Week 1: Start Your Journey
Athletes, welcome to Week 1 of The Program. Over the next 14 weeks, we'll explore a variety of themes designed to help make you a technically sound and well-rounded marathoner. Our goal is to get you to your next starting line confident and ready to run your best race.
As you begin, make sure to slow down and take stock of where you are, where you have been, and what you would like to get out of this training experience. No matter what those answers are, here's a couple fundamentals:
- Take it Step by Step: Your early runs and workouts are what we call the danger zone where if you push too fast or far while your body is still getting adjusted to the new training variables you could risk an injury or a setback, avoid this by slowing things down the first 2-3 weeks.
- Build Consistently: In the first few weeks it’s more important to formulate and get comfortable with your routine than increasing mileage volume. Find the days/times that work best for you and lock in on committing to as much consistency in your training schedule as possible.
WEEKLY TRAINING TIPS
Monday Accelerations
Start with 30 minutes easy and finish with 4x 100M accelerations (60 seconds rest between each rep). Accelerations done correctly are not an all out sprint, but rather completed at mile pace. Look to do these on softer surfaces if you can. Accelerations help contribute to your running economy (efficiency of effort while running), which over the course of 26.2 miles will yield a massive impact.
Tuesday Workout
Let's get acquainted with Tempo pace 400s. Aim to complete 12-14x 400M with 60 seconds rest in between each rep. Make sure to use the progressive strategy of starting slow and increasing your effort throughout the intervals.
Wednesday Easy Run (Or Rest)
Forget about distance and pace. Today is all about time on feet and running off feel. Listen to your body and enjoy a nice relaxing and consistent run. Also, don't be afraid to take a rest day if that feels best.
Thursday Rest
Give your body and mind a break from running today. Remember, a productive recovery day is the key to actually benefiting from all the other hard work you put in. Stretch, ice, roll out, use recovery boots. Do what feels best.
Friday Easy Run
Loosening up the legs before tomorrow's long run. Again, less about distance/pace here, and more about going off feel and preparing your body for distance. Keep it nice and easy.
Saturday Long Run
The first long run is about shocking the body on the length of time you are running, not the intensity. Take these 10 miles on the lighter side of your easy pace. It’s okay to pause along the way. Remember that even if you are a seasoned marathoner, each cycle is different and a relaxed start is always the best play.
Sunday Recovery Run (Or Rest)
Use today as an easy run to recover from your long run and bank that fitness you gained. Keep it nice and easy, or don't be afraid to take a rest day if that feels best.
WEEKLY EXPERT GUIDANCE
Sports Psychology with Mari Dottschadis
Reflect on Your Why
This week is about reflecting on why you want to run this marathon. Research has shown that having a strong purpose can help you stay motivated and resilient even throughout a long journey. A purpose is characterized by three aspects:
- It has to matter to you. Truly matter.
- It has to be future oriented.
- It has to be bigger than you.
Take some time this week to reflect on your why. If your answer is a goal time, then ask yourself: why is this time so important to you? Once you have clarity for yourself, write it down. Put it somewhere you can find it again on one of the rainy days in the upcoming weeks where you start to question why you choose to do it in the beginning.
Nutrition with Daily Harvest's Carolina Schneider, M.S., R.D.
How to Build a Balanced Plate
Start your training right with a balanced plate: fill half with colorful veggies, one-fourth with whole grains like brown rice or quinoa, and another one-fourth with lean proteins like chicken or tofu. Don't forget healthy fats, such as avocados, for sustained energy and muscle repair. Simplify your nutrition with Daily Harvest's Runner's Collection Box, designed to support runners' nutritional needs, featuring meals with essential nutrients for performance and recovery.
Strength with Alex Mack
What is Strength Training?
Strength training is an essential addition to a runner’s training because it strengthens the muscles and joints that are potentially overused while running high mileage, while also improving paces and decreasing injury risk. But what exactly is strength training and how often should you be in the gym?
By definition, Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is a type of exercise that builds muscle mass, strength, and endurance. It involves using your body weight or equipment, such as dumbbells, resistance bands, weight machines, or medicine balls, to cause your muscles to contract against an outside resistance.
When training for a marathon or long distance race, repetitive high mileage or consistent days of running can put quite a toll on your body’s joints and muscles. By taking 2-3 days per week to focus on weight training or resistance training, you are building strength in those joints and muscles to help carry you through your long runs and can even help you in getting faster.
Mobility with Brendan Martin, P.T.
Cluster Habits Together
Marathon training isn’t just running. You might want to drink water and eat a snack before and after, activate your muscle groups, do strides, or maybe even meditate or do yoga. There are several supplemental activities that might improve your running and overall life balance. Try to “habit cluster” your favorite activities so that you get used to doing them all automatically rather than having to decide to do each one throughout the day. This can make each task feel less mentally taxing, and can help you get more done.