Developing endurance
This week with the increasing daylight hours we’re shifting the Time Trial to midweek, so we can use the weekend to introduce our bodies to the component of marathon “endurance”.
This endurance session on Saturdays, is one of the two basic components we’re teaching your body. The other basic component is speed or intensity, but we don’t need to teach this to your body until 9 weeks out from the event.
To develop your endurance, we will gradually ramp up the Saturday duration over the next 14 weeks to teach your metabolism (and your mind) to adapt to the duration of your marathon.
(If your days off (or “weekend” ) is mid week, it’s fine for you to simply change the days to match.)
Marathon chat and Q&A - Wednesday 20th
Remember to bring your questions along to my Marathon chat and Q&A on this Wednesday 20th at Queenstown Motor Group, 2 Hawthorn Drive, Remarkables park, Frankton.
5:30 to 7:30. Drinks and nibbles provided.
Week nine training schedule:
This week with the increasing daylight hours we’re shifting the Time Trial to midweek, so we can use the weekend to introduce our bodies to the component of marathon endurance.
Thursday 14th Aug
45 minutes total, comprised of "accelerations", a little faster than last week:
10 minutes warm up walk to a grassy jogging area (park or similar)
5 minutes of accelerations. Start with a fast walking pace, increase the pace one faster gear every minute until at the start of minute 3 you are jogging.
Keep increasing the jog pace slowly until you are jogging at a good old clip at the finish of 5 minutes.
Do a total of 6 accelerations
Warm down walk for 5 minutes to finish the session
Friday 15th Aug
Rest day
Saturday 16th Aug
60 mins long easy run /jog.
Pace yourself steady, to keep jogging all the way with no walking stops if possible.
Ideally run on softer trails such as dirt, gravel, grass etc (eg bush trails or around the outside of a golf course (with permission). We want to avoid the injury threat of too much running on hard surfaces such as roads.
Sunday 17th Aug
Long easy walk or hike, eg with friends or family. 1 to 3 hours. Make it scenic and fun. Also consider orienteering if it’s available, for some variation. Geocaching, similar to orienteering, is a great way to entice the kids into the countryside - it's a world wide treasure hunt! If you don't have a dedicated GPS, you can download an app for your smartphone and use that instead.
Monday 18th Aug
Rest day (optional swim or bike or yoga or gym 30 mins)
Tuesday 19th Aug
Time Trial #6. Aim to beat last week’s time.
Warm-up 10 mins brisk walk or easy jog
Warm-down 10 mins walking. Record your time.
Wednesday 20th Aug
Remember Steve’s Marathon Clinic at Queenstown Motor Group,
5:30pm to 7:00pm
Short session: 30 mins, medium pace jogging with 5 mins effort (fast run) in the middle. Undulating small hills.
Thursday 21st Aug
45 mins total, comprised of accelerations, a little faster than last week:
10 minutes walk to warm up, on the way to a jogging site of grass in a park or similar.
5 minutes of “accelerations”: Start with a fast walk pace, increasing the pace, a faster gear every minute, until at the start of minute 3 you are jogging. Keep increasing the jog pace slowly until you are jogging at a good old clip at the finish of 5 minutes.
Do a total of 6 accelerations.
Warm down walk for 5 minutes.