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Don't dog summer marathon training

  • Published
  • By Dr. James Schlub
  • Health and Wellness Center
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Hopefully, the idea of running an entire 26.2 miles doesn't seem as foreign to you now as the weeks and miles have been piling up since you began this marathon odyssey. July and August are the final two months where you can continue to let fly with your workouts, pushing your body to increase fitness.

In September, recovery and rest rule the day as miles per week, strength training and intensity will decrease until race day. In September you'll be putting a premium on recovery and rest to be prepared for the big day.

In June, the novice runner left off with a low mileage week of a local 5k road race and two 3 3/4 mile easy runs. Now he or she will bump up mileage to 9 miles from previous long runs of 7 1/2 miles. The long run will continue to increase by one mile a week, hitting 12 miles by the end of the month.

In June, you were still jogging 1 mile and walking 1/4 mile then repeating, or about 12 minutes of jogging to 4 minutes of walking. Now you should shorten the times you are walking to only one minute for every 12 minutes of jogging. During the walking periods practice drinking slowly. The other two workouts should consist of an easy run of 4 miles, which increases 1/4 mile to 5 miles by the end of July. This is as long as this run will ever be.

The other run should vary between a hill run, an interval and a tempo run. With the hill runs and interval runs, slowly accelerate up to a speed that is challenging yet allows you to keep a consistent pace for the entire distance. Find a hill that lasts between 30 seconds to 5 minutes. After the hills or intervals, walk for up to five minutes.

Then repeat the sequence. You should be able to repeat at the initial speed. If you cannot, then reduce speed on succeeding intervals. Repeat the sequence 4 to 8 times for no more than 40 minutes. The tempo runs, 3 to 4 miles in length, should be at a level faster than your ordinary long or easy runs. Tempo pace is just at or below the pace where you feel your breathing needs to get kicked up a notch, and you may feel more comfortable breathing through your mouth.

Although this pace should push you some, it should feel easier than the 5-k race you ran last month. As a ballpark for a novice runner it should be about 1 minute slower than your 5-k time per mile if you pushed yourself during that race.

The regular runner left off the last week in June completing one specialty run, two easy 6 milers and a long run of 14 miles. You also were encouraged to find a local 5 or 10K to run sometime during the month.

This month you will continue to increase the length of long runs by one mile to reach 16 by week three and continue your easy 6 milers and one specialty run each week. Week four will be an easy week with just two easy runs of 6 miles and a long run of 10. You, however, will need that rest, as the first week in August you will crank up again.

Specialty workouts in July should include:

Week 1 -- one hour of hills repeats.
Week 2 -- one hour of 1/4 to 1/2 mile repeats, at 5 k race pace, with three-minute recovery jogs.
Week 3 -- 45-minute tempo run, at about 30-45 seconds slower per mile than 10-k race pace. If you run a race -- one max for the month -- replace the specialty run that week with the race. 

Keep up your stretching and strengthening. Keep trying to recover as effectively as you can. After your runs make sure to stretch properly and sit with your legs up for 10 to 15 minutes. Cooling the legs and body off with water from your garden hose coupled with light massage at that time will feel great.

Don't sabotage your training. For instance, don't plan a vigorous soccer game, singles tennis match, etc., the same day as a specialty or long run. Exercise only works its magic if you give it time. The improvements you attain from a fitness program are the result of your body properly responding to the stress of exercise.

(Editor's note: Dr. Schlub is a marathoner with a Ph.D. in exercise physiology.)

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