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The Final 8 Weeks of Marathon Training
Dr. Jason R. Karp, Ph.D.
July/August 2009
For the Washington Running Report
One of my athletes, long before I met him, ran 25 miles a few days before his first marathon so he could feel confident going into the race. Crashing 20 miles into the marathon, he realized that running that long that close to the marathon was a big mistake. With only a couple of months remaining until your fall marathon, every run is important.
Following are the key ingredients during the last eight weeks of marathon training.
Long Runs
The most important marathon preparation for the first-time marathoner is the long run. In addition to serving as a stimulus to store more glycogen, long runs improve your blood vessels' oxygen-carrying capability by increasing the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin concentration. They also create a greater capillary network, providing more oxygen to your muscles, and increase mitochondrial density and the number of aerobic enzymes, increasing your aerobic metabolic capacity. Long runs also prepare your muscles and connective tissue to handle the stress of pounding the pavement for 26.2 miles. For this reason, do all of your long runs on the road.
In the final eight weeks, do four to five more long runs, with at least two longer than 20 miles. While you certainly want to be confident that you can complete the marathon distance, you also need time to recover, so do your last long run two to three weeks before the marathon.
If you are more competitive and have a running background that has included many long runs, alternate your long run with a medium-long run (12 to 16 miles) that combines an easy run with segments at lactate threshold (LT) pace (what I call LT/LSD combo runs). These runs simulate the physiological and psychological fatigue of the marathon without having to run as far. Like regular long runs, they severely lower muscle glycogen, stimulating its synthesis and storage.
Lactate Threshold Runs
The lactate threshold (LT), an important physiological variable that demarcates the transition between exercise that is almost purely aerobic and exercise that includes significant oxygen-independent (anaerobic) metabolism, represents the fastest speed you can sustain aerobically, and is the best physiological predictor of distance running performance. The longer the race, the more important it is to train your LT.
Lactate threshold training increases your LT to a faster speed, allowing you to run faster before you fatigue. The goal of marathon training is to raise your LT and to increase your ability to sustain as high of a percentage of your LT as possible. For average runners, LT pace is approximately 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace (about 80% to 85% maximum heart rate). For those more trained, it is about 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace and about 20 seconds per mile faster than marathon race pace (about 90% maximum heart rate). Subjectively, these runs should feel "comfortably hard."
I typically use three types of LT workouts with marathoners: 1) continuous runs at LT pace, starting at about 3 miles and increasing up to 7 to 8 miles (or about 45 to 50 minutes, whichever comes first); 2) intervals run at LT pace with short rest periods, such as 4 to 6 x 1 mile at LT pace with one minute rest; and 3) shorter intervals run at slightly faster than LT pace with very short rest periods, such as two sets of 4 x 1,000 meters at 5 to 10 seconds per mile faster than LT pace with 45 seconds rest and two minutes rest between sets.
In the final eight weeks of your marathon preparation, do one to two LT workouts per week. Four to five weeks before your marathon, try to find a half-marathon race. It not only serves as a great LT workout, it will help you predict your upcoming marathon pace.
Long Intervals
Long intervals (3 to 5 minutes) target your cardiovascular system and increase your VO2max (the maximum rate at which your muscles consume oxygen) by increasing your stroke volume (the volume of blood your heart pumps with each beat) and cardiac output (the volume of blood your heart pumps each minute). Research has shown that high-intensity training (95 to 100% VO2max) is the optimal stimulus for improving VO2max.
Run long intervals at the speed at which your VO2max occurs (referred to as the "velocity at VO2max," or vVO2max), which is approximately 3K (2-mile) race pace for highly trained runners. If you run two miles in longer than about 10 to 12 minutes, however, your vVO2max will be between mile and two-mile race pace. If using heart rate as a guide, you should come close to reaching your maximum heart rate by the end of each interval. During the final eight weeks of your marathon preparation, do one long interval workout per week.
Taper
Most research on endurance athletes has shown that improved performance (from 0.5 to 6 percent) is more likely to occur after a period of tapering. The goal of tapering is to recover from prior training without compromising your previous training adaptations. In other words, you want to decrease fatigue without losing fitness.
You can probably expect to improve your marathon performance by reducing your weekly mileage exponentially for two to three weeks, including interval training (if you've already been doing so pre-taper) to maintain training intensity, and increasing your carbohydrate intake (to at least 70% of total calories) to increase the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles for race day. The exact length of your taper depends on your prior training load, your level of fatigue, and your genetically-predetermined ability to retain your training effects while reducing the training stimulus (i.e., how quickly you lose fitness). Obviously, if you tend to fall out of shape fast, you do not want a long taper. As you get closer to the marathon, also reduce the volume of intensity by reducing the number of intervals in each session. Although research has shown that reductions in training volume up to 60 to 90 percent can improve performance, the research is limited to much shorter races that are not as endurance-dependent as the marathon. Given the length of the marathon, and thus its large dependence on aerobic capacity, it is probably better not to decrease mileage by as much as 90 percent.
I typically begin cutting my athletes' mileage and the length of their long runs three weeks before the marathon (or up to a week later if they have not been running high mileage). Reduce peak mileage by 30 percent for the first week, 50 percent for the second week, and 65 percent for the week of the marathon (not counting the marathon itself). Keep the intensity high during the first week, including one long interval workout and one moderately-long run (12 to 15 miles) with slightly less than half at LT pace. Decrease the intensity slightly during the second week, including two short- to medium-distance runs (5 to 10 miles) at marathon pace. The week of the race, do one interval workout early in the week at either LT pace or slightly faster, cutting back on the pre-taper number of reps. The final week also includes a daily reduction in mileage over the last few days that mirrors the pattern of the weekly reduction. Exactly what you do during your taper will depend on what you did before the taper. While tapering, it is easy to catch a cold, so bolster your immune system by getting enough sleep, taking vitamin C (500 to 1,000 milligrams daily), and staying away from people with colds.
So, if you want to run your best marathon, follow these guidelines. And if you train smart enough, you will run faster than all of your friends, maybe even fast enough to outrun a few Africans.
Dr. Jason R. Karp is owner of RunCoachJason.com, a coaching, personal training, and fitness consulting company, providing science-based coaching to runners of all levels, fitness training to the public, and consulting to coaches and fitness professionals. He has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, and is director and coach of REVO2LT Running TeamÔ, a freelance writer, and competitive runner. He writes for numerous international running, coaching, and fitness magazines and scientific journals.
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Sample Program for Final 8 Weeks Before Marathon |
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Numbers represent miles. LT = lactate threshold; MP = marathon pace; vVO2max = velocity at VO2max. This program is for advanced marathoners. For beginners, decrease the overall weekly mileage, run once per day instead of twice, and substitute regular long runs for the LT/LSD combo runs. |
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Mon |
Tues |
Wed |
Thurs |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Total Miles* |
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Week 1 |
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
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Intervals- 2 warm-up - 6x800 meters @ vVO2max w/3:00 jog recovery - 1 warm-down
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a.m.: 5
p.m.: 7
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10 |
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
|
Rest |
LT/LSD Combo Run 5 easy + 3 @ LT pace + 5 easy + 3 @ LT pace |
70 |
|
Week 2 |
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 9
|
Intervals- 2 warm-up - 4x1,000 meters @ vVO2max w/3:30 jog recovery - 1 warm-down
|
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
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7 @ MP |
a.m.: 6.5
p.m.: 9
|
Rest |
20 |
75 |
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Week 3 |
a.m.: 4
p.m.: 5
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Intervals- 2 warm-up - 3x1,000 meters @ vVO2max w/3:30 jog recovery - 1 warm-down
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8
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6 |
5 |
Rest |
Half-Marathon Race
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46 |
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Week 4 |
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
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LT Cruise Intervals - 2 warm-up - 2 sets of 4x1,000 meters @ slightly faster than LT pace w/:45 rest & 2:00 between sets - 2 warm-down
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a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
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LT Run- 2 warm-up - 5 @ LT pace - 2 warm-down
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a.m.: 6
p.m.: 9
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Rest |
21 |
80 |
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Week 5 |
a.m.: 5
p.m.: 9
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Intervals- 2 warm-up - 5x1,000 meters @ vVO2max w/3:30 jog recovery - 2 warm-down
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a.m.: 5
p.m.: 8
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LT Run- 2 warm-up - 6 @ LT pace - 2 warm-down
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a.m.: 5
p.m.: 9
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Rest |
22
|
80 |
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Week 6 |
8
|
10 |
Intervals- 2 warm-up - 6x1,000 meters @ vVO2max w/3:30 jog recovery - 2 warm-down
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8 |
9 |
Rest |
LT/LSD Combo Run 9 + 4 @ LT pace
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56 |
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Week 7 |
4
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6 |
8 @ MP
|
5 |
7 |
Rest |
5 + 5 @ MP
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40 |
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Week 8 |
6
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LT Cruise Intervals - 2 warm-up - 4x1,200 meters @ LT pace w/ 45 sec rest - 2 warm-down
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7 |
5
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3
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Rest |
Marathon
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28 + marathon |
*Weekly distance depends on how much distance preceded these final 8 weeks.
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Strategies for Completing Your First Marathon |
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Respect 26.2 miles is a long way to run. Respect the distance and prepare for it. Confidence comes from being prepared.
Pace The best way to run your fastest possible race is by starting out at the pace you can maintain the entire race. So run the first mile at the pace you expect to average for the whole marathon. You can't put running time in the bank. You will end up losing more time in the end than what you gained by being "ahead of schedule" in the beginning. No matter how strong your will is, the metabolic condition caused by running too fast too early will force you to slow down during subsequent stages of the race. While it may feel easy, especially in the marathon, to run the first mile of your race at the same pace as the last, your patience will pay huge dividends during that last mile. Ideally, the second half of your race should be equal to or slightly faster than the first half. This requires accurate knowledge of your fitness level, confidence to stick to your plan when others have taken the early pace out too fast, and a good dose of self-restraint. Your workouts are invaluable for providing you with knowledge of your fitness level and for predicting your average race pace.
Sugar Research has shown that fatigue can be delayed if simple carbohydrates (e.g., glucose and sucrose) are consumed during exercise. The carbohydrates should be easily digestible so they are absorbed quickly into the blood. Carry Gu packs or other gels or pick them up at an aid station and start ingesting them before you feel fatigued.
Water Despite all the recent attention given to hyponatremia (a decreased blood sodium content due to drinking too much water), the opposite problem-dehydration-is a much bigger issue. Water is vital for many chemical reactions that occur inside our cells, including the production of energy. When you sweat, you lose body water that can affect cellular processes. Also, your blood volume decreases and becomes thicker if you don't replace fluids. The result is a lower stroke volume, cardiac output and, ultimately, a decreased oxygen delivery to your muscles. Your running performance starts to decline with only a 2 to 3 percent loss of body mass due to fluid loss.
Draft It's much easier to tuck in behind someone and let him/her pull you along than it is to maintain the pace on your own, so let other people do the work for as long as possible, especially if it's windy. The oxygen cost of running (and therefore the perception of effort) increases when you run into a headwind. Let someone break the wind for you.
BodyGlide When you run for long periods of time, you can get chafed in places you don't want to get chafed, which can make the marathon miserable. Apply BodyGlide or Vaseline before the race to any place that will be rubbed up against, such as inner thighs, nipples, and below your armpits.
Bathroom Although the urge to go to the bathroom is often suppressed while running to conserve water, nervousness and anxiety often intensify that urge, so take care of business before the race.
Rehearse The day of the marathon is not the time to do anything different. Do at least some of your long runs in the same clothes and shoes you plan to wear for the marathon. Don't buy new shoes to wear in the race. Rehearse everything-shorts, socks, shoes, what you plan to carry on you, such as water, Gu packs, etc. Leave nothing to chance. Practice drinking water from a cup while running.
Divide It can be overwhelming to think of running 26.2 miles all at once. So divide the marathon into smaller segments. Focus on each 5K or even each mile at a time. If you're aiming for a specific time goal, focus on attaining that goal at each 5K checkpoint. |