Running Programmes Explained
YOUR MARATHON TRAINING PROGRAMMES EXPLAINED
These programmes are designed to take runners who are already running regularly. The last four weeks of these schedules (effectively, the winding down period) will appear on the website closer to the Marathon.
Unlike many Marathon training programmes, these are not based on desired finish times, but how much time and commitment you are willing and able to put in. There’s the 'Hard One' for the highly motivated, who can put a lot of time in to training (5 sessions per week on average) there’s 'Medium One' for those who have to balance other time and energy commitments with their training (predominately 4 sessions a week) and then, for the time –starved or motivation short, there’s the 'Easy One' (averaging 3 sessions per week). The sessions in the latter aren’t less challenging, there are just fewer of them- so don’t think it’s the easy option!
Before you decide which one suits you, bear in mind that the real value of these programmes is that they have been designed to be interchangeable. You can move from one to another, so long as you stick to the appropriate week, as all progress at a sensible and realistic pace.
You don’t have to follow the programmes religiously –you have a far greater chance of sticking with your training if it is tailored to fit into your existing lifestyle- but it is important to follow tougher sessions with rest days or easy runs, and space the sessions out throughout the week.
Every few weeks, the overall volume of training is reduced, and some cross training (such as cycling or swimming) recommended. This gives the body a chance to adapt to the physiological overload it has been experiencing as well as re-charging your physical and mental batteries. There are also some races scheduled in – remember, you can always do a ‘pretend’ race or time trail on the treadmill if you can’t get to a real race that week.
AND DON’T FORGET……
You should precede every run with a warm up. This raises body temperature, increases heart rate, redirects blood flow to the working muscles and mobilizes the joints. Warming up not only makes running feel easier and more comfortable, but also makes it safer. Start with some gentle mobilisations if the major joints (not vigorous swinging but controlled circling, bending and extending). Start to jog slowly, gradually increasing your speed as your body adjusts. If you are doing a short, fast session or race, the warm up should be longer and more thorough than if you are embarking on a slower, more prolonged run.
Once your run is finished, don’t just stop. Gradually slow your pace, and then take your run down to a walk. This speeds up the removal of lactic acid from your muscles, reducing the likelihood of cramping or muscle spasm and possibly going some way towards preventing muscle stiffness and hastening recovery. Finally, spend 10 -20 minutes stretching out the muscles you’ve used.
THE SESSIONS IN DETAIL
LONG RUNS
The long run will become a regular fixture in your training, if it isn’t already. Try doing to some of the long runs on forgiving off road terrain instead of road, as suggested in the schedules, and expect your pace to be slower when you’re on softer ground and undulating paths. As the weeks progress, you’ll find some faster segments in the long runs, to get you used to working at pace even when you’re titred.
If you are daunted by the long run, it is absolutely fine to adopt a walk run strategy, to help give you the confidence you need to be on your feet for prolonged periods. Try running for eight minutes and walking for two minutes. Then, if you can cut the walk break down to 1 minute for a few weeks, or, if you feel ready, eliminate. Of course, if you want, you can continue with walking breaks throughout training and use them in the race itself.
STEADY RUNS
This is probably the kind of run you are already doing. You should be within your comfort zone and able to hold a conversation , be feel aware that you are working, try to work slightly harder on the shorter steady runs, but stick within your level 2 guidelines. (See below for a guide on levels)
EASY RUNS/RECOVERY PACE
Some research shows that running at a very gentle, easy pace the day after a hard session hastens recovery better than complete rest. In the more time crunched programmes, easy runs are few and far between because due to there being fewer runs, the focus has to be on quality.
FARTLEK
Translates literally as ‘speed play’ from Swedish, but it normally incorporates mixed terrain as well as varied speed. It’s a great introduction to faster paced training. The idea is to set off at a steady pace and then use landmarks, such as lampposts, or tress, or the countdown function of your watch, to put in a faster effort. Or use the terrain to dictate the intensity of the run – by running fast up hills, and jogging until you have recovered, for example. You don’t have to make the session too structured – the goal is to experience running at different paces, because many of us get in to a habit of only ever running at one speed.
HILL TRAINING
While any run that takes an undulating territory could be considered ‘hill training’, a hill session is usually more structured, doing ‘repeats’ on one particular hill. Choose longish, gradual slopes rather than Everest –type climbs, so your technique isn’t compromised. The idea is to run swiftly up the hill, jogging back down to recover, either for a given number of repetitions or a set period of time.
THRESHOLD TRAINING
Threshold running is all about running at a pace that has you teetering on the brink of what’s called your ‘lactate’ or anaerobic threshold, (basically, the point at which there isn’t enough oxygen coming through to meet demand, causing a build up of ‘lactic acid’’ in the muscle). Threshold bouts should be run at a pace at which you can’t hold a full –scale conversation –so outside the comfort zone –but on which you can maintain for the duration of each bout. These are sometimes called tempo runs.
INTERVAL TRAINING
Here, you intersperse fast running with recovery periods. You can vary the intensity, the length of each effort, the length of the recovery pr rest interval and the volume the number of efforts you put in to change the focus of the session. You should be 100% focused and working really hard on the efforts. But equally, go really easy on the recoveries…. A study in Sports science found that replacing some moderate intensity endurance runs with interval training significantly boosted performance.
Check out our Running plans for a helping hand to help you cross the finishing line.
5 REASONS NOT TO SKIP THOSE LONG RUNS
. Long runs develop mental toughness and confidence
. You get used to spending long periods of time on your feet
. Research shows that the number and length of long runs you do is a greater determinant of success than overall weekly mileage and previous experience.
. Long runs improve your use of fat as a fuel, sparing glycogen and reducing your risk of hitting the dreaded wall.
. Long runs burn mega- calories!
Courtesy of London Marathon