Week of 9/20/2010 – Miles with Myles – Few More Weeks Until 26.2
While many Chicago Marathon trainers have hit their peak over the past week, we are g0ing to lag a week behind. This week will be our final “tough” week as we hit the top of our training schedule, and then begin our taper next week. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term taper, it simply refers to the point in your training where you begin reducing your mileage, typically done 2-3 prior to the marathon date. I would say that the standard taper begins about 3 weeks out, but I don’t follow this standard approach. The reason is that I simply think it’s too far away from the race. The logic behind tapering is that you need to let your body rebuild from what is usually a tough training schedule. I personally think that two weeks is plenty of time, but again this all depends on you and how quickly your body recovers. If you go with my schedule and peak two weeks before, make sure you’re getting plenty of rest and eating smart. You need every bit of quality sleep and food in order to perform at your maximum potential. Whether you’ve already hit the peak of your training or you’re staring it in the eye, one thing is for sure….a few more weeks until 26.2.
Monday:
7 miles easy.
Tuesday:
55 minute tempo. Start with a 3 minute warm up and follow up with a 3 minute cool down. If you’re going at an appropriate tempo pace, you’re going to be sore and exhausted afterward. Be sure to get a good stretch in.
Fully body workout focusing on core, biceps, triceps and chest.
Wednesday:
30 minutes of cardio optional.
Thursday:
8 miles at a moderate pace. Follow this up with a solid core workout.
Friday:
5-6 miles easy.
Saturday:
The monster…21 miles. Some people might wonder why we aren’t going the full 26.2 miles during training. The answer is that you’ll be spinning your wheels. When it comes down to it, the human body is not prepared for anything over 20 miles. Once you hit 21 (especially if it is your first time hitting this distance), you will come to this realization. If this is your first marathon and this is the longest you’ve run in your life, just be sure to go the full distance. If you need to walk, by all means do, but finish all 21! This is the most important run of your training, so make it a quality one.
Sunday:
Rest!
Total Mileage:
Advanced: 50-52 miles
Intermediate: 46-48 miles
Beginner: 42-44 miles
