Marathon Training Schedule – Don’t Leave Home and Run Without it

Article by Muhammad Azeem Ashraf

Have you heard of the Daily 16?

Retired Major General L.M. Palm of the US Marine Corps wrote the Introduction for the book, Marine Corps Daily 16 Workouts published by Villard Books of New York. In his introduction, he said that the Daily 16 lies at the core of the physical training regimen of Marine recruits who arrive at the training centers unfit and bent out of shape.

The good news: it isn’t a program that is monopolized by the Marines. The ex-General said that it can be followed by “all dedicated men and women from teenagers to senior citizens who seek to be in admirable shape.” (Villard, 1999).

There are over a million runners each year who compete in marathons. The world’s oldest marathon – the Boston Marathon – attracted about 20,000 runners this year. Registration for next year’s marathon begins September 5 – that’s less than two weeks away. Already we’re seeing a frenetic pace among trainers and runners who have big dreams and ambitious plans – a lot of that ballbusting energy is being felt in the country’s track and field centers and jogging paths right now. Do they follow a strict schedule the way the Marines do with their Cooper Exercise Program for the Jogging and Progressive Treadmill?

You bet!

Training Schedule: As Important as Marathon Itself

Without a training schedule and without a commitment to it, marathon hopefuls are like speeding race drivers with blindfolds on. There’s a method to the madness no matter how cruel and unforgiving a training schedule is. Deviate from it and you’ll be light years behind victory. It’s good to focus on the marathon event. We know some runners who also take lessons in visualization and meditation where they use imagery and imagine themselves running towards the finish line and bagging the prize. These are excellent and indispensable training aids, but adherence to your marathon training schedule takes precedence.

Why do you think the US Marine Cooper Program has it all systematically down pat? Because the generals know what they want!

Here’s a two-week extract from the 10-week rigorous schedule:

Week 1: Walk – 2.0 miles – 32 minutes – 3 times a week – 13.5 points weekly

Week 2: Walk – 3.0 miles – 48 minutes – 3 times a week – 21.7 points weekly

The idea here is to earn 61 points by the 10th week, considered excellent for aerobic fitness. A training schedule, therefore, is synonymous to goal-setting. You write down your goals for the future and draw up a time frame for each goal, including specific steps. That’s the logic of the training schedule.

Whether you’re aiming for the half or full marathon, you know what the experts say about “too much too soon.” This is one reason why a marathon training schedule is mandatory. It paces you, breaks you in, and decides when you can transition into higher and more difficult tasks. Call it whatever you want, but your schedule is your compass, your GPS, your PDA. Turn your back from it and you become rudderless.

Training Schedule: Core Concepts

Count yourself lucky if you have a running coach who has extensive marathon experience. Listen to him attentively because his gut instincts will tell him what kind of training schedule is appropriate for your fitness level. Trainers and coaches have a whole slew of training schedules that they design based on a wealth of knowledge from marathon records and performance sheets.

Your training schedule will take into account certain concepts such as:

Long runs.

They get you closer to that much coveted finish line. If you haven’t run for a long time or are accustomed to running only a mile a day, doing 20-mile runs in your first week of training is a recipe for failure. Core concept: build it up slowly.

Pace yourself.

Ordinary mortals can run 26 miles provided they run at the correct pace. Core concept: transition. Start with slow runs then go for faster runs.

M is for mileage. Do not aim for megamiles during your first week. Core concept: don’t burnout!

Rest. Leave ample time for rest days. They re-charge you; this is why some marathon coaches insist that rest days are the second most important component of training. Core concept: give your heart and muscles a break!

Cross-training. It’s not all about running. It’s about other activities that will help you build endurance and stamina. Core concept: avoid injury!

Taper off. Some compulsive runners think they should train up to the night before the marathon. Experienced coaches encourage runners to scale back during the two weeks preceding the marathon.

Core concept: recover!

These are a few components (out of the many) that will be incorporated into your training schedule by your training coach. Remember, though, that while the perfect schedule mainly focuses on the physical routine, it should also integrate diet considerations and hydration requirements.

Treat your training schedule as a sacred guidepost. When marathon day comes, you’ll thank your lucky stars for it.

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