Speeedwork and Racing:No Need for Speed

For those of you following the basic schedule, forget speed work. The schedule calls for increased mileage each week. A good rule of thumb is that you can increase your mileage or the quality of your runs but not both.

You may actually have to run slower than you have been to get in the miles injury free. Something has to give.Running the marathon and s peed have little to do with each other. Running more miles will help your marathon performance more then adding speed to your workouts and it's safer. Who should do speed work? If you run for at least three weeks at the same mileage, add speed work to the third week and to the following weeks at that same level of mileage.

If you are ahead of the marathon schedule in weekly mileage then you can plateau at, let's say, 40 miles per week. At the third week of this new level you can add speed.

How much Speed?

About 10% of your weekly mileage. I suggest Half mile and Mile repeats. Remember, this is a 26 mile race! If you plan on doing speedwork, call me for an explanation.

Add Races to Your Schedule

I suggest that you do race occasionally. Racing, like the long run, will help simulate what you will encounter in the marathon. The pre-race jitters start as you pick out the clothes and shoes to wear, pinning on a number, waiting in a porta-john line, the nervous tension of the start, and the all too often too fast of pace in the first mile. These are experiences that can't be learned from a book. Applications to races are available at any Running Fit and on some of the races we host here. If you decide to run races, adjust your schedule so that you have an easy or off day on either side of the race, just like the long run.

Do not race and run long on the same weekend.