Training Plan - Week 7

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednseday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 12 mile run
Sunday: cross-train (~60 min.)

Monday: With six weeks behind us, you now have completed one-third of this 18-week marathon training program. Twelve more weeks to go! This is a day of rest. You'll need it, because the mileage continues to build toward your marathon goal. The long run at the end of this week is 12 miles, meaning you're getting up in distance. Add to that 12 more miles run during the middle of the week, and you're up to 24 miles run for the week. You are definitely making progress!

Tuesday: Three miles at a comfortable pace. The mileage for the Tuesday workouts remains consistent, but will change too as we get further into the program. While running your 3-mile easy run today, evaluate how your training is going. Today's workout should feel real easy to you, particularly after diminished mileage the week before plus yesterday's rest day. Resist the temptation to do more or run faster. So relax and enjoy today's run. I'm going to ask you to run somewhat more tomorrow.

Wednesday: Six miles today, a step upward from last week. As these midweek workouts continue to climb, you may need to budget more time out of your schedule.

Thursday: Three easy miles. Assuming you do some strength training in combination with this run, as you move from exercise to exercise, don’t rush and don’t waste time watching the TV. Stay focused on your workout by stretching in between. "It’s very important while strength training to have a stretching routine," warns personal trainer Cathy Vasto. "You don’t want to lose your flexibility, which can happen if you forget to stretch. Eccentric contractions (which occur when lowering the weights) actually can tighten the muscles." Stretching while strength training provides a double dose of conditioning in a minimum of time.

Friday: Rest today will provide just that extra dose of recovery necessary for you to have a good weekend of workouts. While the focus on this training program is increasing the quantity of your training, you can't achieve either quantity or quality in your workouts unless you come into the days you run hard well rested. And "hard" is what I have scheduled for you tomorrow, considering the distance. You'll be able to accomplish tomorrow's long run much more successfully if you are rested and ready. This means getting a good night's sleep tonight too. Social considerations aside, you probably don't want to hang out all night, then be forced to get up the next morning and train hard. What's important in life to you? Make that decision and follow up on it.

Saturday: Run long. Twelve miles. You have now doubled the distance of your longest run in the previous six weeks. Make certain you don't run this workout too hard. Running long workouts too fast is a major training error. Be conservative in your approach to training, and you're more likely to succeed. Don't be embarrassed to stop and walk briefly. You may need to do so in the marathon. The trick is to walk before being forced to.

Sunday: Cross-training today. Walk, bike, swim: your choice. But before we end this week of instructions, let's talk briefly about calorie burn. Running will help you maintain or lose weight. You burn the same number of calories (about 100) walking a mile as you do running a mile. That seems unfair, but calorie burn is related to foot-pounds: how many pounds you push over so many feet. Since you lose 1 pound for every 3,500 calories burned, theoretically by running 24 miles this week you will have lost the equivalent of 2/3 pound compared to if you hadn't run. That assumes your eating habits didn't change. You can lose weight faster by combining diet and exercise, which is the best way to lose weight as well as keep it off.

Tip of the week: Marathoners need to learn the value of strength. If you plan to win the marathon, running is not enough. Most top runners head to the gym two or three times a week to pump iron. That's good advice for anybody. Machines and barbells work for the elite, but you can stay in shape with push-ups and sit-ups in your own basement. Then you can flex your muscles while crossing the finish line on May 23rd.