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London Marathon Program

SUB 4.30
13 April 2008

 

Advice on this program:

 

Easy means easy. A relaxed run without having to push yourself to run faster. The pace of this run will change from day to day depending on how hard the previous days sessions were. Steady runs are at a pace of 7 out of 10 for effort. You should feel that you are having to push but are not flat out and could sustain the pace for well over 2 miles. Warm-ups and cool-downs should never be missed. If you are short of time it would be more sensible to swap sessions or remove one repetition. In the winter try to wear warm clothing so that you never leave the house cold. You should feel warm and flexible before you start any speedwork. Hills sessions should follow the paces proposed and are designed to increase strength and speed. Run up the hill at the proposed intensity (steep hillscomfortable; shallow hills10k pace), run back down the hill very easy. Some weeks will feel unbearable but the program is designed to compensate at least every 3 weeks to include easy recovery weeks, usually based around race weekends. You will be racing a little tired on some races but are encouraged not to taper more than I have suggested since the most important race is the Marathon itself. Others are designed to prepare you for the main event. Saying this expect some impressive times along the way!

 

Best of luck with this program and the Marathon. If you are struggling or need advice feel free to email mgclewis@hotmail.com

 

Martin Lewis

Day

Date

Session / Run

Week

Weeks to go

Sunday

23-Dec

10 miles easy

1

16

Monday

24-Dec

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

25-Dec

10min warm-up then 10mins as (30sec very fast / 30sec easy), 5mins warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

26-Dec

Rest

 

 

Thursday

27-Dec

6 miles easy

 

 

Friday

28-Dec

5 miles at 9min40s per mile

 

 

Saturday

29-Dec

Rest

 

 

Sunday

30-Dec

12 miles easy

2

15

Monday

31-Dec

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

1-Jan

Broadstone 1/4 Marathon

 

 

Wednesday

2-Jan

Rest

 

 

Thursday

3-Jan

10min w/u then 25mins Steep Hills (such as Corfe Hills, run up at 60% and run down very easy, approx hill length 300mtrs)

 

 

Friday

4-Jan

8 miles easy

 

 

Saturday

5-Jan

Rest

 

 

Sunday

6-Jan

14 - 16 miles easy

3

14

Monday

7-Jan

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

8-Jan

10min warm-up then 20mins as (60sec fast / 60sec easy), 5 min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

9-Jan

Rest

 

 

Thursday

10-Jan

8 miles steady at 10mins per mile

 

 

Friday

11-Jan

5K Race or 10min warm-up then 20mins fast at 5k pace

 

 

Saturday

12-Jan

Rest

 

 

Sunday

13-Jan

Stubbington Green 10k

4

13

Monday

14-Jan

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

15-Jan

10min warm-up then 10 x (2min fast / 2min easy), 5min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

16-Jan

Rest

 

 

Thursday

17-Jan

6 miles easy

 

 

Friday

18-Jan

5K Race or 6 miles @ 9min40s per mile

 

 

Saturday

19-Jan

Rest

 

 

Day

Date

Session / Run

Week

Weeks to go

Sunday

20-Jan

14 miles easy

5

12

Monday

21-Jan

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

22-Jan

10min warm-up then 6 x (4min fast / 2min easy jog) ,5min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

23-Jan

Rest

 

 

Thursday

24-Jan

8 miles steady at 10mins per mile

 

 

Friday

25-Jan

5 miles at 9min30s per mile

 

 

Saturday

26-Jan

Rest

 

 

Sunday

27-Jan

16 - 18miles easy

6

11

Monday

28-Jan

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

29-Jan

10min warm-up then 5 x (6min fast / 2min easy),5min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

30-Jan

Rest

 

 

Thursday

31-Jan

5K Timed run or 10min warm-up then 20mins fast

 

 

Friday

1-Feb

20mins as (10mins easy then 10mins slightly faster, just below 10k race pace)

 

 

Saturday

2-Feb

Rest or Reverse 10 mile, Pontypridd

 

 

Sunday

3-Feb

Ryde 10mile or Rest (Swap with above as appropriate)

7

10

Monday

4-Feb

Rest

 

 

Tuesday

5-Feb

6 miles steady at 10min per mile

 

 

Wednesday

6-Feb

10miles easy

 

 

Thursday

7-Feb

10min warm-up then 25min shallow hills (such as the road leading up to your close, running up at 80% or 5K pace and coming back down easy, hill should be 300mtrs long)

 

 

Friday

8-Feb

5 miles at 9min30s per mile

 

 

Saturday

9-Feb

Rest

 

 

Sunday

10-Feb

18 miles easy

8

9

Monday

11-Feb

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

12-Feb

10min warm-up then 3 x 1mile (2min recoveries between, just keep moving slowly),5min warm-down. Keep a record of your times and use the same measured route in the future.

 

 

Wednesday

13-Feb

Rest

 

 

Thursday

14-Feb

8 miles easy

 

 

Friday

15-Feb

6 miles at 9min30s per mile

 

 

Saturday

16-Feb

Rest

 

 

Day

Date

Session / Run

Week

Weeks to go

Sunday

17-Feb

14 miles easy

9

8

Monday

18-Feb

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

19-Feb

10min warm-up then 12 x (2min fast / 1min easy),5min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

20-Feb

30mins easy

 

 

Thursday

21-Feb

10min warm-up then 7 x (4mins fast / 1min easy),5min warm-down

 

 

Friday

22-Feb

3miles at 9min20s per mile

 

 

Saturday

23-Feb

Rest

 

 

Sunday

24-Feb

16 - 18miles

10

7

Monday

25-Feb

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

26-Feb

10min warm-up then 5 x (6min fast / 2min easy jog),5min warm-down

 

 

Wednesday

27-Feb

Rest

 

 

Thursday

28-Feb

10min warm-up then 30 mins steep hills (such as Corfe Hills, run up at 60% effort comfortable then back down very easy)

 

 

Friday

29-Feb

5miles at 9min20s per mile

 

 

Saturday

1-Mar

Rest

 

 

Sunday

2-Mar

Super Long Run (20-22 miles) (Try to have some small elements on road)

11

6

Monday

3-Mar

Rest

 

 

Tuesday

4-Mar

30mins easy

 

 

Wednesday

5-Mar

10min warm-up then 30mins as (30s fast / 30s easy)

 

 

Thursday

6-Mar

6 miles steady at 10min per mile

 

 

Friday

7-Mar

10mins warm-up then 36mins of (60s fast / 60s easy)

 

 

Saturday

8-Mar

Rest

 

 

Sunday

9-Mar

15miles easy

12

5

Monday

10-Mar

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

11-Mar

10min warm-up then 3 x 1mile (2min recoveries between, just keep moving slowly),5min warm-down. Try to beat times recorded for previous occasion.

 

 

Wednesday

12-Mar

Rest

 

 

Thursday

13-Mar

5K Timed run or 10min warm-up then 20mins fast

 

 

Friday

14-Mar

Rest

 

 

Saturday

15-Mar

20mins as (10mins easy then 10mins slightly faster, just below 10k race pace)

 

 

Day

Date

Session / Run

Week

Weeks to go

Sunday

16-Mar

Staffordshire Half Marathon or Bath Half Marathon

13

4

Monday

17-Mar

Rest

 

 

Tuesday

18-Mar

30mins easy

 

 

Wednesday

19-Mar

10miles steady at 10min per mile

 

 

Thursday

20-Mar

10mins warm-up then 5 x (5min fast / 1min easy jog), 5min warm-down

 

 

Friday

21-Mar

5miles at 9min10s per mile

 

 

Saturday

22-Mar

Rest

 

 

Sunday

23-Mar

18 - 20 miles easy

14

3

Monday

24-Mar

30mins easy

 

 

Tuesday

25-Mar

10min warm-up then 15 x (2min fast / 1min easy)

 

 

Wednesday

26-Mar

10miles steady at 10min per mile

 

 

Thursday

27-Mar

10min warm-up then 2 x 2miles (2min walk recovery between)

 

 

Friday

28-Mar

6 miles at 9min10s per mile

 

 

Saturday

29-Mar

Rest

 

 

Sunday

30-Mar

12 miles easy

15

2

Monday

31-Mar

Rest

 

 

Tuesday

1-Apr

Last hard session: 10mins warm-up then 30mins as (60sec fast / 60sec easy jog)

 

 

Wednesday

2-Apr

30mins easy

 

 

Thursday

3-Apr

Rest

 

 

Friday

4-Apr

6 miles at 9min10s per mile then 5 x 100mtrs fast (with 100mtrs walk back to recover)

 

 

Saturday

5-Apr

Rest

 

 

Sunday

6-Apr

8 miles maximum (1hr)

16

1

Monday

7-Apr

30mins easy or rest if tired

 

 

Tuesday

8-Apr

15mins easy then 15mins at 9min10s per mile or marathon pace

 

 

Wednesday

9-Apr

Rest

 

 

Thursday

10-Apr

5 miles easy then 5 x 100mtrs striding fast (with 100mtrs walk back to recover) + full stretch

 

 

Friday

11-Apr

Rest

 

 

Saturday

12-Apr

10 - 15mins gentle jog + full stretch

 

 

Sunday

13-Apr

LONDON MARATHON

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trial 4 Week Program. To become familiar with the format of the marathon program and to ensure the first few weeks of the program are suitable for your level, follow the 4 week trial below 6weeks before you start official training. Follow the trial program with 2 very easy weeks of 2 or 3 jogs or cross-training (swimming, cycling etc.) Keep a diary of how you felt for each session recording the following: Energy levels out of 10; 1-low to 10-high. Weather conditions. How you felt going in to the session. How you felt the session went. Did you meet the target times.

 

Day

Date

Session / Run

Week

Sunday

 

8 miles easy

1

Monday

 

30mins easy

 

Tuesday

 

10min warm-up then 10mins as (30sec very fast / 30sec easy), 5mins warm-down

 

Wednesday

 

Rest

 

Thursday

 

6 miles easy

 

Friday

 

5 miles at 9min40s per mile

 

Saturday

 

Rest

 

Sunday

 

12 miles easy

2

Monday

 

30mins easy

 

Tuesday

 

6miles fast

 

Wednesday

 

Rest

 

Thursday

 

10min warm-up then 20mins Steep Hills (such as Corfe Hills, run up at 60% and run down very easy, approx hill length 300mtrs)

 

Friday

 

8 miles easy

 

Saturday

 

Rest

 

Sunday

 

12 miles easy

3

Monday

 

30mins easy

 

Tuesday

 

10min warm-up then 20mins as (60sec fast / 60sec easy), 5 min warm-down

 

Wednesday

 

Rest

 

Thursday

 

8 miles steady at 10mins per mile

 

Friday

 

Time Trial or 10min warm-up then 20mins fast at 5k pace

 

Saturday

 

Rest

 

Sunday

 

10miles easy

4

Monday

 

30mins easy

 

Tuesday

 

10min warm-up then 10 x (2min fast / 2min easy), 5min warm-down

 

Wednesday

 

Rest

 

Thursday

 

6 miles easy

 

Friday

 

5K Race or 6 miles @ 9min40s per mile

 

Saturday

 

Rest