Training Series: August-September
The weeks are dwindling down to your date with marathon destiny. This month serves as your last shot at improving your fitness and strength and to test your progress.
Training going long as time before race winds down
By Dr. James Schlub
Health and Wellness Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
The weeks are dwindling down to your date with marathon destiny. This month serves as your last shot at improving your fitness and strength and to test your progress.
In September you will back off your mileage, decrease and later eliminate your strength training workouts and shore up your energy reserves. September will also be the time to take care of any little nagging injuries you may have developed over the last few months.
Novice training
The novice runner completed July running a 12-mile long run, an easy run of five miles and lastly a specialty run (intervals, hills, or tempo) of 40 minutes. The first week of August will be an easy week. Two easy runs of five miles each and a long run of eight miles.
The next week, intersperse two specialty runs (40 minutes of a hilly course) and a 40-minute tempo run and add a 14-mile run on the weekend.
On this run try to run the entire time even if it is slow and record your time. The third week run two easy runs and a 16-mile run. On this long run make it slow - again trying to run the entire time and record your mile splits. Try to maintain consistent mile times for the entire distance.
Week 4 - try this out and back run. Start at Hangar 22 in Area B and follow the marathon course running up Loop Road past the Colonel Glenn gate and around to the gate by the Wright Brother's Memorial and then back to Hangar 22. This will be about five miles of tough up hills and get you familiar with the start and finish of the marathon course.
Next do an interval run for your other run that week of 5 kilometers on Skeel avenue accelerating up to a fast jog for a quarter mile then slowing down to a slow jog for a half-mile. This course has markings on the trail. Start at the long parking lot by the driving range and run down the bike path. The 5k turnaround is about where Pylon Road intersects Hebble Creek Road.
For the long 18-mile run start the run no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and no later than 9:30 a.m. This will help duplicate the conditions you'll be finishing your marathon in and will stress the importance of drinking and dressing properly.
This will also be the longest run prior to marathon race day and should help you decide which shorts, shoes, socks, sports drink, etc., will work best for you come race time. This final week of August will be the toughest week as your legs will be tired from the tough two runs earlier in the week, but don't give up. This final week in August should toughen you up physically and mentally for the marathon ahead.
Accomplished runners
For the regular runner we left off in July with two easy runs of six miles each and a long run of 10 miles.
Therefore the first week of August we'll crank it up. For week two, do two easy runs of six miles, and about 45 minutes of decreasing intervals starting with two repetitions of one mile, 4 repeats of 1/2 mile, and two quarter-mile repeats.
Intersperse a quarter-mile slow jog between each interval. Concentrate on form and breathing. Run the first repetition at each distance at a comfortable pace - working on a nice, slow breathing pattern: for example, three strides per breath in and out.
As you do the repeats, gently pick up the pace and moving into two strides a breath. On the final quarters, let it all hang out and go for a hard, steady pace. Concentrate on maintaining a steady pace and not just sprinting at the end of each interval.
Your long run for week two should reach 18 miles.
On week three, return to the abandoned accelerated runway in Area B for 45 minutes of running up and jogging down. If you tire on the last repeats try focusing your eyes on the top of the hill, getting into a nice breathing pattern and shortening your stride a little and pumping with your arms slightly more and relaxing the hands.
On the down hill try to run controlled, but relaxed, so your muscles will not be working overtime trying to slow your body down. Downhill running is tough on the muscles so after this workout make sure you schedule in a day or two of rest. Other workouts on week three should be an easy six-miler and a 10-miler around the flight line in Areas A and C.
The longer run should be done starting around the time you expect to hit this area on race day. So depending on your pace, start this run at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. Shoot for your marathon goal pace or slightly faster. Record your mile splits, and try to keep consistent.
The long run on week three should reach a comfortable 20 miles.
On week four do one easy run of six miles and a long run of 20-22 miles. Although you should have been doing this during all your long runs, fine tune your drinking and eating and see if your chosen equipment (sunglasses, shorts, socks, shirt etc) hold up for several hours of running.
Poor socks or a pair of shorts that start chafing you or causing blisters after 10 miles can really disrupt a marathon. The specialty run during the week should be something fun - maybe running the loop around Hebble Creek, Pylon and Marl roads. This is about the only shady part of the marathon route. Try picking up the pace in the shade and slowing down in the sun or vice versa.
This is about a 2.3-mile loop. Try it three times throwing in some accelerations if you feel up to it to get in a nice seven miler.
Final stretch
As always, keep up the stretching and eating properly. If a week comes where you don't feel up to training, then throw out an easy run but try to maintain your specialty runs and long runs.
This month you should still be strength training two days each week for upper body and one day per week lower body. Decrease weights and lower intensity, especially the last few weeks of the month.
See you in September.
(Editor's note: Dr. Schlub is a marathoner with a Ph.D. in exercise physiology.)