Remember, if it’s easier for your own situation you can change the days of the schedule around to best fit with your specific needs. So, instead of running Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, you might run Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The type of running should stay the same, just on different days of the week.
Rest
Fartlek Session—2x5min 2x4min, 2x3min, 2x2min with 90 sec recoveries
Cross train or 30-40min easy run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 10min long run
Rest
Hills — min of 6 to max of 10x 150 – 200m – very slow jog down recovery
Cross train or 30-40min easy
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 10min long run
Rest
Fartlek — 3(6x30sec), recovery 2min, p.rep reduce 15sec, 5min rest.
Cross train or 30-40min easy run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 15min long run
Rest
Intervals — 3x 750m, 2x500m, 2x250m with 90 sec recoveries
Cross train or 40-50min easy run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 20min long run
Run 35min easy
Run 10mins easy, (4x 5mins tempo pace with 90sec jog recovery),
10 mins easy running
Rest
15mins easy, (5x 1min easy jog recovery), 15mins easy
Rest
Run 70min easy
Rest
Rest
Hills — min of 8 to max 12x 150 – 200m – very slow jog down recovery
Cross train or 40-50min easy run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 30min long run
Rest
Fartlek — 2x6min, 2x5min, 2x4min, 2x3min with 90 sec recoveries.
Cross train or 40-50min easy run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 35min long run
Rest
Intervals — 1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m with 90sec recoveries
Cross train or 50-60min medium/long run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 40min long run
Rest
Interval Training Session — 6x 400m with 90sec recoveries
Cross train or 50-60min medium/long run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
1hr 50min long run
Rest
Fartlek Session—1min, 2min, 3min, 4min, 3min, 2min, 1min – half rep recovery
Cross train or 50-60min medium/long run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
2hr long run
Rest
Intervals — 4x (800m 200m with 1min recovery) rest 3min between sets.
Cross train or 50-60min medium/long run
30-40min relaxed or steady run
Rest
Cross Train or 30-40min relaxed
60min medium/long run
Run 20min easy
Rest
10 mins easy, (3x 1min tempos, 2mins jog recvoery), 10mins easy running
Rest
Rest or 10min light run
Rest
Scottish Half Marathon!
During an easy run you should feel relaxed. You should be breathing comfortably and be capable of holding a conversation throughout the run. If you’re a new/novice runner then you’ll probably be questioning whether any runs feel easy and holding a conversation may feel impossible. Slow down, walk if necessary and control your effort.
These are the bread and butter of your training, the ‘miles in the bank’. Steady runs build the aerobic base that acts as the foundation for the rest of your training. Conversations are still possible at this pace but in sentences rather than long gossip.
Tempo runs (sometimes called threshold runs) are runs where after a 10-15 minute warm up you run at a sustained pace for anything from 20 min up to an hour with a 10-15 min slower jog at the end. You are running hard, possibly just below your normal 10k pace, but not flat out. And the distance and effort should be such that you do not finish feeling exhausted. As with interval runs, it is such an individual area, to recommend individually.
Pace runs are training runs, run at approximately your estimated race pace. That is if you are aiming for a 3 hour 30 marathon averaging approx 8 min miles.(5 min km) then your pace runs are run at 8 min miles. They help build pace judgement and even paced running. The long training run is there to build endurance, not speed, and running your long run at a faster pace than you are ready for could lead to you taking longer to recover each week and upset the steady gradual improvement all schedules are designed to bring.
Repetition or interval training are a feature of schedules where you are really committed to improving and bringing the best out of yourself whatever your standard. You do not have to be an elite or even good club standard runner to run the advanced schedules. Rather you have probably a background of a few years of training fairly hard at any distance from 10k up to marathon and understand how faster paced running or running “out of your comfort zone” once a week has helped you improve.
Interval or repetition running, are efforts run at faster than your planned marathon race pace. Impossible to give more than general guidance as it is such an individual area and depends a lot on where you are starting from and what your goal is and is usually best done under guidance from a group environment or a coach or experienced personal trainer. 4x 800 is one example which can build to 8x 800 as the schedule progresses. You run the 800 metres or whatever the chosen distance is at the faster pace. Then walk or jog 400metres very easily before repeating the faster distance again etc. For marathon training long intervals of at least 800m or longer (1000m or even a mile) are acknowledged to be most beneficial.
These are a variation on repetitions on the flat. They are a great variation with a similar benefit of building leg strength. Find an incline of approx 4-600 metres or one that will take about 2 minutes. Run hard up the hill and slightly over the crest, turn around and jog slowly down the hill before repeating the run up again etc