If you’re training for your first marathon, there are so many beginner’s marathon training plans available online! As a runner it can be difficult to know which will suit your body and marathon goals best. In today’s livestream, I’ll be talking about some of the key things you should be looking for in your marathon training plan, and a number of the mistakes you should avoid.
Check out the link below for a free 16 week marathon training plan.
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BEGINNERS MARATHON TRAINING PLAN:
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Here are five key points you should consider when looking at a marathon training plan ahead of your first marathon…
1 - How much running should you be doing before your marathon training plan begins?
I usually suggest that before you begin on a 16 week marathon training plan, you should be able to run an easy paced 8 mile run. Ideally, you should have been consistently running 3-4 times per week, and in the four to six weeks ahead of the beginning of you the marathon training programme you should be login 18-20 miles per week.
2 - Adaptation Weeks
Make sure your training plan allows you to take an easier ‘adaptation’ week every 4-5 weeks to give your body a chance to recover from the weeks preceding, before pushing hard again for the following few weeks. This simple structure of an easy week every 4-5 weeks will help you avoid running injuries.
3 - Speed Workouts
Most first time marathon runners should be focusing on building weekly mileage and long run duration/distance. Speed workouts like 400m or 800m intervals usually do more to increase the risk of injury while training for your first marathon, than provide fitness benefits.
4 - Injury Prevention Exercises
Don’t forget to make time for injury prevention exercises (check out the exercises in programme linked below), especially if you have suffered from running injuries in the past. If a physio has given you strengthening exercises as part of your treatment plan for an old running injury, these would form a great basis for your marathon injury prevention routine.
5 - Your Marathon Taper
It’s not unusual for runners to taper for a marathon across 3 week, and if they’ve been running above 60 miles per week throughout the marathon training plan, then it’s definitely appropriate to take 3 weeks to recover from the cumulative fatigue built during the training plan. However, as a first time marathon runner peaking at 35-40 miles per week during your training plan, you don’t need such a long taper to be ready for your marathon.
For more information about tapering for a marathon, watch this:
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ABOUT ME: I'm a runner, sports rehabilitation specialist and coach based in the UK (Norwich and London).
Since 2007 I've been working with athletes focusing specifically on helping distance runners and triathletes overcome injury and improve performance through developing their individual running technique.
Running biomechanics has become a geeky little passion of mine!
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