Marathon Training Plan 20-35 MPW

By Dr. J.
Ryan Bair & Olympian Brian Sell
[3-4 running days, 20-35 miles per week]
NOTE: Cross-training in your training plan always equals your choice of 30-60 minutes of
activity that increases your heart rate + FLASH Strength Circuit afterwards (if desired)
**Also, if you are training for a hilly marathon, make sure you complete some of your long
runs on hillier courses!**
Week 1
 Monday: Cross-training
 Tuesday: FARTLEK: 6 miles total. Warm up 1 mile easy and then run 3 minute intervals
alternating 3 minutes at goal race pace or slightly faster, 3 minutes easy for 5 miles.
End with an easy interval.
 Wednesday: Rest day
 Thursday: 5 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run
 Friday: Cross-training
 Saturday: LONG RUN (9 miles): At FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own. Start
this run easy and get progressively faster so you are running goal pace effort for miles
5,6, and 7. Cool down the last 2 miles.
 Sunday: Rest day
Total mileage: about 20 miles
Week 2
 Tuesday: HILL REPEATS: Find a hill approximately 300-500 meters (1 quarter mile)
long. Warm up 2 miles easy. Run up the hill easy and time yourself. Jog back down
and run up again 4-5 seconds faster than before. Repeat 4 more times for a total of 6
hills (getting faster each hill). Cool down 2 miles easy. (example: if the first jog up the
hill takes 3 minutes, then your repetitions might look like this: 3:00, 2:56, 2:52, 2:48,
2:44, 2:40).
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this run easy and get progressively faster so you are running goal pace effort for miles
5,6, and 7. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 3
 Tuesday: TRACK WORKOUT: 8 x 800 meters. Warm up 1 mile easy at a track. Then
run 8 x 1/2 mile (800 meters = 2 laps) at 30-40 seconds per mile faster than goal pace.
(example: if goal pace is 10:00/mile, run 4:40-4:45 per 800). Jog an easy 200 meters
(half a lap) between each interval. Run in lane 1 if possible and start and finish at the
same place. Cool down an easy mile.
this run easy and get progressively faster so that you are running goal pace effort for
miles 8, 9, and 10. Cool down the last mile.
Week 4
 Tuesday: 3 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run
 Wednesday: TRACK WORKOUT: Warm up 1 mile easy at a track. Then run 4 x 1 mile
(1600 meters = 4 laps) at 20-30 seconds per mile faster than goal pace. Jog an easy lap
between each one. Run in lane 1 if possible and start and finish at the same place.
Cool down an easy mile.
 Thursday: Rest Day
 Saturday: LONG RUN (10 miles): At FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own.
Start this run easy and get progressively faster so that you are running goal pace effort
for miles 7, 8, and 9. Cool down the last mile.
Week 5
 Monday: 3 miles easy
 Tuesday: Rest day
 Wednesday: CUT-DOWN TEMPO RUN: 7 mile tempo. Start this run approximately 40
seconds/mile slower than goal pace and cut down about 10 seconds per mile so that
you are running at about 20 seconds faster than goal pace for the last mile. (example
goal pace = 10 min/mile, run 10:40, 10:30, 10:20, 10:10, 10:00, 9:50, 9:40. Cool down 1/2
mile easy
 Thursday: Cross-training
 Friday: 3 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run.
 Saturday: Rest Day
 Sunday: LONG RUN (12 miles): Start this run easy and get progressively faster so that
you are running goal pace effort for miles 8,9 and 10. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Total mileage: about 25.5 miles
Week 6
 Monday: Rest Day
 Tuesday: 3 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run.
 Wednesday: Cross-training
 Thursday: TEMPO RUN: Warm up an easy mile and hydrate, stretch, do strides, etc.
Then run 3 miles at goal pace. Jog an easy mile in between and then run a 2 mile
tempo at goal pace or faster. Cool down 1 mile easy. Ideally you would run the second
interval approximately 5-15 seconds per mile faster than the first.
 Friday: Rest day
 Saturday: 3 miles easy at FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own.
you are running goal pace effort for miles 9, 10 and 11. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 7
 Monday: Rest day
 Thursday: FARTLEK: 7 miles total. Warm up 1 mile easy and then run 4 minute
intervals alternating 4 minutes at goal race pace, 4 minutes easy for 6 miles. End with
an easy interval
 Saturday: 3 miles easy at FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own
 Sunday: LONG RUN (13 Miles): Start this run easy and get progressively faster so that
you are running goal pace effort for miles 9,10, and 11. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 8
 Thursday: TEMPO RUN: A big one....warm up an easy mile and hydrate, stretch, do
strides, etc. Then run 3 miles tempo at 5 seconds/mile faster than goal pace. Jog an
easy 5 minutes and then run 2 miles at 10 seconds/mile faster than goal pace. Jog an
easy 5 minutes and then run 2 miles at 10-20 seconds/mile faster than goal pace. Cool
down 1/2 mile easy.
you are running goal pace effort for miles 10,11, and 12. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 9
 Tuesday: Cross-training
 Wednesday: 5 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run
 Thursday: TRACK WORKOUT: Warm up 2 miles easy at a track. Then run 12 x 1/4 mile
(400 meters = 1 lap) at approximately 10-15 seconds faster than goal pace per 400
meters. (example: if goal pace is 10:00/mile, run 2:15-2:20 per 400). Jog an easy 200
meters (half a lap) between each interval. Run in lane 1 if possible and start and finish
at the same place. Cool down an easy mile.
 Saturday: Long Run (11 Miles): At FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own. Start
miles 6,7,8, and 9. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 10
 Wednesday: CUT-DOWN TEMPO RUN: 7 mile tempo. Start this run approximately 30
seconds/mile slower than goal pace and cut down about 10 seconds per mile so that
you are running 30 seconds faster than goal pace for the last mile. (example goal pace
= 10 min/mile, run 10:30, 10:20, 10:10, 10:00, 9:50, 9:40, 9:30. Cool down 1 mile easy.
 Thursday: Cross-training
you are running goal pace effort for miles 10-13. Cool down the last 2 miles.
Week 11
 Tuesday: 4 miles easy with FLASH Hill Drills in the middle of the run.
 Thursday: HILL REPEATS: Find a hill approximately 300-500 meters (1 quarter mile)
long. Warm up 2 miles easy. Run up the hill easy and time yourself. Jog back down
and run up again 3-5 seconds faster than before. Repeat 6 more times for a total of 8
hills (getting faster each hill). Cool down 2 miles easy. (example: if the first jog up the
hill takes 3 minutes, then your repetitions would look like this: 3:00, 2:57, 2:54, 2:51, 2:48,
2:45, 2:42, 2:39).
Week 12
intervals alternating 4 minutes at goal race pace, 4 minutes easy for 7 miles. End with
an easy interval.
 Sunday: TEMPO RUN: Simulator (18 Miles): On course as similar to that of your
marathon as possible: Warm up one mile easy and stretch, hydrate, strides as you
would before the race. Then run 15-16 miles at goal race pace with hydration along the
way. Cool down an easy mile or two.
Week 13
 Thursday: TRACK WORKOUT: Warm up 1 mile easy at a track. Then run 1 lap at 20
seconds/mile faster than goal pace. Jog an easy 200 (half lap), run 2 laps at 15
seconds/mile faster than goal pace, jog an easy 200, run 3 laps at 10 seconds/mile faster
than goal pace, jog an easy 200, run 4 laps at 5 seconds/mile faster than goal pace, jog
an easy 400 (one lap), run 4 laps(again) at 5 seconds/mile faster than goal pace, jog
an easy 400 (one lap) run 3 laps at 10 seconds/mile faster than goal pace, jog an easy
200, run 2 laps at 15 seconds/mile faster than goal pace, jog an easy 200, run 1 lap at
20 seconds/mile faster than goal pace, cool down about 1 mile easy. Example: if goal
pace is 10:00/mile, then times should be (2:25, 4:52-4:53, 7:22-7:23, 9:55, 9:55, 7:22-7:23,
4:52-4:53, 2:25 for the faster intervals)
Week 14
 Thursday: TEMPO RUN: 5 mile tempo. Warm up an easy mile and hydrate, stretch, do
strides, etc. just as you would before the race. Then run 5 miles at goal pace or slightly
faster if feeling good. Cool down 1 mile easy.
you are running goal pace effort for miles 11-14. Cool down the last mile.
Week 15
intervals alternating 3 minutes at goal race pace or slightly faster if feeling good, 3
minutes easy for 4 miles. End with an easy interval.
 Saturday: LONG RUN (10 Miles): At FLASH Trail Run (if possible) or on your own. Start
miles 7 and 8. Cool down the last 2 miles.
 Sunday: Cross-training
Week 16
 Tuesday: TEMPO RUN: Continuous run. Start with an easy mile and progress to race
pace for 2 miles. Run an easy mile and then run 2 more miles at race pace. Cool down
an easy 1/2 mile. Feel the pace baby, feel it.
 Thursday: Rest day
 Friday: 3 miles easy recovery. Keep it easy.
 Saturday: Rest day
 Sunday: MARATHON DAY: Warm up an easy 5-10 minutes slowwwww and hydrate,
stretch, strides, etc. Stick to goal pace through 16 miles (at least). Feel free to slowly
pick up the pace if you are feeling good at this point. Good Luck!

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By Dr. J.

Ryan Bair & Olympian Brian Sell

[3-4 running days, 20-35 miles per week]

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