The Workout:
4 miles at Marathon Pace, 10 miles steady, 4 miles at Marathon Pace to Marathon Pace minus 5-10 seconds
I've grown to love this workout over the years. I learned it from my coach/training partner Nick Hilton in 2016 while training for my first marathon. He learned this workout from the NAZ Elite marathoners in town, coached by Ben Rosario. Regardless of where and who it came from, it's a phenomenal session for a marathoner to tackle.
Since first doing this workout in 2016, and again in 2021, I've prescribed it to many athletes over the years, to much success and liking.
Who is this workout for?
This workout is best suited for the runner training for the marathon. I would consider this more of an advanced session as the total mileage involved, especially those at intensity, takes a certain level of prep to be ready for. We can adapt this workout in several ways, which I will get to later.
When and why to do this workout
I prescribe this workout 4-6 weeks before a marathon. It's not the most specific workout in terms of miles at goal pace, but it taps into the mental focus, metabolic, and muscular fatigue requirements that will inevitably find you north of 20 miles on race day.
I find these sessions incredibly powerful at providing your body with a huge stimulus (that's 18 miles of hard running!) without digging so deep into the reserves that you spend the next 2 weeks recovering from it. That's one drawback of doing too much extended work at Marathon race pace, if done incorrectly, you can easily lose your race in one of those big sessions. I tend to emphasize much more broken reps (think 5 x 3 miles versus 15) or workouts with a steady or progressive component (like this one) for this reason. There IS a time and place for the chunky marathon pace tempos, but typically I'll reserve those for maybe 2-3 times a block.
How to do this workout and how should it feel
Usually, I will bookend this session with 2-3 miles of warm-up and cool-down making this a 20 to 22-mile day. So, we're talking a huge mileage day so ensure that the day leading in and the day following are SUPER easy.
Following the warm-up period, it's wise to take a few minutes to have a moment to breathe, use the restroom, shed clothes, change shoes if you have them, and prep your fuel for the run. You should take >70g of carbohydrates per hour, if not more at this stage in marathon training. You want to train how you will race, and your body needs the carbs to perform and recover.
Now you're ready to go into your run.
The session goes like this - 4 miles at Marathon Pace, 10 miles Steady, 4 miles at Marathon Pace or slightly faster.
Steady in my mind falls in line with my 3 layered approach to Foundational Tempos. I aim to target Foundational Tempo 1 for the 10 miles. This is a pace that is honest and strong, but not a strain. The fatigue here won't feel like aerobic fatigue, but muscle fatigue from the miles adding up.
You kick it off with 4 miles at Marathon Pace - nice and fresh, just like you will on race day! Sometimes I will change shoes between the 4-10-4 so that I'm wearing my fast shoes for the 4-mile reps and my everyday trainers for the 10-mile reps. This is not a requirement, but I like the variability in footwear and the idea of not wearing a carbon fiber shoe for the whole session. Again, no harm if you go with one option from start to finish.
Next, you roll into the 10 miles. If you're having a good day, you should find pace easily and while your body is getting tired, you've got something in the tank for the final push.
Now you've got your final 4 miles. With 14 + your warm-up miles already in your legs, these are going to be tough miles. I recommend aiming for Marathon Pace here, but if you've got the extra energy, this is the time to dig in your pockets and see what you can finish with. This simulates those final miles in the marathon, both mentally and physically. This is where the money is made!
How to progress this session
The only progression I would make for this is to toy with the 10-mile steady portion. Some may find they can hold Foundational Tempo 2 Pace over 1 and do just fine. I will add that you don't want that 10-mile section to be "hard" though. You're looking for a steady clip - just enough to put some lead in the legs without depleting your system.
I do have an adaptation you can make for this workout. 18 miles is a lot. I know that. Some may be able to start with 6 or 8 miles between instead of 10 and I think this is still a GREAT workout! Never be afraid to adapt a workout to your current level and gradually build up a session like this over time.
That's our workout this week! Please let me know if you have any specific questions about this workout or style of workout by sending me an email at dylanbelles@gmail.com
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