I normally recommend a VO2max-building, pre-marathon phase like I outlined here. For Paige, however, we just finished a very intense leg speed phase, so doing more speed for an athlete that struggles with it didn’t seem smart. I decided instead that we’d do a variety pack of workouts designed to maximize the efficiency of all of her systems before we began our standard marathon plan. We also moved her weekly mileage back up to 120-140, which is where she feels best. I know this seems crazy, but some elite runners have to run a lot to feel good. That’s what makes them elite.
Pre-marathon Variety Pack
In the four-week pre-marathon phase, we performed the following workouts at least once during the phase:
Steady State Run: This is the bread and butter of our marathon training, so we did two of these workouts — a 6-mile and an 8-mile steady state run. These workouts not only give Paige confidence, but also get the body and mind ready for the longer, more intense marathon-specific workouts that we’ll do in the final 6-8 weeks before the ING New York City Marathon.
Leg Speed Training: To continue working on the basic speed that we spent the summer trying to develop, we performed two leg speed sessions. The workouts were both 150m sprints with 250m recovery walks/jogs. We did six repetitions during each workout and focused on running very fast with good form. While doing these workouts week in and week out during the summer was tough, Paige now loves doing these workouts every 2-3 weeks.
VO2max Training: We did include one VO2max-type workout. We headed down to Sedona, Ariz., (4,500 feet) and performed four times 1,000m repeats with 200-300m jog between. Since we live and train at 7,000 feet, dropping down to 4,500 feet feels like sea level. Paige loves 1,000m repeats on the track and this workout gave her a kick-start to her race fitness development.
Hill Training: As a student of Arthur Lydiard’s hill training techniques, I designed a fantastic hill circuit here in Flagstaff. It includes a 600m long uphill, a 200m long uphill and sections for strides before and after the uphill running. The course runs like a figure eight with the 600m hill in the middle — we get one long uphill and one short uphill on each two-mile loop, as well as three strides, including one that’s downhill. I talk a bit about it in this video. For Paige, this hill circuit will become very important as we prepare for the hills of Central Park at the end of the marathon.
We performed two workouts each week plus a long run. That seems to work for Paige (like it does for most of us).
If you have questions about how fast to run these types of workouts for your particular fitness level and goals, visit my website to learn about the purpose behind each workout and use the calculator to determine your optimal training paces for each type of workout.
Editor's note: During a training run, Higgins stepped on a rock, which unfortunately caused a stress reaction in her foot. She was forced to withdraw from the ING New York City Marathon this morning.
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