Marathon training I : Following a program

Come October!

I must admit I am getting a bit fed up with marathon training. Sometimes I wish the race was already in a couple of weeks. I had heard other people mention that it takes quite a bit of sacrifice to train for a marathon but I had not really understood. In the end, my friends and I are all running several times a week, so what is the big fuss about training for a longer distance? Well, it is exactly that: the long distance.

I have very big respect for the 42 km... The respect makes me disciplined about following my training program. Yes, there is actually a program. Although it may sound from my recent posts that my training towards Amsterdam is going somewhat ad hoc, there has been a program all the way since March. On one of his trips to Istanbul, Frank brought me a booklet prepared by Kondis for training towards Oslo marathon. The first part looks quite a lot like this.  As Oslo marathon is in September, while Amsterdam is in October, I started to follow this program one month behind. So in March, I started to look at what the program suggested for February. The suggestions fitted perfectly with what I was already doing at that time. Running three times a week, one medium length, one interval session, and one long run. Of course the length of the runs was very short then compared to now.

The booklet has two types of programs, one for novices (first time marathoners) with running three times a week, and one for experienced runners with running five times a week. As time went, I placed myself in the middle, and kept a schedule of running four times a week. Always one interval, always one long, always one medium run, and then one more run depending on what my friends were doing. As the summer arrived, the lengths of the runs increased, and so did the air temperature and humidity. Even during the summer holidays I managed to keep the training schedule, albeit with much reduced speed.

After coming back to Bergen in August, I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to fit all the things that I wanted to do into my training program. In the end, I converged to eliminating all other bigger competitions and rather focusing more and more on specific marathon training. I have now advanced to the experienced runners' program with running five times a week, if my legs permit. I am still very cautious about injuries, and from time to time I take an extra day of rest if I feel exhausted or I feel pain in an ankle or a hip. Sometimes I have to skip the marathon training intervals and I can join Melkesyre uphill intervals instead, which is a wonderful bonus.

It is a great help to be in a group of several friends who have signed up for Amsterdam marathon. Without that kind of motivation I am not sure that I would be able to keep up. We have now a common program, very similar to my Kondis program, that we are following altogether:
Day 1: 10-14 km run
Day 2: Intervals
Day 3: 10-14 km run
Day 4: Intervals
Day 5: Long run (20-35 km)
I still adjust the rest of my week depending on the length of the long run, because I always need a day of rest both before and after a 30+ km run. I also get the programs of friends from Istanbul training with a coach, and I take ideas from their training. Having a common goal is a great way of keeping in touch from a distance. On the other hand, to spend time with local friends who are not going to Amsterdam, I do some of my moderate runs with them.

The Kondis booklet also recommends strength training at least a couple of times a week. As often as I can, I do my HSR exercises to keep my hamstrings strong and try to stay out of injury. I have also restarted squats with heavy weights. Studies have shown that runners who do this in addition to their running program, become faster than those who only do the same running program. During a long run, after 25 km, shoulders, arms and back start hurting, so I try to focus on these areas also during strength training, in addition to trying to never let my core get weaker.

It all takes a lot of time. All my time outside of work goes to training, and even that is not enough. I constantly feel behind schedule. I should definitely be doing more strength training and more sleeping...

Come October!!!