ramps of a parking garage on Sunday mornings, and you can replicate almost any hill workout on a treadmill.

Correct uphill running technique is relatively simple. The most common error running uphill is leaning forward, which is counterproductive to maintaining speed. Looking ahead and not down will help you retain a more-upright posture. Let your stride shorten and your knees lift naturally so that you feel as efficient as possible. You will tend to use your arms more as you lift your knees, but try to keep your shoulders and arms relaxed. On downhills, try not to brake. Keep your center of gravity perpendicular to the hill so that gravity can help you get down it as quickly as possible.

Part of the challenge of the marathon is that preparing for it takes so long and the training required is so demanding that roadblocks along the way to your goal are nearly inevitable. It�s important not only to organize your training and life so that as few impediments as possible crop up but also to deal with the ones that nevertheless occur. The most common roadblocks are injuries and illnesses, bad weather, and outside commitments. Let�s consider each of these intrusions into your marathon preparation to see how to adjust the schedules for them. Also, let�s look at what, if any, adjustments older marathoners, who might need more recovery than younger runners, should make to the schedules.

Injuries and illnesses are best caught early. Successful marathoners have the ability to recognize an injury or illness at an early stage before it becomes serious. Returning to training after an injury or illness requires careful analysis � too much too soon will result in additional time off. During this period, it�s important to avoid the factors that caused the injury or illness in the first place, such as worn-out shoes, running on concrete, overtraining, or a lack of sleep. Be sure to carefully read chapter 3 to learn how to stay on top of your recovery so that your chances of getting hurt or sick are lessened.

If you�re forced to miss more than a few days of training, then you need to decide whether to try to catch up or revise your marathon goal. This decision will be influenced by how much time you missed, how long you�ve been preparing, and how many weeks are left until your marathon. Missing 2 1/2 weeks of preparation when you have 16 weeks to go is no big deal, but missing that amount of time during the last 2 months of preparation will likely require you to modify your goal.

Table 7.2 provides guidelines for when you may need to revise your goals after an injury or illness. Typically, if you�ve lost less than 10 days of training, then you can safely start back where you should have been on the schedules. If you�ve missedO₂max workouts, however, you may need to slow your pace during your next fewO₂max sessions to reflect the lost time. If you�ve lost 10 or more days of training in the 8 weeks before your marathon, be open to revising your goal. When you resume full training, gather information from your timed sessions to get a sense of how much fitness you�ve lost and whether your marathon goal pace needs to be slowed by at least a few seconds per mile (per 1.6 km).

Making Up for Lost Time

This chapter is for runners who typically train less than 40 miles (64 km) per week but who are willing to up their mileage to 55 miles (88 km) per week during marathon preparation. It includes two schedules: an 18-week schedule that starts at 33 miles (53 km) per week and a 12-week schedule that starts at 35 miles (56 km) per week. Each of these schedules increases weekly mileage progressively to a peak of 55 miles (88 km).

As discussed in chapter 1, it�s useful to divide your overall training schedule into phases, called mesocycles. The training schedules consist of four mesocycles that focus on endurance, lactate threshold and endurance, race preparation, and tapering, respectively. A final schedule, which contains a 5-week postmarathon recovery program, can follow either of the training schedules.

Of the two training schedules presented in this chapter, we recommend the 18-week schedule for most situations. Eighteen weeks is plenty of time to stimulate the necessary adaptations to improve your marathon performance. At the same time, 18 weeks is short enough that you can focus your efforts without becoming bored with the process.

At times, however, you simply don�t have 18 weeks to prepare for your marathon. The 12-week schedule includes the same mesocycles as the 18-week schedule, but because of the short time for preparation, each of these mesocycles is abbreviated. If you go into a marathon in a rush, you must realize that your preparation won�t be as thorough as if you had longer to prepare. The 12-week schedule takes into account that sometimes circumstances don�t allow you the optimal length of time for preparation and strives to provide a compact yet effective training program.

These schedules are challenging right from the start and get harder as your marathon approaches. So that you can progress as the training increases in quantity and quality, and to minimize your chances of injury, you should be able to complete the first week of the schedule without too much effort.

Be realistic in assessing whether you�re ready for the first week of the schedule. For example, if you�ve been running 20 miles (32 km) per week and your longest run in the last several weeks is 6 miles (10 km), now isn�t the time to suddenly jump to a 33-mile (53 km) week containing a 12-mile (19 km) run and a 4-mile (6 km) tempo run, as the first week of the 18-week schedule calls for. The idea behind the schedules isn�t to make you as tired as possible as soon as possible but to apply repeated training stress that you absorb and benefit from.

As a rule, you should be running at least 25 miles (40 km) a week before starting these schedules, and in the last month you should have comfortably completed a run close in length to the long run called for in the first week of the schedule.

The schedules are presented in a day-by-day format. This is in response to requests from readers of our first book, Road Racing for Serious Runners, to provide schedules that specify what to do each day of the week.

The main limitation with this approach is that it�s impossible to guess the myriad of outside factors that may influence your day-to-day nonrunning life. Work schedules, family life, relationships, school commitments, and Mother Nature all play a part in determining when you get to do your long runs and other aspects of marathon preparation. You�ll no doubt require some flexibility in your training and will need to juggle days around from time to time. That�s expected, and as long as you don�t try to make up for lost time by doing several hard days in a row, you should be able to avoid injury and overtraining. By following the principles covered in the earlier chapters, you�ll be able to safely fine-tune the training schedules to suit your circumstances.

The schedules express each day�s training in miles and kilometers; use whichever you�re accustomed to. The mile and kilometer figures for each day (and the weekly total) are rough equivalents of each other, not a conversion from one to the other accurate to the third decimal point.

Each column of the schedules represents a week�s training. For example, in the 12-week schedule, the column for 11 weeks to goal indicates that at the end of that week you have 11 weeks until your marathon. The schedules continue week by week until race week.

We have included the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. For example, in the 18-week schedule, on the Friday of the 7-weeks-to-goal column, the specific workout is a 12-mile (19 km) run, and the category of training for that day is medium-long run. This aspect of the schedules allows you to quickly see the balance of training during each week and the progression of workouts from week to week. Look again at the 18-week schedule � it�s easy to see that with 7 weeks to go until the marathon, there are four recovery days (two of running, two of rest or cross-training), along with a lactate-threshold session, a long run, and a medium-long run. Looking at the row for Sunday, it�s easy to see how the long runs progress and then taper in the last few weeks before the marathon.

The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate-threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each of these categories is explained in depth in chapter 7, and the physiology behind the training is explained in chapter 1.

We discussed marathon race strategy at length in chapter 6. If you follow one of the schedules in this chapter, you�re probably a midpack runner. Unlike the situation the runners at the front of the field often face, you�ll probably have plenty of people around you to run with from start to finish. This can be good and bad.

On the plus side, obviously, you�re less likely to face lonely stretches with nobody to run with. Use this probability to your advantage � soon after the start, try to find other runners who look capable of maintaining your goal pace through at least 20 miles (32 km), and encourage them to work with you. (If they fall apart at 21 miles, that�s their problem, right?)

By following one of this chapter�s schedules, you�ll be better able to hold up past 20 miles (32 km) than most of the runners who begin the race at your pace. Your superior preparation will mean you�ll have the pleasure of continually passing people until the finish. Look forward to this time. Pick a runner a few hundred yards or meters up the road, and set the short-term goal of catching him or her. Then go after your next victim, and keep doing so until the finish.

On the not-so-good side, you�re more likely than those at the front of the field to feel crowded in the early miles. Try not to let this upset you. Tell yourself that the crowds are helping you not to go out too fast, and if need be, work up gradually to your goal pace.

Don�t try to make up lost time suddenly if a break in the crowd appears. Instead, when you have clear running room, run no more than 10 seconds per mile (per 1.6 km) faster than goal pace until you�re back on schedule; you will burn less glycogen and be less likely to accumulate lactate by catching up gradually. If the deficit you have to make up isn�t too great, 5 seconds per mile (per 1.6 km) faster than goal pace is an even safer approach. Once you�re back on track, ease back to goal pace.

The final schedule in this chapter is a 5-week recovery schedule for after the marathon. This is the fifth mesocycle; it completes the training program and leaves you ready to prepare for future challenges.

The recovery schedule is purposely conservative. You have little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high at this point, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue after the marathon.

The schedule starts with 2 days off from running, which is the bare minimum of time away from running you should allow yourself. If you still have acute soreness or tightness so severe that it will alter your form, or if you just don�t feel like running, certainly feel free to take more than 2 days off. If ever there was a time to lose your marathoner�s mind-set, the week after your goal race is it. Even most of the top runners in the world take days off after a marathon. They know that the nearly negligible benefits of a short run at this time are far outweighed by the risks. Not running now also increases your chances of being inspired to resume hard training when your body allows it.

Of course, some people don�t consider themselves real runners unless they run pretty much every day of their lives. Plod through a few miles if you must, but be aware that you�re prolonging your recovery.

What better aids recovery during this time is light cross-training, such as swimming or cycling. These activities increase blood flow through your muscles without subjecting them to pounding. Walking will also achieve this in the week after the marathon.

One way to ensure that you don�t run too hard too soon after your marathon is to use a heart rate monitor. As discussed in chapter 3, a heart rate monitor can help prevent you from going too fast on recovery days. During the first few weeks after the marathon, keep your heart rate below 76 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve. Running at this intensity will help your body overcome the stress of the marathon as quickly as possible.

During this 5-week recovery schedule, the number of days of running per week increases from 3 to 5. At the end of the 5 weeks, you should be fully recovered from the marathon and, with a little luck, be injury free and mentally fresh.

This chapter is for mid- to high-mileage marathoners who train 55 to 70 miles (88 to 113 km) per week. It includes two schedules: an 18-week schedule that starts at 54 miles (87 km) per week and a 12-week schedule that starts at 55 miles (88 km) per week. Each of these schedules increases weekly mileage progressively to a peak of 70 miles (113 km).

As discussed in chapter 1, it�s useful to divide your overall training schedule into phases, called mesocycles. The training schedules consist of four mesocycles that focus on endurance, lactate threshold and endurance, race preparation, and tapering, respectively. A final schedule, which contains a 5-week postmarathon recovery program, can follow either of the training schedules.

Of the two training schedules presented in this chapter, we recommend the 18-week schedule for most situations. Eighteen weeks is plenty of time to stimulate the necessary adaptations to improve your marathon performance. At the same time, 18 weeks is short enough that you can focus your efforts without becoming bored with the process.

At times, however, you simply don�t have 18 weeks to prepare for your marathon. The 12-week schedule includes the same mesocycles as the 18-week schedules, but because of the short time for preparation, each of these mesocycles is abbreviated. If you go into a marathon in a rush, you must realize that your preparation won�t be as thorough as if you had longer to prepare. The 12-week schedule takes into account that sometimes circumstances don�t allow you the optimal length of time for preparation and strives to provide a compact yet effective training program.

These schedules are challenging right from the start and get harder as your marathon approaches. So that you can progress as the training increases in quantity and quality, and to minimize your chances of injury, you should be able to complete the first week of the schedule without too much effort.

Be realistic in assessing whether you�re ready for the first week of the schedule. For example, if you�ve been running 30 miles (48 km) per week and your longest run in the last several weeks is 8 miles (13 km), now isn�t the time to suddenly jump to a 54-mile (86 km) week containing a 15-mile (24 km) run and a 4-mile (6 km) tempo run, as the first week of the 18-week schedule calls for. The idea behind the schedules isn�t to make you as tired as possible as soon as possible but to apply repeated training stress that you absorb and benefit from.

As a rule, you should be running at least 45 miles (72 km) a week before starting these schedules, and in the last month you should have comfortably completed a run close in length to the long run called for in the first week of the schedule.

The schedules are presented in a day-by-day format. This is in response to requests from readers of our first book, Road Racing for Serious Runners, to provide schedules that specify what to do each day of the week.

The main limitation with this approach is that it�s impossible to guess the myriad of outside factors that may influence your day-to-day nonrunning life. Work schedules, family life, relationships, school commitments, and Mother Nature all play a part in determining when you get to do your long runs and other aspects of marathon preparation. You�ll no doubt require some flexibility in your training and will need to juggle days around from time to time. That�s expected, and as long as you don�t try to make up for lost time by doing several hard days in a row, you should be able to avoid injury and overtraining. By following the principles covered in the earlier chapters, you�ll be able to safely fine-tune the training schedules to suit your circumstances.

The schedules express each day�s training in miles and kilometers; use whichever you�re accustomed to. The mile and kilometer figures for each day (and the weekly total) are rough equivalents of each other, not a conversion from one to the other accurate to the third decimal point.

Each column of the schedules represents a week�s training. For example, in the 12-week schedule, the column for 11 weeks to goal indicates that at the end of that week you have 11 weeks until your marathon. The schedules continue week by week until race week.

We have included the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. For example, in the 18-week schedule, on the Tuesday of the 7-weeks-to-go column, the specific workouts are a 6-mile (10 km) run and a 4-mile (6 km) run, and the category of training for that day is recovery. This aspect of the schedules allows you to quickly see the balance of training during each week and the progression of workouts from week to week. Look again at the 18-week schedule � it�s easy to see that with 7 weeks to go until the marathon, there are four recovery days that week, along with a lactate-threshold session, a long run, and a medium-long run. Looking at the row for Sunday, it�s easy to see how the long runs progress and then taper in the last few weeks before the marathon.

The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate-threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each of these categories is explained in depth in chapter 7, and the physiology behind the training is explained in chapter 1.

As discussed in chapter 4, sometimes marathoners benefit from running twice a day. This is obviously the case for elites cranking out 130-mile (209 km) weeks, but it isn�t necessary on a regular basis if you�re running 50 to 70 miles (80 to 113 km) per week. In these schedules, doubles are called for only on the occasional recovery day, with a total of 10 miles (16 km) for the day. On these days, your recovery will be enhanced by doing a 6-miler (10 km) and a 4-miler (6 km) rather than putting in one 10-mile (16 km) run. Instead of making you more tired, splitting your mileage like this on easy days will speed your recovery because each run will increase blood flow to your muscles yet take little out of you.

We discussed marathon race strategy at length in chapter 6. Part of that discussion centered on running with a group when possible. If you follow one of the schedules in this chapter, you might well be finishing within the top quarter or third of the field in your marathon. That means you�re likely to have runners around you throughout the marathon, especially in a big-city race, but there won�t be so many people in front of you at the start that you�ll spend the first few miles navigating around crowds. Make use of this probable position within the field; once you feel as if you�re running comfortably at your goal pace, look around for other runners who appear able to sustain the pace until the end. Talk to them, ask what their goals are, and try to find others to run with.

The final schedule in this chapter is a 5-week recovery schedule for after the marathon. This is the fifth mesocycle; it completes the training program and leaves you ready to prepare for future challenges.

The recovery schedule is purposely conservative. You have little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high at this point, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue after the marathon.

The schedule starts with 2 days off from running, which is the bare minimum of time away from running you should allow yourself. If you still have acute soreness or tightness so severe that it will alter your form, or if you just don�t feel like running, certainly feel free to take more than 2 days off. If ever there was a time to lose your marathoner�s mind-set, the week after your goal race is it. Even most of the top runners in the world take days off after a marathon. They know that the nearly negligible benefits of a short run at this time are far outweighed by the risks. Not running now will also increase your chances of being inspired to resume hard training when your body allows it.

Of course, some people don�t consider themselves real runners unless they run pretty much every day of their lives. Plod through a few miles if you must, but be aware that you�re prolonging your recovery.

What better aids recovery during this time is light cross-training, such as swimming or cycling. These activities increase blood flow through your muscles without subjecting them to pounding. Walking will also achieve this in the week after the marathon.

One way to ensure that you don�t run too hard too soon after your marathon is to use a heart rate monitor. As discussed in chapter 3, a heart rate monitor can help prevent you from going too fast on recovery days. During the first few weeks after the marathon, keep your heart rate below 76 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve. Running at this intensity will help your body overcome the stress of the marathon as quickly as possible.

During this 5-week recovery schedule, the number of days of running per week increases from 3 to 5. At the end of the 5 weeks, you should be fully recovered from the marathon and, with a little luck, injury free and mentally fresh.

This chapter is for high-mileage marathoners. It includes two schedules: an 18-week schedule that starts at 65 miles (105 km) per week and a 12-week schedule that starts at 67 miles (108 km) per week. Each of these schedules increases weekly mileage progressively and builds to a peak of 87 miles (140 km).

As discussed in chapter 1, it�s useful to divide your overall training schedule into phases, called mesocycles. The training schedules consist of four mesocycles that focus on endurance, lactate threshold and endurance, race preparation, and tapering, respectively. A final schedule, which contains a 5-week postmarathon recovery program, can follow either of the training schedules.

Of the two training schedules presented in this chapter, we recommend the 18-week schedule for most situations. Eighteen weeks is plenty of time to stimulate the necessary adaptations to improve your marathon performance. At the same time, 18 weeks is short enough that you can focus your efforts without becoming bored with the process.

At times, however, you simply don�t have 18 weeks to prepare for your marathon. The 12-week schedule includes the same mesocycles as the 18-week schedule, but because of the short time for preparation, each of these mesocycles is abbreviated. If you go into a marathon in a rush, you must realize that your preparation won�t be as thorough as if you had longer to prepare. The 12-week schedule takes into account that sometimes circumstances don�t allow you the optimal length of time for preparation and strives to provide a compact yet effective training program.

These schedules are challenging right from the start and get harder as your marathon approaches. So that you can progress as the training increases in quantity and quality and to minimize your chances of injury, you should be able to complete the first week of the schedule without too much effort.

Be realistic in assessing whether you�re ready for the first week of the schedule. For example, if you�ve been running 40 miles (64 km) per week and your longest run in the last several weeks is 12 miles (19 km), now isn�t the time to suddenly jump to a 65-mile (105 km) week containing a 17-mile (27 km) run, as the first week of the 18-week schedule calls for. The idea behind the schedules isn�t to make you as tired as possible as soon as possible but to apply repeated training stress that you absorb and benefit from.

As a rule, you should be running at least 55 miles (88 km) a week before starting these schedules, and in the last month, you should have comfortably completed a run close in length to the long run called for in the first week of the schedule.

The schedules are presented in a day-by-day format. This is in response to requests from readers of our first book, Road Racing for Serious Runners, to provide schedules that specify what to do each day of the week.

The main limitation with this approach is that it�s impossible to guess the myriad of outside factors that may influence your day-to-day nonrunning life (assuming you still have one at this level of volume). Work schedules, family life, relationships, school commitments, and Mother Nature all play a part in determining when you get to do your long runs and other aspects of marathon preparation. You�ll no doubt require some flexibility in your training and will need to juggle days around from time to time. That�s expected, and as long as you don�t try to make up for lost time by doing several hard days in a row, you should be able to avoid injury and overtraining. By following the principles covered in the earlier chapters, you will be able to safely fine-tune the training schedules to suit your circumstances.

The schedules express each day�s training in miles and kilometers; use whichever you�re accustomed to. The mile and kilometer figures for each day (and the weekly total) are rough equivalents of each other, not a conversion from one to the other accurate to the third decimal point.

Each column of the schedules represents a week�s training. For example, in the 12-week schedule, the column for 11 weeks to goal indicates that at the end of that week you have 11 weeks until your marathon. The schedules continue week by week until race week.

We have included the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. For example, in the 18-week schedule, on the Monday of the 7-weeks-to-go column, the specific workouts are a 6-mile (10 km) run and a 4-mile (6 km) run, and the category of training for that day is recovery. This aspect of the schedules allows you to quickly see the balance of training during each week and the progression of workouts from week to week. Look again at the 18-week schedule � it�s easy to see that with 7 weeks to go until the marathon, there are two recovery days that week, plus two general aerobic runs, a lactate-threshold session, a long run, and a medium-long run. Looking at the row for Sunday, it�s easy to see how the long runs progress and then taper in the last few weeks before the marathon.

The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate-threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each of these categories is explained in depth in chapter 7, and the physiology behind the training is explained in chapter 1.

As discussed in chapter 4, sometimes marathoners benefit from running twice a day. This is obviously the case for elites cranking out 130-mile (209 km) weeks, but it can also be true for anyone running more than 70 miles (113 km) a week. In these schedules, for example, recovery days of 10 miles (16 km) are often broken into two short runs. Rather than making you more tired, splitting your mileage like this on easy days will speed your recovery because each run will increase blood flow to your muscles yet take little out of you.

As we mention at the beginning of this chapter, we know that not everyone will be able to follow these schedules exactly as they appear. That applies on the days that call for a lactate-threshold workout in the morning and an easy recovery run in the evening. If your schedule makes it more likely that you�ll do a high-quality tempo run in the evening rather than the morning, then simply flip the workouts prescribed for these days. Just be sure to make the short morning run a true recovery run.

When a second run is called for on the day of a medium-long run, however, try to stick to the schedule as written. As explained in chapter 4, a short evening run on these days provides an additional endurance boost, whereas doing a short morning run and a medium-long run in the evening will likely detract from the quality of the medium-long run. Again, though, use your best judgment. If your schedule means that you�ll have to do a midweek medium-long run at 4:30 a.m., you�re probably better off making time for it in the evening.

We discussed marathon race strategy at length in chapter 6. If you follow one of the schedules in this chapter, you�ll probably find yourself near the front part of the field once everyone settles into their paces. Still, you might be running with people who aren�t as well prepared as you (e.g., a fit-looking man in his late 20s whose goal is to break 3:00, more because it�s a nice round number than because that�s what his training has prepared him for). If you wind up in a group early on, talk to the others to get a sense of whom you can count on still being there with 10 miles (16 km) to go.

Because of your strong preparation followed by an effective taper, you�ll probably find your goal pace in the early miles quite easy. After all, you were doing long runs with lengthy sections at goal pace in the midst of your heaviest training. Now that you�re rested and are filled with race-day excitement, goal pace should feel eminently doable. You�ll need to be disciplined and resist the temptation to go too fast so that you can use your fitness in the second half of the race and run even splits. Although your outstanding preparation makes you less likely than most to blow up late in the race from a too-hasty start, there�s still no point in squandering months of hard work with an overly ambitious early pace.

The final schedule in this chapter is a 5-week recovery schedule for after the marathon. This is the fifth mesocycle; it completes the training program and leaves you ready to prepare for future challenges.

The recovery schedule is purposely conservative. You have little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high at this point, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue after the marathon.

The schedule starts with 2 days off from running, which is the bare minimum of time away from running you should allow yourself. If you still have acute soreness or tightness so severe that it will alter your form, or if you just don�t feel like running, certainly feel free to take more than 2 days off. If ever there was a time to lose your marathoner�s mind-set, the week after your goal race is it. Even most of the top runners in the world take days off after a marathon. They know that the nearly negligible benefits of a short run at this time are far outweighed by the risks. Not running now will also increase your chances of being inspired to resume hard training when your body allows it.

This chapter is for true high-volume marathoners who can devote their full energy to training. It includes two schedules: an 18-week schedule that starts at 80 miles (129 km) per week and a 12-week schedule that starts at 82 miles (132 km) per week. Each of these schedules increases weekly volume progressively, building to a peak of at least 105 miles (170 km).

As discussed in chapter 1, it�s useful to divide your overall training schedule into phases, called mesocycles. The training schedules consist of four mesocycles that focus on endurance, lactate threshold and endurance, race preparation, and tapering, respectively. A final schedule, which contains a 5-week postmarathon recovery program, can follow either of the training schedules.

Of the two training schedules presented in this chapter, we recommend the 18-week schedule for most situations. Eighteen weeks is plenty of time to stimulate the necessary adaptations to improve your marathon performance. At the same time, 18 weeks is short enough that you can focus your efforts without becoming bored with the process.

At times, however, you simply don�t have 18 weeks to prepare for your marathon. The 12-week schedule includes the same mesocycles as the 18-week schedules, but because of the short time for preparation, each of these mesocycles is abbreviated. If you go into a marathon in a rush, you must realize that your preparation won�t be as thorough as if you had longer to prepare. The 12-week schedule takes into account that sometimes circumstances don�t allow you the optimal length of time for preparation and strives to provide a compact yet effective training program.

These schedules are challenging right from the start and get harder as your marathon approaches. So that you can progress as the training increases in quantity and quality and to minimize your chances of injury, you should be able to complete the first week of the schedule without too much effort.

Be realistic in assessing whether you�re ready for the first week of the schedule. For example, if you�ve been running 60 miles (97 km) per week and your longest run in the last several weeks is 12 miles (19 km), now isn�t the time to suddenly jump to an 82-mile (132 km) week containing a 17-mile (27 km) run, as the first week of the 12-week schedule calls for. The idea behind the schedules isn�t to make you as tired as possible as soon as possible but to apply repeated training stress that you absorb and benefit from.

As a rule, you should be running at least 70 to 75 miles (113 to 121 km) a week before starting these schedules, and in the last month, you should have comfortably completed a run of at least 15 miles (24 km).

The schedules are presented in a day-by-day format. This is in response to requests from readers of our first book, Road Racing for Serious Runners, to provide schedules that specify what to do each day of the week.

The main limitation with this approach is that it�s impossible to guess the myriad of outside factors that may influence your day-to-day nonrunning life (assuming you still have one at this level of volume). Work schedules, family life, relationships, school commitments, and Mother Nature all play a part in determining when you get to do your long runs and other aspects of marathon preparation. You�ll no doubt require some flexibility in your training and will need to juggle days around from time to time. That�s expected, and as long as you don�t try to make up for lost time by doing several hard days in a row, you should be able to avoid injury and overtraining. By following the principles covered in the earlier chapters, you will be able to safely fine-tune the training schedules to suit your circumstances.

The schedules express each day�s training in miles and kilometers; use whichever you�re accustomed to. The mile and kilometer figures for each day (and the weekly total) are rough equivalents of each other, not a conversion from one to the other accurate to the third decimal point.

Each column of the schedules represents a week�s training. For example, in the 12-week schedule, the column for 11 weeks to goal indicates that at the end of that week you have 11 weeks until your marathon. The schedules continue week by week until race week.

We have included the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. For example, in the 18-week schedule, on the Monday of the 5-weeks-to-go column, the specific workouts are two 6-mile (10 km) runs and the category of training for that day is recovery. This aspect of the schedules allows you to quickly see the balance of training during each week and the progression of workouts from week to week. Look again at the 18-week schedule � it�s easy to see that with 5 weeks to go until the marathon, there are two recovery days that week with a lactate-threshold session, a long run, a medium-long run, and two general aerobic runs. Looking at the row for Sunday, it�s easy to see how the long runs progress and then taper in the last few weeks before the marathon.

The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate-threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each of these categories is explained in depth in chapter 7, and the physiology behind the training is explained in chapter 1.

As discussed in chapter 7, sometimes marathoners benefit from running twice a day. This is obviously the case for anyone cranking out 100-mile (161 km) weeks. In these schedules, for example, recovery days of 10 to 12 miles (16 to 19 km) are often broken into two short runs. Rather than making you more tired, splitting your volume like this on easy days will speed your recovery because each run will increase blood flow to your muscles yet take so little out of you.

As we mention at the beginning of this chapter, we know that not everyone will be able to follow these schedules exactly as they appear. That applies on the days that call for a recovery run in the morning and a lactate-threshold workout in the evening. If your schedule makes it more likely that you�ll do a high-quality tempo run in the morning rather than the evening, then simply flip the workouts prescribed for these days.

The hardy few among you might want to do more volume than what�s prescribed in the schedules. If you�re in this group, be sure to follow the spirit of the schedules when adding miles � that is, your volume should build gradually during mesocycle 1, peak at the end of mesocycle 2, come down slightly during mesocycle 3, and fall dramatically during mesocycle 4.

Where should you add miles to the schedules? Try adding a bit of volume to the general aerobic runs and medium-long runs if you sense that doing so doesn�t detract from your week�s most important sessions. (Remember, volume is a means to a goal, not a primary goal in itself. At your volume level, the risk of injury increases rapidly if additional distance is added haphazardly.) You could also add miles to your warm-ups and cool-downs onO₂max and lactate-threshold workout days. If you�re going to do more doubles than the schedules stipulate, refer to the section on two-a-day runs in chapter 7.

We discussed marathon race strategy at length in chapter 6. If you follow one of the schedules in this chapter, you will be more thoroughly prepared for your marathon than most of the other runners in the race. Few others in the field will have done the combination of volume and targeted quality that you have.

Despite your commitment and eagerness, though, you�ll need to not get carried away in the early miles, even if your goal pace in the first half feels quite easy. The temptation to try to capitalize on that good feeling will be strong. Perhaps more than any other readers of this book, you will need to be disciplined in the early miles to stick to your goal pace so that you can use your fitness in the second half of the race and run even splits. Although your outstanding preparation makes you less likely than most to blow up late in the race from a too-hasty start, there�s still no point in squandering months of hard work with an overly ambitious early pace.

At the same time, it�s likely that among readers of this book you�ll be attempting to race the marathon at the greatest differential from your normal training pace. For that reason, in the days before your marathon, your goal pace might seem especially daunting. Draw confidence from your long runs, tempo runs, and marathon-pace runs that you can sustain your ambitious goal pace for 26.2 miles (42.2 km). Also, focus on your goal-pace splits to increase your chances of running the first half of the race intelligently and thereby vastly increasing your chances of being able to hold goal pace past 20 miles (32 km) all the way to the finish line.

The final schedule in this chapter is a 5-week recovery schedule for after the marathon. This is the fifth mesocycle; it completes the training program and leaves you ready to prepare for future challenges.

The recovery schedule is purposely conservative. You have little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high at this point, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue after the marathon.

The schedule starts with 2 days off from running, which is the bare minimum of time away from running you should allow yourself. If you still have acute soreness or tightness so severe that it will alter your form, or if you just don�t feel like running, certainly feel free to take more than 2 days off. If ever there was a time to lose your marathoner�s mind-set, the week after your goal race is it. Even most of the top runners in the world take days off after a marathon. They know that the nearly negligible benefits of a short run at this time are far outweighed by the risks. Not running now will also increase your chances of being inspired to resume hard training when your body allows it.

Of course, some people don�t consider themselves real runners unless they run pretty much every day of their lives. Plod through a few miles if you must, but be aware that you�re prolonging your recovery.

What better aids recovery during this time is light cross-training, such as swimming or cycling. These activities increase blood flow through your muscles without subjecting them to pounding. Walking will also achieve this in the week after the marathon.

One way to ensure that you don�t run too hard too soon after your marathon is to use a heart rate monitor. As discussed in chapter 3, a heart rate monitor can help prevent you from going too fast on recovery days. During the first few weeks after the marathon, keep your heart rate below 76 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve. Running at this intensity will help your body overcome the stress of the marathon as quickly as possible.

During this 5-week recovery schedule, the number of days of running per week increases from 3 to 6. At the end of the 5 weeks, you should be fully recovered from the marathon and, with a little luck, injury free and mentally fresh.

This chapter is for those occasions when, for whatever perverse reason, you�ve decided to do two marathons with 12 weeks or less between. Though doing two (or more) marathons in rapid succession generally isn�t the best way to go after a personal best time, this chapter focuses on structuring your training to maximize your likelihood of success. It includes five schedules, covering 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 weeks between marathons.

These schedules are substantially different from the schedules in chapters 9 through 11; the schedules in chapter 12 must start with helping you recover from marathon number 1 and then help you train and taper for marathon number 2. The number of weeks between marathons dictates how much time you devote to recovery, training, and tapering. For example, the 12-week schedule allows a relatively luxurious 4 weeks for recovery, whereas the 6-week schedule can allocate only 2 weeks to recovery.

The schedules in this chapter are written for marathoners who typically build to 60 to 70 miles (97 to 113 km) per week during marathon preparation. The 10- and 12-week schedules build to a peak weekly mileage of 67 (108 km), whereas the 8-, 6-, and 4-week schedules peak at 66(106 km), 60 (97 km), and 48 miles (77 km), respectively. If your mileage during marathon preparation is typically more than 70 miles (113 km) per week, then scale up the volume in these schedules moderately. Similarly, if your mileage typically peaks at less than 60 miles (97 km) per week, then scale the training back proportionately.

The schedules assume that you want to do your best in your second marathon. Though this might not mean running a personal best or even running as fast as in the first race in your double (or triple, or whatever), it does mean toeing the line with the intention of running as fast as you can that day. If your multiple-marathoning goal is to cruise comfortably through a second or third marathon soon after a peak effort, then ignore these schedules. Simply focus on recovering from your first race while interspersing enough long runs to maintain your endurance until your next one.

Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter said that you can�t run another marathon until you�ve forgotten your last one. If that�s so, then a lot of runners out there have short memories.

Although statistics in this area are hard to come by, anecdotal evidence suggests that many runners choose to circumvent the conventional wisdom � which is to do, at most, a spring and a fall marathon � and are running three, four, or more marathons a year. Some run a marathon a month. And we�re not just talking about middle-of-the-packers here. Gete Wami won the Berlin Marathon in September 2007. Five weeks later, she was back at it, battling Paula Radcliffe for victory at the New York City Marathon and fading only in the last few hundred meters. Still, she hung on for second and followed her Berlin time of 2:23:17 with a 2:23:32 on the much tougher New York City course.

Of course, Wami ran both so that she could win the $500,000 World Marathon Majors jackpot. You probably won�t have that financial incentive. So should you be a multiple marathoner? We can�t answer that question for you other than to describe why some people are drawn to multiple marathoning.

It�s rare to finish a marathon and � after the obligatory utterance of �Never again� � not think you could have run at least a little faster, if only X, Y, and Z hadn�t occurred. If you�ve run a less-than-satisfying marathon, but it didn�t seem to take too much out of you, and if another likely site for a good race looms several weeks ahead, then you might want to consider drawing on your horse-remounting skills.

A marathon run at a controlled but honest pace a few months before a peak effort can provide a significant training boost and a good measure of your fitness. If you run a race too hard or too close to your real goal race, of course, this is akin to pulling up roots to see how your carrots are growing. Certainly these are excellent opportunities to test your marathon drink, shoes, and the like in battle conditions.

As the growing popularity of destination marathons shows, a special knowledge of an area comes from covering it at length on foot. Many runners plan vacations around a scenic marathon for a chance to view the scenery in a way you can�t experience from a tour bus. When you combine such trips with a standard marathon schedule, you�re likely to run into instances of short turnaround times.

Some runners simply like to run marathons and to experience them in all their permutations, from intimate affairs such as the Green River Marathon (no entry fee and 52 finishers in 2007) in Kent, Washington; to medium-size marathons such as Napa Valley (1,800 runners traversing California wine country) and Twin Cities (8,000 runners along the Mississippi River at peak fall foliage); on up to the mega-events such as Chicago and Berlin. Even though marathons are held throughout the year, the traditional spring and fall clustering can mean that sampling the marathon world requires becoming a multiple marathoner.

How can we put this gently? Some runners are drawn to challenges for no better reason than because they sound good. This would include such undertakings as running a marathon a month for a year, running a marathon in all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, running one in every province and territory in Canada, and completing a marathon on every continent. The marathon-a-month goal obviously requires scant time between efforts, but so can the geographically based ones, given that you�ll be at the mercy of marathon planners.

�Normal� marathoners should check the amount of glass in their houses before throwing stones at multiple marathoners. After all, the bulk of this book has been devoted to detailing how to maximize your chances of success at an activity that the human body isn�t really suited for. So if some runners want to give the standard reason for undertaking such a challenge � �Because it�s there� � several times a year, well, it�s not as if they�re clubbing seals.

The schedules are presented in a day-by-day format. This is in response to requests from readers of our first book, Road Racing for Serious Runners, to provide schedules that specify what to do each day of the week.

The main limitation with this approach is that it�s impossible to guess the myriad of outside factors that may influence your day-to-day nonrunning life. Work schedules, family life, relationships, school commitments, and Mother Nature all play their part in determining when you get to do your long runs and other aspects of marathon preparation. You�ll no doubt require some flexibility in your training and will need to juggle days around from time to time. That�s expected, and as long as you don�t try to make up for lost time by doing several hard days in a row, you should be able to avoid injury and overtraining.

The schedules express each day�s training in miles and kilometers; use whichever you�re accustomed to. The mile and kilometer figures for each day (and the weekly total) are rough equivalents of each other, not a conversion from one to the other accurate to the third decimal point.

Because of the large variation between runners in the time required for marathon recovery, you should approach these schedules with a high degree of flexibility. Also, if, in your first marathon, the weather was hot, you became severely dehydrated, or you became unusually hobbled, then your recovery is likely to take longer than usual. When a conflict arises between what the schedule says to do and what your body indicates it�s willing to do, listen to your body. With these tight time frames between marathons, your best strategy is first to focus on recovery and then to worry about the other aspects of training. If you�re not able to follow the schedules closely for one reason or another, then follow the priorities discussed later in this chapter in choosing which workouts to do and which to miss.

For all the schedules in this chapter, remember that in the first few weeks after marathon number 1, recovery is your primary objective, and that during the last 3 weeks, tapering to consolidate your energy reserves is paramount. If you�re worn out or injured going into marathon number 2, then any extra workouts you�ve squeezed in won�t have been worth the effort.

One way to ensure that you don�t run too hard during the first few weeks after your previous marathon is to use a heart rate monitor. As discussed in chapter 4, a heart rate monitor can help prevent you from going too fast on your easy days. During the first few weeks after the marathon, keep your heart rate below 76 percent of your maximal heart rate or 70 percent of your heart rate reserve to help speed your recovery.

In 1983, I ran three high-quality marathons in 17 weeks. Nine weeks after winning the San Francisco Marathon in 2:14:44, I finished second in the Montreal Marathon in 2:12:33. Eight weeks after that, I won the Auckland Marathon in 2:12:19. At the time, the last two races were personal bests.

I did a few things wrong between San Francisco and Montreal but was able to hold my body together through a combination of luck, enthusiasm, and youth (I was 26). After San Francisco, I was remarkably stiff for several days. I�m not sure whether that was from standing around in the cold for a couple of hours after the race or because it was my first marathon in almost 2 years because of surgery on my plantar fascia. I hobbled a 2-miler (3 km) 2 days after the race and racked up 46 miles (74 km) for the week. Regular massage helped bring my legs around.

Fortunately, my body bounced back really well after that first week, and I was up to 100 miles (161 km) in the third week after, including a session of eight 800-meter repeats on the track. My mileage climbed to 116 (187) and 122 (196) for the fourth and fifth weeks, which was about as high as I used to get back then. (I hadn�t made an Olympic team yet, so I was working full time.) There was just enough time to fit in two tune-up races, a 5-miler (8 km) in 23:35 and a third-place finish in the New Haven 20K, and then it was time to taper again. Eight days before Montreal, I went to the track and did two repeats of 1,600 meters in 4:24 and 4:23, which was really fast for me and a good omen. The last 2 weeks before the race I tried to get caught up on sleep, and I felt really ready going into Montreal.

The night after Montreal, I stayed out until 5:00 a.m., took an 8:00 a.m. flight back to Boston, and caught a cab directly to work. This didn�t help my recovery. After that, though, I settled down, and in the first 3 weeks after Montreal covered 48, 72, and 97 miles (77, 116, and 156 km). Lots of sleep and weekly massage kept me injury free, and, except for the occasional �Felt like hell� notation in my diary, training went pretty well.

Three weeks before the Auckland Marathon, I started my leave of absence from work at New Balance to prepare for the Olympic trials and flew to New Zealand with my training partner, Tom Ratcliffe, who was also running Auckland. We got a bit carried away with the excitement and probably overtrained the first week there. The second week in New Zealand, I ran a 10K tune-up race in 29:12, which I was very pleased with. During the last week before the marathon, however, I could tell that my body was on a fine edge, and I decided to back right off. Three days before the race, I was still feeling pretty tired. Fortunately, on race day, I felt strong and broke away after 17 miles (27 km). It had been a very positive experience in multiple marathoning that was excellent practice for the following year�s Olympic trials and marathon.

��Pete Pfitzinger

Each column of the schedules represents a week�s training. For example, in the 10-week schedule, the column for 9 weeks to goal indicates that at the end of that week you have 9 weeks until your second marathon. The schedules continue week by week until race week.

We have included the specific workout for each day as well as the category of training for that day. For example, in the 10-week schedule, on the Friday of the 5-weeks-to-go column, the specific workout is a 9-mile (14 km) run, and the category of training for that day is general aerobic conditioning. This aspect of the schedules allows you to quickly see the balance of training during each week and the progression of workouts from week to week. Look again at the 10-week schedule � it�s easy to see that with 5 weeks to go until the marathon, there are three recovery days that week along with aO₂max session, a long run, a medium-long run, and a general aerobic conditioning run. Looking at the row for Sunday, it�s easy to see how the long runs progress and then taper in the last few weeks before the marathon.

The workouts are divided into the following eight categories: long runs, medium-long runs, marathon-pace runs, general aerobic runs, lactate threshold runs, recovery runs,O₂max intervals, and speed training. Each of these categories is explained in depth in chapter 7, and the physiology behind the training is explained in chapter 1.

The following sections explain the priorities for the training schedules in this chapter. But what if you don�t have 12, 10, 8, 6, or 4 weeks between marathons?

If you have less than 4 weeks between marathons, you�re on your own. Your main concern should be recovery, recovery, and more recovery, not only from your first marathon but also from the lobotomy that led you to come up with this plan.

For other amounts of time between marathons, follow these guidelines:

��For 11 weeks between, do the 12-week schedule, but skip the week �6 weeks to goal.�

��For 9 weeks between, do the 10-week schedule, but skip the week �5 weeks to goal,� and with 35 days to go, increase the distance of the run to 18 miles (29 km).

��For 7 weeks between, do the 8-week schedule, but skip the week �3 weeks to goal,� and with 21 days to go, increase the distance of the run to 18 miles (29 km).

��For 5 weeks between, do the 6-week schedule, but skip the week �2 weeks to goal,� and with 14 days to go, increase the medium-long run to 16 miles (26 km).

On May 26, 1984, I ran 2:11:43 to win the Olympic marathon trials, and then on August 12, I placed 11th in 2:13:53 in the Olympics. Here�s how I approached the 11 weeks in between.

I was on a bit of a high after winning the trials, to say the least. I took the next day off and went for a relaxed swim and a pathetic 3-mile (5 km) shuffle 2 days after the race. The next day, I had my weekly massage, and my muscles weren�t too bad. Building toward the Olympics, massage each week helped keep me injury free despite the short recovery. I ran 45 miles (72 km) the week after the trials. Using the philosophy that I needed to get the training in as quickly as possible to be able to taper again and be in top form for the Olympics, I initially ran as I felt and got in 112 miles (180 km) the second week and 151 miles (243 km) the third week. During the second week after the trials, I started doing a few strideouts every couple of days to try to get my legs turning over. This seemed to help quite a bit.

In retrospect, I should have run 80 to 90 miles (129 to 145 km) the second week and 110 to 120 miles (177 to 193 km) the third week. Doing the amount I did showed a lack of confidence because I wouldn�t have lost fitness by doing fewer miles. In fact, if I had run a bit less mileage right after the trials, I probably would have performed better at the Olympics. But I didn�t understand that at the time.

The problem I faced was that in 11 weeks I couldn�t very well do a 4-week recovery and a 3-week taper because that would have left only 4 weeks to train to compete against the best runners in the world. I got around that by cutting back the recovery and getting back into fairly high-quality long intervals by the fourth or fifth week posttrials. The beauty of the short recovery after the trials was that I was fit enough to do my long intervals at a good clip right away, so I didn�t need as long to build into them. For example, in the fifth week posttrials, I did a 3-mile (5 km) time trial on the track in 14:02.

I did continue, however, to train according to how I felt, with flexibility both ways. For example, one day I headed out for a 15-miler (24 km), felt good, and wound up going 26 miles (42 km). On other days, I would postpone a track workout for a day or two until my legs felt as if they could give a good effort without getting injured.

I tapered more for the Olympics than for the trials. This was somewhat necessitated by tightness that I developed in my back during the last 3 weeks before the race. It was also out of a realization that I had trained a bit too hard in the weeks after the trials and that my energy level needed time to come up a notch. This is a very subjective matter, but I could tell during my training runs that a bit of zip was missing and that it was better to cut back and regain my strength. I did this by making my easy days � in terms of speed and distance � easier. I also trimmed the volume of my long runs and my speed workouts. This taper became the model that I followed for the rest of my racing career.

��Pete Pfitzinger

A period of 12 weeks between marathons isn�t too bad. There�s a real risk, however, of either taking it too easy and gradually losing marathon-specific fitness or overdoing it and finding yourself at the starting line of marathon number 2 feeling tired and wondering why you�re there. You need to find the perfect balance for your individual situation. The best strategy is to really take it easy for the first 3 or 4 weeks after your previous marathon to ensure that your body is fully recovered. That leaves 8 or 9 weeks until the next marathon, including 5 or 6 weeks of solid training and a 3-week taper.

The key training time is the 6-week period lasting from 7 weeks to go through 2 weeks until the second marathon. The most important workouts during those weeks are the tune-up races with 29 and 15 days to go; the marathon-specific run with 42 days to go; the long runs with 49, 35, 28, and 21 days to go; theO₂max sessions with 39, 33, and 25 days to go; and the medium-long runs with 52, 44, 38, 32, and 24 days until marathon number 2.

Allowing 10 weeks between marathons is almost reasonable, and the schedule reflects this by providing 3 weeks of solid recovery, 4 weeks of solid training, and a 3-week taper.

The key training weeks are those that end with 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 weeks until your second marathon. The most important workouts during those weeks are the tune-up races with 29 and 15 days to go; the long runs with 35, 28, 21, and 14 days to go; the lactate threshold session with 44 days to go; theO₂max sessions with 39 and 25 days to go; and the medium-long runs with 38, 32, and 24 days until marathon number 2. The only word of caution concerning a 10-week time frame between marathons is to allow yourself to recover fully from your previous marathon before training too intensely for the next one.

The 8-week schedule allows you to recover thoroughly from your previous marathon, train well for about 3 weeks, and then taper for marathon number 2. A period of 8 weeks between marathons is far less risky than 4 or 6 weeks. Even if your first marathon was in hot weather, or if you came out of it with a minor injury, with a bit of luck you should still be okay for marathon number 2.

The key training weeks are those that end with 4, 3, and 2 weeks until the second marathon. The most important workouts during those weeks are the tune-up race with 15 days to go; the long runs with 28, 21, and 14 days to go; the lactate threshold session with 30 days to go; and the medium-long runs with 24 and 18 days until the marathon. Try to avoid doing more than the schedules call for because 8 weeks between marathons is still brief enough that you don�t have much room for error.

The 6-week schedule was difficult to put together because 6 weeks is just enough time to start to lose fitness if you don�t train enough, but it is also just barely enough time to recover from marathon number 1 before you need to taper for marathon number 2. The most important training weeks are those that end 3 weeks and 2 weeks before marathon number 2. Those weeks provide a small window during which you can train fairly hard without wearing yourself out for the second marathon.

The key workouts during those weeks are the tune-up race with 15 days to go, the long run with 14 days to go, theO₂max sessions with 23 and 19 days to go, and the medium-long runs with 21 and 18 days until the marathon. This brief training stimulus will keep you in peak marathon fitness so that after tapering, you should be close to your best.

The 4-week schedule is about as compact as you can get. This program consists of 2 weeks of recovery merging into 2 weeks of taper. The objective is to get you to the starting line injury free, fully recovered from your previous marathon, and still in top shape. The mileage for this program starts at 25 miles (40 km) and builds to 48 miles (77 km) during the third week. Unfortunately, that�s also the penultimate week before the marathon, so mileage and intensity building abruptly halt and merge into a taper.

The most important workouts in this schedule are the medium-long runs with 14 and 10 days until marathon number 2 and theO₂max session with 12 days to go. If you need to do two marathons just 4 weeks apart (and need is a relative term), then this schedule should maximize your chances of success.

Don�t do it!

Just kidding. You should definitely set a clear goal for the second (or third, or fourth,) marathon you�re running within a brief time frame. Otherwise, you might very well find yourself a few miles into it already wondering, What am I doing here? Being able to state what you want to accomplish in your multiple marathoning will provide en route direction and motivation. The longer you�ve allowed between marathons, the more precisely you should be able to state your goals for marathon number 2 (beyond �to get through it�).

Once you�ve picked your goal, map out the splits you�ll need to hit. Throughout this book, we�ve stressed the merits of showing restraint early in the marathon to maximize your chances of being able to run a strong second half. That advice is especially pertinent if you�ve already finished one marathon in the last 12 weeks or sooner. Your multiple-marathoning experience will almost certainly become a self-fulfilling death march if you run too fast early in the race in the hope of building a cushion against an inevitably slower second half.

Wait until the week before your second marathon to decide on a time goal. Be realistic, taking into account how your recovery from your first race went; the quality of your long runs, tempo runs, and interval sessions in the interim; and whether you�ve felt your energy level rise during your taper for marathon number 2.

Also consider the circumstances of your previous marathon. For example, if you ran a huge personal record (PR) off of negative splits, then there�s probably room for improvement this time around. Or say you wilted over the last 10K the last time around and realize in retrospect that this was because of a too-aggressive first 10 miles (16 km); you should be able to make another attempt at your goal time for the first marathon. If, however, you prepared with monk-like devotion for 24 weeks for your previous marathon and shaved 3 seconds off your lifetime best, and your second marathon is 4 weeks later, well, sorry, but this probably isn�t the time to try for a 10-minute PR.

If you�ve never consciously tried to run a marathon with negative splits, this might be the occasion to do so. Give yourself the first several miles to get an accurate feel for how your body is responding to the challenge you�ve set for it, and pick up the pace only when you�re fairly confident that you can sustain it to the end.

If you�ve just run two or more marathons within a brief time span, your best strategy for future success is to take a well-deserved break. A few weeks of no running or easy training will help your body to recover and your mind to develop new challenges. You have little to gain by rushing back into training, and your risk of injury is exceptionally high at this point, owing to the reduced resiliency of your muscles and connective tissue after running multiple marathons. If you choose to keep training, then the 5-week recovery schedule (mesocycle 5) in chapter 10 will help you recover and rebuild your training safely.