Marathon training schedule

[zeuxia]

Does anybody have a 30-week marathon training schedule that they use? I have an 18 week one, but I want to give myself a little more time this year.

Thanks!

[fiddler3]

I suggest you go to about.com, and search for marathon training schedules. I have a 16 week half marathon walking training schedule I use. There are marathon schedules on the site also.

fiddler3

[Purdy]

Does anybody have a 30-week marathon training schedule that they use? I have an 18 week one, but I want to give myself a little more time this year.

As a former runner, it is my opinion that anyone doing marathons should be training year round.
Or perhaps you are running year round and only are looking for a 30 week plan to peak at the specific race date.

Generally speaking, I think running marathons is counter productive for virtually all normal non racers. Very little benefit in terms of health to run 26 miles. Too far for joints and bones. There are exceptions but I have to wonder why you would be training to run so far. Are you a competitive racer?
Hope you're not carrying much extra weight as even for light weight folks, it places great stress on the body during the required training.
I've found that most of my fellow former runners are now all doing things like cycling, swimming, and other low impact activities since our knee, ankle, and toe joints are fairly shot from so much running in our earlier years. I realize that younger people never think about what their joints will be like at age 50, but this outcome is so common in former runners that you'd think it would be warned against.
Of course you still see some older runners doing marathons, but if you enquire, you'll find most of them are not people who have been running since high school. Very very few.....begin young and continue to be able to be injury free while running for 40 years. Mostly knee joints.
All that pounding takes its toll. Parts wear out. I'm talking about body parts.

Don't want to sound negative since I loved running and still am a track fan. Its just that I see this over emphasis on doing marathons.
The training for a marathon is nothing like just doing two half marathons.
Its a whole different ball game and the training required to run it rather than just "finish" it is significant.
I don't think a person trying to get physically fit gains anything by "finishing" a marathon.
OK.......Thats my opinion. Ask other former runners you see.
I still exercise hours and hours each week. I just no longer pound my joints since I know that is counter productive for long term health and weight management.

[zeuxia]

I am an active runner, and just ran a half-marathon two months ago. I run year round, but I want a challenge to aim for. I'm the kind of person that needs a big goal to shoot for in order to stay committed!

Thanks for your concern.

[noodle]

You might try runners world website for training schedules.

I just recently stopped running after 25 years of it. I ran, at my peak, about 35 miles a week.

But I had a hysterectomy in Aug. and my doctor said the pounding of running would increase my chances of bladder prolapse. YUCK!!!

So, I am content to walk as fast as I can, and I must say, I'm really enjoying it immensly. I walk briskly enough that I feel I'm getting a good workout, plus I have a total gym and a soloflex that I work out on.

Take care and good luck.

[prairiedream]

With all due respect to Puddy, I think you can have a lifelong running career as long as you always remember to build up gradually and listen to your body. I run year-round, and I'm 41 right now and my joints don't bother me in the least. But I didn't start running until I was very close to my goal weight, and I built up very gradually (like, 5 minutes a month) so I wouldn't tax my bones and joints while they built up strength. I'm always very careful to build time up gradually because it's my understanding that your aerobic/lung system gets stronger before your muscles/bones do when running, so there's always that tendency to want to do more than you should.

Having said that, I must say that I've never run a marathon (I've run two half-marathons) and agree with Puddy there that the training is very intense and time-consuming if you want to do it correctly. That's why I've never run one, I think about it but don't know if I'd have time to do all that training. To me, if you just run 3 or 4 days a week and then expect to run a marathon, you should also be expecting some injury (that might cause those joint problems later down the line )

[Sandie]

With all due respect to Puddy...

Look closer, prairiedream, Puddy didn't post anything here. It was Purdy who posted above.

[prairiedream]

Oops! Oh my gosh, my apologies!

[jbs013]

What i'm doing is using a 19 week schedule given to me to run a half marathon and then using the last 11 weeks of the 18 week marathon schedule to get ready for that one (strength and tapering phases for the 1st race and then start over in the strength phase again for the 2nd).

You have an interim (and shorter) race you could put on your schedule?