5 Keys to Marathon Training, Part 1: Miles

Please see the preview to this 5 part series on marathon training.

How much to run has always been one of the biggest debates among experts, non-experts, and everyone in between in the marathon world. On the one hand, you have what I will call the "Runner's World" philosophy—that running 3-4 days a week is sufficient for most people, and that anything more is crazy and/or unhealthy, and on the other you have the "1970s Old School Guys" philosophy which says that everyone should run 100+ miles per week like the Kenyans. I tend to avoid either extreme in this case, but in my experience I have found that a slight lean towards the Old School Guys is beneficial, and here's a short history lesson as to why:  In the 1970s and early 1980s, you had multiple American runners making waves in the world marathon scene. Guys ran 2:XX marathons in cotton tees, cutoff jeans, and Keds just for the heck of it, and that's not so much of a hyperbole as you might think. They quit their day jobs and worked part time at shoe stores just so they could log 100, 120, or even 140+ miles per week and run a sub-2:20.  Everyone ran, and ran a lot. Today, with the exception of the few Ryan Halls out there, American marathoning is somewhat in a funk. The median marathon finish time for both men and women has slowed by about 45 minutes in the 30 years since 1980, while most other demographics such as median age have remained surprisingly constant. We run in $100 shoes, and that's not counting the other nifty gear and supplements we all have, yet we are significantly (alarmingly, actually) slower than our recent predecessors. Meanwhile, the Kenyans and even European runners to some extent have taken the marathon by storm. Why? 

While there is still a debate about the causes, and many valid arguments, it is almost certain that part of the explanation lies in the increasing trend among American marathon runners to only run 3-4 days per week to merely survive a marathon, rather than shooting for the stars and working up to 40, 50, or even 60 miles per week so that one can actually enjoy race day and do something other than crawl across the finish line. Hundreds or thousands of training plans have cropped up which treat running as a dreadful ransom to be paid in order to check a marathon off one's bucket list, rather than treating it as the incredibly enjoyable (not to mention healthy!) pursuit that it can become to those who are willing to put forth the effort. We shop our training plans like we do our groceries—the lowest price wins, even if the product leaves something to be desired. Now, I'm not advocating that you give up your job and family and spend all day out running around in your Daisy Dukes and homemade Nike Waffles so you can log 140 miles per week. What I am suggesting is that if you want to enjoy race day and the days beyond, there is a price to be paid, but that price is totally and completely worth it, and it will change your life.  I subscribe enthusiastically to the following philosophy, as stated very well by professional marathoner Peter Gilmore (2:12:45, 2006 Boston Marathon):

“If the most common question I get asked is, “How do I run a fast marathon?”, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th... most common questions have something to do with diet, running form, sleep, footwear, stretching, weights; anything but actual running. American runners seem to have an unending fascination with all these extra-curricular activities, yet we continue to get slower at running marathons. It reminds me of the weekend cyclist who spends $5,000 for a new bike that weighs 3 ounces less, but he’s still got the pot belly under that colorful jersey.

So what’s my point?  If you want to improve your performance in the marathon, stop worrying about minimalist shoes, caveman diets, and new-age running form, and start worrying about getting out the door and running a little more than you did last week. High mileage works!  It is the single best method for the greatest percentage of runners to improve in the marathon.”

Now, obviously, there is more to marathon training than just running obscene amounts of mileage, and I think that Mr. Gilmore would also agree that there is more to the story.  But, as he stated, the best way to become a better runner is to, well, run more! And this is true for almost all runners, regardless of ability.  There is a reason that Part One of this series is about running a lot of miles. You can (and should!) read Gilmore's entire article here for more context and wisdom on the subject.

Now that we've established that, in order to run a marathon you need to run a lot, the question becomes “Exactly how much do I run?” That is the million dollar question, and is ultimately one which you must learn to answer for yourself, but here are some pointers to get you started.

Without exception, the most successful runners I know (meaning they enjoy it the most, as well as being very good at it), all run at least 6 days per week. Many (myself included) take a day off each week for religious reasons, others for recovery purposes, and some not at all, but they all run nearly every day or even multiple times per day. This sounds like a huge time commitment, and it can be for those nearing some kind of “really fast” status, but for a beginning marathoner, it is really not that bad. Besides, it's good for your health. You'll never worry about getting your 20 minutes of exercise 3 times a week if you're getting a half hour or an hour per day running with a couple of hours on weekends. It's also helpful to be able to establish a daily habit, and that habitual routine is essential for you to be consistent over the weeks and months leading up to race day, and consistency is absolutely imperative to a successful marathon.  There are physiological reasons to run daily as well, but I'll just boil it down to say that your body will adapt more quickly to running and your recovery time will drop if you run daily.  I firmly believe that everyone who really wants to can spend some time, 6 days per week, running--even if it's only for a few minutes because Tommy got sick, and there's a huge paper due tomorrow in school, and the world is ending in three weeks and you haven't finished your fallout shelter.  On those days, a few minutes of exercise will only help you anyway.

Alright, so you're going to run at least 6 days per week, but that still doesn't answer the big question of how far. How far depends largely on where you are starting from. Whether you are starting from ground zero, or if you've got some experience, don't be intimidated. The first thing you should know is that you absolutely can run for 26.2 miles, and fairly easily too, if you set your mind to it and start small.  A tune from an old Christmas movie comes to mind:

"Just put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor.  Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be running out the door!"  

The sooner you can begin, the better.  I've helped runners train who went from virtually no running at all to running a very respectable first time marathon in as little as 10-12 weeks, but that is the exception and is not something I would recommend to everyone. My first marathon came after 10 months of preparation. Generally speaking, the longer you have to train, the less likely you are to become injured from overtraining. Start with something small. Even one mile per day to start is a start. Your body needs time to get used to the new stresses of running, so don't become discouraged if it takes a few weeks. Age can also be a factor, as older people generally recover slower and need more time to adapt. The key to increasing your mileage so that you can reach that marathon mark is patience. Learn to listen to your body. There is such a thing as “good hurt” which is the general soreness you will feel as your muscles begin to learn how to run. There is also such a thing as “bad hurt” which can usually be pinpointed to a small, specific area, and which causes you to try and compensate your stride. If this happens, take a day off and run more slowly for the next few days.  I will talk more about injuries, and how to recognize, prevent, and treat them in Part 5 of this series. Take the first month or six weeks of running and gradually work up to 15-20 miles per week (about 2.5-3.5 miles per day, on average), as you feel able. By then, you should begin to feel more comfortable running, though it will still not be easy. If you already have some experience under your belt, you may already be comfortable at 20, 30, or even 40 miles per week.

Once you reach the point where you are beginning to feel comfortable, you can begin to ramp up your mileage in earnest. A good rule of thumb is to increase your mileage by no more than about 10% every other week.  So, if I ran about 50 miles last week, and the same this week, I can jump to about 55 miles next week.  If you already have some experience, especially very recently, there is some leeway here, but be careful not to overdo it. You are NOT in a hurry. Where you want to peak is up to you, but in reality the sky is the limit if you are patient enough. Your peak mileage is often determined by how much time you have to prepare. Most people can finish a marathon if they get to 40 miles per week if they have done the necessary long runs, etc, but if you can work up to 50 or 60 it will make worlds of difference. If you're really serious and have some significant running experience behind you, 70 mpw has, in my experience, proven itself to be somewhat of a magic number. It is at this point that I begin to feel “sharp” and ready to race. Many other marathoners I associate with tend to agree on that point. However, don't feel like you absolutely need to get to that magic 70 for your first marathon, especially if you have no prior running experience. Becoming a serious marathoner takes years of work, so don't expect to go conquer the world on your first try.  When you set your peak mileage goal, set a standard that you feel you can achieve, but one that will still challenge you.  Using that formula of ~10% increase every two weeks may prove useful.  Be sure to allow time to rest for a couple of weeks before race day.  You don't want to be running your peak mileage the week before your race.  More on tapering will be discussed in Part 3.   Many runners will also find that they need a recovery week every so often. Personally, I find that every 4-6 weeks it is beneficial for me to cut back on the intensity of my training, running my miles slower and with less urgency, but generally maintaining the volume.  If you find that you have set your goal a little too high, there is nothing wrong with re-evaluating it and adjusting it to fit the current circumstances.  We runners tend to be very stubborn people, and most of the time we get injured it's because we are doggedly clinging to some crazy arbitrary goal in which we bit off a little more than we could chew.  I've done this more times than I can count, so you're not alone.  There is no shame in adjusting your expectations to match your current abilities.  Indeed, this skill of learning to listen to your body and adjust accordingly is essential to success.

The next logical question is “How fast do I run these miles?” I will speak more of this in Part 2. There are some nuances to how to pace your training which are unique to the marathon, but I will discuss it more in depth and provide some helpful links on the subject in the next portion of this series. It is, however, an important question, so for now I will say that variation is key. This is true for all running, whether you are training for a marathon or a mile. Not all of your running should be the same length and the same pace, day in and day out. In fact, I think if it was you might go nuts. Some days should be easy, some hard, and some in between. Some days should be long, some days should be short, and some in between. You'll find it helpful to make a general plan of how far and how fast you plan to run each day of the week before you start the week, based upon how you felt last week, your goals, and your time constraints. The next post will deal mainly with the longer and harder days, but the rest of the days should be easy, and I've found much success interspersing easy days between hard days, to rest and recover. What is easy? Another good rule of thumb is that most of your running outside of specific hard workouts should be at what I call a “conversational pace.” In other words, it should be slow enough that if you were running with a partner that you could carry on a conversation quite easily. Contrary to what you might think, you will gain aerobic fitness just as well or better at a conversational pace as you will during a hard workout, so you might as well let your body rest as much as you can while doing it. Some people call these miles at a conversational pace “junk miles,” but in my opinion, as long as you are not overtraining, there is no such thing as a “junk mile.” I have never regretted a couple of extra easy miles when I felt good enough to do it without trouble.

So that is Part 1.  In summary, remember these points:

1) Don't be intimidated.  You CAN and WILL run this far! 

2) You don't need to run 100 miles per week, or anything close really, but the more you can run without overtraining, the better off you'll be, and the more fun you'll have on race day!

3) Take it easy.  Increase your mileage at a rate your body can handle.  Remember the general rule of ~10% every two weeks.

4)  Set a goal based on how much time you have available to train, but don't be afraid to adjust it as you learn how to listen to your body.

5) Take it easy.  Run most of your miles at a conversational pace.  Talking to yourself works, and gives you priceless looks on the faces of passers-by.