Speedwork for Marathons
My previous column covered building a base for running the Marine Corps Marathon. This article will describe what sort of speedwork you need to run a fast marathon. Before sharing this secret with you, I need to add a disclaimer. The marathon is a cruel and often heartless event. All your training and preparation can go up in smoke if the weather is too hot, too wet, or too windy. Even the best training will not lead to a PR when the weather gods are angered.
Marathon speedwork consists of several components. First, train at or slightly above your anaerobic threshold (AT). Your AT pace is 80 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate (MHR) or roughly your 15K or 10-mile race pace. One of my favorite workouts is three times a mile at AT pace with a recovery to 70 percent MHR (1/4 mile should be sufficient) before starting the next interval. A variation of this workout is to run 15 to 20 minutes nonstop at your AT pace. For those who want a rapid improvement, run three times 2400 meters or four times 2000 meters at 10K race pace or 85 to 90 percent MHR, with a 70 percent MHR (600-800 meters) recovery. This is a much tougher workout and requires that your next day be extremely easy (or a day off). Run no more than one AT workout a week.
Your most important marathon speedwork is a planned marathon pace workout (PMP). Your PMP is the pace at which you hope to run the marathon. Our coaches help runners determine a realistic PMP. The general rule of thumb is that your PMP is 30-60 seconds slower than your 10-mile race pace (30 seconds for the sub-60-minute 10-milers and 60 seconds or more slower for the over-80-minute 10-milers). PMP workouts are nonstop and should be run on a track where you can constantly monitor your pace. PMP workouts are based on the principle of specificity in which you work the very muscles that you will be using in the marathon. Since most of us run our long runs slower than marathon pace and do speedwork faster than marathon pace, our bodies do not react well during a marathon because we have not used these muscles. As a result, we tighten up at around 16 to 20 miles and mistakenly call it "hitting the wall."
PMP workouts should begin in early July at 3 to 4 miles and be run every other week ending in a 10- to 13-mile PMP workout two or three weeks before the marathon. Be forewarned, PMP runs are very demanding when run during heavy-mileage weeks, but if you can complete a 10- to 13-mile PMP run on a track by yourself, the marathon will be a breeze.
In coaching, I may also have my runners do 10 to 12 quarter-mile repeats every other week at a pace that is three to four seconds faster than 5K race pace, or do a series of mile intervals at varying efforts. I also encourage my runners to enter an occasional race at distances between 10K and a half marathon to test their fitness and to prepare them mentally for the marathon.
Many readers may be skeptical at the thought of two hard workouts a week during marathon training. You can do it and improve your marathon performance, but only if your other days and your long run are at 60 to 70 percent MHR (1 1/2 to 2 minutes per mile slower than 10K race pace). If you try to do my speedwork without slowing down on your easy days, I can almost guarantee that you will either injure yourself or have a terrible marathon. You must slow down in September, when you begin tapering and peaking for the marathon.
Coach West is a licensed coach, affiliated with MCRRC, and available to coach motivated adult runners. A portion of his coaching fees for MCRRC members is returned to MCRRC. For further information about personal coaching opportunities, contact Coach West at kirtwest@comcast.net.
