July 31, 2009, Newsletter Issue #103: Early Fall Marathons: Counting Backwards
Tip of the Week
You have a plan for an early fall marathon, congratulations! When I'm training for a marathon, I often like to work backwards in terms of when I plan my longest long training runs. Personally, I like to do a last long run of 16 miles or more 3 or 4 weeks before the marathon.
And because you want to alternate some shorter "long runs" of 13 miles or so between your weeks when the "long runs" are more like 16-20 miles, you can look at a calendar for the next few months between now and September and note the weeks when your longest runs should be.
But remember that training plans are made for tweaking, and if your scheduled long run day is blazing hot, or you are sick or nursing an injury, swap it with the previous or upcoming week. The important thing, in my experience, is to get at least 2 (3 if you want to be more competitive) runs of at least 20 miles in during the 3 months before a marathon.
So get out your calendar (or if you are more hi-tech than I, make notes on your iphone, blackberry, etc.) and map out some possible long run dates.
Happy Running!
About LifeTips
Now one of the top on-line publishers in the world, LifeTips offers tips to millions of monthly visitors. Our mission mission is to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Expert writers earn dough for what they know. And exclusive sponsors in each niche topic help us make-it-all happen.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Heidi Splete |
