|
Outside magazine, April 1995
Conditioning: A Marathon Schedule That Works, Even If You Do
By Sara Corbett
So you hoisted a champagne glass and trumpeted to everyone at your New Year's Eve party that 1995 would be your year to run a marathon. And now, 12 50-hour workweeks later, you regret it. It's a small truth that many of us learn quickly: Marathon training and real life don't naturally jibe. Yet spring is shambling our way, and though it's too late to train for the luminary Los
Angeles and Boston races, a host of smaller summer marathons awaits.
For ultramarathoner Bill Wenmark, who in 14 years has graduated more than 1,000 first-time marathoners from his 13-week American Lung Association Running Club training program in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a busy schedule is no excuse. "Most of us come home pooped from work, and all we want to do is jump inside an ice cream carton," says Wenmark. "The key is to forget whatever kind
of hell your workday was and get your butt out running. It's the best stress reliever."
Wenmark's training program emphasizes flexibility--if you can squeeze in only 30 minutes on a given day, so be it--and adaptability. See the chart, and use the mileages there only as a guide.
Training Tips
- If you run hard one day, take it easy the next. Taking a day or two off each week is mandatory in weeks seven through 13, when you're really racking up the miles. Rest will spare your joints, let your body recover, and prevent injury.
- Don't try to make up for missed miles by running two long days back to back. If you fall short on a given day, just let it go.
- Consider replacing one of the shorter runs each week with a cross-training session. Swimming, weight training, and biking are particularly good for aspiring marathoners. Then you can safely add a couple of miles to another short running session sometime that week.
- Your weekly long run gets longer as training progresses, but don't up its mileage more than 25 percent from week to week. Your overall mileage shouldn't increase more than 15 percent per week.
Run a variety of routes and terrains, and vary your speed to work your muscles differently--and to fend off boredom.
Notable Summer Marathons
MADISON MARATHON, May 28, Madison, Wisconsin: 608-222-1324.
VERMONT CITY MARATHON, May 28, Burlington, Vermont: 802-863-8412.
STEAMBOAT MARATHON, June 4, Steamboat Springs, Colorado: 303-879-0882.
HIGH SIERRA MARATHON, June 11, Soda Springs, California: 510-223-5778.
GRANDMA'S MARATHON, June 17, Duluth, Minnesota: 218-727-0947.
TAOS MARATHON, June 18, Taos, New Mexico: 505-776-1860.
SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON, July 9, San Francisco, California: 415-391-2123.
MOSQUITO MARATHON, July 15, Leadville, Colorado: 719-486-3900.
UNION TERMINAL MARATHON, August 6, Cincinnati, Ohio: 513-898-7015.
SILVER STATE MARATHON, August 27, Reno, Nevada: 702-849-0419.
Mileage Per Day
Week One:
Mon. 3, Tues. 3, Wed. 4, Thurs. 3, Fri. 0, Sat. 3, Sun. 6, Total: 22
Week Two:
Mon. 3, Tues. 3, Wed. 4, Thurs. 3, Fri. 3, Sat. 3, Sun. 6, Total: 25
Week Three:
Mon. 3, Tues. 4, Wed. 4, Thurs. 4, Fri. 3, Sat. 4, Sun. 6, Total: 28
Week Four:
Mon. 3, Tues. 4, Wed. 6, Thurs. 4, Fri. 3, Sat. 4, Sun. 8, Total: 32
Week Five:
Mon. 4, Tues. 4, Wed. 6, Thurs. 4, Fri. 4, Sat. 4, Sun. 10, Total: 36
Week Six:
Mon. 4, Tues. 6, Wed. 6, Thurs. 6, Fri. 4, Sat. 4, Sun. 12, Total: 42
Week Seven:
Mon. 0, Tues. 6, Wed. 8, Thurs. 6, Fri. 0, Sat. 4, Sun. 14, Total: 38
Week Eight:
Mon. 0, Tues. 6, Wed. 8, Thurs. 6, Fri. 0, Sat. 4, Sun. 16, Total: 40
Week Nine:
Mon. 0, Tues. 6, Wed. 10, Thurs. 6, Fri. 0, Sat. 6, Sun. 18, Total: 46
Week Ten:
Mon. 0, Tues. 4, Wed. 6, Thurs. 4, Fri. 4, Sat. 6, Sun. 20, Total: 44
Week 11:
Mon. 0, Tues. 4, Wed. 6, Thurs. 4, Fri. 4, Sat. 0, Sun. 20, Total: 38
Week 12:
Mon. 0, Tues. 4, Wed. 6, Thurs. 4, Fri. 4, Sat. 10, Sun. 6, Total: 34
Week 13:
Mon. 0, Tues. 3, Wed. 3, Thurs. 3, Fri. 1-2, Sat. 0, Sun. MARATHON, Total: 37
|
