Marathon and Half-Marathon

by Marnie Caron

  As you increase your running distance, the amount of energy lost because of poor running technique becomes more of an issue. So if you are training for a distance event, keep in mind the following tips:

  • Watch that your upper body does not over-rotate or twist from side to side.

  • Your arm swing should be just as comfortable as if you were walking, swinging a little away from you on the back side to just in front of your thigh in the front.

  • Try to stay relaxed. If your shoulders are relaxed, the rest of your body will follow suit.

  • Make sure you maintain good posture by keeping your chest cavity open; do this by not hunching forward.

  If you find this difficult to envision, don’t worry about your form—being relaxed is even more important. Most people should avoid tension for at least two reasons: first, tight muscles may be more susceptible to injury. Second, it takes a lot of energy to stay tense; relaxing helps channel that energy into running. While you’re following your half- or full-marathon program, try to think about relaxing, assuming good posture (open your chest cavity by not hunching forward), and putting one foot in front of the other.

  Where to Run

  One of the great things about running is that you can do it practically anywhere—on a road, in a park, around a track, across the country, or on the spot. Nonetheless, if you have a choice, running on softer surfaces will reduce the stress and strain on bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles and make your run more enjoyable all-round.

  As a running surface, asphalt is preferable to concrete. Dirt is better yet, because it will absorb more of the impact. If concrete, which does not absorb any impact, is the worst surface, grass or rubberized tracks are probably the best, mainly because they absorb the most. Some runners find tracks boring. On the other hand, grass can hide holes or tree roots that can trip you. Consider your options carefully.

  Out-and-back runs are great because:

  • They teach you how to maintain an even pace.

  • You learn about the dangers of going out too fast.

  • It’s motivating to make it to the turnaround point and know you’re halfway to the end of your run.

  • Knowing the route will give you increased confidence for the last, and often the most taxing, portion of your run.

  If you are training for a half or full marathon that is on pavement, and you do most of your training on soft terrain, it’s important to do some hard-surface running to prepare your legs for what race day will feel like.

  When to Run

  You’ve probably overheard runners remark that one of the best aspects of running is that you can do it anywhere and at any time of the day or night. Keeping safety in mind, especially for women, it’s important to learn what works best for you. Of course you can do both morning and evening running, but when you plan your training schedule and organize your life accordingly, you should have a good sense of what works best for you.

  Morning running

  Morning runs may take you a little longer to loosen up, given that you’ve just got out of bed. But running at the start of your day usually increases the likelihood of sticking with a program. Too often life gets hectic, and by the end of the day our running time is competing with the demands of work and family. If you are like many people and find it difficult to function in the morning, perhaps running at noon or in the evening is a better choice.

  Evening running

  Many people enjoy evening runs because they feel better then than they do first thing in the morning, and they have more time. One thing to consider when running in the evening or at night is the time it will take you to cool down and wind down after your run. It’s likely that you will find it difficult to sleep shortly after you finish your run.

  It makes sense to schedule your long-run days when you have the most available time: weekends, or days when you’re not working, are often best.

  The Programs

  Initially, each training session is broken down into 5-minute components. These blocks are long enough to lead to improvement, but not so onerous that you will feel exhausted or sore. There’s a psychological benefit, as well: the tasks in each block are relatively easy to complete, which will give you the confidence to graduate to the following week.

  Study the programs carefully to see where you will be going and how long it will take you to get there. It’s important to remember that the times noted for the training sessions do not include the time you will have to spend warming up and cooling down. For most of the program, the 5-minute blocks are divided into walking and running; as the weeks pass, the ratio of running to walking increases. For more information, turn to chapter 4. You may start to feel quite comfortable with the workouts in the early stages of your marathon program, but don’t be tempted to jump ahead. Your bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles adapt to training much less quickly than your cardiovascular system; to stay injury free, you must give them time to catch up.

  One piece of equipment you will definitely need is a sport watch with a stopwatch feature. Digital is best; sweep second-hand readings tend to get approximated when you’re bouncing along.

  Schedule enough time each week to complete the three sessions with rest days in between, rather than trying to squeeze your training into consecutive days. Many people find it helps to start on a weekend. It also helps to pick a running route that’s enticing and as free of obstacles—pedestrians and cars—as possible. Think of running an out-and-back route, and at the halfway point, head home.

  Try to stick with your plan and avoid missing your scheduled training sessions. If you do have to miss a session, don’t try to make up for it by doing double time on your next outing, as this drastically increases the risk of injury. Consistent training works best.

  RUNNER PROFILE

  Sherry

  Sherry has run numerous marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and even completed an “ironman” competition. But this hasn’t always been the lifestyle of the 40-year-old Detroit native. She was a cheerleader throughout high school and refused to do much more than lift a few light weights whenever her friends in college dragged her to the YMCA.

  But once Sherry was nearing 30, she started to find it increasingly difficult to fight the extra pounds. Before her pending marriage to her extremely fit and trim fiancé, she decided to take the plunge and bought her first pair of runners since high school. She told herself she would run 15 minutes, 3 days a week, and diet like crazy in the months leading up to her wedding. She was seriously committed to fitting into her size 8 wedding dress.

  As the weeks passed, Sherry stuck with her running routine and slimmed down to her desired size. She was surprised at how much she had grown to love the freedom and lightness she felt on her runs. Even her friends commented on her endless good cheer and optimistic attitude. Although she wasn’t a negative person before, she had definitely had some mood swings. So when her friend Suzy suggested she join her in training for a half marathon, Sherry didn’t hesitate. Ten years later, Sherry is more than hooked on running. She says it’s the best part of her day.

  4

  Coaching Advice and the Programs

  ARE YOU READY? IT’S TIME TO BELLY UP TO THE LINE AND put to work everything you’ve learned so far about distance running. The two c’s, commitment and consistency, are the key ingredients. It’s only when you take on too much, go too fast, or miss a large number of training sessions that your workouts go from pleasant to not so pleasant. This chapter outlines the principal framework for the 26-week training programs, including coaching advice specific to each training phase, and provides some final tips and goal-setting strategies to help you successfully cross your finish line.

  Starting a Marathon and Half-marathon Program in a Perfect World

  Ideally, you will have been running three times a week for the past year. If it’s the half marathon you want to complete, you will have finished a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) event, and if you’re training for a full marathon, you will ha
ve already run a half marathon.

  If this describes your current level of training, you will likely find the first several weeks of the half- or full-marathon programs outlined in this chapter too easy. If this is the case, review your program of choice and decide where you are most comfortable starting. The easiest way to figure out where you should start your program is to use the long run as your reference point. You want to match your weekly long run with the appropriate long run in your desired training program. If, for example, the longest run of the week is usually about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) or 2.5 hours, match this with whichever week recommends an equivalent long run.

  Starting a Marathon or a Half-marathon Program for True Beginners

  If the above paragraph does not describe you, and instead you are a true beginning runner, the 26-week training programs for the half and full marathon are for you. The programs here are for the true beginner.

  Common Questions

  Should I start with a 10-kilometer event before attempting the half marathon?

  Starting with a 10-kilometer event for your short-term goal is a great idea. The half marathon can be your long-term quest in a year or two. If you’re looking for a good learn-to-run-10-kilometers program, you might want to refer to The Beginning Runner’s Handbook, which includes several proven 13-week walk/run programs.

  How do I choose what half or full marathon I should enter?

  Go on-line and search for information on marathon and half-marathon events in your chosen location and at your preferred time of year. Or ask your local specialty running store for a listing of half- and full-marathon events. You should make sure you have at least 26 weeks to prepare for your race. It’s a wise idea to give yourself an extra couple of weeks in the event that you’re sidelined by illness or injury or require some extra time to build endurance and strength.

  How will my training progress throughout the 26-week program?

  Both the half-and full-marathon programs are carefully designed to include three training sessions: one “short” day, one “short-medium” day, and one “longer” day each week. The programs support the principle that the longer run is the most important element of your training program. As the weeks progress, your long run gets longer every other week. The programs are comprised of an alternating pattern of building and recovery weeks, designed to gradually improve your strength and endurance to prepare your body and mind for the demands of the distance event. A building week essentially means an increase in the intensity and volume of your workouts, whereas the recovery week is less demanding and designed to give your body time to adapt to the increased stresses from the previous week.

  Is there a pattern to my training program?

  During the third week, we have suggested Saturday or Sunday as your long-workout day, and it follows a 2-week pattern of increased volume followed by a recovery week. Remember, you will be gradually training to cover the distance. You will need to measure the distance of your weekend sessions in order to be certain that you are covering the suggested distance in the program.

  The shuffle

  • As crazy as it sounds, do the first minute of the running interval on the spot. It becomes clear how the run is truly meant to be a shuffle.

  • The shuffle technique: upright body carriage, a short swing of the arms, and little steps with no knee lift. You are not bouncing. It is a shuffle. Think of how a boxer looks running in training, or even a dancer doing the cha-cha!

  • Your weight should be distributed on the mid- to forefoot, unlike in walking, which is clearly a heel-toe action.

  • Remember, the goal is to eventually mesh the walking with the shuffle-jog, so that the body and mind hardly note the difference. The speed is irrelevant: you are learning to run. The speed will come later.

  What is a “shuffle,” and why do I have to do it? Why can I not just run right away?

  Running is a high-impact sport, which makes it very demanding on the body. The impact of running must be absorbed by all of your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. It takes your body a long time to adjust to these demands. You’ll remember that the goal is to keep you healthy and to gradually, through a process of incremental increases in running, build the strength and stamina to complete your goal distance. To avoid injury, you need to build up your running pace very gradually. In the initial stages of your program you want to be moving very slowly in order to be comfortable— the pace can be described as a “shuffle.” It is a pace that is similar to a fast walk during which you can easily maintain a conversation. If you cannot maintain a conversation at the shuffle pace, you are going too fast and need to back off.

  Will I be expected to have the strength and know-how to run in the first week of training?

  No, you are not expected to be able to run right away. Remember, whether you’re training for the marathon or half marathon, you will be doing a combination of walking and shuffling for the entire 26-week program.

  How does the walking and running combination work?

  You will notice that the two midweek sessions consist of timed portions of walking and running. It would be helpful to have a sport watch so that you can keep track of the time. The progressions are designed in such a way that as the walk portions alternate with the shuffle or jog portions, over the next many weeks you will gradually progress to jog timed sections of 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and on up to 30 minutes. The whole idea is that the walking meshes with the jogging so that your body and mind hardly notice the difference.

  Warming up is important. Note that the times shown do not include your warm-up and cool-down times; for those, we suggest a minimum of 5 minutes at the end of each workout. Be sure to allow extra time in your schedule for these essential components. Please note that the distances and estimated times found in your program are just that—estimates, based on a walk/run time of approximately 15-minute miles. In other words, we are suggesting that the average time it will take a beginning distance runner to walk/run 1 mile is 15 minutes. You will have to go by how you feel, which is why we encourage you to measure a route to be certain that you are covering the suggested distance. Some of you will go slower than 15 minutes per mile, and that’s fine; others will take significantly less time. Just remember that it depends on the individual, and you just need to be concerned about maintaining a comfortable pace for you. Don’t worry about the length of time it takes you to cover your distance.

  The run portion of the training should be a very slow jog, more like a shuffle. The pace should be slow so that it almost feels effortless. In fact, it might feel as if you could walk as fast as you are running. If the run is not always at a comfortable “talking” pace, then please slow down!

  What is the difference between the half- and full-marathon programs?

  The midweek walk/jog sessions, whether on Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Wednesday, are exactly the same. The only difference between those and the weekend (Saturday or Sunday) long-run day is that the distances indicated are adjusted to correspond to whether you are training for the half or the full marathon.

  What are the training programs like?

  We’ve divided the 26-week programs into six 4-week phases and one final 2-week phase. Take each manageable block of training one at a time, and try to stay focused on the workouts, on the advice within each of the workouts, and on the advice within each phase. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. By focusing only on one specific day’s scheduled workout, you’re less likely to get overwhelmed.

  What do I do if I feel I’m not ready to advance to the next week’s training schedule?

  The best personal monitor is to make sure you are honestly and consistently using your logbook. Regularly record how you felt each day of training; for example, “I completed my Saturday run and felt great,” or “I managed to get through the workout, but my hamstring was really bothering me from the halfway mark.” Be sure to include lifestyle concerns such as being out late, stressful times at work, sick kids, or wh
atever else might interfere with optimum training conditions. Trust your instincts—if your recent logbook entries indicate you’ve been having various difficulties (perhaps a cold, or a nagging pain) it may not be the best time to progress; instead, repeat the same week’s training. Remember, everyone progresses differently, so be sure to build a few extra weeks into your training schedule to allow for repeating certain weeks if you need a little extra time to build up strength and endurance before progressing to the next week’s challenges.

  If you find you have an ache or pain, refer to chapter 9 for detailed information on rating your pain and how to know when you should take a few days’ rest. Or, if you catch a cold or flu bug when training and wonder how sick you need to be before taking a day off, refer to chapter 9 for information on what to do if you’re sick. Finally, if you do need to take a break of 1 or even 3 weeks, refer to the section at the end of that chapter for guidelines on how to best resume your training program.

  Why do the programs increase the length of the long run only every second week? Why don’t we just run a little farther each week?

  Our training programs use what’s called the “overload principle,” where each training phase alternates between building and recovery weeks. The objective is to systematically and conservatively overload the body in order to build strength. Although you need to stress the body to prepare it for the demands of the marathon or half marathon, you don’t want to be in a continual state of stress, because stress without rest just leads to more stress and in turn to fatigue, burnout, and eventually injury.

  I’ve decided to start with the half marathon, but how do I find a race?

  In 26 weeks this beginner program will take you to the half-marathon finish line as safely and comfortably as possible. Find a race that interests you, either by visiting a local specialty running store or by going on-line to find an event farther afield that interests you. Many runners choose a “destination” event so that they can enjoy some well-deserved downtime after such a huge task as completing a half marathon. Or maybe you could think about doing your half marathon with a charity in mind and asking your friends to pledge some dollars for every kilometer of your race.