Hal Higdon PLUS: Marathon--Advanced 1

Author: Hal Higdon

18 weeks - $39.95
Total Miles: 747
Total Hours: 95
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PLUS: Hal Higdon's Marathon--Advanced 1: This training program for Advanced 1 marathoners is a progressive buildup--similar to that for Novice and Intermediate runners, except you start at 10 miles and peak with three 20-milers. There is also more training at marathon pace (usually Saturdays, the day before Sunday long runs). The major difference, however, is the addition of speedwork. Advanced 1 has one day of speedwork; Advanced 2, two. Pick your poison. Each day I will send you an email telling you what to run and offering a training tip. For more information and directions, visit my website: halhigdon.com.

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Sample workouts:

Workout #1 : Other

Planned Time: 0:00:00
Hundreds of thousands of runners have run marathons using my training programs. Many have followed my novice program to finish their first marathon. Once having achieved that success, they often migrate upwards to use one of my intermediate or advanced programs, running more miles or adding speedwork to improve their times, to set Personal Records, even to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon, which accepts only runners who qualify by running fast times. Whether your goal is to qualify for Boston or not, welcome to my training program.
Workout #2 : Other

Planned Time: 0:00:00
Have questions related to your marathon training? You can ask them by going to my InterActive Bulletin Boards, available online through halhigdon.com.
Workout #3 : Run
Custom
Planned Time: 0:24:00
This premium Advanced 1 Training schedule is for experienced runners seeking to fine-tune their training by following a program that includes some speedwork plus more mileage than the programs followed by Novice and Intermediate runners. (The Advanced 2 program features two days of speedwork weekly.) Hopefully you arrived at this program with a background of speed training and know what it's like to do hill repeats, interval training on the track and tempo running in the woods. If not, this is no time to start. You would be much better following one of the Intermediate programs and saving this program for a later marathon. Okay, you read my disclaimer and agreed to the conditions for acceptance into this very tough program. For the next 18 weeks, you will use Monday as a day of comparative rest by running an easy 3-5 miles, then adjourning to the gym for 15-30 minutes of stretching and strength training. (This might be a good workout to do in a health club, since you can do your 3-miler on a treadmill before heading to the weight room.) Wednesday workouts will be about the same. Fridays are rest days, since even Advanced runners need to rest. Are you up to the challenge?
Workout #4 : Run

Planned Time: 0:40:00
Five miles at whatever pace seems comfortable to you. As the countdown continues, your Tuesday mileage will increase gradually from 5 miles in Week 1 to 10 miles in Week 11. This is a sorta-long run, done midweek at longer distances than usual, but not as long as the weekend long runs. Feel free to punch the acceleration button if you're feeling good, particularly toward the end of the workout.
Workout #5 : Other

Planned Time: 0:00:00
Marathons lend themselves to goal setting, because of the extra effort required both to train for them and to compete well in them, and simply because of the magic of the marathon itself. But setting a goal involves not merely selecting an event or events but also deciding what you expect from your participation in that event. Is your goal just to finish? Is your goal a PR? Is your goal victory, or at least placing high in your age group? Or maybe you are just out to have a good time?
Workout #6 : Other

Planned Time: 0:00:00
How many miles a week are necessary to achieve peak performance in a maraton? My advanced marathon programs peak at about 50-60 miles a week. The exact number depends on how long you run warming up and cooling down. I've always stressed quality rather than quantity, but if you want to up your weekly miles, simply add a mile or two a day to your runs.
Workout #7 : Run

Planned Time: 0:24:00
Tuesday and Thursday workouts form a tough one-two punch in this Advanced 1 schedule--but that's what it takes if you want to run a fast marathon, perhaps qualify for Boston, or go even faster! In between, you get to run easy. Jog an easy 3 miles today, then do some stretching, spending more time on this than you normally might do to ready yourself for tomorrow's speed session. You can also do some lifting today, but I don't recommend excessive strength training during the marathon buildup, and I suggest cutting back on what lifting you do as the marathon draws near. Go to the area on halhigdon.com where Olympic Trials qualifier Cathy Vasto offers Six Spectacular Strength Exercises and Physical Therapist Debbie Pitchford provides Five Fantastic Stretching Exercises. Put together a regular routine that you can use each Monday and Wednesday.
Workout #8 : Run

Planned Time: 0:40:00
In this Advanced 1 program, Thursdays feature hill workouts, tempo runs and interval training on the track, alternating between each from week to week. I do this mainly to provide some variety to the program. Today the prescription is 3 x Hill. But the workout is slightly more complicated than that. Warm up with a couple of miles. Find a hill 200-400 meters long. Run 3 uphill repeats on it, jogging back down between. Cool down with a mile or two. That will give you a workout today of about 5 miles--but counting mileage is not important. More important is the quality of what you do, not the quantity. Even in the marathon, quality counts--at least for Advanced runners.
Workout #9 : Other

Planned Time: 0:00:00
Marathons continue to grow in size. Chicago, New York and London all attract fields larger than 30,000 runners. Within the United States, according to figures from the USATF Road Running Information Center, the number of runners finishing marathons has grown from 170,000 to 400,000 in two decades. Those finishers are slightly older and somewhat slower, their motivation in entering a marathon (often their first road race of any distance) being mainly to finish it, not to finish it fast.