Most think of marathon training as grueling and intense. Frequently, social lives become non-existent and significant others feel slighted by all the running.
But it needn’t be this way for everyone, says an article in the Chicago Tribune Sunday. In fact, a three-day a week training program may be ideal for some people who burn out easily or are especially injury prone.
So, what’s the right number of days to train? Running veterans and experts disagree on the ideal number of days to run per week when gearing up for a 26.2 mile race. The answer is: there is no answer, at least not for everyone. Personally, I like to run five or six times a week. For some, that’s too much.
Runner’s World has a "less-is-more plan" for runners looking to really capitalize on quality workouts and save time. Junk miles are thrown out in favor of a Tuesday speed session, a Thursday tempo and a Sunday long run. Cross-training during off days is encouraged.
| The FIRST Training Plan |
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| The FIRST marathon program includes three running workouts per week—a speed workout, a tempo run, and a long run. Here’s the full, 16-week marathon training program. Participants are also encouraged to cross-train for 40 to 45 minutes on two other days per week. |
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| Week |
Tuesday Speed |
Thursday Tempo |
Saturday Long |
| 1 |
8x400 meters |
3 miles |
10 miles |
| 2 |
4x1200m |
5 miles |
12 miles |
| 3 |
6x800m |
7 miles |
13 miles |
| 4 |
3x1600m |
3 miles |
10 miles |
| 5 |
10x400m |
5 miles |
14 miles |
| 6 |
5x1200m |
5 miles |
15 miles |
| 7 |
7x800m |
8 miles |
17 miles |
| 8 |
3x1600m |
10 miles |
13 miles |
| 9 |
12x400m |
3 miles |
18 miles |
| 10 |
8x800m |
5 miles |
15 miles |
| 11 |
4x1600m |
8 miles |
20 miles |
| 12 |
12x400m |
5 miles |
15 miles |
| 13 |
6x1200m |
5 miles |
20 miles |
| 14 |
7x800m |
4 miles |
15 miles |
| 15 |
3x1600m |
8 miles |
10 miles |
| 16 |
30 min easy w 5x60s |
20 min easy w 3 or 4 pickups |
|
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Leslie Patton
I moved to the Chicago area about two months ago to start graduate school at Northwestern. So far, so good. More
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