Now, that I’m really engaged in my marathon training program (I know that’s it’s only Week #3). I have been reading and learning about things that can enhance my training. Yesterday, I participated interval training hosted by Front Runners NY (Brooklyn). I think that greater interest in becoming a better runner results from blogging (or trying to blog) and reading other folks’ blogs.
After running my first NYC marathon, I told myself that if I were to train for another marathon that I would incorporate more speed and hill work. Hill work is important to me because the 59th Street Bridge really killed me for my first NYC marathon.
In this quick entry, I’m just going to post some reasons for speed workouts in any type of training program based on a couple of articles from Runner’s world. Also, I will post my training program that I hope to continue to follow.
The Six Reasons You Need Speedwork by Erin Srout (***).
- Slim down quicker – this does not concern me too much because I know that many people who train for marathons do not lose that much weight.
- Build strength – cool.
- Get faster feet – very important to me.
- Increase stamina – another important factor to me.
- Run stronger and longer – isn’t this the same as reasons #2 and #4?
- Make the joy of running last – switching up routines can prevent boredom in a sport.
New weekly workout schedule. Time and happy hour permitted. Because I am coming off of a serious back injury, I’m only going to do three runs per week for now. Hopefully, my back issue will not come back and I can up it to four runs per week.
- Mondays: Recovery run
- Tuesday: Weight lifting and/ Zumba or FRNY Brooklyn Fun Run, if I skip Monday’s run
- Wednesday: Weight lifting/ static stretching stretching or Zumba, if Tuesday’s Zumba is skipped
- Thursday: FRNY Brooklyn Interval training. I may have to do this one alone because the coach was talking about training at a track in Gowanus, Brooklyn and ain’t nobody got time for that.
- Friday: Probably nothing . . . does happy hour count as a workout?
- Saturday: Long run and static stretching
- Sunday: Weight lifting and static stretching, if I’m not too pooped from the long run. I feel that as the long run distances increase, Sunday workouts will be skipped.
How do you incorporate speed work into your training program?
Run There, Drink That 
Good luck with your marathon! Which one are you doing? In my second marathon training cycle, I did more speed work than in my first and I think it helped (lots of tempo runs, 3 sessions of Yasso 800s). However, now that its hot, I’ve had a harder time getting the speed work in!
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Thanks for the comment. I’m doing NYC in November.
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My training program has me doing 800s for my speed work with 400m recovery between each 800. The program started with 4 and as of this week I’m up to 8. Ultimately there is a workout on my schedule with 14 800s on it. Don’t know how that’s going to go. Ha! This is my first marathon that I’m training for (Richmond, VA in November). By the time it comes around, I will have 6 halves under my belt. Looking forward to following your progress.
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Thanks for following. I hope my training and progress go well.
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