On Saturday, I ran a 5K with my good running buddy and fellow run coach, Jen. We both placed in our age groups and I got 5th woman overall (love a small local race for that!!!) and we were both on a high. I was coming off a week of illness, and wasn’t even sure if I’d run the 5K at all – so it was a big win to not only race but perform well too.
After the race, we went out to breakfast at our favorite coffee shop afterward and one of the topics of discussion was our plans for the Chicago Marathon.
Why Marathon Training Starts Before Your Training Plan
If you don’t know, the Chicago marathon takes place in October – which is 7 months away. And before then, I am running several races, but as always, the marathon is my love affair – I’m always thinking of it. Sometimes we’re fighting, sometimes we get along, but man, we’re in love.
And it’s a good thing I love it- because the marathon is a fickle beast.
You train for months, and months – you spend every Saturday morning preparing to run, running, and recovering from running, your grocery bill goes up from all the food, you’re going through running shoes and gels at an alarmingly expensive rate ….and it all comes down to one day. And while things like weather, illness, life stress, etc can be out of our control, we CAN control our training and preparation for the race.
The Mistake Runners Make Before Marathon Training
But a big mistake I see marathoners making is being intentional about their marathon training on day 1 of their 16 week training plan, but not beforehand.
Yes if your goal is to finish the marathon, then following a plan will get you there.
But if your goal is to thrive at the marathon, the season before marathon training starts is just as crucial as marathon training itself.
What “Training to Train” Means for Marathon Runners
I call this time “training to train” and ideally, this period is customized to your individual weaknesses and goals. It’s not a time that you’re actually marathon training (no 20 mile long runs, don’t worry!) – but its a time to work on getting your body ready to handle a more challenging marathon training block.
You can’t force fitness you don’t have – so if you try to follow an advanced 50+ mile training plan (or the overly aggressive Runna plan) but your body isn’t ready for it, you’ll get injured, burnt out, sick or start to believe you’re just not capable of your goals.
Example: Training for Hills Before a Hilly Marathon
For example: You’re running the New York marathon and you live somewhere flat. Every time there’s a hill in a race, you’re sucking wind and getting passed. Since the New York marathon is a hilly marathon – you can use the summer before the race to get stronger at hills. This would include a combination of specific strength work and hill workouts. Since your running volume is lower, you may have more time to drive to that hill near by or since its hot – go to the gym and run on the treadmill at an incline.
Once training for the marathon begins, you’ll also want to include some hills in your long runs, but you’ll have the foundation and strength to feel strong on them instead of weak. You’ll get to the start line of the New York Marathon with a whole new level of confidence when it comes to the bridges – you know you can handle it.
What to Work on Before Marathon Training Starts
Other things you could work on during the “train to train” season:
- Body composition/weight loss
- Establishing a strength training routine (if you don’t have one) or building muscle with heavy lifting (if you already lift weights)
- Top end speed
- Overall running mileage
- Running form, physical therapy, etc.
How to Avoid Plateaus and Keep Improving as a Runner
While you can’t improve at ALL things at once in one season, you can focus on 1-2 things each year. Marathon fitness builds over time – you can’t do it all now but you can do it all eventually. And the cool thing is – it keeps things interesting and it prevents you from plateauing.
How to Plan Your Best Fall Marathon
So, if you’re running a fall marathon, what do you need to work on NOW!? If you’re still not sure or just want to geek out on this with me, watch this free webinar now (after you enter email info you’ll get the replay): https://ndobransky.kartra.com/webinar/gR4fnUwEuTZa
Nicole Dobransky
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