I’m a Virgo, and I Run in the Rain

Right, the notion of logging miles upon miles in training no longer induces paralysing fear.  (It’s probably still frightening, but not enough to immobilise you!)  You may even be warming to the idea of some long runs through the countryside, finding your feet moving regularly and instinctively, your breathing rhythmical and the flora and fauna passing swiftly by…at least until the headwind strengthens, the rain lashes down, the mud gets deeper and your hangover fails to disappear.  But it’s okay, the marathon is a road race!  And April in London is usually pretty nice.  And you aren’t enrolled in the Jade Goody School of Marathon Preparation, are you?  So the training is nothing to be afraid of.

Now it’s time to talk specifics.  What might a typical training week look like?  With delightful vagueness the experts will tell you that there’s no prescription, that the week will depend on how close the marathon is, what sort of progression of volume and intensity has been undertaken, whether or not any little injuries have cropped up, at what altitude the training is undertaken, what sign of the zodiac the moon is passing through and what the current pounds-to-euros exchange rate is on the high street.  And of course they’re right.  But let’s assume a fit and healthy Libran training at intensity for a marathon that’s five weeks away.  (And we’ll let Alastair Darling worry about the exchange rate).  What should our Libran do?

A cross sample of the training of four elite marathoners highlights a couple of key points, namely the importance of the long run, the importance of altitude, and the importance of rest.  But even then the details vary considerably.  Haile Gebreselassie, current World Record Holder, undertook the following programme as he transitioned from running 10,000m on the track to the marathon:

Monday
am: 60min fartlek (17km)
pm: 50min easy (12km)

Tuesday
am: 70min steady (18km)
pm: 45min easy (10km) + 10x100m

Wednesday
am: 48min tempo (15km)
Thursday
am: 80min steady (20km)
pm: 45min easy (10km) + 60min circuits session in gym

Friday
am: 75min steady (18km)
pm: 45min easy (10km) + 10x100m

Saturday
am: 6 x 2km in 5:40 with 3min recovery
pm: 40min steady (10km)

Sunday
am: 90min steady (25km)
Total: 191km (120mi)

Gebreselassie trains at altitude in Ethiopia, and consequently the majority of his runs are considerably slower than his marathon pace.  While his programme in this transition period didn’t feature a particularly long run (25km is only slightly over half marathon distance), it also didn’t feature many hard sessions.  The importance of developing the aerobic system through running the miles!
Sammy Wanjiru, 2008 Olympic Gold Medallist in the marathon, is another who trains at altitude, using the mountainous region of Kenya as his base.  His schedule requires him to undertake frequent long runs over varied terrain.  But he also is a major advocate of rest.  Speaking before the 2008 Fukuoka Marathon, Wanjiru commented, “Sundays are off, and if it rains I also take the day off from training.  [I] take the day off and wait to do the workout on a nice day.  That way you can run a faster time and leave with a better feeling about the workout.”  Perhaps the climate is to blame for the dearth of British distance running champions?!
Wanjiru trains in ten day cycles that mix long runs with some speedwork.  In the buildup to Beijing, his programme contained the following elements:

9 July: 38km cross country (4:30min/km)
10 July: am: 15km (pace dropping from 4min/km to 3min/km)
pm: 10km (4:00min/km)
11 July: 10 x 400m speed session
20 July: 30km tempo (94min)
21 July: am: 15km (pace dropping from 4min/km to 3min/km)
pm: 10km (4:00min/km)
22 July: am: 15km (pace dropping from 4min/km to 3min/km)
pm: 10km (4:00min/km)
23 July: 3 x 3000m speed session

There has, of course, been one Brit who has excelled on the distance running circuit in recent years.  Paula Radcliffe (World Record 2:15:25) is notorious for the intensity of her training, and she, possibly more than any other athlete, simultaneously combines speed training and distance training.  A typical week in the peak of marathon preparation totals to 150 miles and incorporates four speed sessions totalling 25 miles.  The vast majority of Radcliffe’s training is at altitude, reinforcing its importance to elite level athletes.

Irina Mikitenko, the two-time defending London Marathon champion, is another woman to favour training at altitude and over long distance.  Her preparations typically involve 220km (140 mile) weeks, including a 35km long run.

Consider those training programmes to appreciate how much effort goes into one race, how disciplined the athlete must be, and why distance runners watch so much Jeremy Kyle (too tired to reach for the remote, you see…)

My own ambitions are slightly more modest.  I’ve been training at a fairly high level for nearly 7 years, but have no regular access to physiotherapy or altitude, and have never attempted a competitive marathon.  I have to balance the need (and, yes, I admit, the compulsion) to train over distance with my academic obligations, the need to stay injury-free, and, if we’re honest, the need to stay sane.  With that in mind, here’s a recent week of my training:

Monday
am: 63min steady (10mi)
pm: 35min steady to tempo (6mi)

Tuesday
am: 35min easy (5mi)
pm: 2 x 1min (60s); 4 x 8min (90s); 2 x 1min (60s) (12mi)

Wednesday
am: 85min steady (14mi)

Thursday
am: 30min steady (4.5mi)
pm: 12 x 2min (60s) (10mi)

Friday
am: 60min easy to steady (9.5mi)

Saturday
am: 15min easy (2mi)
pm: 7.5mi cross country race (38:05) (13mi total)

Sunday
am: 126min steady (20mi)

Total: 103mi (165km)

Oh yes, and I’m a Virgo, and I run in the rain.