Just over a week to go and it’s hard to believe that the 20 week build up is almost over and the big day is just around the corner. As a reminder of how far we have come, here’s the opening paragraph from the first of these marathon guides:
Is running the 100th year Ascot Park Hotel Southland Marathon in November too big an ask for a non-runner? Probably yes, if you stay a non runner. But by marathon day you could go from non runner to marathon runner with the opportunity to be part of a historic event. Sure, it will be tough at times but when you reach the finish line you won’t feel pain, just pride. For the non runner the first step is always the hardest, and the first step is making the decision that you are going to do the marathon.
You have taken the first step and many more as well. You can now consider yourself a runner. Hopefully in nine days time you can consider yourself a marathoner. While the marathon or half marathon has been the purpose of the last 19 week’s effort I trust you have enjoyed the journey of getting to where you are now.
Likewise, getting to the finish line Sunday week will be the goal, but enjoy the journey. The following quote was in a previous training guide column but is worth repeating:
You do not listen to a piece of music for the express purpose of getting to the end; you enjoy and appreciate it as you go. So look on the race as a favourite song and enjoy it as you go.
Marathon, half marathon and 10k
Friday – race 3000m at Surrey Park (6pm start) or 10 – 12 minutes steady to hard.
Saturday – 30 mins easy.
Sunday – 45 mins easy.
Monday – rest.
Tuesday – 10 mins very easy jog, 20 mins at goal race, 10 mins easy.
Wednesday – rest.
Thursday – easy 30 min.
Friday – rest.
Saturday – rest.
The marathon (or half marathon) is going to be physically draining, but of course you know this and your training has been geared to help overcome or at best, tolerate it. But have you thought about how mentally draining it might be?
A strategy to help maintain focus and motivation is to mentally break the event up into sections. Don’t think about running a marathon (or half) in one big bite – take a number of smaller nibbles. Instead of running 42 kilometres, run 5 kilometres ... then another, and another. Concentrate on completing this 5km before thinking of further ahead. Or, instead thinking about running for 4 hours, focus on running 20 minutes, and then another. As well as being easier to focus and maintain concentration for the time or distance, it gives you a series of achievements that you can tick off: “I have been successful in this 5 km, now let’s get on with the next”.
Note, this weekend and next it is suggested you run a track race at Surrey Park. Don’t worry if you have never run on the track before or think track is only for experts. The Surrey Park athletic meetings are for all ages and all abilities but more to the point, a 3000m fast run at this stage is ideal preparation. The track also teaches concentration – to run a 3000m well you need to keep your mind on the job and not let your thoughts wander. If you cannot get to Surrey Park do a 3 to 4km time trial or run steady to hard for 10 to 12 minutes. (Plus easy warm up and warm down jog of around 10 minutes each before and after).
Marathon, half marathon, 10K:
Saturday – race 3000m at Surrey Park (2.30 start) or 10 – 12 minutes steady to hard.
Sunday – 45 to 60 minutes easy run.
Monday – rest.
Tuesday – 30 mins easy.
Wednesday – Queens Park fun run 2 laps (8km) at marathon or half marathon goal pace or for 10k runners, 1 lap (4km) at goal pace.
Thursday – rest.
Friday – 3000m at Surrey Park twilight meeting (starts 6pm) or 10 minutes steady to hard.
There is not much you can do to dramatically add to your fitness over the final three weeks but there is a lot you can do to reduce it. Training too much is the biggest danger. From now on less is best: less volume, less frequency BUT there should be no reduction in intensity. In other words, you reduce the number and length of runs but do not reduce your running pace. In fact, you’ll notice the number of effort session goes up.
As you are training to run a specific pace it pays to do some of your runs at goal pace. It also pays to do some of your runs at race time. The marathon and half start at 8.15 and 8.30 respectively, so try and do some of your training around that time, particularly race pace runs.
Practise thinking on the run while you train – it is something you will need to do in the race itself so get used to concentrating on the “here and now”. When tired - particularly when tired – the mind starts to wander and the focus is more on the finish than what and how you are doing right now. This is when you need to make an effort to keep your mind on the job – maintaining the right pace, running with good form (go through the “good form” check list every few minutes), staying relaxed and being aware of traffic, instructions from marshals and the possibility of a car backing out of a driveway.
Full and Half Marathon:
Saturday, 45 mins easy.
Sunday, Bluff Hill Grunt – this is 12km up and over Bluff Hill, starting 10,30am from the Bay View Tavern. If unable to get to Bluff do 15km at marathon or half marathon goal pace.
Monday, rest or 30 mins very easy (recovery run).
Tuesday, 40 to 60 mins easy.
Wednesday, Queens Park fun run 2 laps (8km) at goal pace. Run starts 6pm at Feldwick Gates. Or run 40 mins at your goal pace.
Thursday, 45 mins easy.
Friday, rest.
For Saturday next week (Nov 7th) race the 3000m at the Surrey Park athletic meeting. The 3000m starts 2.30pm. This is the ideal boost to your VO2max and as it is on the track you can check your pace every 400 metres. If unable to make it to Surrey Park, run 10 mins very easy, 15 mins steady to hard (a little faster than race day goal pace) then 10 minutes very easy.
10km
Saturday 30 mins;
Sunday Bluff Hill Grunt or up to 60 minutes;
Monday 20 minutes very easy;
Tuesday, rest.
Wednesday, as per marathon.
Thursday 45 minutes.
Friday, rest .
Saturday Nov 7th, as per marathon.
You are now in the tapering stage. A marathon taper (easing up to freshen up) should be 28 days. Long runs destroy muscle fibres and frazzled muscle fibres are not the best for supplying oxygen to create energy that creates movement. It takes around 28 days for muscle fibres to repair themselves, hence the 4 week taper. So volume goes down, but intensity remains (i.e. run less but not slower).
Tapering boosts fuel stores, reduces muscle damage, improves muscle power and strength and improves the neural system which leads to better coordination therefore you run more efficiently, i.e. use less energy.
And don’t worry about losing fitness. It won’t happen. Providing you have a good base built on a number of weeks of long runs, reducing volume and increasing intensity (speed of runs) actually improves performance.
A taper also has psychological benefits: as you freshen up confidence improves and you tend to look forward to your run or race. “I’m ready, let me get into it” is usually the reaction.
Last week was the biggest of the entire programme, so this coming week is a recovery week where you take a step back to let the body refresh itself and consolidate the gains made.
Full marathon
Saturday, 20 – 30 min steady run (breathing hard but not puffing.)
Sunday, 60 mins easy.
Monday rest.
Tuesday, 45 minutes easy.
Wednesday, Queens Park Fun Run 1 lap (4km) starting 6pm from Feldwick Gates. Do this steady to hard but not all out. If you cannot be at Queens Park, run easily for 10 minutes then steady to hard for 20 minutes followed by another 10 minutes or more of easy running.
Thursday 30 minutes easy.
Friday, rest or 30 minutes brisk walk.
The running times given are a guide only, if tired, cut back.
Half Marathon
As marathon.
10km
Saturday 30 mins;
Sunday up to 60 minutes;
Monday 20 minutes;
Tuesday, rest.
Wednesday, as per marathon.
Thursday 45 minutes.
Friday, rest or brisk 30 min walk.
Entries have come in from Iceland, Australia, the U.K., U.S.A and from all over New Zealand, but Southlanders are still out-numbered 10 to 1. This is the Southland Marathon, our marathon, so come on Southlanders, get your entries in.
You can enter on-line by clicking here >>
This year the Southland Marathon has special historical significance. Riverton to Invercargill was the first full length (26 miles 385 yards or 42.195km) marathon in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the world. This was in July 1909.
Why such an odd distance? This came about from the London Olympic marathon in 1908. The normal (until then) distance of 25 miles was extended to 26 miles so that the start was under the window of the royal nursery at Windsor Castle. Rather than have the royal children come to the start line the start line was taken to the royal children. Then a further 385 yards was added to have the finish line in front of the royal box at White City Stadium. Rather than the king going to the finish line, the finish line came to the king. The Marathon has been 26 miles 385 yards or its metric equivalent ever since.
So this year marks the 100th anniversary of the first Southland Marathon and it is 100 years since the first full length marathon outside the Olympics. Enter and you will be running into history.
This is the biggest training week of the entire campaign – then we start winding down (peaking) towards the big day. Meanwhile, there is one more Marathon Seminar, Thursday 22nd at 6pm at Sport Southland. Note early start time, to allow everyone to get home to watch Southland lift the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury. Seminar will focus on peaking, what NOT to do over the final 4 weeks and helpful hints for the day itself. Don’t miss it.
Full marathon
Saturday, 90 mins plus.
Sunday, 2 hrs to 2.20.
Monday 45 minutes very easy (slower than your normal training pace).
Tuesday, 80 minutes.
Wednesday, Queens Park Fun Run 2 laps (8km) starting 6pm from Feldwick Gates. Do this steady to hard but not all out. If you cannot be at Queens Park, run easily for 10 minutes then steady for 45 minutes followed by another 10 minutes or more of easy running.
Thursday 30 minutes and Marathon Seminar at 6pm, Sport Southland.
Friday, rest or 30 minutes brisk walk. The running times given are a guide only, if tired, cut back.
Half Marathon
Saturday, 90 mins plus.
Sunday, 1 hr 45 to 2 hours.
Monday 30 mins very easy.
Tuesday, 70mins.
Wednesday, Queens Park fun run or effort session as in marathon schedule above.
Thursday 45 -60 minutes mins very easy.
Friday, rest or 30 min brisk walk.
10km
Saturday 30 mins;
Sunday up to 60 minutes;
Monday 20 minutes;
Tuesday, rest.
Wednesday, as per marathon.
Thursday 45 minutes.
Friday, rest or brisk 30 min walk.
The next week and the week after will be the two biggest in the programme, then we start the taper towards November 22nd. But first, don’t forget to put your entry in. So far there are more out-of-towners than local runners entered. It is the Southland Marathon after all.
Although the volume (amount of time) has gone up we still continue the effort session. This week it is a VO2max session – running relatively hard to help develop a bigger motor.
Whether you are aiming for the full marathon, half or 10k, do a few (4 to 6) relaxed 60m stride outs after two of your longs runs (you choose which). Stride outs are faster than normal running pace with a focus on staying relaxed. There should be no strain; the key is not how fast you are running but how well. Run no further than 60 metres as that is generally as far as you can go before getting puffed. Stride outs help you run efficiently as it is impossible to run fast and run badly. So concentrate on running well, running smoothly and running relaxed. Recovery is a walk of about the same distance.
Full marathon
Saturday, 80 mins plus.
Sunday, 2 hrs to 2.20.
Monday 45 minutes very easy (slower than your normal training pace).
Tuesday, 80 minutes.
Wednesday, Queens Park Fun Run 1 lap (3.72km). Do this steady to hard but not all out. If you cannot be at Queens Park, run easily for 10 minutes then steady to hard for 15 minutes followed by another 10 minutes or more of easy running.
Thursday to 60 minutes plus.
Friday, rest or 30 minutes brisk walk.
The running times given are a guide only, if tired, cut back.
Half Marathon
Saturday, 70 mins plus.
Sunday, 1 hr 45 to 2 hours.
Monday 30 mins very easy.
Tuesday, 70mins.
Wednesday, Queens Park fun run or effort session as in marathon schedule above.
Thursday 45 -60 minutes mins very easy.
Friday, rest or 30 min brisk walk.
10km
Saturday 30 mins
Sunday up to 60 minutes
Monday 20 minutes
Tuesday, rest.
Wednesday, as per marathon.
Thursday 45 minutes.
Friday, rest or brisk 30 min walk.
It’s time to step back a little and consolidate gains you have made with training volume going down a little. However the effort session still stays; this week it is an anaerobic threshold session. Remember it from a couple of weeks ago? This is where you run at a “steady” pace. Ideally it should be at your marathon or half marathon goal pace or just at the point where you cannot continue a conversation should you run a fraction faster. The point where you go from being able to talk to not talking is your anaerobic threshold pace. It is suggested that you use Wednesday night’s Queen park fun run for your anaerobic threshold session. Run the two laps (8km) at your goal marathon or half marathon pace. For example, if you want to run the marathon in 4 hours 30 or half marathon in 2 hrs 15 you should aim to run the 8km in 51 minutes. This should feel comfortable all through. Running too fast will not achieve the training effect you want.
An option for Sunday is the St Paul’s Off Road Half and 10k at Sandy Point. This is from the rowing club at Sandy Point with entries taken on the day. Half Marathon starts at 9am, with the 10k starting at 10.15. It is recommended that runners aiming for the full marathon in November do the half and half marathoners do the 10k.
Full marathon
Saturday, 45 mins.
Sunday, 1 hr 45 to 2 hrs or Off Road Half.
Monday rest.
Tuesday, 40 minutes.
Wednesday, Queens Park Fun Run 2 laps (8km). Do this steady to hard but not all out. If you cannot be at Queens Park, run easily for 10 minutes then steady for 45 minutes followed by another 10 minutes or more of easy running.
Thursday 20 minutes very easy.
Friday, rest or 30 minutes brisk walk.
The running times given are a guide only, if tired, cut back.
Half Marathon
Saturday, 40 mins plus.
Sunday, 1 hour or the Off Road 10k.
Monday Rest.
Tuesday, 60 mins.
Wednesday, Queens Park fun run or effort session as in marathon schedule above.
Thursday 20 - 30 mins very easy.
Friday, rest or 30 min brisk walk.
10km
Saturday 30 mins;
Sunday up to 60 minutes or the 10k at Sandy Point;
Monday 20 minutes;
Tuesday, rest.
Wednesday, as per marathon.
Thursday 30 minutes.
Friday, rest or brisk 20 min walk.
In previous weeks we have discussed boosting intensity with anaerobic threshold and VO2max training. To summarise, improving anaerobic threshold makes your more efficient in converting oxygen and fuel into energy while VO2max training boosts the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the muscles by improving efficiency of heart, lungs and blood circulatory system. That is all a bit technical but to continue the motoring analogy from last week, anaerobic threshold training improves fuel economy and VO2max training increases size of the engine. A bigger engine and better fuel economy is obviously going to have its benefits on marathon day. However, this type of training is the icing on the cake and is done just once a week. Over the next few weeks the programme will alternate anaerobic threshold and VO2max sessions week about.
It is recommended that you use races and fun runs for your higher intensity training. Running hard over 3 to 5km is an effective way to boost VO2max and a steady pace over 7 or 8km is a great anaerobic threshold session. Just as important, racing over a known distance helps you develop pace judgement. If you want to run 4 hours for the marathon (that is 5.40 per kilometre) but struggle to maintain 5.40 kilometres over 8km you will need to reappraise your goals.
Accordingly, the first of the Queens Park fun runs is an option on the programme for next week. This starts 6pm at the Feldwick Gates. Also, the St Paul’s Off Road Half Marathon and 10k the following week (Sunday Oct 4th) at Sandy Point is another opportunity to test yourself. This is an ideal way to gauge where you are in your training and it is suggested that you enter the off road half if planning on doing the full Southland Marathon in November and the off road 10k if your goal is the half marathon. Entry forms available at most sports stores.
Training this week goes up a notch in volume with Wednesday the effort session.
Full marathon
Saturday, 75 mins plus
Sunday, 1 hr 45 to 2 hrs
Monday 45 minutes very easy (slower than your normal training pace)
Tuesday, 70 minutes
Wednesday, Queens Park Fun Run 1 lap (3.72km). Do this steady to hard but not all out. If you cannot be at Queens Park, run easily for 10 minutes then steady to hard for 15 minutes followed by another 10 minutes or more of easy running
Thursday 45 to 60 minutes
Friday, rest or 30 minutes brisk walk
The running times given are a guide only, if tired, cut back.
Half Marathon
Saturday, 60 mins plus
Sunday, 1 hr 30 to 1hr 40
Monday 30 mins very easy
Tuesday, 60 mins
Wednesday, Queens Park fun run or effort session as in marathon schedule above
Thurs 30 - 45 mins very easy
Friday, rest or 30 min brisk walk
10k.
Saturday 30 mins
Sunday up to 60 minutes
Monday 20 minutes
Tuesday, rest
Wednesday, as per marathon
Thursday 45 minutes
Friday, rest or brisk 30 min walk
A valuable part of any running training is time trials or testing. The best way to test yourself is in a race. As well as giving an indication on current condition and progress, a time trial or race is also an important aspect of your development.
An under distance race helps you develop pace judgement and with it, efficient energy distribution and provides a great boost to your VO2max. In short, VO2max is the maximum amount of oxygen you can use at high intensity exercise. Put another way, it determines the size engine you have. Increase VO2max and you give yourself a bigger engine. VO2max pace is a step up from the anaerobic threshold pace discussed last week and the week before. More on this next week.
Running hard over 3 to 5 kilometres is an effective way to train your VO2max. From October there will be ideal opportunities to do just this at the Queens Park runs every Wednesday and at the track meetings at Surrey Park either Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons. The Queens Park runs start Sept 27th and the first track meet is Saturday Oct 17th. Some of these races will be included in future weekly training programmes.
Meanwhile, a VO2max type session is added in this week with your total distances going up a fraction.
Full marathon and half marathon:
Saturday 60 mins plus.
Sunday 1 hr 30 to 1hr 40.
Monday rest. Tuesday, jog easily for 10 mins then run 5 minutes at a steady pace that is slightly faster than your anaerobic threshold runs last week. Jog slowly for 2 minutes, then repeat the 5 minute effort. Try for a total of three or four 5 minute efforts with 2 min slow jog between each. Finish with 10 or minutes easy jogging.
Wednesday 65 minutes.
Thursday 30 - 45 mins very easy.
Friday 45 minutes.
On all runs, jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
Distance training is accumulative. Every run and every training session builds on what you have done before and lays a foundation for training to come. It’s like building a savings account, with every run putting money in the bank and the longer you keep putting money in the more you will have to spend when you need it (i.e. on marathon day). To continue the savings analogy, missing training session, over exerting yourself by training too hard, insufficient recovery from training sessions, poor diet (with subsequent reduction in energy levels), even late nights, can take savings out of the bank.
Over the next few weeks the amounts being “banked” go up, so over the next 10 weeks your account hopefully keeps accumulating.
Full marathon and half marathon:
Saturday 60 mins plus.
Sunday 80 to 90 minutes.
Monday rest.
Tuesday, another anaerobic threshold session: jog easily for 10 mins then run at a pace where you can no longer carry on a conversation for 15 mins, jog slowly for 5 mins then another 15 minutes at threshold pace, finishing with another 5 min easy jogging.
Wednesday 60 minutes.
Thurs 30 - 45 mins very easy.
Friday 45 minutes.
On all runs, jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
One sure way of committing yourself is by having your entry in. Do it now. Entries are open and you can enter on-line
Today’s training topic is anaerobic threshold. This is the point where you start burning fuel without oxygen and when lactic acid (the by-product of anaerobic activity. i.e. without oxygen; or put another way, the body’s version of a car’s exhaust fumes) is produced faster than your ability to remove it. Consider your anaerobic threshold as the red line on your body’s speedometer – raise the red line and you’ll be able to go faster (or further) without blowing up.
Increasing aerobic threshold should be part of all distance training, from 5km to marathon. The best way to increase aerobic threshold is to run at your threshold pace. This is around the pace you can sustain for an hour or your pace for a 15km race or 85% of your maximum heart rate or, far more simply, the point where you can no longer carry on a conversation while running.
Threshold training is important for a number of reasons. The higher you push your threshold the further you can go at a given pace or the faster you can go over a given time. It teaches the body to more efficiently dispose of lactic acid (your exhaust fumes). It trains the muscles to use more oxygen. And it helps improve your fuel consumption by training your body to run more efficiently.
For your anaerobic threshold session run at a pace where you feel you can no longer continue talking but can sustain for the full distance or time.
This week is a step back week where you ease off to let the body consolidate the gains made. Easing off however is in amount of running, not intensity, hence the anaerobic threshold is still included.
Full and half marathon:
Saturday 20 to 30 mins
Sunday 40 to 60 minutes
Monday rest
Tuesday anaerobic threshold session: jog easily for 10 mins then run at a pace where you can no longer carry on a conversation for 10 mins, jog slowly for 5 mins then another 10 minutes at threshold pace, finishing with another 5 min easy jogging.
Wednesday 30 minutes very easy jog.
Friday 30 minutes.
On all runs, jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
The essence of distance running training is developing your ability to run the required distance and at the required pace. Your training is designed to do this, but not both at the same time. It should be either distance (volume) or intensity (speed) In other words, do not try and run your goal race pace on your long runs. To take an extreme example, Usain Bolt does not run 9.58 seconds over 100m in training. When he is training his muscles and nervous system to run that fast (intensity) he runs at top speed over a very short distance. When he is developing the strength and speed endurance to sustain a fast pace over 100m he runs further or repeats the distance a number of times all at a slower pace (volume). On race day he puts both together. Same applies to marathon training.
This week builds on last week and includes the race pace session again. If you missed the column, divide your goal marathon or half marathon time by 42.2 or 21.1 to give your pace per kilometre then run 5km at that pace. For example, you are aiming for a 2 hr half marathon (or 4 hour marathon). This is 5.14 per kilometre, so run 5km in around 28.30 or if you want, 8km in 45.30. This should be just above your conversation level –just slightly too fast to carry on a conversation.
This has two benefits: developing your anaerobic threshold (more on this next week) and helps you develop pace judgement, an absolute critical criteria in a marathon.
Full and half marathon:
Saturday 34 to 55 mins
Sunday 70 to 80 minutes
Monday rest
Tuesday 5km or 8km at your half or full marathon goal pace. If this proves difficult you may want to revise your goal time. You must keep the effort consistent over the distance and should not speed up or slow down over the latter stages to meet your targeted time.
Wednesday 50 minutes
Thurs rest
Friday 45 minutes.
On all runs, jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
PS. This is Southland’s own marathon, but at the moment there are more entries from outside Southland than from Southlanders. So get you entry in now. Train the Same for Full and Half Marathon.
A number of people have asked how to vary the training to be suitable for the half marathon. The simple answer is, you don’t. The energy and training demands of a marathon and half marathon are similar. For those who can remember the Lydiard days or have read about his philosophies, Peter Snell an 800m runner did the same build up as Barry Magee, a marathoner. Both medalled at the same Olympics.
So whether your intention is the full or the half marathon, continue following the programme each week in the Southland Times.
However, as “time on feet” is going to be a factor the marathon programme will up the volume in a few weeks, but meanwhile the build up is the same for both events.
This week we try some race pace running with one session at your planned marathon or half marathon pace. (Divide your goal time by 42.2 or 21.1 to give your pace per kilometre). Then identify a point (a tree, lamp post, letter box) 1 kilometre from home and measure a point 5 kilometres from home and perhaps have a few other marks on the route allowing you to check your pace as you go.
This week:
Saturday 30 to 45 mins. Sunday 60 to 70 minutes.
Monday rest.
Tuesday 4 or 5km at your half or full marathon goal pace. If this proves difficult you may want to revise your goal time. You must keep the effort consistent over the distance and should not speed up or slow down over the latter stages to meet your targeted time. If your pace judgement is out, don’t worry, with practise you’ll get a good idea of correct running pace.
Wednesday 45 minutes.
Thurs rest.
Friday 45 minutes.
On all runs, jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
When one of Arthur Lydiard’s athletes had a slump in form he would have them run two or three consecutive Waiatarua circuits, the 35km hilly West Auckland course his athletes made famous. This was a 2 hour 15 run for Olympic class athletes and close to three hours for good club standard runners. So two or three runs in a row of this distance was a big ask. But it worked. Olympic marathon medallist Barry Magee tells of a time when he felt flat and Lydiard had him do three of these tough 35km (22 mile) runs on successive days. Two weeks later Barry was back to his winning form. This week we follow the same strength-building principle, but not quite to the level Lydiard prescribed. The idea is to do your longest run to date twice in succession. If you can handle 70 minutes, do it Saturday and Sunday; if your longest run so far is 90 minutes, do that Saturday and Sunday. So assuming your longest run so far is 70 minutes, your week will look like this:
Saturday 70 mins plus; Sunday 70 minutes plus; Monday rest; Tuesday 30 minutes; Wednesday 45 minutes; Friday 45 minutes. Jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it. As you may have gathered, this is an increase on your training after the easy week last week.
Training does not get you fitter; it is the recovery after training that makes the gains. Training stresses the body and when you rest the body recovers and bounces back a little higher than before. Without rest or recovery there is no improvement. Keep stressing the body and your fitness goes down. This is known as overtraining. The principle of stress then recovery means you should never have two hard days in succession. It also means easing back every few weeks to allow the body to consolidate the gains made. This week is an ease-back week where you reduce your volume to what you did in week 1: Sunday 20 mins. Tues 30 to 40 minutes. Thursday 20 minutes.
However, it is the volume that has been reduced, not running pace – by now you should be able to sustain a faster pace than you managed four weeks ago or run longer without having to walk. While running time has been reduced, running effort and pace should not be.
This week’s preparation for the Ascot Park Hotel Southland Marathon is more of the same. Your build up follows the same “conversation pace” running you have been doing these past three weeks, but now there is a little more of. Building fitness is a gradual process with each week building on the week and weeks previous and what you do this week will impact on the weeks ahead. That means what you do this week will have a bearing on how well you go in 16 weeks time. In other words, not training because it’s too cold, too wet or you’re too tired will catch up on you on marathon day. Saturday 30 mins; Sunday up to 60 minutes; Monday 20 minutes; Wednesday 45 minutes; Friday 45 minutes. Jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it.
There are 17 weeks and 2 days to the Ascot Park Hotel Southland Marathon. Seventeen weeks, almost 4 months – it sounds a long time but as they say in the ads, good things take time. Training for distance running, whether 42.2km, 5km or 1500m, requires a steady and consistent build up. It does not happen all at once. Most of us got away with intense cramming in the week or two before exams back in our school days but leaving it to the last minute will not work when preparing for a marathon.
Preparation this coming week adds a little to the past two weeks: Sunday 40 minutes; Monday 20 minutes; Wednesday 40 to 60 minutes; Friday 40 minutes. Jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it. If you want to can go longer do so providing you do not get puffed or tired and do less if you need to.
Training for a marathon will have obvious fitness benefits, but there may be other advantages too. Recent research indicates aerobic activity is good for the brain.
Studies at the University of Queensland showed exercise had a positive effect on brain activity. According to Queensland Brain Institute Director Professor Perry Bartlett. the first experimental data that shows how we can change the propensity of the brain to make new neurons through increasing the number of stem cells.
"We can now show that exercise directly causes an increase in the number of stem cells in the brain.
"Stem cells develop into neurons and a good supply of neurons is essential for good mental health," he said.
Another study at the University of North Carolina found aerobic activity may keep the brain young by developing healthier blood vessels.
So, running the Ascot Park Hotel Marathon may be a smart idea.
This week you continue to get the body (and brain) accustomed to activity. Try for 20 mins walk or jog on Sunday, 30 to 40 minutes on Tues and 20 minutes on Thursday. Jog if you can, walk when you want, rest when you feel like it. And if you can go longer, do so providing you do not get puffed or tired.
Is running the 100th year Ascot Park Hotel Southland Marathon in November too big an ask for a non-runner? Probably yes, if you stay a non runner. But by marathon day you could go from non runner to marathon runner with the opportunity to be part of a historic event. Sure, it will be tough at times but when you reach the finish line you won’t feel pain, just pride.
For the non runner the first step is always the hardest, and the first step is making the decision that you are going to do the marathon. If you have health doubts it will pay to check with your doctor, but as Arthur Lydiard pioneered and proved, jogging is good for you.
A regular training schedule leading to the marathon will feature soon in the Southland Times. Until then, start your marathon journey by gently exercising three or four times a week. The important word is gently – everything you do, whether walking, jogging or running should be at an effort that allows you to carry on a conversation. If you are too puffed to talk you are going too hard. The intent over the next three weeks is to get fit enough to start on the training programme.
Start with a 20 - 30 minute walk or jog on Saturday or Sunday. If you can’t jog continuously for 20 minutes, walk or have a mixture of jogging and walking, for example you may run a lamp post, walk a lamp post. Tuesday go out for 25 to 30 minutes. Thursday 20 to 25 minutes again.
We are holding a training seminar for beginners and intermediate runners on 23 July 7.00pm at Stadium Southland. For further information contact Sport Southland 2112150.
