Nothing quite tests your fitness like a marathon. You can spend months, and even a year of your life running mile after mile, searching wellness tip after wellness tip, all for 26.2 miles of glory. But what happens when you’ve not done the training you were supposed to, and you’ve only got a few weeks or days to make the marathon a great achievement instead of a terrible nightmare?
If it gets to four weeks before the big event, and you cannot run for 16 miles without stopping, it would be dangerous to take part. However, if you can manage this, there may still be time to save your training, which should involve many different strength and fitness building activities, and not just running. On each Monday, do either a 30 minute hard swim or interval running. The first and third Tuesday should be used for hill running, and the others for rest and recovery. Use Wednesdays to build strength with weight or circuit training, and rest on Thursdays apart from the second in your four weeks, which should involve an eight to 10 mile stint of steady speed running.
On the first Friday, run 20 miles, then 22 on the second, six on the third and rest on the last before the big day. Saturday should be for rest and recovery, which you need 24 hours of after a long run. Finally, on each Sunday, go for a gentle swim or jog, or go to a yoga or pilates class to strengthen your core. If you follow this plan, assuming you have the basic fitness level to run 16 miles and conditions are good on the day, everything should be fine. Be wary of over-training to force readiness, because it won’t work and could put your wellbeing at risk of temporary or long-term injury.
Finally, remember that rest and recovery does not mean sitting around in front of the TV or going to the pub. During this time, you need to soothe aching or recovering muscles by taking ice-baths, having massages or going for a nice, relaxing walk in the sea. However, if you are in doubt about an ache or pain or your ability to compete in the marathon, consult your doctor immediately.
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How to Get the Most out of Last-Minute Marathon Training
