Marathon Training Program:
Mileage Build-Up
Building a Base
Without question, the most important area one should focus upon prior to beginning marathon training is to safely build a mileage base. I believe that one should be running four to five days a week with minimum mileage totals of 25 miles per week before considering training for a marathon. From that point, long run and weekly mileage can be added in small increments.
The Ten Percent Rule
Do not increase either your (1) weekly mileage and/or (2) long run mileage by more than 10 percent a week. Doing so greatly increases the chances of incurring an injury, thereby delaying or stopping your training all together. Refer to How to Avoid Injury section for additional information.
Where to Start
Please refer to the Mileage Buildup Schedule (Schedule I) below to find
the level of training that most closely matches your present training
routine/volume. Start training at that point and follow the schedule.
When you have reached the end of Schedule I, you have now developed a
base from where you may now consider training for a marathon. Since the Marathon Training Schedule (Schedule II)
is a 17-week program, continue to train at the concluding levels of
Schedule I until the marathon you wish to run is four months away. If
you wish to see the chart below in kilometers, click here.
For marathons even further down the road, the best approach in filling
the time gap between schedules is to put your training in a “holding
pattern”. During this time, once you reach the 10-mile mark of your long
run, you can then alternate your long run sequence weekly as follows:
8, 9, 10, and then 6-mile long runs. As a means of facilitating leg rest
and recovery, “easy weeks” are recommended every fourth week where both
weekly mileage and the distance of the long run is reduced.
Mileage Buildup Schedule (Schedule I)
| Week# | Sun. | Mon. | Tue. | Wed. | Thu. | Fri. | Sat. | Total |
| 1 | 4 | Rest | 3 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | 4 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 3 | 15 |
| 3 | 5 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 3 | 16 |
| 4 | 3 | Rest | 3 | Rest | 3 | Rest | 3 | 12 |
| 5 | 5 | Rest | 3 | 3 | 3 | Rest | 3 | 17 |
| 6 | 6 | Rest | 3 | 3 | 3 | Rest | 3 | 18 |
| 7 | 6 | Rest | 3 | 4 | 3 | Rest | 4 | 20 |
| 8 | 3 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 3 | Rest | 3 | 13 |
| 9 | 7 | Rest | 3 | 5 | 4 | Rest | 3 | 22 |
| 10 | 7 | Rest | 4 | 5 | 4 | Rest | 4 | 24 |
| 11 | 8 | Rest | 4 | 6 | 4 | Rest | 4 | 26 |
| 12 | 4 | Rest | 3 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 4 | 15 |
| 13 | 8 | Rest | 5 | 6 | 5 | Rest | 4 | 28 |
| 14 | 9 | Rest | 5 | 6 | 6 | Rest | 4 | 30 |
| 15 | 9 | Rest | 5 | 7 | 6 | Rest | 5 | 32 |
| 16 | 5 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 4 | 17 |
| 17 | 10 | Rest | 6 | 8 | 6 | Rest | 4 | 34 |
| 18 | 10 | Rest | 6 | 8 | 7 | Rest | 4 | 35 |
| 19 | 6 | Rest | 4 | Rest | 5 | Rest | 4 | 19 |
At the conclusion of week 19, assuming that you’ve made it through the
mileage buildup stage without injury, you are now ready to proceed to
the Marathon Training Schedule (Schedule II).
Check out Personal Training
if you might be interested in me designing an individualized training
schedule to match your ability level with your goals/needs for an
upcoming race or marathon.
At the conclusion of week 19, assuming that
you’ve made it through the mileage buildup stage without injury, you are
now ready to proceed to the Marathon Training Schedule (Schedule II).
Check out Personal Training
if you might be interested in me designing an individualized training
schedule to match your ability level with your goals/needs for an
upcoming race or marathon.
Courtesy of marathontraining.com
