Marathon Base Training : Training during restrictions

Posted On 07/04/2020

I’m gonna take you through my current marathon base training.

There’ll be a few tips on how you can apply it to your own program.

What Is Marathon Base Training?

Most people think it’s lots of slow training. Keeping down the intensity and pushing up the volume.  Lots of long slow distance work. To a point for some applications that might be the case. For me the point of base training is a bit different.

The Point Of Base Training

The point of base training is to develop a well conditioned athletes capable of optimally responding to the demands of competition specific training.

Previous post here: Base Training For Runners

Training To Train

Sounds complex. Basically it’s training to train.

Training to train is getting fit enough to handle the really hard training that makes up your competition specific work. The better your base the harder you can train further down the track. The more gains you can make as you get closer to racing.

Marathon Base Training Outline

I set up my training in four to five day blocks. At the moment given my circumstances, doing a lot of extra work hours. In this new world of corona virus my work is flat-out. Extra night shifts and extra hours. I haven’t really got a pattern. So only looking 4 to 5 days ahead seems to be the best approach at the moment.

In those 4 to 5 day training blocks I’m trying to include:

• a long run
• a tempo run
• strength (running specific)
• strength (other stuff)
• easy runs

How these sessions fit into those days will vary with each block. It’s about the best fit each time. I’m gonna try and separate the tempo and the long run with 1 or 2 days in between. I could start with the long run. It could be the second session, or be the 4th. Whatever is the best fit in amongst the rest of life.

Keeping  tabs on recovery and if needed I’ll stick in an extra easy day or recovery day between the training blocks. It’s a work in progress. These times are uncertain at the moment. At the moment I’m still able to run outside. That may change in the not-too-distant future. Isolation or lock down may get stronger. So this plan though allows me to adapt to the ever changing constraints forced upon us. It also is a good setup for other situations as well.

Tempo Run

The tempo run is just my little bit of introduction into something a bit faster or a little bit harder. I’m going to keep it within a heart rate zone between 75 to 87%. Not too concerned about exactly where I sit in that range. Just going to run out on feel. Keep it at a steady consistent effort. An introduction to get my legs and Achilles tendon used to something a little bit faster. Pushing it any quicker than that will leave my Achilles tendon at risk. Faster running at this stage still leads to a bit of a flare-up. The basic approach with these tempo runs is to start out at 20 minutes and each time around will add about five minutes.

MAF Test

About every 2 to 3 weeks I’m going to replace that tempo run with a MAF test. It is the Phil Maffetone test where he’s talking about maximal aerobic function. For me being 42 years old 180 minus 42 that gives me a heart rate of 138bpm. The point for me is to run 8km at exactly that heart rate.

As my training progresses I should be able to maintain that exact same heart rate. How much I slow down from the start to the end of the run should reduce while the average speed of the run should improve.

I’m not following the Meffetone training program. I’m not limiting my training to below that heart rate. As such it’s a good reference point that I can go back over the years for my own training. It will give me a good guide to where my basic fitness sits.

Long Run

Probably my favorite run is the long run.

The aim is to get in about two hours and maintain a heart rate between 65 to 75% of heart rate max. Pacing I don’t really care about. I’m hoping to keep an even pace from the start all the way to the end nothing much more complicated than that.

About every second long run I aim to increase the time out by 10 minutes. On alternative long runs I’ll stick to two hours. Giving the pattern of:

2:00, 2:10, 2:00, 2:20, 2:00, 2:30, 2:00…

Hopefully I can progress safely with this format. As long as the Achilles isn’t flaring up I should be able to.

Strength Training For Marathon Base

For strength training I’m going to do one key session. This is the session that I have will make sure I include every training block. It’s my run specific strength training. Currently  concentrating on the calves, hamstrings and glutes. Predominantly leg work with core strength stability training. This is the primary strength training session. I will always include this. Skipping an easy run if needed.

A second strength session is listed as other. This covers everything that isn’t directly run specific. It can be just some fun stuff, upper body work such as  overhead presses, pull-ups, more core work. Basically anything in order to stay fit for the rest of life and work.

Easy Runs

Easy runs are dotted in between the mix of training. Ideally I’ll be running between 60 and 90 minutes, but I know how time pressures are at the moment. I’ll be happy with anything between 30 and 90 minutes.

Before a 6 a.m. work start I’ll be getting up at 4 a.m. giving about 30 minutes to fit training in. The pace of these easy runs is purely based on intensity.  I’m going to keep the heart rate between 55 and 75% of heart right max.  These easy runs will feel excruciatingly slow. They are so slow that I’ve turned off the pace data fields on my Garmin. I don’t need to know my pace. This helps with the intensity discipline that will allow me to get the ongoing training done. This is why including a semi-regular MAF test means I’m able to keep track of improvements around that first aerobic threshold. Improvement here I can indicate I’m setting up a good base.

Marathon Base Training Summary

The plan is pretty simple:

4-5 day training block to include:

• long run
• tempo run
• strength training
• easy runs

This simplicity makes it easy to adapt according to different roster cycles and other commitments of life while I’m still able to run outside.

It’s quite doable nothing overly hard in the training. What becomes hard is being able to maintain that consistency over a long period of time.

Keep on running.