Marathon Plans
To train properly for the marathon, you need the right attitude and a solid plan. We compiled a set of marathon training programs from Canada’s top coaches, for first-timers, intermediate runners, and Boston qualifiers.
The next step
For intermediate marathoners, who have already done two to five marathons, Kevin Smith of Marathon Dynamics provides a sample of a plan for a runner aiming to finish between 3:40 and 4:00. Regardless of race experience or current training volume, Smith’s athletes run no more than four times a week, to maximize rest and recovery. The length and intensity of those runs varies from runner to runner. This program peaks at 66K a week, with an average weekly volume on Smith’s plans at 40-45K.
“One of the defining characteristics of our approach is minimalist frequency,” says Smith. “It’s more about efficient mileage for training volume, than seeing how much your body can take. The magic is in the pacing.’’
Smith’s programs consist of three key runs. If a fourth is included, it’s an active recovery run, rather than an ability-enhancing one. Each of the three runs has its own distinct purpose, working on the elements of endurance, speed and strength. The long, slow distance (LSD) run ensures you can cover the distance – the “time-on-your-feet run,” as Smith calls it. A weekly intensity run boos basic speed to improve the potential finishing time. The final key weekly run, which Smith labels Ordinary Mortal Pace (OMP), reinforces a runner’s ability to carry speed over distance. The OMP is a little faster than marathon race pace, and a bit slower than half-marathon pace.
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