running rules

8/3/2019 Running Rules

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RUNNERSWORLD.COM

TRAINING GUIDE

Your BestMarathon

There are countless marathon plans,ranging rom low-mileage beginner pro-grams to super-tough elite schedules. Eachhas virtues and drawbacks, but i you tookthe time to compare them, you wouldnt have time to

train. So we did the work or you. Here youll fnd a

complete marathon training guideincluding 16-

week plans or rookies and veteransbased on the

collective wisdom o leading coaches and the experts

oRunners World. So whether youre a frst-timer or a

seasoned runner hoping to qualiy or Boston, youll

fnd everything you need to run your best race ever.

Rules OfThe RoadBUILD GRADUALLY Increase your

mileage by no more than 10 percent ea

week to let your body adapt to the tra

Doing too much too soon can lead to i

GO LONG Do a long run each week

build your endurance, including three t

ve runs o 16 miles to 20 miles. Main

a conversational pacearound marathgoal pace or newer runners; seasoned

runners should take it between their g

pace and two minutes slower. Every o

week, try picking up the pace slightly

the last two to three miles o your lon

This will help you hit goal pace on race

even when youre atigued.

STAY FOCUSED Hal the battle o

ing isnt the running itsel; its nding

resolve to run day aer day. Set a rea

goal, post your plan where youll see i

train with a partner or a group, and tre

workouts as meetings you cant miss.

CROSS-TRAIN Activities like cyclin

and swimming on nonrunning days ca

help you stay t and injury-ree. Just k

the workouts short (less than an hour

low-intensity. Save your energy or ru

LOG QUALITY MILES I youre

shooting or a time goal, do quality

workouts once or twice a week. Tempo

runs, speedwork, and hills will help yo

develop your VO2 max, lactate thresh

and running economy.

ADD MILES ON EASY DAYS I yo

want to run longer than whats on the

plan, add miles on your easy days, not

days. You need rest days to recover a

quality workouts like long runs and sp

sessions, and to avoid injury and burn

TAPER Drop your mileage in the tw

our weeks beore the race so you can

your legs. Keep up the aster workout

you dont eel stale on race day.

THE TOP STRATEGIES,

TIPS, AND TRAININGPLANS TO PREPAREYOU FOR YOUR FIRSTOR FASTEST26.2 MILER

TRAINING PLANS INSIDE

r

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The Rookie PlanThis plan was designed by Dan Finanger, a marathon coach and national director o the Lie Time Fitness Running Club(lietimeftness.com). It is geared or frst-time marathoners and beginners who seldom run or race beyond six miles.

M T W T F S S TOTAL

1 XT up to 30 min Easy 3-4 miles Easy 2-3 miles Easy 3-4 miles Rest Easy 4-5 miles Easy 2-3 miles 14-19 miles

2 XT up to 30 min Easy 3-4 miles Easy 2-3 miles Easy 3-4 miles Rest Easy 5-6 miles Easy 2-3 miles 15-20 miles

3 XT up to 30 min Quality 4-5 miles Easy 2-3 miles Tempo 3-4 miles Rest Easy 6-7 miles Easy 2-3 miles 17-22 miles










13 XT up to 90 min Quality 7-8 miles Easy 3-4 miles Tempo 6-7 miles Rest Easy 20 miles Easy 2-3 miles 38-42 miles

14 XT up to 60 min Quality 6-7 miles Easy 3-4 miles Tempo 5-6 miles Rest Easy 14-15 miles Rest 28-32 miles

15 XT up to 45 min Quality 5-6 miles Easy 3-4 miles Tempo 4-5 miles Rest Easy 10-11 miles Rest 22-26 miles

16 XT up to 30 min Easy 4 miles Easy 3-4 miles Easy 3-4 miles Rest Rest MARATHON 36-38 miles

CROSS-TRAIN (XT)Swim, bike, or use an elliptical trainer;

do anything but run. Maintain an easy

to moderate eort in these activities or

the same time youd spend running.

EASYThis is a comortable, conversational pace

thats best or short, easy runs; long, slow

runs; and warmups and cooldowns.TRAININGTERMS

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QUALITY WORKOUTSMix and match rom these workouts.

Always start with a warmup and end with

a cooldown. FARTLEK Pick up the pace

or 30 seconds to our minutes; recover

with easy running or the same duration.

YASSO 800S Run six 800-meter repeats

with 400-meter recovery jogs. Build up to

10 repeats during the peak o your training.

TRACK LADDER Do a track workout

up and down the distance ladder. Run 200,

400, 800, 400, and 200 meters. Do an

equal amount o slow jogging to recover

between each aster repeat.

TEMPOThis is an even-paced, moderately hard

eort. The distances shown include a

1.5-mile warmup jog and 1-mile cooldown.

TRAINING GUIDE



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PACE Start 45 seconds per mile slower than goalrace pace and gradually speed up to end at goal pace.

PACE-PLUS Run 20 to 50 seconds slower permile than marathon goal pace.

HILLS Do 6 to 8 repeats up a 200- to 400-meterhill at a tempo eort. Jog down to recover.

QUALITY 1 5 x 1000 meters at 5-K race pacewith a 2-minute recovery jog.

QUALITY 2 6 x 800 meters at 10-K race pacewith a 90-second recovery jog.

QUALITY 3 1 x 1200 meters at 10-K race pacewith a 1-minute recovery jog; 1 x 400 meters at 5-Krace pace with a 3-minute recovery jog. Repeat thiscycle two more times or a total o three sets.

QUALITY 4 4 x 1600 meters at 10-K race pacewith a 3-minute recovery jog.

QUALITY 5 8 x 800 meters at 10-K pacewith a 90-second recovery jog.

QUALITY 6 1 x 400 at 5-K pace, 30-secondrecovery; 1 x 800 at 10-K pace, 90-second recovery;1 x 1200 at 10-K pace, 2-minute recovery; 1 x 1600 at10-K pace, 3-minute recovery; 1 x 1200 at 10-K pace,2-minute recovery; 1 x 800 at 10-K pace, 90-secondrecovery; 1 x 400 at 5-K pace.

The Veteran PlanThis plan, created by exercise physiologist and coach Susan Paul, is designed or runners who have completed at leasta hal-marathon and can easily run 13 miles. Sandwich each workout with a warmup and cooldown o easy running.

M T W T F S SWEEKLY TOTA

1 XT 45 min Quality 1 Easy 5 miles Tempo 6.5 miles Rest Pace 14 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 31.5-36.5 mile

2 XT 45 min Quality 2 Easy 5 milesTempo 7.5 milesor Hills

Rest Pace 16 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 31-39.5 miles


Rest Pace-Plus 18 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 37.5-42.5 mile

4 XT 45 min Quality 4 Easy 6 miles Tempo 6.5 miles Rest Pace-Plus 20 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 39.5-44.5 mile




7 XT 45 min Quality 3 Easy 6 miles Tempo 8.5 miles Rest Pace-Plus 20 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 40.5-45.5 mil





11 XT 45 min Quality 5 Easy 6 miles

Tempo 8.5 miles

or HillsRest Pace-Plus 16 miles XT 45 min or easy 5 miles 33-42.5 miles



14 XT 45 min Quality 5 Easy 5 miles Tempo 8.5 miles Rest Pace 14 miles XT 45 min 34.5 miles

15 XT 45 min Quality 1 Easy 5 miles Tempo 6.5 miles Rest Pace 10 miles XT 45 min 27.5 miles

16 XT 45 minPace 2miles

Rest Pace 3 miles Rest Jog 2 miles MARATHON 33.2 miles

WORKOUTS

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*See The Rookie Plan (page 2) for explanations of XT, Easy, and Tempo workouts.

TRAINING GUIDE



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IF YOU MISS IT, MAKE IT UPWhen you have to skip a day or two, just get

back on schedule. I you miss a week, backtrack a

week; then later on in training, nd a convenient sp

to jump ahead. I youre o or longer than two we

adjust your race goals or switch to a later marathon

ALWAYS BE READY TO RUNI youre jamming training into an already-

packed schedule, keep a bag with clothes, shoes,

and anything else you need or your workout at

work or in the car. Then, i you get time to break

away, all you have to do is get dressed and go.

STRIKE A BALANCEWhile youre training, theres no need to

overload on carbs. About hal o your daily calories

should come rom carbs and one-quarter rom

lean proteins. The remaining calories should come

rom healthy, unsaturated at.

WRITE IT DOWNKeep a detailed training log. Record your we

mileage, notes about your routes, and how you ee

aer your workouts. This will help you track your

progress, and identiy the culprit i you get injured.

FINDTHE TIMEHow to pick your

perfect pace

Setting doable training and

racing goals is an important

part o marathon preparation.

Goals will help you fgure out

how high to aim on race day,

and how ast you should train.

Here are three ways to choose

a realistic race goal.

1TUNE-UP RACESIn the weeks beore the taper,race a 5-K in the place o trackwork or do a hal-marathon as

a long-run substitute. Your time

can help you set a sensible mara-

thon goal. Use our training

calculator at runnersworld.com/

tools to convert your race times

to marathon-equivalents. The

longer the race, the more

accurate the conversion.

2YASSO 800sDo this workout three toour weeks beore the marathon.

Run 10 x 800 meters with a

400-meter jog. You should bespent aer the last repeat. The

average o your 800 times is a

good indicator o how ast you

can run the marathonbut in

hours and minutes instead o

minutes and seconds.

3TIME TRIALSAer a warmup, run an all-out mile on the track. Plug your

pace into the training calculator

at runnersworld.com/tools. Do

this once every three or our

weeks to gauge your tness.

FIND THE RIGHT SHOESWorn out running shoes can lead to injuries;

replace yours every 300 to 500 miles. Go to a

specialty running shop to get help nding a shoe

that oers the t and support your eet need.

WEAR TECHNICAL GEARInvest in shorts, socks, and shirts that are made

o technical bers and wick away moisture. They will

keep you cool, dry, and comortable during your runs.

Break in your gear during training.

GET SPECIFIC

Make sure that some o your runs mimic theterrain that youll ace in the race. Look at the course

map or the marathon and gure out what kind o

hills, altitude, and average temperature youre likely

to ace. Then do some training in similar conditions.

GET SOME SLEEPAim or at least eight hours o shuteye per

night. Lack o sleep can compromise perormance

and interere with muscle recovery. It can also turn

an ordinarily easy run into a struggle. Try to maintain

a consistent routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at

the same time each day, even on weekends.

Street SmartsMaking the most out o your marathon training plan

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TRAINING GUIDE

THE RIGHT MOVES

Get plenty o practicerunning at your goal pace.



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sports drinks; the body cant absorb so many

carbs at once, and could leave you with GI

distress. Practice with dierent brands to test out

which ones taste good and sit best in your gut.

AFTER YOURE DONE

Aer any run longer than an hour, you need

to reuel right away in order to restock your spent

glycogen stores and kick-start muscle repair.Immediately aer your run, have

a snack that combines a 4:1 ratio o

carbohydrates to protein. The mix speeds

recovery, especially i consumed within

30 minutes o your workout. I you eel

queasy aer your run, try chocolate milk

it provides that 4:1 ratio but wont strain

your stomach. One to two hours later,

have a ull meal. Try pasta with meat

sauce, or a chicken sandwich on whole

wheat. Have veggies, which are rich in

antioxidants, to help reduce soreness.

LOAD IT UP

Get 60% o yourcalories each day

rom carbs.

STAY ONCOURSEFollow these ve rules

to get to the starting linehealthy and injury-ree

1GO HARD, TAKE IT EASYTake at least a day o rest in betweenhard or long eorts, and allow at least

seven days in between long runs. The

body needs time to recover and adapt

to jumps in mileage or intensity. I you

rush it, you could break down your body

rather than build it up.

2CHILL OUTRICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, andElevation) is a proven way to relieve pain,reduce swelling, and protect damaged

tissues to speed healing. Its most eective

when done right aer an injury or a run.

BEFORE YOU GO

On any run less than an hour, you can probably

get by without lling up rst. But on any run

thats longer, uel up beorehand. Two to three

hours beore you go, have at least 200 to 300

calories, and make sure its primarily carbs. I

youre heading out or a long run, bump up the

prerun meal to 400 to 500 calories. Try a banana,

a slice o toast, or hal a bagel with nut butterand jam. I you cant stomach solid ood,

try a smoothie or sports drink.

Test out which oods sit best in

your stomach, and how much time

you need to digest beore you go.

WHILE YOU RUN

For any run thats longer than 75

minutes, youll need to uel up while

youre out. Aim to get 25 to 60 grams

o carbs per hour while youre on the

road. Wash down gels with water, not

3WORK YOUR COREStrong abs provide the stability,power, and endurance you need to run

eciently and injury-ree. Do core work

at least three times a week.

4LOOSEN UP

Warm up with easy running, and dodynamic stretching drills that loosen the

muscles while youre moving. Try squats,

lunges, and high kicks.

5LISTEN TO YOUR BODYYoull have to push through atiguewhile you train, but i you eel pain that

persists or worsens as you run, stop right

away. Take three days o and cross-train

with cycling, swimming, or walking.

Fuel EfficiencyYou can get energized throughout training with high-carb, low-ber, low-at oods that are easy to digest and oer ast energy

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TRAINING GUIDE



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25Percentage oaverage weeklypremarathonmiles that youshould run inthe two weeksafer the race.

On Your

Mark

BEFORE THE STARTING GUN

SET THREE GOALS Set one goal ora perect race, but have a backup plan (or two) in

case the weather is bad or its just not your day.

I something goes wrong in the early miles, youll

need a ew more goals to keep you motivated to

make a strong nish.DONT TRY ANYTHING NEW Map out whatyoull wear, eat, and do beore race week, and

review it oen. This is not the time to try new

shoes and gear, sample new ood or drinks, or use

anything else you havent tried on several training

runs. Stick with the routine that works or you.

STAY OFF YOUR FEET Dont overdo the expo.Pick up your race number, but give yoursel a time

limit and stick to it. You need time to relax beore

your big event.

DRESS THE PART Check the weather, and onrace day, dress or 20 degrees warmer than it is

outside. To stay warm at the start, bring clothes

that you can throw o aer the rst ew miles.

GRAZE, DONT CHOW DOWN Dont devoura big bowl o pasta the night beore the race; you

risk an upset stomach and a sleepless night. Eat

moderate amounts throughout the day and nish

dinner early so you have plenty o time to digest.

ON THE RUN

KEEP IT STEADY Dont try to banktime by going out aster than goal pace; you risk

burning out later. Instead, take the rst two to

three miles 10 to 15 seconds slower than goal

pace. Save your energy or the nal miles.

DRINK EARLY, DRINK OFTEN Take sportsdrink and water at the rst aid station and at each

one aerward. Sipping carbs and fuids beore

you need them will help you postpone dehydration

and keep your energy levels steady.

STAY FOCUSED When youre running elbowto elbow with thousands o other runners,

anything could happen: You could trip, get

bumped, or accidentally spill sports drink all over

yoursel. Give yoursel ve seconds to regroup,

then get back on track. Count ootalls or repeat amantra to help you stay in the moment. Dont let

rustration burn energy you need to run strong.

AFTER YOURE DONE

KEEP MOVING Aer you nish, keepwalking or at least 10 minutes to end o

stiness, then stretch and ice any sore spots.

Change out o your sweaty clothes and get warm.

Within 30 minutes, reuel with carbs and lean

protein to aid muscle repair and restock glycogen

stores, or have a recovery drink. A ew hours later,

try to eat a ull meal to aid muscle repair.

FINISH

Follow this game plan toguarantee good times atyour marathon and beyond

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STRONG SUIT

Wear gear and shoes thatworked or you in training.

SIPPING POINTS

Staying well hydrated willhelp you go the distance.

TRAINING GUIDE

THE NEXT DAY, GET GOING As sore as yomight eel the day aer your race, its importan

to do light, no-impact activity, such as swimmor cycling, to increase circulation to sore musc

This will help you bounce back quicker.

TAKE A BREAK Aer the marathon, be surto take a vacation, try a new sport, or make da

with riends who you havent seen while youve

been training. Whether the race was a big succ

or a bit o a letdown, its tempting to register

another one right away. Its best to take at leas

ew weeks o, rst. Even i you dont eel like y

need a break, taking one aer the long buildup

the race will help stave o burnout and injury,

help your love o running last or the long term

running rules

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