Novice Training Summary

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Mon 2 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

Tues 2 2 2 3 4 4
Hills

Wed 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 7 7 4 6 6 6 5 5 3

Thur 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 3 OFF

Fri 3 3 4 3 3 4
Med Effort

Sat 2 2 3 3 5 4 3 5 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 RACE

Sun 4 5 6 5 7 9 12 8 14 5K-10K
Race

Total 19 18 22 21 28 29 33 30 38 33-38 41 39 44 33-36 44 37 26

5
Hills

4
Med Effort

4
Hills

4
Med Effort

5
Hills

5
Med Effort

5
Hills

5
Med Effort

5
Speed

5
Med Effort

16 18 20 5K-10K
Race

4
Speed

5
Med Effort

5
Speed

5
Med Effort

5
Speed

5
Med Effort

5
Speed

5
Med Effort

20 15 7

4
Speed

4
Med Effort

4
Speed

3
Med Effort

Novice Marathon Training Program

DAY/WEEK WEEK 1 Monday, Feb. 14 TODAYS WORKOUT 2 miles easy try to run the entire distance DESCRIPTION Welcome to day one of the Grandmas Marathon Novice Training Program. This program is tailored to get you to the finish of Grandmas Marathon. We are assuming that you have some running background - maybe you jog a few miles a day or a few times a week. Were also assuming that you may have even run some races. (That is not a requirement for this program.) The first five weeks of your training will be building weeks. Youre building a base. Think of your training program as a pyramid. The building phase is the bottom, or the base of your training. The bigger the base, the more you can pile on top of it (strength, speed work, etc.). The peak of the pyramid will be your race. Well work on building your base and adding new elements to your training gradually over the 18 weeks until your big day. Remember that youre training for a race that is 26.2 miles. You need to prepare your mind and body to handle that distance. I know you can do it! Tuesday, Feb. 15 2 miles easy This is the time to start doing sit-ups or crunches. A strong core will help you hold your form when you get tired during a run or race. It will also help your breathing and help prevent side stitches. Listen to your body to decide what pace is best for todays 3 mile run. Try to do some crunches, sit ups, and core body exercises a few times per week. REMEMBER Always try to run the entire distance if you can. Feel free to tailor your training though. Just because the schedule says that you need to run xx miles on one day does not mean that you cant make some adjustments to suit your lifestyle. You must be the one to decide if the workout or run is too much or not enough. We dont want you to follow a program and get injured. We want you to get to the start healthy and ready to run. Use this program as a template you can follow it to the letter, or simply use it as a guide. You be the judge! WEEKLY MILES

Wednesday, Feb. 16

3 miles easy

Speed isnt important in this building phase. Your main objective now is to simply go the distance and build your endurance.

Thursday, Feb. 17

3 miles easy

Be patient in building up your miles. All of these short running days will add up, so stick with the plan and run

Novice Marathon Training Program

just 3 miles today. Enjoy your 3 mile run today. Feel free to juggle days in your training. If, for instance, it works better for you to do a long run during the week and have a shorter day on the weekend, do that! Just try to remember to take an easy day before and after any longer or harder workout.

Friday, Feb. 18

3 miles easy

You can customize this program to fit into your schedule. The main thing is to try to get in the prescribed weekly mileage the best you can and dont skip weeks. If you havent run for a while and are starting your training from scratch, an 18 week program will get you to the finish line with a minimum of stress and with little risk of injury. A marathon crash course could be risky!

Saturday, Feb. 19 Sunday, Feb. 20

2 miles easy

Only 2 miles today but youll have your first long run tomorrow so take it easy on yourself today! This is your first long run of the program, so find a comfortable and even pace. Pushing hard doesnt equate to a better workout. In fact, pushing too hard too soon can increase your chance of injury. Mondays will be your day off in this training program. This gives your body a chance to rest and recover after a weeks worth of hard work! If you are new to running, 4 miles may seem like a long way in your first week. Well be working our way up to 20+ miles though and your race is 26.2 miles! Today is a good day to go to your local running store and get fitted for the right running shoes. Ask your friendly running expert at the store to help you out. On your run today, take some time to think about your goals for completing your first marathon. When you get home, jot these down and put them in a safe place - youll want to take them out and review them frequently. 19 miles

4 miles easy long run

WEEK 2 Monday, Feb. 21

OFF

Tuesday, Feb. 22

2 miles easy

You should be feeling pretty spunky today after your rest day! Stick to 2 miles today though. We want to build up gradually.

Wednesday, Feb. 23

3 miles easy

Thursday, Feb. 24

3 miles easy

Friday, Feb. 25

3 miles easy

Running on softer surfaces can help prevent injuries. For todays 3 mile run try a course in a nearby park or on a dirt trail. Running in all weather conditions helps to prepare you for race day. So dont use weather as your excuse to skip a workout. The workout today is 3 miles, and even if it is raining or snowing, go for it! Take some time to find a few local races where you can gain some

Novice Marathon Training Program

experience. Later in this training program youll be asked to run in some 5K to 10K races to familiarize yourself with running in a large group. Check your schedule on your personal training page for the dates of your practice events. Establishing routes will help you relax when you run. Try the same 2mile route that you ran last week. Todays long run is 5 miles. Remember to start off slow and find a comfortable pace. During your long runs dont be afraid to stop and walk a little if you need to. Just keep moving. Today is a rest day. These days are important for your body to give it a chance to recover from the increased stress of training. Consistency is the key on short days. Try to keep it to the same route and pace as youve done on these days before. This week well start what will be a regular staple in our weekly program the medium distance run. These runs are critical for building your base. Establishing a routine will help you stay with the program. It will make the workout go by faster. For todays 3 mile run stick to one of your favorite paths, and think positive thoughts. Dont forget those crunches. Doing a little upper body work is beneficial too. Try doing some push ups or lifting light weights. Easier days and weeks are also a good mental break. Taking a mental break is very important in long training programs like this one. You want to be fresh at the starting line not burned out! For todays 6 mile run start slowly and remind yourself to be patient during the run. Starting off slowly is 18 miles

Saturday, Feb. 26 Sunday, Feb. 27

2 miles easy

5 miles easy long run

WEEK 3 Monday, Feb. 28 Tuesday, March 1

OFF

Drinking lots of water on your days off will help your body clean out any toxins that have accumulated in your system.

2 miles easy

Wednesday, March 2

4 miles easy medium distance

These medium distance runs will usually b scheduled midweek.

Thursday, March 3

3 miles easy

Friday, March 4

4 miles easy

Saturday, March 5

3 miles easy

Sunday, March 6

6 miles easy long run

22 miles

Novice Marathon Training Program

the key to a successful marathon - if you push it too fast to soon youll risk burnout. So it is important to practice this on your long run days! Every 4th week well take it a bit easier. This gives your body a chance to absorb all the training youve been putting in the past 3 weeks. Have you considered running with a buddy or finding a training partner? Running with someone, especially during your long workouts, can help keep you motivated and sometimes will make the miles fly by. Use today to make a few calls to see if you can find a training partner. Well keep this run at 4 miles this week but next week well be picking it up to 5 miles. Just an easy 3 mile run today! Remember that the miles will get easier as your body gets in shape. Take some time during these easy weeks to plan out your goals and strategy for your race. Run under control today! You have a long run tomorrow! Normally we would be running 6 or 7 miles but since this is our down week were just doing 5 today. Youll really come to look forward to these little step-back weeks as we pick up your mileage. One more week of your building phase and then well start getting into some hills/resistance work. 21 miles Planning ahead will help keep you focused on your main goal the finish line at Grandmas Marathon!

WEEK 4 Monday, March 7 Tuesday, March 8

OFF

3 miles easy

Wednesday, March 9

4 miles easy medium distance 3 miles easy

Thursday, March 10 Friday, March 11

3 miles easy

Saturday, March 12 Sunday, March 13

3 miles easy

5 miles easy long run

WEEK 5 Monday, March 14 Tuesday, March 15

OFF

Remember to stay hydrated every day. Its important to drink fluids throughout the day not just before and after runs. Mentally preparing for a run, workout, or race is very important. I mentioned finding a hill today even though you wont be doing the workout. Taking out the

4 miles easy

Next week well start our hill/resistance workouts. Today, to prepare for that, Id like you to find a hill about 200 meters or so (imagine the distance of half way around a high school track). The hill can be in

Novice Marathon Training Program

your neighborhood or on part of one of your running routes. Youll use this hill for hill repeats. What that means is, after your warm up, youll charge up the hill really pushing the pace. Then, youll jog back down and do it all over again! Well talk more specifics next week when we get to the actual workout. If you find your hill today though, youll know just what to do next week. The mental preparation is half the battle! Today, just run your normal pace. When you find the hill youre going to use, jog up it once to see how it feels. Now youre all set! You know you can do this - just an easy 5 mile run today. So just walk out the door, put one foot in front of the other, and the next thing you know youll be done. For todays 4 mile run remember to start at a slow pace and finish at a comfortable speed. You get a break today only 3 easy miles! Try to start doing some of your runs at the time youll be racing 7:30 am. This gets your body used to running at that time of day. You dont want to do all of your runs in the afternoon or evening if your race is in the morning. Start practicing what youre going to eat before the race. You need to know what will keep you fueled and feel good in your stomach. One of the worst mistakes a marathoner can make is trying to eat or drink something new the morning of the race! You want to know exactly how your body will respond. So now is the time to practice. 28 miles unknown factor prior to a run, workout, or race will reduce your anxiety and help you prepare. Thats why so many people take course tours of their marathon races.

Wednesday, March 16

5 miles easy medium distance

If you had too much green beer last night for St. Patricks Day, this should be a nice easy run for you!

Thursday, March 17 Friday, March 18 Saturday, March 19

4 miles easy

3 miles easy

5 miles easy

Sunday, March 20

7 miles easy long run

WEEK 6 Monday, March 21

OFF

Notice that were slowly increasing the miles of your long run. Next week well jump up a few more miles. We want you to be able to cover 20 miles in training in this program! This week were going to add two new elements to your training. One is for strength building the hill repetitions I mentioned last week. Hill repetitions build strength and

This marathon training program involves more than just easy running. Its your program though so if you choose to skip the workout

Novice Marathon Training Program

stamina. Even if the course you plan to run is flat you need to have strong legs to carry you the distance. Most people dont have trouble finishing a marathon because they get out of breath. They have trouble finishing because their legs get weak and just cant carry them further. Hill repetitions will give you strong legs. The other element well add this week is a medium effort run. Medium effort and tempo runs are the cornerstone of any marathon training program. Technically, a tempo run is a run at 20-30 seconds slower than your 10K race pace. However, many of you may not have run a 10K so well focus on the medium effort run in this program. These runs are all about the effort you put into them and not about the overall time. Your medium effort runs will start out slow and then youll have a few of the middle miles where youll run at a faster pace not so fast that you cant complete it! Then, youll finish the run with an easy jog. You can do it! If you do these workouts I guarantee youll have the strength and endurance to go 26.2 miles! This is your first hill workout. Hill repeats allow you to use your own body weight and gravity to get in an excellent strength workout. You found your hill last week so youre ready to go. Jog easy for 15 minutes first. This is your warm up. Finish your warm up at the bottom of your hill. Now, start charging up the hill. Get up on your toes and lean slightly forward. Use your arms. Dont stop when you reach the top! Run hard just a little over the top. Then jog back down and do it again. Your workout today is to do 4 hill part, thats just fine. Just run the miles listed at your normal pace. Also, if at any time during this program you feel that you might have an injury or if something is more than just ordinary sore, take the day off! Use the overnight rule if you have soreness or pain that isnt significantly better the next day, take time off. This could be an injury or the beginning of something serious. Its always best to nip these things in the bud.

Tuesday, March 22

4 miles total (this distance includes your warm up and cool down) hill repeats

Your hill workouts will not only give you leg strength but they will improve your aerobic threshold. The higher your aerobic threshold, the faster youll be able to race. Dont forget your warm up and cool down! The warm up loosens and warms up your muscles and the cool down helps your muscles relax and brings your heart rate down gradually.

Novice Marathon Training Program

repeats. Jog for an easy 15 minutes afterward. Well be keeping up these medium distance runs even though were working a little harder. Just keep it very easy. 5 miles should be a piece of cake for you now! You can do this run on another day of the week if its more convenient for you.

Wednesday, March 23

5 miles very easy medium distance

Thursday, March 24

3 miles very easy

Feel free to flip flop your Wednesday and Thursday runs if you feel you need an easier day after your first hill workout. You may notice that your calves are sore. Thats because you were up on your toes and really using those muscles!

Friday, March 25

4 miles total (this includes your warm up and cool down) medium effort

This is your first medium effort run. Id like you to warm up your muscles by jogging very easy for 5 - 10 minutes. Slowly ease into a faster pace. You should feel like youre running faster than your normal training pace but not so fast that you cant keep it up for a little while. You may not be able to talk very easily and your breathing will be more labored. Try to keep up this pace for 1 or more miles. Then gradually ease back into an easy jog and jog for 5 -10 minutes. Thats it! Pretty simple!

Sometimes the most difficult part of doing the mid-week medium distance run is finding the time to do it! If youre working full-time or have kids in school activities, your evenings might be booked solid. Try to get up earlier and get the run in before work. That way theres no chance that youll miss a workout. If you have an opportunity to run during lunch, all the better. Your quadriceps might be slightly sore after a hill workout as well. That is because the quads take a pounding when youre going down hill. Down hill running is important in training as well especially if your race has up hills and down hills. These medium effort runs give you practice in actually racing and learning how to stay relaxed as youre running faster. Its natural to tense up as youre getting tired because its uncomfortable but you want to learn to keep relaxed. Dont forget to cool down! The cool down is an important part of the workout - it helps your body return to its resting heart rate. A good cool down can consist of a 1-minute walk followed by a 1-minute slow jog. Try doing this for 4 minutes.

Saturday, March 26

4 miles easy

Sunday, March 27

9 miles easy

Drink plenty of water or electrolyte drinks today to get ready for your long run tomorrow. Its very important to be hydrated before a long run! On long run days it is important to start off slow. Find a comfortable

29 miles

Novice Marathon Training Program

long run pace and stick with it. Remember to keep hydrated on long runs as it will prevent cramping. Youve had a big week. Congratulations. Enjoy your welldeserved day off. You may want to go out for a walk and enjoy the nice spring day!

WEEK 7 Monday, March 28

OFF

During your day off take the time to look at your feet. Make sure all your toenails are short. Maybe even baby your feet with a foot massage. If your shoes arent feeling good, try out another style or brand. You can usually get around 300-500 miles out of a regular pair of running shoes. Its a good idea to have two pairs of shoes and alternate them especially during the wet season when one pair gets wet.

Tuesday, March 29

4.5 5 miles total hill repeats 5 miles easy medium distance

Use the same hill you used last week and do 6 repetitions

Wednesday, March 30

Thursday, March 31

4 miles easy

Friday, April 1

4 miles total medium effort

Keep the pace nice and easy. You may want to do some light stretching before and after your run as you may be feeling some residual soreness from your hill workout yesterday. Just a nice, easy 4-miler. If you do the run in the morning you can come home from work and not have to think about it! You can use the same route you used for last weeks run or find a new path. For these runs its best to keep it flat. Your main objective is moving your legs faster. A treadmill is a great place to do these types of runs if you have access to one. You can set it to a pace and just go. For this weeks medium effort run, try to go further in the tempo portion than you did last week. Dont forget your warm up and cool down! Youre getting a bit of a break today. Just an easy 3 miler! Youve been putting in some hard work and tomorrow you have your first double digit long run. Enjoy your 3

Have you booked a room for Grandmas Marathon weekend yet? If not, take the time today to look into lodging. You can download a complete lodging list from the Grandmas Marathon web site at www.grandmasmarathon.com .

Saturday, April 2

3 miles easy

Novice Marathon Training Program

miles today. Today is a long run of 12 miles. Begin slowly with the first mile and work up to a comfortable pace that you can maintain for the workout. Endurance and strength are built on consistent mileage and long runs. Do this run without worrying about how fast you are going. This is another week where we will scale back the mileage a bit. Well keep the core workouts in the program this week but lessen the volume. Remember these rest days are important for your body to give it a chance to recover from the increased stress of training. Think about how your training has been going. If it was always easy everyone would do it. Use the same hill youve been using but just do 3-4 repeats.

Sunday, April 3

12 miles easy long run

32.5 33 miles

WEEK 8 Monday, April 4

OFF

Tuesday, April 5

4 miles total hill repeats

Try something fun and relaxing after your run today like a massage! Take some extra time today to make yourself a healthy dinner. Eating right will make your body feel great and will certainly help you with your training.

Wednesday, April 6

5 miles easy medium distance

Well keep this at 5 miles this week. Piece of cake!

Thursday, April 7

4 miles easy

Friday, April 8

4 miles medium effort

Saturday, April 09

5 miles easy

Sunday, April 10

8 miles easy long run

WEEK 9

OFF

Youve come a long way since that first day - great job! Find a comfortable pace and try to maintain it for 4 miles. Follow the same format for your other medium effort runs but keep the harder effort portion to a mile or so. The rest of the run should be easy jogging. Dont overwork or max out your legs because you are in the middle of training and your long run is scheduled for tomorrow. Well keep our long run today at 8 miles. I hope you enjoyed your down week and youre fired up for next weeks workouts! If you ran an even pace yesterday you

30 miles

Novice Marathon Training Program

shouldnt be too sore today. Take some time to think about this: Many runners do not prepare specifically for their goal race. By that I mean they run on flat surfaces when they are training for a hilly race or vice versa. Its important to try to simulate your race course. You dont have to be exact. Grandmas has slightly rolling hills so some of your runs should be on hillier terrain. Your legs will thank you on race day if you train this way!

Monday, April 11

Tuesday, April 12

5 miles total hill repeats

Wednesday, April 13

6 miles easy medium distance

Were going to lengthen your hill workout. You can use the same hill and add 1 to 2 more reps or you can find a hill that is a bit longer and try 4-6 reps on the longer hill. If you use a longer hill, scale back on your pace just a notch so that you can get to the top and over and still continue with more repeats. Just an easy 6-miler today. Just take it easy today and shake out any kind of soreness or fatigue you might feel.

Its important to do some of your training on the surface that youll be racing. What I mean is that if your race is on blacktop, you should do a good portion of your training on blacktop and not all on trails. For Grandmas Marathon you could do your medium distance runs and your long runs on slightly rolling road surfaces. Your body will then be very prepared for what youll face on marathon day.

Thursday, April 14

4 miles easy

Friday, April 15

5 miles medium effort 4 miles easy

Keep it easy today. Since you did a longer hill workout this week dont be alarmed if you feel more sore today. Its common to be more sore the 2nd day after your workout. Jog for 15 minutes and then put in a harder effort for 2 miles. Keep the rest of the run at a very easy pace. Enjoy your run today!

Saturday, April 16

Novice Marathon Training Program

Sunday, April 17

14 miles easy long run

Congratulations! You are halfway through this training program! Todays long run is 14 miles. Practice drinking or using an energy gel during your run.

WEEK 10 Monday, April 18

OFF

Were starting our 10th week now and this week we should try to fit in a practice race. Try to find a local 5K10K race that you can run this weekend. If you know of a race, take some time today to make sure you know where to register and pick up your number and where the race starts.

Remember how the last 12 miler went and see if you can remain consistent or improve on todays 14 mile run. Dont be afraid to take walking breaks if you need to during your long run Now that youre halfway through the Grandmas Marathon training program, its a good time to take a look at the goals you wrote down a few weeks ago, and revise them if needed.

38 miles

Tuesday, April 19

5 miles total hill repeats

Use one of the hills youve used in previous weeks. If its your shorter hill, try to do 7-8 reps. If you choose another longer hill do 5-6. This is our last regular hill repeat session! Well move into more speed work next week.

Remember to concentrate on form when youre running hills. How fast you get up the hill is not as important as holding your form and not getting sloppy when you start to get tired.

Wednesday, April 20

7 miles easy medium distance 4 miles easy

Be sure on todays 7 mile run that you are running at a steady and even pace. Just run nice and easy today. Think about your plan for the race. What will your strategy be? Well modify our medium paced run slightly this week since well be racing. Instead of running a steady mile or 2 miles at a harder pace, go into your normal training pace and do 5-6, 1 minute pick ups. An example of this workout would be: Jog easy for 15 minutes, start picking up the pace and run at a harder effort for 1 minute, then ease back into your jog for 2 minutes. Repeat this 5 to 6 times. Your last 15 minutes of your Youll notice at races that a lot of runners do strides before their races. These strides are like pick ups. After a warm up and before a race a runner may do 4-5 strides or pick up immediately before the start of a race. These strides get the heart rate up and also snap the legs to attention so the body is ready to race.

Thursday, April 21 Friday, April 22

5 miles medium effort

Novice Marathon Training Program

run should be at a very easy jog. Remember to hydrate yourself with water and electrolyte drinks today! This is your first practice race. Be sure to get to the race early enough to do a good warm up of 15 minutes or so. You might decide to time yourself during this race and take mile split times. This will give you a good benchmark or gauge of where you are at with your fitness. You can look back at this race and see how youve improved by the end of the program! Dont go out too fast! Just ease into your medium effort pace first until you feel that youve got things under control and then pick up the pace! You can do it! Its fun, isnt it? Dont forget a 15 to 20 minute cool down jog after the race. Good job on your race yesterday! Today would be a good day to do some stretching and some light cross training. Your muscles will need to move a little after your hard effort. This week were adding another element to our training pyramid. You have built a base and youve improved your strength. Now we get to add some speed! Today I want you to start out at your normal easy training pace. Jog like this for 15 minutes. Then ease into your workout. An example would be: As youre running find marks or landmarks along your course (telephone poles, for example). Run hard between each landmark. Then jog easy for a few minutes in between each hard effort. Your landmarks should be approximately mile long or 2 minutes or so. If there are no races in your area this weekend measure a 5 mile route in your cars odometer and run it harder than your normal training pace. Do a warm up and cool down as well. 33-38 miles

Saturday, April 23 Sunday, April 24

5 miles easy

5K-10K race

WEEK 11 Monday, April 25

OFF

Tuesday, April 26

5 miles total with pick ups. speed work

Many runners like to ice their legs or soak them in cold water after a race (for instance, after Grandmas Marathon you can wade in Lake Superior.) Stay with the program. All the miles are important. Even if youre sore from your race the other day, walk out the door, start a slow jog and try your hardest to complete the workout today.

Novice Marathon Training Program

Do 6-8 of these pick ups and remember to jog for at least 15 minutes or so to cool down after your last pick up. Your total run should be 5 miles so your actual workout time is not a big part of your run. This will be your longest mid-week run. Well start scaling them back after this week. You actually gain speed by putting in distance work. Think about that on todays 7 mile run. A bonus day only 4 miles today!

Wednesday, April 27

7 miles very easy medium distance

Speed work is harder on your legs so its important to take it easy for a day or two after your workout.

Thursday, April 28 Friday, April 29

4 miles easy

5 miles medium effort 4 miles easy

Warm up and try to go 2 miles at a harder effort. Then do the rest of the run at your easier pace. Dont overwork or max out your legs by going to fast today because you are in the middle of training and your long run is scheduled for tomorrow. Remember to start off slow and find a comfortable pace.

Saturday, April 30

Sunday, May 1

16 miles long run

Long runs and practice races are the perfect times to experiment with clothing to find out what is most comfortable. These easy days and weeks are a very important part of your training and its also something that many runners ignore and neglect. A body cant keep working hard at a relentless pace without eventually reaching a breaking point. For runners this means injury or burn out. Im sure by now youve come to look forward to your easy days and your down weeks. These keep you from getting injured or stale. Remember to do some light stretching. Stretch your calf muscles. Do this by standing on a step. Put your toes on the step and drop your heel down.

41 miles

WEEK 12 Monday, May 2

OFF

This week is another down week. Well keep the core elements in our training but scale back a bit on the miles except for our long run. Were working our way up to a 20-miler!

Tuesday, May 3

4 miles total with pick ups. speed work

Follow last weeks instructions but do 4 pick ups this time. You should feel in control while doing your pick ups. You should not feel like youre sprinting.

Novice Marathon Training Program

This stretches the Achilles tendons and the calf muscles. When you are running on hills or doing hill repeats youll notice that your calf muscles get more sore. This is because you are up on your toes and really using those muscles. Wednesday, May 4 4 miles medium distance 4 miles easy Keep it easy today. Remember, youre resting a bit this week.

Thursday, May 5 Friday, May 6

Todays run is 4 miles - remember to start off slow and find a comfortable pace. Follow last weeks instructions warm up and then do 2 miles at your medium effort pace. Then ease back into a nice, easy jog. Run easy today and remember to hydrate yourself with plenty of water and electrolyte drinks! Before you begin this run, take some time for some positive reflection. Remember that there might be a point in this run that doesnt feel good, but your body WILL overcome it. Just take it easy for the 18 miles and stick with it. Enjoy the day today. Youve earned a rest day. Take some time to think about your specific goals for the marathon. Its not that far away! This is your longest run so far. Just think, if you were running the marathon youd only have 8 miles to go! 39 miles

5 miles medium effort 4 miles easy

Saturday, May 7 Sunday, May 8

18 miles easy long run

WEEK 13 Monday, May 9

OFF

Tuesday, May 10

5 miles total with pick ups speed work 6 miles medium distance 4 miles easy

Try to do 1 or 2 additional pick ups in this workout or lengthen the time of your 4-6 pick ups.

Run tall and stay relaxed!

Wednesday, May 11

If you dont already have a running buddy see if you can find someone to join you today. Stay with the program. All the miles are important, and todays 4 mile run is no exception.

Thursday, May 12

Novice Marathon Training Program

Friday, May 13 5 miles medium effort You know what to do! Remember to keep your shoulders and even your face relaxed as you pick up the pace. If you have been lifting weights, now is the time when you want to stop any extra strength training. You dont want to overly fatigue your muscles before the marathon.

Saturday, May 14

4 miles easy

Sunday, May 15

20 miles easy long run

WEEK 14 Monday, May 16

OFF

Today is an easy day. Enjoy! Eat a good dinner tonight because tomorrow is a big day your 20 miler! This is the training run weve been building up to. You can do it. Its okay to carry a water bottle and/or a gu or gel. In fact, its a good idea to practice using whatever you plan to eat or drink during the marathon on this run. Phew! A rest day. Sit back and put your feet up. Drink a nice tall glass of water to help your system clean out any left over toxins that built up in your system after your long run. This week well try to get in one more race as a tune up. Look at your local race calendar and see whats on the schedule. Lengthen the time of your 4-6 pick ups. See if you can manage 3 minutes per pick up.

Keeping your pace very easy and running with friends will help you complete this run. Depending on your pace youll probably be out running upwards of 3 hours so plan accordingly. Its important to eat and drink well the day after a long run or race. Dont overeat but also dont worry excessively about a little indulging. People generally burn 100 calories per mile and you ran 20 miles yesterday! You can do the math. Your body needs to be replenished.

44 miles

Tuesday, May 17

5 miles total with pick ups speed work 6 miles easy medium distance 5 miles easy

Wednesday, May 18

Run your 6 miles at a comfortable pace on softer surface

Thursday, May 19

Keep this run nice and easy.

Friday, May 20

5 miles medium effort

On these runs you should feel like youre in a steady rhythm. If at any time you feel like you cant keep up the pace or you notice your form changing pumping your arms or shuffling your feet more slow down! These runs are to train your body to run a quicker pace. You should be comfortably uncomfortable.

Novice Marathon Training Program

Saturday, May 21 Sunday, May 22 5 miles easy Remember to hydrate yourself with water and electrolyte drinks to get ready for your race run tomorrow! Have fun and visualize yourself running Grandmas Marathon. Its good to have some experience with race logistics before you get to your main event. By that, I mean you now know what you need to do before the race (eating, sleeping, etc.). You know what to expect when you get to the race (pick up your race number, etc.). If you know how to take care of the details before a race, you eliminate a lot of anxiety that has nothing to do with your running! You dont have to worry about all the little details. 33-36 miles

5K-10K race

WEEK 15 Monday, May 23 Day 99 Tuesday, May 24

OFF

After this week well start our taper for the marathon! With tapering we keep up the intense portions of the workouts but scale back on the volume. Go back to keeping your pickups at 2 minutes or so. Remember to warm up and cool down! If you plan to wear light weight training shoes or racing flats for your marathon (or a shoe other than the one you normally train in) make sure that you wear these shoes on some of your harder workouts or long runs. You need to know how your legs will hold up. Since this may be your first marathon, I would recommend wearing your training shoes for the race.

5 miles total with pick ups speed work

Wednesday, May 25

6 miles easy medium distance 4 miles easy

Keep it nice and relaxed today. You have another 20 miler this weekend!

Thursday, May 26

Today is an easy recovery day. Treat yourself to some frozen yogurt - you deserve it!

Running by yourself gives you an opportunity to work out your daily problems. If there is something bugging you try reach a solution to your problem during todays run.

Friday, May 27

5 miles

Remember to keep your first mile and

Novice Marathon Training Program

medium effort 4 miles easy a half or so easy. Same goes for your last mile. Today is an easy 4 mile jog. Conserve your energy. And yes, you can do that 20 miler tomorrow! Remember to hydrate yourself!!! Dont be intimidated by the marathon. Your training will get you there. Begin todays 20-mile workout at a slow comfortable pace and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you need to walk a little, thats okay. Just stay positive! This is the taper/fine-tuning portion of our training. Give your body a rest today after your 20-mile run! Sit back and relax while you review your marathon goals and visualize yourself running Grandma's Marathon.

Saturday, May 28

Sunday, May 29

20 miles long run

Every mile counts. Try not to skip workouts unless you really need to. Todays 20 mile run may seem daunting, but these workouts help build endurance for the marathon.

44 miles

WEEK 16 Monday, May 30

OFF

Tuesday, May 31

4 miles total with pick ups speed work 5 miles easy medium distance 5 miles easy

Follow the same format as before. You might want to do several 1 minute pick ups now instead of the longer pick ups. Either is fine. Just enjoy your 5 miler today on this nice spring day!

The point of these runs is to get your legs and lungs used to moving into another gear. It also teaches you how to run at a little quicker pace.

Wednesday, June 1

Thursday, June 2

Friday, June 3

4 miles medium effort 4 miles easy

Saturday, June 4 Sunday, June 5

These easy runs keep your legs from getting sluggish and keep your mind focused on the task at hand. Youre almost there! Jog easy for 10 minutes, ease into your medium effort pace, and keep that up until you have 10 minutes left to complete the 4 miles. Today is an easy day. Have some lunch with friends after your run. This is the last long run of the program. Youll be tapering down from here until race day. This will be a dress rehearsal. On this run you want to make sure that everything youre going to wear 37 miles

15 miles easy

Novice Marathon Training Program

during the marathon feels good. Wear the shorts, shirt, and shoes you plan to wear for the marathon. Bring the gu or gel and the drink you plan to use. Practice makes perfect! Today is a rest day. Take a nice, relaxing walk today. Rest days are important during your taper. Youre trying to conserve energy so even if you feel like you need to go for a run - dont. Just stay home and relax! Stretch and just have an enjoyable day off. Were very close to the big day now! Do several 1 minute pick ups on this run.

WEEK 17 Monday, June 6

OFF

Tuesday, June 7

4 miles total with pick ups speed work 5 miles easy medium distance 3 miles easy

Wednesday, June 8

Run your 5 miles on a soft, comfortable surface.

Thursday, June 9 Friday, June 10 Saturday, June 11

A 3 mile run is just what the doctor ordered for your tired legs. Take it nice and easy today. Warm up for 10 minutes, run your medium effort pace for 10-15 minutes, then cool down for 10 minutes. Today is an easy day. Rent an inspiring movie such as Remember the Titans or Rudy, or perhaps even read an inspirational book like Staying the Course . . . A Runners Toughest Race. Youve put in the work and done all the long runs. Todays long run is just an easy 7 miles. Now its time to let your body rest and prepare itself for next weeks race! Race Week! Youve made it. This week well just have some short runs with a few pick ups.

3 miles medium effort 4 miles very easy

Sunday, June 12

7 miles easy long run

26 miles

WEEK 18 Monday, June 13 Tuesday, June 14

OFF

3 miles easy with some

Today is just an easy 3 miles. The race is only 5 days away. Take time to

Novice Marathon Training Program

pick ups. review your goals and really think about your race. If you want to view a schedule of events for Grandmas Marathon weekend visit www.grandmasmarathon.com. Begin your hydration routine to get you ready for race day! Warm up and run 2-3 miles at a comfortable pace on a softer surface. Go out for a walk. Pack and get ready for your trip up to Duluth! Dont forget to pack your Grandma's Marathon confirmation card - youll need it to pick up your race packet. Stretch lightly today. Enjoy the day but try not to be on your feet all day. Respect the fact that youve trained hard for 18 weeks and 26.2 miles is a long way to run. Youre ready though! Enjoy the race expo today and take in the sights and sounds. Its an exciting time. Read the race material in your packet so you know where to pick up the bus to the start, where to drop your sweat bag before the start of the race. Have a nice dinner at the Michelinas All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti dinner at the DECC. That evening, you might want to lay out what you are going to wear before, during, and after the race, and attach your timing chip to your shoe. Keep your legs up and relax. Last but not least, set your alarm or get a wake up call early enough so that you have time to have a light breakfast at least 2 hours or so before the start of the race. Remember to drink! Saturday, June 18 RACE DAY You made it! Enjoy the bus ride to the start with all your fellow racers. Its an atmosphere charged with energy. Once the gun goes off you know what you need to do. Youve spent 18 weeks preparing for this day. Enjoy it. If this is your first marathon, its nice to record a few thoughts about your experience in your running log. Years later, when youre a seasoned veteran, you can look back and fondly remember your first big race.

Wednesday, June 15 Thursday, June 16

2-3 miles easy OFF

Friday, June 17

1-2 miles easy

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Youll smile as all the sights, sounds, and smells come back to you.