I’ve just completed w4 of a 16 week Marathon training plan. I’m scheduled to run the virtual Great North Run half marathon on 13th Sept and the virtual NYC Marathon on 1st November.
Training has gone well so far, but it’s the easy weeks! Lots of focus on Easy pace runs, which I’ve always been really bad at in the past, going everywhere flat out. This week is a lighter, transition week, next week culminates in a 10 miler.
I had started down this path in the spring and it was the 10 miler that killed it. This time I’m hoping that the better Easy pace foundation plus registering for two races will help me keep going.
Enjoy your running.
Written by
Jay66UK
Half Marathon
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Well done Jay66UK that sounds like a very sensible plan! There are so many HM plans out there so there’s bound to be one to suit almost everyone😊
I’m not sure I’m ready for a full marathon yet but I’m aiming to do the virtual HUHM later in the year. I’ve done a couple of HM distances since lockdown started so I’m confident I can do it. I just need the weather to calm down a bit before trying again!😳🥵
Well done Jay. Yes its hard to get out of the speed habit, but believe me distance comes when you ease up on speed a bit. And the speed comes back later once you get more used to the distance. Humidity is really hard though. Do you bring enough water on your long runs? That was my mistake so often misjudging the heat.
I tend to always carry some water but possibly but enough. And I need to get my fuelling right. Garmin workouts seem to block other alerts, which is how I tend to remind myself to have fuel, so I need to work around that.
Yes a good rule of thumb is to have something (like a 100 calorie gel) every 7-8k for really long runs. For runs under 20k you may be able to get away with fewer. Everyone is different so use this build time to experiment with what works best for you.
Not sure which program you're following but the essence of marathon training (apart from distance runs) is slow running. If you attempt a 32km training run and go with all guns blazing you'll burn out or get injured. There is a perfect reason why even the top pros spend 60-80% of their training in cardio zone 2 (slow pace). That was the first thing l had to learn how to do properly. Apart from building stamina and strength, it also burns fat better than anything else. And, crucially, it lowers the risk of injuries.
I’m following the 16 week Intermediate plan from the London Marathon website. Proper Easy Pace runs have been new to me and a revelation. I’m now regularly getting high 90s % Zone 2...with the rest Zone 1 😊
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Marathon training Week 12 of 18. Final Week! .... and.....relax. 
