Hi all! Hope you had a relaxing holiday weekend. I spent the weekend in Long Island with my best friend from college David.
It was a a perfect weekend of relaxing and catching up with David. He lives in Los Angeles so I’m always excited when we get to hang out a few days in a row either on the east coast or in LA.
Let’s talk marathon training. Even saying that freaks me out. After running the Walkway Half I decided to give myself a few weeks off of running before starting training for the NYC Marathon. I knew I wasn’t starting from scratch because hey, I ran 13.1 miles less than a month ago, and the time off was just what I needed mentally.
Well, it’s time to start training. I loosely created a marathon plan based on a mixture of the Hal Higdon beginner and what Team in Training recommends, so I can do some of my long runs with them. Where my plan differs most is the focus on cross training. Obviously I need to run as a major component of training, however strength training is my bread and butter and what keeps me strong as a runner. I definitely learned that while running the Nike Women’s Half in DC last year with minimal running leading up to the race, but lots of strength training to compensate.
My ideal week of training is:
MONDAY: class at Exceed (High intensity interval training– think circuits, kettle bells, TRX, rowers…)
TUESDAY: short run
WEDNESDAY: yoga + flying trapeze
THURSDAY: short run– intervals at Mile High Run Club
FRIDAY: strength class at Uplift (class is focused on fatiguing each muscle group)
SATURDAY: Long Run
SUNDAY: REST!
Obviously each week will be different—I still want to try out new studios, switch things up and sometimes my schedule doesn’t perfectly line up with a studio’s schedule. Trying to check off each workout eases my nerves about marathon training and what I need to be doing each week.
On Mondays I’ll pop in to talk about how the previous week went and what’s on tap for the next week.
Seasoned marathoners, what tips do you have for training for a marathon versus a half?
I’m training for my third marathon right now! I’d say the biggest thing jumping from a half to a full is taking care of your body and fueling. I always need one full rest day and also cross train to keep my body strong. Fueling is important. In the beginning try out different things to eat before your run and during your run. Experiment with gels, chews, candy, electrolytes and flavors so that you can figure out what you like/what works/ and what agrees with your stomach! Also you’ll have to replace your shoes before the actual race because they should get enough miles on them from the training cycle!