This is update number 2 in my current sub 2:45 marathon training plan. The first post I wrote can be found here. The goal races are still the two marathons (conditions dependent) in October and a half-marathon at the end of September.

The Covid-19 situation in Europe seems to be improving. With the roll-out of vaccines currently taking place, it looks like these races might just go ahead. It will be exactly two years since my last marathon so this is quite exciting.

The month of May has come to an end and things are starting to look positive on the running front. I can definitely feel my fitness has improved. Longer runs are easier. Workouts are feeling a lot more controlled. The consistency is starting to pay off.

Unfortunately, I picked up a cold in the last week of May which put me out of action for almost two weeks. As I write this I’m still not back to 100% fitness but I’ve started running (easy) again.

Breakdown of My Weekly Training

I thought it might be useful to give a breakdown of what my training looks like each week.

At the moment the training plan includes three days of higher intensity workouts.

• Tuesday is speedwork – usually a track session
• Thursday is either a progression run, tempo or hill sprints
• Saturday includes a tempo, pick-ups or time trial

The idea of this format is to follow the 80/20 approach to training. 80 percent of the volume should comprise easy running and building an aerobic base. The remaining 20 percent is for higher intensity workouts with a focus on speed and stamina.

This combination works well because too little speed/strength work means your body isn’t getting the stress or stimulus it needs to adapt. This needs to be balanced with the downside of intensity. Too much of this, and you run the risk of injury, sickness, fatigue and possible burnout.

I like this approach and so far it seems to be working quite well.

1km Hot Spot

Sundays are long run days and always include a 1km hot spot. This is a new thing for me and something that my coach is a big fan of. It is simply an all-out 1km effort during the long run.

I like it because it breaks up the long run, which can get a little monotonous if you’re not doing any race-specific running, and helps increase leg speed. It’s also good for mental strength because 1 km, which at the moment takes me slightly over 3min to complete, is just long enough to create some discomfort.

Strengthening the mind, teaching it to push through discomfort, is an underrated part of training. All out efforts like this are short enough to keep the physical exertion low but are long enough to feel uncomfortable.

Feeling discomfort, acknowledging it and pushing through helps strengthen the mind. This is so important for races because you will feel uncomfortable, and there will be parts where you want to slow down, but you need to learn to push through. Simulating this in training is key.

You can be in the best shape of your life, but if you are mentally weak, you won’t be able to push your body right to the edge of its capabilities.

Adding Strength to the Training Plan

Even though I know this is so important for runners, I still don’t pay enough attention to this. My goal next month is to focus on incorporating strength work at least twice a week. The emphasis will be on leg strength with some upper body work thrown in.

Marathon running is all about strength. There are few times, if any, in a marathon race where you are required to push yourself into the red zone. It is the length of the race (42.2km), and the last 10km in particular, that make marathons so physically challenging. Your legs muscles start to fatigue, and when that happens, you’re unable to generate as much force (speed) with the same effort.

I know how important this is and I want to arrive at the marathon in October feeling strong.

How I Approach Sickness/Injury During Training

As I mentioned in the introduction I recently picked up a bit of a cold. I’ve been out of proper training for almost two weeks.

In the past, I would have been frustrated, tried to get back into running as soon as possible and risked getting sick again. Put it down to experience, but I’m now much better at understanding my body and being patient with recovery.

This is the way I like to think about it now. Missing one week or two weeks of training isn’t going to make a significant difference to your overall fitness. Becoming a better runner is all about consistency over months and years. Not weeks. In the bigger picture, two weeks really doesn’t make that much of a difference.

In fact, this approach applies to any injury. If you feel a niggle when training – rest. Take a day or two off. Don’t push through. Don’t do any hard sessions.

Too often I’ve pushed through thinking that if I miss this run I’m going to get unfit. This almost always leads to a full-blown injury and me being unable to run for weeks, sometimes months.

Be patient when sick or injured. Think long term.

The Next Month: June

With a full recovery from my cold and another month of training in the bag, I’m looking forward to the 5km time trial at the end of June. No races yet, unfortunately. The Netherlands is taking a while to open up again, so a solo effort it will have to be.

The will be a great fitness test to see if the training has paid off so far.