Is a 10 week marathon training plan the best way to get the highest return on your investment? 10 weeks is certainly enough time to get ready for a marathon. That being said, I am a firm believer that 16 weeks is best. I used a 16 week marathon training plan to run 2:19:35 for the marathon distance. What I will say is spending 6 weeks building a legitimate, aerobic base is critical. You can then work into your 10 week marathon training plan after starting that build up first. There are other people who believe a 6 month marathon training plan would better fit their needs. Again, the key focus is to improve your lactate tolerance. So, you don't want to be in a rush preparing for your marathon. It will take time, focus and determination to run a fast marathon time.
Of course, everyone has different objectives. There are some athlete seeking to run under the 3 hour marathon barrier. That being said, there are others just seeking to start and finish a marathon successfully. 10 weeks is not a lot of time to get 100 percent ready for racing over 26.2 miles. Yes, you can get in legitimate shape in this time frame. You just have to plan accordingly. I am a firm believer in doing faster paced long runs training for marathons. Do you want to run faster over the distance? Well, you have to get accustomed to training more often at, near or far below goal marathon race pace.
How Many Hours a Week Should I Train for a Marathon?
I would recommend spending at least an hour, preferably an hour and a half each day training for a marathon. Of course, it may be more than this depending on your expertise and background. It was not uncommon for me to spend over 2 hours a day training 7 days a week for my marathons. That being said, other athletes may get better results training 4 to 5 days per week. Again, marathon fitness cannot be rushed. It takes between 3 to 4 weeks for your body to adapt to any stress load that you placing upon it. So, there has to be a legitimate plan in place in order to get the highest return on your investment.
I break my 16 week marathon training plans into 4 week segments. The reason behind that is due to the time it takes to adapt to the stresses I am placing on the athlete. I want them to adapt to the stress load first. So, it cannot be rushed. I recommend doing a faster paced long run one weekend followed the next weekend with a relaxed, easy long run. The reason is I want to ensure the athlete is recovering from these types of workouts. There are many runners who have never tried this tactic out. Of course, they focus on doing their speed workouts and tempo runs but run easy during their long runs. The long run is the most difficult workout that I do. In fact, this strategy helped me improve from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 for the distance.
CHECK OUT OUR RUNNING COURSESWhat Should I Do the Week of My Marathon?
Focus on carbo-loading a week out from your main event. It isn't so much about what you eat the night before as it is the week before your marathon. So, hydrate well. I definitely recommend ensuring you are hydrating well before, during and after all of your workouts leading to your 10 week marathon training plan. Again, I highly recommend a 16 week marathon training plan because it gives you more time to prepare. It is much better to get results than to be less than prepared and miss your goal. Yes, nutrition is vital to get legitimate results. So, focus on eating fruits and vegetables, ingesting enough protein as well.
Is 55 miles a Week Enough for Marathon Training?
Yes, 55 miles a week enough mileage to prepare properly for a marathon. Remember, consistency is key. So, putting in this type of mileage (or more) will make you extremely strong. In addition, will make race pace to feel more sustainable and less aggressive on the body. What percentage of your weekly mileage in the past have you spent training at, near or far below your goal marathon race pace? Has it been around 10 percent? 25? I would recommend doing about 40 percent of your mileage at this intensity.
The best middle to long distance runners make it look simple for a reason. They have spent adequate time training at speeds that far exceed what they plan on racing at over 26.2 miles. So, you can use this same tactic to get yourself betters results a huge new personal best. Remember, it isn't about the volume you do as much as it is the quality of the mileage you are putting in that counts. I was able to hold 5:19 mile pace over 26.2 miles for this same reason. I spent a great deal of my time training well below 5 minute mile pace in training. The result was I was able to increase my body's lactate tolerance.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSCan You Run a Marathon in 2 Months?
Yes, you can certainly “run” a marathon with 2 months of training. That being said, it is an art form to race a marathon. So, more time is required to ensure you get the highest return on your investment. I recommend subscribing to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new video content there each week to help athlete such as yourself make the big jumps in their marathon training. Of course, we have numerous resources available here at rundreamachieve as well to help you get to the next level in your training and racing.
An addition tip is to start hydrating better in training. A huge mistake I see many marathoners make is sipping rather than drinking in their races. You can get away with this in a 5K or 10K but not a marathon. The body will definitely need that hydration and calories during your race. So, you don't want to get dehydrated when trying to run all out for 26.2 miles. So, sit water bottles out every 3 miles or 5K on your long run route. Also, practice drinking and seeing how much you can ingest during these runs. The reason is so that you don't get in a race and get a cramp. So, find out what is the proper amount of fluid that works best for you. Lastly, make training the most difficult part of your preparation. The race is the celebration of all of your hard work.
Closing Thoughts
No one in a race should be able to break you if you have prepared properly. Stay as in control and relaxed as you can as well in training and in the race. You don't need to waste any undue mental or physical energy if you can control it. Let your competition be up tight, nervous and tense the morning of the race, not you. Again, always focus on what you can control yourself. So, make sure to keep your muscles as relaxed as you can during the race. You can consciously tell yourself to “relax” or “I am in control”. or whatever you need to say in order to stay as relaxed as you can. The best middle to long distance runners know how important this tactic is. So, follow their example.
I hope this post on pre-planning your 10 week marathon training plan has been helpful. Again, I strong recommend considering a 16 week marathon training plan we have available here at rundreamachieve. 4 months is sufficient time to prepare properly for the marathon distance. Overall, the goal is to save you time and get the result you are working so hard for. I am looking forward to hearing about your new personal best and how your training build up went.
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