Running is popular, and for many people, running a marathon is on their bucket list. But how do you make sure you’re properly prepared, and what’s the best way to go about it? Of course, there are various training methods, but over the coming weeks we’ll be highlighting one in our ‘Road to Marathon’ series.
Road to Marathon!
Jermain Breidel, Patta Running coach and Vondelgym running coach, will be taking part in the Berlin Marathon, and we’ll be following him as he prepares. He’s set his sights on a time under 3 hours. But how is he making sure he’s fully ready by 16 September, and what does his training look like? Over the coming weeks, he’ll tell you all about it.
- Jermain Breidel
- 43 years old
- Patta Running Coach
- Vondelgym Running Coach
Assessment points
To begin with, I think it’s important to build in assessment points to know where I stand – both in terms of fitness and distance capacity. From there, I start drawing up a training plan focused on the specific distance and goal I want to achieve. In my case, that’s the Berlin Marathon, but this is also an excellent starting point for shorter distances.
Training schedule
For example, two weeks ago I ran the Leiden Half Marathon. It was very tough, with temperatures of 28 degrees and a headwind. Even so, I finished in 1 hour and 28 minutes. I realised there’s still plenty of room for improvement if I’m to achieve my goal for Berlin. To work on this, I’ve drawn up the following schedule for myself for the coming month, combining endurance runs with interval and strength training.
Please note, this training plan is not intended for beginners. If you’d like to know how to increase your running distance and frequency without getting injured, take a look here.
- Monday: interval training
- Tuesday: easy endurance run, 20 km at a pace of 5:10 minutes per km
- Wednesday: endurance run, 20 km at a pace of 4:40 minutes per km
- Thursday: interval training
- Friday: endurance run, 20 km at a pace of 4:40 minutes per km
- Saturday: strength training + endurance run of 20 km at a pace of 5:10 minutes per km
- Sunday: rest day
At the end of this training month, I’ll run another race to build up my race rhythm and see where I stand at that point. The following month, I’ll adjust my schedule and, during one endurance run a week, build up the distance to 36 km. I’ll also replace one interval training session with a tempo run. As the marathon approaches, there’ll be a steady increase in distance, strength and speed.
Interval training
My favourite interval training is to cover one kilometre in as little time as possible each time. I do 8 x 1 km at a pace of around 17 km per hour. I rest for 2 minutes between each kilometre.
Endurance runs
To build up my mileage, I run 20 km four times a week at a pace ranging from 4:40 per km to 5:10 per km. I apply the 80/20 principle, which means I only go all out for 20 per cent of my training time and complete the rest of my sessions at a relaxed pace to prevent injuries. After sticking to this schedule for a month, I’ll start increasing the distance of one endurance run per week.
Strength training
To support this, I do strength exercises once a week. Mainly hip thrusts, deadlifts, trap bar exercises and lots of core exercises. I do low reps with as much weight as possible because I want to get stronger but don’t want to build big muscles.
Recovery
To aid my recovery, I do plenty of stretching after running and pay close attention to my diet. The better you eat, the better you feel and the better prepared you are for your next session. I’ve also recently started using protein shakes to ensure I get enough protein with all this training. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. That’s something I pay particular attention to when training a lot. I use Ekopura shakes for this, as I can be sure they contain no unnecessary additives. So far, I’ve been very pleased with them and they fit perfectly into my routine.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be tracking Jermain’s progress and explaining the various aspects of his training in more detail.
Also read:
- ROAD TO MARATHON! SETBACKS, INTERVALS AND FARTLEK
- THE 10 PER CENT RULE IN RUNNING
- THE IDEAL STEP FREQUENCY WHEN RUNNING!
- PROTEIN AND ENDURANCE SPORTS – DO THEY GO TOGETHER? ABSOLUTELY!
