The Most Effective Marathon Specific Long Runs - Chicago Marathon Build

Summary

The video script focuses on optimizing marathon training in the final 6-8 weeks before the race. It outlines four specific types of long runs: long tempo runs at 90-95% of goal pace, alternating pace tempo runs, progressive long runs getting faster every 5K, and extended time at goal marathon pace. These targeted runs, combined with proper fueling and pacing strategies, are emphasized as crucial for maximizing marathon performance.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ The script focuses on preparing for the Chicago Marathon with specific long run training techniques.
• 🔍 It identifies four types of long runs crucial for marathon preparation within the last 6 to 8 weeks before the race.
• 🚦 The first type is a long tempo run at 90-95% of goal marathon pace, which enhances endurance and psychological readiness.
• 🔁 The second type is an alternating pace tempo run, which helps in managing heart rate and lactate levels, simulating race conditions.
• 📈 The third type is a progressive long run where pace increases every 5K, building fatigue and then speed to mimic race pace acceleration.
• 🎯 The fourth type is an extended run at goal marathon pace to practice endurance and fueling strategies.
• 👟 It emphasizes the importance of adjusting paces based on training conditions such as weather and personal fatigue.
• 🍇 The script also discusses the role of fueling during long runs with gels and drinks, crucial for energy management.
• 🌡️ The speaker shares personal experiences, including a 30K run at a specific pace, illustrating the application of these training techniques.
• 🏆 Sponsors like Blenders, Keto IQ, Kaizen, and S running are acknowledged for their support in the training series.
• 📱 The use of the Kaizen app for marathon prediction and tailoring training is mentioned, highlighting the role of technology in athletic preparation.

Q & A

How many weeks before the Chicago marathon should a runner ideally start to focus on marathon-specific long runs?

A runner should ideally start to focus on marathon-specific long runs within the last 6 to 8 weeks leading into a marathon.

What is the recommended pace for a long tempo run according to the script?

The recommended pace for a long tempo run is 90% to 95% of your goal marathon pace.

What is the purpose of running at a pace slower than the goal marathon pace in long slow easy runs?

Running at a pace slower than the goal marathon pace in long slow easy runs helps to build endurance and is still beneficial, but as the marathon approaches, it becomes less specific to the goal of running at marathon pace.

What are the four types of long runs suggested for marathon training?

The four types of long runs suggested are: 1) Long tempo run, 2) Alternating pace tempo run, 3) Progressive long run, and 4) Extended time at goal marathon pace.

How long should an advanced runner aim for in a long tempo run?

An advanced runner should aim for a long tempo run of somewhere between 10 miles and up to 16 miles or even up to 18 miles for some people.

What is the significance of running in the lactate threshold zone during a long tempo run?

Running in the lactate threshold zone, or Zone 3, is significant as it is a very efficient stimulus for endurance training and helps runners get used to maintaining a pace that is somewhat uncomfortable for an extended period.

What is the structure of an alternating pace tempo run and what is its purpose?

An alternating pace tempo run involves blocks of faster running at just faster than goal marathon pace, interspersed with recovery blocks at just slower than marathon pace. Its purpose is to simulate the fluctuating pace of a marathon and to manage fatigue.

What is the aim of a progressive long run and how is it structured?

The aim of a progressive long run is to gradually increase the pace every 5K, with the goal of hitting marathon pace around 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the run. It is structured to start slower and get faster with each 5K segment.

What is the final type of long run suggested for marathon training and what is its purpose?

The final type of long run suggested is an extended amount of time running at goal marathon pace. Its purpose is to practice running at the goal pace for an extended period, simulating the latter stages of a marathon.

Why is it important to adjust the pace during long runs based on conditions?

It is important to adjust the pace during long runs based on conditions such as weather and fatigue because these factors can affect performance and the ability to maintain goal marathon pace. Adjusting the pace helps to simulate race day conditions more accurately.

What role do sponsors like Blenders, Keto IQ, Kaizen, and S! play in the training series?

Sponsors like Blenders, Keto IQ, Kaizen, and S! support the training series by providing products and services that aid in the runner's preparation for the marathon, such as sunglasses, nutritional supplements, training apps, and athletic apparel.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Marathon Training: The Importance of Long Runs

The speaker discusses the significance of long runs in marathon training, particularly in the 6 to 8 weeks leading up to a marathon like the Chicago Marathon. They emphasize the need to move beyond just long slow easy runs and to focus on four specific types of long runs that can maximize performance. These include runs that are close to the goal marathon pace, which is psychologically and physically beneficial for preparing for race day. The speaker also shares their own experience of training and studying elite athletes to conclude these four types of long runs.

05:02

🚦 Long Tempo Runs: The First Type of Marathon-Specific Run

The first type of long run detailed is the long tempo run, which should be performed at about 90-95% of the goal marathon pace. This type of run is favored by elite athletes and helps runners get accustomed to maintaining a challenging pace for an extended period. The run's length is recommended to be between 10 miles and 16 miles for advanced runners, with a slower pace for beginners. The speaker shares a personal experience of doing a 30k run at a pace that was 95-96% of their goal marathon pace, highlighting the effectiveness of this training method.

10:05

🔁 Alternating Pace Tempo Runs: The Second Marathon-Specific Run

The second type of run is the alternating pace tempo run, which involves blocks of faster running just above the goal marathon pace, interspersed with recovery blocks at a slower pace. This method helps simulate the fluctuations in pace during a marathon and conditions the body to handle the rigors of race day. The speaker provides a personal example of doing a 4-3-2-1 mile run at a faster pace, followed by float recoveries at a slower pace, averaging out to a pace close to their goal marathon pace.

15:05

📈 Progressive Long Run: The Third Type of Marathon-Specific Run

The third type of long run is the progressive long run, where the pace increases every 5K, aiming to reach the goal marathon pace by the middle of the run. This run helps build endurance and speed, with the final sections being the most challenging. The speaker describes a recent 30K run where they progressively increased their pace, finishing with a 5K at a pace faster than their goal marathon pace, simulating the final push of a marathon.

20:07

👟 Sponsors and Gear for Marathon Training

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the sponsors of their YouTube channel and the gear they use for marathon training. They mention Blenders for sunglasses that stay in place while running, Keto IQ for its caffeinated peach flavor drink which aids in energy and appetite suppression, Kaizen for its marathon prediction app, and S running for its high-performance apparel. The speaker appreciates the support from these sponsors and recommends their products for other runners.

🍀 Final Long Run: Marathon Goal Pace Consistency

The final type of long run the speaker plans to do is an extended period at the goal marathon pace. They suggest doing multiple 5K intervals at this pace with recovery periods, or two 10K intervals for a more challenging workout. This training helps runners practice fueling and running efficiently at their goal pace, preparing them to maintain this pace for the full marathon distance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of these long runs for maximizing marathon performance.

Keywords

💡Long Runs

Long runs are extended periods of running designed to build endurance and stamina, crucial for marathon training. In the context of the video, long runs are specifically structured to simulate the demands of a marathon, with different types tailored to enhance various aspects of performance. The script discusses four specific types of long runs that are essential for optimal marathon preparation.

💡Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon is a major annual marathon event that serves as a key focus for many long-distance runners. The video's discussion on long runs is framed around preparing for this event, indicating the practical application of the training advice given.

💡Elite Athletes

Elite athletes refer to individuals who compete at the highest level of their sport. The script mentions studying elite athletes' training as part of the presenter's research, suggesting that the training advice is informed by observing and learning from the best in the field.

💡Lactate Threshold (LT1)

Lactate Threshold (LT1) is the point during exercise at which lactic acid starts to accumulate in the muscles faster than it can be cleared, leading to fatigue. The video discusses running near this threshold to gain endurance, indicating its importance in marathon training for managing fatigue.

💡Tempo Run

A tempo run is a type of workout where the runner maintains a pace near their lactate threshold for an extended period. The script describes a long tempo run as one of the four types of long runs, emphasizing its role in marathon training for building endurance and pace management.

💡Pace

Pace in running refers to the speed at which a runner completes a distance. The video script frequently discusses various paces, such as goal marathon pace and half marathon pace, to illustrate how to structure long runs to simulate and prepare for race conditions.

💡Progressive Long Run

A progressive long run is a type of run where the pace increases incrementally over set intervals. The script describes this as one of the four types of long runs, highlighting its effectiveness in building speed and endurance towards the end of a marathon.

💡Fueling

Fueling in the context of running refers to the补给 of energy and nutrients during a run, typically through gels or drinks. The video emphasizes practicing fueling during long runs to prepare for marathon race day, underlining its importance in sustaining energy levels.

💡Recovery

Recovery in running refers to the period of rest or reduced effort after intense exercise, allowing the body to repair and regain energy. The script mentions recovery in the context of alternating pace tempo runs, where recovery periods are crucial for managing fatigue and lactate buildup.

💡Training Block

A training block is a specific period of training focused on preparing for a particular event or race. The video's advice is centered around the final training block before a marathon, indicating the timing and specificity of the training advice.

💡Effort

In the context of the video, effort refers to the intensity of the workout relative to one's maximum capacity. The script advises on managing effort levels during different types of long runs to simulate race conditions and avoid overexertion.

Highlights

The importance of long runs for marathon training within the last 6 to 8 weeks before the race.

Four specific types of long runs that can maximize marathon performance.

The first type is a long tempo run at 90-95% of goal marathon pace.

The psychological benefit of long tempo runs, preparing runners for maintaining pace.

The second type is an alternating pace tempo run, with blocks of faster and slower paces.

The third type is a progressive long run, getting faster every 5K.

The fourth type is an extended period at goal marathon pace.

The necessity of adjusting paces based on training conditions.

The value of practicing fueling during long runs with gels and drinks.

The impact of fatigue and how it affects marathon training.

The significance of the first lactate threshold (LT1) in marathon training.

The concept of 'fle' workouts and their role in marathon preparation.

The role of recovery periods in alternating pace tempo runs.

The importance of training in conditions that mimic race day.

The strategy of adjusting goal marathon pace based on current training conditions.

The use of Kaizen app for marathon training and prediction.

The benefits of using specific fueling strategies and supplements for marathon training.

The role of apparel in marathon training and the preference for high sweat rate materials.

Transcripts

so today I want to talk about long runs

where just Less Than 3 weeks out till

the Chicago marathon many of you that

have been training hard for 8 10 12

sometimes more than 12 weeks for the

Chicago marathon would have already done

plenty of long runs at this point but I

think having spent a lot of time

studying this space obviously a lot of

time studying Elite Athletes Training

and also looking at my own training I've

concluded that there are four types of

long runs that are really specific to

the marathon that I think that if you

can hit all four of these types of long

runs in the last say 6 weeks leading

into a marathon you're going to prepare

yourself as best you possibly can

leading into the marathon that you're

preparing for now there's something to

be said for doing long runs well before

6 weeks before the marathon of course

you want to be probably ideally up to

doing 2hour runs with 10 weeks to go

until the marathon or maybe even 12

weeks to go before the marathon but when

you get closer to the marathon you want

to be really specific with your training

and these long slow easy runs way slower

than the goal Pace that you want to hit

in training are going become a little

unspecific for what you want to do

they're still going to be helpful and

there's nothing really wrong with them

but you really want to be running it

very close to your go marathon pace in

training but there's really four types

of long runs in my opinion that you can

do to really maximize your performance

come race day so these are long runs

that you want to be doing within the

last 6 to8 weeks of the marathon and

I've already done three of these types

of long runs and the final one I'll be

doing at least one of maybe even two of

undecided in these last sort of three

weeks so the first one is a long tempo

run at about 95 90 to 95% of your goal

marathon pace ronado Kenova loves these

types of long runs he prescribes it to

many of his athletes many of these

athletes have run under 205 for the

marathon or under 220 women uh in the

marathon and you want to try and

understand roughly or specifically if

you can what your goal marathon pace is

before hitting this long run then you

have to understand like all long runs or

all workouts what are the conditions

you're going to run in and are you under

any sort of U training fatigue which you

almost certainly will be at this point

in the Marathon block and then you want

to try and understand well where is 90

to 95% of this goal marathon pace and

you want to try and do a continuous run

of somewhere between I would say for

advanced Runners somewhere between 10 Mi

and up to 16 Mi or maybe even up to 18

Mi for some people at

that speed continuously and the beauty

of this is a few things one you're very

close to your LT1 lactate threshold the

first lactate threshold point which is a

very very efficient stimulus to be

running in you gain a lot of endurance

from running in this Zone someone call

it sort of Zone 3 sort of low end to

middle end of Zone 3 and it's also very

psychologically specific to the marathon

as well because you have to get used to

running one pace somewhat uncomfortably

towards the end for a very long time and

if you do properly you're going to get

to sort of 3/4 of the way through this

run and kind of feel like you want to

stop you kind of very tired very bored

you're you know sick of running one pace

for up to 90 minutes or sometimes up to

2 hours and these types of long runs are

super specific and very effective for

marathon training if you're a beginner

you going to probably doing closer to 8

to 12 miles or 12 to maybe up to 20 km

but for an advanced Runner you want to

be sort of 20 to even up to 30k and last

week unfortunately I didn't take any

video footage of this but I was out at

waterfall Glenn a place where many

people in Chicago would know where

exactly that is and how lovely that

course is little bit hilly but we did

30k at 331 per kilm which if we were on

the flat here in Chicago on the lake

front and it wasn't uh as hot as it was

that day it' probably be the same effort

as doing about 325 per km so that's

about 96 95 96% of my goal marathon pace

325 that is but we were running at

waterfall Glen warmer conditions we

adjusted adjusted it back and did about

331 per km which is about 538 539 per

mile pace and that's right in the middle

of 90 to 95% of my gold marathon pace

and so these sorts of long runs are very

effective I've said multiple times now

and I highly recommend adding these into

your Marathon plan it might be a little

bit too late at this point if you're

training for Chicago but if you are

training for New York or Valencia or

something next year I think these sorts

of long runs are very effective the

second one is a workout that I've done a

couple of times already and it's an

alternating Pace tempo run so this is

probably be a little bit shorter than

what I just said probably closer to for

advanced Runners about 20 to 23 km or

about 12 to 14 Mi um and for beginner

Runners you probably want to be doing

closer to maybe about 7 to 10 miles or

10K to 15K where you're alternating some

blocks of effort or blocks of time or

blocks of distance at just faster than

your gold marathon pace and doing

recovery blocks at just slower than your

marathon pace so for me my go marathon

pace is right around 315 to 3177 per

kilm which would land me at about a 217

to 219 marathon and I was doing a well

I've done two workouts the first one I

did probably about four or five weeks

ago now I did 4 miles 3 miles 2 mil 1

mile I actually did a video about this

where I was doing the 4321 miles at a

little bit faster than my go marathon

pace at about 213 214 marathon pace or

510 mile Pace 511 mile pace and the

float recoveries were at about 540 to

550 M pace so a little bit slower and it

to it ends up averaging pretty close to

your goal marathon pace in the full run

this is you could you know call this a

fle if you want you could call it a

alternating Pace tempo run which is what

I call it but this type of workout is

very effective for marathon training and

Marathon racing because you're pushing

your heart rate your late levels

probably a little bit above what they

should be at LT1 probably close to lt2

but then just as it gets to the point

where you're probably accumulating

lactic acid a little bit too much for

what you want to be doing you get the

recovery float recovery where it comes

back down heart rate lactates effort Etc

and you're continuously alternating

between one of the other another very

common one is 1K on 1K float 1K on 1K

float you could do up to 20K for

beginners up to probably 30k for

advanced Runners I've seen Melbourne

Track Club athletes and other athletes

in Australia and around the place do up

to 30k of this but I think 20K is plenty

and for real beginners someone doing

their first marathon or second Marathon

even 14 15K or 9 miles is more than

enough the third one is something that I

did last week and I will show you a bit

of footage from this afterwards uh I did

a progressive long run of 30 KET where

every 5K I tried to get a little bit

faster than the last 5K and I wanted to

be hitting my goal marathon pace just

about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the

run so I thought to myself right my gold

marathon pace is 315 to 37 per kilm I

basically want to be there in the fourth

or the fifth 5K block so I did some math

and thought okay I'll do the first 5k at

about 335 per kilm second 5K at about

330 and 325 320 315 and 310 so you want

to be trying to do the last 5K a little

bit faster than your go marathon pace if

you can but if you're feeling very

fatigued and very tired through that

sort of fourth and fifth block you have

the option always to try and maintain

your go marathon pace at the end so once

again I want to just reiterate something

that I said at the very beginning I've

sort of brushed over it quickly you want

to make sure that the conditions are

pretty good for this workout and if

they're not of course you can't make

sure of that but if they're not you have

to adjust your Paces a little bit so if

it's very warm or it's very windy or

you're feeling generally very fatigued

then adjust your go marathon pace by a

few seconds per kilometer or a few

seconds per mile to Just Adjust for the

fact that you're probably training in

conditions that are going to be a little

bit harder than race day but who knows

maybe race day will also be really warm

or you'll feel generally tied from work

or whatever it may be but do keep in

mind that you don't want to necessarily

hit exactly your goal marathon pace in

these workouts if the conditions aren't

ideal if the conditions are ideal then

you can try and shoot for that once

again assuming that you've got super

shoes on and everything else is pretty

similar to what you'll have on race day

so back to the progressive long run I

think beginners could do 15K or maybe

even 20K and advanced Runners can do all

the way up to you know 20 mi 32k I chose

30k I think this was a good distance for

me as I'm shooting for around that 216

217 218 marathon and uh this workout was

absolutely perfect for me it was um

exactly what I

wanted very

windy it'll be a side wind most of the

way quite all the way warm up

done a little bit nervous for this to be

honest nervous yeah it's going to be hot

at the

end 30 K getting faster every 5K we're

going to go 7K 7 1/2k I think that way

to the end Loop and then 22 1/2k

straight shot down south something about

doing like a point too well technically

not cuz we started at home but I do like

shooting straight down south the wind is

sort of coming sideways but it'll be

very slight Tail Going Down South for

the majority but not really cuz

basically just hitting from the side so

it shouldn't affect us that much but the

main goal of today is to really practice

everything um

well when I say everything I mostly mean

fueling so 100 G of cars an hour by the

uh Char gels and the drink mix there's

just a bit of sugar with um some

electrolyte tablet and yeah I'm wearing

the alphafly uh alphafly 3s although I'm

almost certain I'll wear the alphafly

ones on race day that's my favorite shoe

and the reason why I'm wearing these

today is because I don't want to wear

out the alphafly ones I only got one

pair and yeah hopefully this goes well

it should be pretty comfortable for the

first half 335 330

325 that's 545 I think in mile Pace um

and getting down through the middle we

should be at pretty close to 3 uh sorry

530 mile Pace or 325 that should still

be pretty comfortable it should start to

get pretty hard just after 20K when

we're down at 315s and the fifth section

of six the fifth 5K is basically my go

Marathon Bas so yeah 335 330 25 20 15 10

315 from 20 to 25 5K that's basically

gold Marathon that's like 217 216

Marathon p and the last 5K is going to

be really hard because that's basically

212 2 211 marathon pace but it's

basically my half marathon pace or

slightly slower all right I'm get

started in a minute few more

stretches all right I am going to go

with the sunnes sun will be out ready

three

so far I

good should be

like

splp

7 48

49

3:29 it's like

5:37 so

almost at uh

9k yeah warm up basically done 20K

[Music]

now never Swit sh iwit gear to

the 7

25 quicker now

[Applause]

[Applause]

781 got number

four should be 16 40

[Applause]

11 to

[Applause]

the much to the last

one 3 12 really good

philosophy

[Applause]

[Applause]

nice

[Applause]

yeah got really tough towards the

end that was exactly what I

wanted the last 5K was hard but it was

basically my half marathon

face 308 309 km which is like

550 5

504

perfect so for that 5K cool down 40

okay and then everything we possibly do

to

[Applause]

recover pretty

windy I couldn't even really tell if it

was helping me or not it sort of like

because the path's like this it helps

you in some parts and then some parts it

doesn't sorry that last 5K there was

like a point in the middle around 2 and

1/2k where we were like directly into

the for like half a km I was just

like it's horrible these are so

[Applause]

good I said after the workout that it

was pretty much exactly the paces that I

wanted to hit I was slightly under those

Paces that I said I was 334 329 324 318

3113 and then 309 per km and it was

pretty warm towards the end a little bit

warmer than I hope race day is probably

close to 17° C or 62 63° F so this sort

of long run is also very very effective

you're building up a little bit of

fatigue in your legs in that first sort

of half or 2third of the run where

you've already done about ideally 12 to

maybe even upwards of 20 km at a pretty

steady Pace not too far off your go

marathon pace and then you're really

trying to hit 10 to 15K for advanced

runners or 7 to 10K for beginner Runners

at your goal marathon pace and then

ideally even slightly faster at the end

getting down to close your half marathon

pace so for me that's exactly what I did

and the way that you can structure this

is just go what's your go marathon pace

that's where you want to be at the

fourth or the fifth somewhere around

there 5K block and then adjust backwards

from there and then try and make sure

your final one is a little bit faster

than that so you can put any Targets on

there that you like but ideally your

graph wants to look a little bit like

this the one that I've got here just

getting a little bit fast at every 5K

and finishing very strong before we

continue I just want to thank some of

the sponsors of the the YouTube channel

and my series leading into the Chicago

marathon blender sunglasses sent me a

pair of glasses to try it and they are

sponsoring this video series I've been

loving the coastal x2s I've been running

these on the lakefront and a few people

give me compliments actually people that

I know um but I really like these I

think the lenses are fantastic for

running they do not slide down your face

the glasses like many do for me often

times when I'm sweating they fly down

here but they sit very well on my face

I'm not sure what you think of the color

I quite like them I picked these ones

myself and I've been really enjoying

these they also sent me a couple of the

sort of Hardcore sports sunglasses I

haven't had the nerve to use these yet

on the leg front but I hopefully will at

some point soon but a huge thank you to

blenders for sponsoring this video

series and yeah I highly recommend you

check out blender's website yourself to

see what they have that you might enjoy

keton IQ have been sponsoring the sweat

Elite YouTube channel for some time now

and if you haven't tried the peach

flavor yet with caffeine I strongly

recommend you do because if you struggle

with the first flavor which does the job

but the flavor is definitely

questionable um I strongly recommend you

checking this out because this is a

great flavor as I said 100 migs of

caffeine which is very similar to a

regular coffee I have this every single

morning when I wake up I find it very

useful for brain energy and also just

general energy throughout the day and I

mentioned in the last video I've been

utilizing this for appetite suppression

as well when I've been trying to reduce

some calories during the day don't judge

me on that go watch the last video if

you want to learn more but this is a

fantastic replacement for for just

snacks if you want to gain a little bit

of energy without eating really anything

at all and it's only 70 calories and

yeah I'll also be taking this during the

marathon one in the first half and one

in the second half because I find it

really useful just mentally to feel like

a I'm just getting a little bit of a

brain energy boost through the marathon

and I think towards the end of the

marathon that's something that kills

most people just brain energy often

times their body feels okay but they

just generally feel really fatigued and

so obviously glucose is a uh huge help

in that situation but also ketones being

a second fuel source I definitely

recommend trying it out yourself and you

can score 30% off by heading to Ketone

docomo Elite I strongly recommend giving

it a go and seeing if it works for you

it does work for most people and it's

working for so many of the world's best

athletes including Cole Hawker coopera

Dez Lindon Sarah Hall cam worth Sam low

so many more so if the world's best

athletes are utilizing it I recommend

that you try it out yourself too Kaizen

has also been sponsoring this YouTube

series and I highly recomend it out

yourself if you're training for the

marathon it's currently predicting me to

run

21639 at the Chicago marathon which I

think if I can figure out how to get

through this race without cramping and

the conditions are very cool which is

what I'm going to really needed to be if

I want to get through the race and run

the best time I possibly can I would say

that prediction is pretty good I mean I

would probably predict more like 217 to

218 but let's see um if you haven't yet

downloaded Kaizen it's very easy to do

just download the application you

connect your stra account and one

important thing that you have to do is

go to the top right menu the little

hamburger menu and you select tailor

prediction and you load all of your

races and select your three best

marathons that you've ever done three or

four and that will make sure the

prediction is as accurate as possible so

some people don't do that and their

predictions are a little bit off but if

you do that your prediction should come

pretty accurate so I highly recommend

checking this out thank you to kaen for

sponsoring this video series and of

course finally s running my favorite

apparel brand that is I'm so lucky to

have s sponsored this video series

because I absolutely love their gear I

wear it every single day in training I'm

going to be wearing it in the race as

well it's so good for people that have a

high sweat rate because it doesn't get

heavy it somehow has the material that

doesn't really fill up and make the you

know make you feel very heavy when

you're training and the gear that they

have for Marathon racing is just so good

the amount of gel compartments they have

in their Marathon speed shorts and their

tights is unreal and I'm really looking

forward to repping the sgear on race day

at the Chicago as well and the final

long run that I'm going to do at least

once in this next sort of 2 and 1/2

weeks and maybe even twice we'll see how

things pan out and you could have

already done one of these already I

haven't yet and it's to do an extended

amount of time right at your goal

marathon pace so the two workouts that

come to mind for me that I prescribe

athletes all the time that I do myself

is 4X 5K right at your go marathon pace

once again assuming conditions are good

and super shoes are on and you feel fine

and if some of those things don't exist

and you want to scale that pace back a

little bit to adjust for the variables

but 4X 5K with 1K recovery and the 1K

recovery should ideally be sort of

steady state not too slow or I think the

best one you can possibly do that's the

most speciic to the marathon that I'm

going to aim to do somewhere between 10

and 14 days out is 2x 10K which is very

similar to 2x6 miles at right around

your go marathon pace assuming

conditions are good this workout is very

tough you're basically doing half of the

Marathon distance at your go marathon

pace in training when you're under quite

a lot of fatigue and if you can manage

to do this and still feel comfortable

then you've absolutely nailed your

training block and you've absolutely

nailed the workout you don't want this

workout to be 100% effort you want it to

be probably close to 85 to 90% effort

but you're really practicing running

right at that goal pace and you're

trying to be as efficient as possible

over the ground and making sure that

you're not right at your lt2 threshold

quite yet you're really trying to make

sure that you your think to yourself

during that run yeah if I needed to I

would be able to hold this for the full

Marathon if I really needed to because

at the end of the day that's what you've

set out to do and that's what the

training is all about it's ideal in

these runs especially the fourth one

that I just mentioned that you're

practicing the fueling as well taking in

gels and taking in drinks so if you're

fortunate enough to have someone to ride

along with you and give you gels or you

can obviously pack them in your pockets

or if you're very organized you can set

up a table and you can do some loops and

you can pick up the drink bottle and

gels from the table or just the drink

bottle and practice the fueling within

the long run these are critical workouts

in my opinion to do leading up to race

state if you want to get the absolute

most out of your Marathon I think that

if you train for a 5k or a 10K and you

do basically regular 5K 10K training and

you just do a few 20 M 32 35k easy long

runs you'll probably still run the

marathon reasonably well you probably

still run it to about 90 to 95% of your

ability but if you want to get the

absolute most out of your Marathon I

think these four types of long runs are

extremely effective and if you can add

these in ideally one of each or maybe

even two of one of them so for example

I've done two of the alternating Pace

Tempo runs and I've basically done one

of each of the other ones and I'm going

to do one of the fourth consistent

Marathon goal Pace workouts very soon um

I think that this is the way to be as

prepared as you possibly can be for

marathon race day