Here we are just TEN weeks away from the Boston Marathon, and I can’t believe it’s already so soon! A couple of goals (via my Believe I Am training journal) that I hope to attain this year (and maybe by Boston) are: reintroducing some structure to my training and breaking into the 3:1X’s in the marathon. If the stars can align come April 15–in other words, no blazing hot temps and a healthy me at the starting line–I’d like to give myself a shot at a PR. Regardless of the outcome on that day, I hope to use this build-up as my first attempt at checking those two goals off my list and start turning things like core and yoga into habits.
Which brings me to the training plan below, created by my coworker Budd Coates, a 4-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and Senior Director of Health and Fitness at Rodale. I plan to use this as a framework for my training, modifying a tweaking things as I go, especially because this is my first venture into structured running since graduation. (In other words, I might flip-flop days or adjust paces here or there.) Without further ado, here’s the game plan!
(Approximate Paces // Long Distance: 7:30-8:10, Easy: 8:00+, Moderate: 7:30-8:00, Tempo: 7:00-7:15, Hard Interval: 6:30-7:00)
Week of February 3 – February 9
Sunday: 12 miles
Monday: 0-20 min easy
Tuesday: 30-40 min moderate
Wednesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 2 x 2 min hard, 2 min easy, 4 min hard, 2 min easy, 6 min hard, 3 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-20 min easy
Friday: 30-40 min
Saturday: 0-20 min easy
Week of February 10 – February 16
Sunday: 14 miles
Monday: 0-20 min easy
Tuesday: 30-40 min moderate
Wednesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 2 x 4 min hard, 2 min easy; 1 x 6 min hard, 3 min easy; 2 x 4 min hard, 2 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-20 min easy
Friday: 30-40 min moderate
Saturday: W/O tempo – 10-15 min warmup // 15 min tempo, 5 min easy, 5 min tempo // 10-15 min cooldown
Week of February 17 – February 23
Sunday: 0-20 min easy
Monday: 30-40 min moderate
Tuesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 3-4 x 3 min hard, 2 min easy, 1.5 min hard, 1 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Wednesday: 0-20 min easy
Thursday: 30-40 min moderate
Friday: W/O short intervals – 10 min warmup // 8-10 x 1 min hard, 1 min easy // 10 min cooldown
Saturday: rest day
Week of February 24 – March 2
Sunday: 16-18 miles
Monday: 0-20 min easy
Tuesday: 30-40 min moderate
Wednesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 4 min hard, 2 min easy, 6 min hard; 1-2 x 3 min easy, 8 min hard // 10-15 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-20 min easy
Friday: 30-40 min moderate
Saturday: W/O tempo – 10-15 min warmup // 30-35 min tempo // 10-15 min cooldown
Week of March 3 – March 9
Sunday: 0-20 min easy
Monday: 30-40 min moderate
Tuesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 3-5 x 4 min hard, 3 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Wednesday: 0-20 min easy
Thursday: 30-40 min moderate
Friday: W/O short intervals – 10 min warmup // 5-10 x 1 min hard, 1 min easy // 10 min cooldown
Saturday: rest day
Week of March 10 – March 16
Sunday: 20-22 miles
Monday: 0-20 min easy
Tuesday: 30-40 min moderate
Wednesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 4 min hard, 2 min easy, 6 min hard; 1-2 x 3 min easy, 8 min hard // 10-15 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-20 min easy
Friday: 30-40 min moderate
Saturday: W/O tempo – 10-15 min warmup // 30-35 min tempo // 10-15 min cooldown
Week of March 17 – March 23
Sunday: 0-20 min easy
Monday: 30-40 min moderate
Tuesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 3-5 x 4 min hard, 3 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Wednesday: 0-20 min easy
Thursday: 30-40 min moderate
Friday: W/O short intervals – 10 min warmup // 5-10 x 1 min hard, 1 min easy // 10 min cooldown
Saturday: rest day
Week of March 24 – March 30
Sunday: 18 miles
Monday: 0-20 min easy
Tuesday: 30-40 min moderate
Wednesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 2 x 6 min hard, 3 min easy, 8 min hard // 10 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-20 min easy
Friday: 30-40 min moderate
Saturday: W/O tempo – 10-15 min warmup // 20 min tempo // 10 min cooldown
Week of March 31 – April 6
Sunday: 0-20 min easy
Monday: 30-40 min moderate
Tuesday: W/O intervals – 10-15 min warmup // 2 x 2 min hard, 2 min easy, 3 min hard, 3 min easy, 2 min hard, 2 min easy // 10-15 min cooldown
Wednesday: 0-20 min easy
Thursday: 30-40 min moderate
Friday: W/O short intervals – 10 min warmup // 5-10 x 1 min hard, 1 min easy // 10 min cooldown
Saturday: rest day
Week(s) of April 7 – April 15
Sunday: 40-50 min easy
Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 20-30 min easy
Wednesday: light W/O – 10 min warmup // 3-5 x 1.5 hard, 1.5 easy // 10 min cooldown
Thursday: 0-15 min easy
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 15-20 min easy
Sunday: 0-20 min easy
Monday: BOSTON!
QUOTE OF THE POST: “I’ve learned that finishing a marathon isn’t just an athletic achievement. It’s a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible.” – John Hanc
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