For those that missed by first attempt at the maths of running here is an update: Sum One: You need to train at least twice the desired race distance within a peek weekly cycle. (ie if you want to run a 42km race, your weekly training load should peak at 85km) Sum Two: One third of the weekly load should be done as a LSD in one day/session. (Thus a marathon LSD should be about 27-30km LSD) Sum Three: Just less than On third of the load should be divided into two or three quality sessions (ie track/Hills/Farleks). Thus you should do 10km sessions two to three times a week hard. This includes 1/3 of that being warm up and cool down. So you get 2km warm up 10 x 500m interval (with say 100m recovery) and a 2km cool down. Or 2km warm up and 3 x 1km hills with 3 x 1km slow/medium returns and then finish with a cool down. Sum four: the remainder last third(pluss) is divided recovery and tempo runs for three/two of the days of about 10-15km each, which can be broken down into a 7km recovery run in the morning and a 7km tempo run in the afternoon. Sum Four: Rest on one day a week...... Basic limitations: The human body starts falling apart if you push further than 100 miles (160km) a week for more than three weeks. The safest "sweet spot" is between 65 and 120km a week for a peak of three weeks. Anything less is to too little anything more you risk overtraining or injury. Never increase a training load by more than 10% a week. Do not jump from the couch to 50km a week, and do not jump from 50km a week to 100km/week in one week. Gradually does it. Do not slack on speed work and do not race on LSD (long slow distance). Let your body decide when it ready to go faster. It will if you follow a programme Alternate hard and soft days. You can probably race about 10-15sec/km faster than your tempo runs. PS never attempt to go at race pace on a tempo run, only use your race pace during interval sessions to programme your "speedometer" and not empty your tank or burn your rubber. (if you have to test your body do a 5km park run, and not a 32km to test your speed a few weeks before a marathon). LSD is done slowly (almost 1min slower than race pace.) It is there to condition your body and mind to the pain and boredom of a 3-4hr race, not to build your VO2 max. Plan a week or two taper before the race. So the peak weeks should be start about 5-6 weeks prior to the event. Assess your fitness now. do the 10% incremental sums. Compare the outcome with desired peak week, pin onto the calendar. So if you are doing 30km a week now and you need to get to 85km peak, that is difference of 55km. Planning for experiential growth on 3km increases and then leveling out for mishaps, you will need about 10-16 weeks to get to peak. Then add 5 weeks to peak train, and you have a plan of between 16 and 20 weeks to populate. (thumb suck maths here, but you get the point) Comments welcome
