| 2010 MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE |
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Train by time or by distance: two approaches for long races
Runners who travel a lot, don't know the next city's running routes and don't have a GPS watch system to rely on may favour training by time. They can head out one direction for half the desired time and turn around. It almost sounds too easy, but it works for most folks. For the folks who choose the distance plan, it can be a huge mental and physical boost when they know they've done the distance in training (according to their GPS or pre-measured route), and now all they have to do is taper down accordingly to the date of the race and have fun. Time training offers the appealing element of being the more casual approach. Thanks to this casualness, people tend to feel a little less pressure if they have between a 30- and 40-minute window to do a long run depending on the weather conditions. The less-precise option helps maintain the motivation to stay on schedule. One question I am frequently asked is, "Should I run a full marathon in training, or can I get away with running a little less?" The answer depends on which marathon the runner is training for. I suggest running the full distance if you're preparing for a marathon that has less than a few thousand participants. The runners will spread out quickly after the start, so you'll be on your own for a greater portion of the run. You can get away with a little less preparation if you're in a marathon with 10,000-plus participants. The volume of people will force you to start slowly, and when things eventually start to spread out, you may only have between 29 and 16 kilometres to go. Runner's Reality Check Regardless of a runner's ability, this does happen, and more often than we wish to talk about. Take a "runner's reality check" and accept the things that can affect a workout. Ask yourself: Was the weather a little more of a challenge today? Was the footing somewhat questionable? Did I eat something a little on the "too much" side of the menu earlier today or late last night? Have I been getting adequate hours of sleep lately? Did I add an additional physical activity to my regime? There are any number of reasons why we may have had a slower run. We just have to accept the fact that we all have slower days, and we'll have fast days, as well. This makes us better prepared for whatever time or distance we choose to do.
Here's how you calculate your goal time: if your time goal for the half-marathon is 1:55, then your goal time for 800 m would be doubled and converted to minutes and seconds. For example, 1:55 doubled is 3:50, then converted to three minutes and 50 seconds for 800 m. For the 400-m intervals, convert your time goal for the half-marathon from hours and minutes to minutes and seconds. For example, 1:55 would convert to one minute and55 seconds for the 400 m. Rest periods for the intervals should be no longer than two minutes. As your fitness improves, try to reduce the rest to one minute.
Download a PDF of the 26-Week Marathon Schedule: By Time or Distance here About the Author "Train by Time or by Distance: Two Approaches for Long Races" first appeared in the 2010 Mar/Apr Running Issue of IMPACT Magazine. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 2010 HALF-MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE |
For those of you who've followed IMPACT Magazine's training programs from previous years, you'll see the marathon training schedule has not changed as far as the times are concerned. This year, though, we've added in distances for those of you who wish to train by distance, rather than by time. Choose one or the other to prepare for your event, but do your best to avoid combining both time and distance, as it can make training a little more challenging at times, regardless of our running experience. Here are a few ideas to help you choose which method to follow.