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Why This Phase Matters

The base phase is the cornerstone of a successful marathon buildup.

It’s no surprise in 2020 when I ran 2.09 (this was covid year) but I was able to get through about 3-4 cycles of this kind of training, before starting a
marathon build up. It’s super important to be patient, (if your goal is a great marathon etc..)

This plan ensures you have the necessary aerobic foundation, strength, and mental focus to thrive in the more demanding marathon-speci c training
block. By targeting these bene ts systematically, the athlete sets themselves up for optimal performance on race day.

It also means you’ll handle the marathon training better, and absorb more from each session.

21-Day Base Training Block and Recovery Week (time trial week) ha.

This type of training block is structured to build a strong foundation for marathon-speci c training. Here are the key bene ts and what the athlete might
achieve during this period: My guide is to repeat this 4 weeks schedule until it makes sense to start your 12-16 weeks of marathon training. That means
if you have 20 weeks to go etc.. then repeat the program twice, and use the options below, to help tweak the 2nd time around.

1. Aerobic Capacity Development

• Bene t: The high volume of easy and moderate-paced running improves the athlete’s ability to transport and utilize oxygen effectively.
• Outcome: A stronger aerobic engine provides the stamina needed for marathon training and racing.

2. Improved Running Economy

• Bene t: Strides, hill repeats, and tempo runs enhance neuromuscular ef ciency, teaching the body to use energy more effectively at various
speeds.
• Outcome: Running at marathon pace feels easier, requiring less energy per kilometer.

3. Threshold Development - (probably key)

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 • Bene t: Tempo runs at or near lactate threshold pace (~2:58–3:03/km) improve the body’s ability to clear lactate and sustain faster paces
without fatigue.
• Outcome: Better endurance at marathon pace and improved capacity to handle surges or changes in race effort.

4. VO₂ Max Improvement

• Bene t: Short, high-intensity intervals at 5K race pace (~2:50–2:55/km) push the athlete's aerobic ceiling, improving maximum oxygen uptake.
• Outcome: Increases top-end tness, which trickles down to better performance at slower paces, including marathon pace.

5. Strength and Power

• Bene t: Hill repeats build muscular strength, power, and resilience in the legs, mimicking the demands of rolling terrain during a marathon.
• Outcome: Reduced risk of muscle fatigue late in the race and better ability to maintain form over long distances.

6. Mental Toughness and Familiarity

• Bene t: Progressive long runs and workouts simulate the mental and physical demands of sustained effort.
• Outcome: Increased con dence in handling fatigue, pacing, and discomfort over extended periods.

7. Adaptation to Training Volume

• Bene t: Gradual increases in mileage prepare the athlete's body to handle the higher demands of marathon-speci c training without
overtraining.
• Outcome: Stronger tendons, muscles, and bones, reducing injury risk and improving overall durability.

8. Recovery and Adaptation

• Bene t: The recovery week ensures full absorption of the training stimulus, reducing fatigue and allowing the body to adapt.
• Outcome: The athlete enters the marathon-speci c training block feeling refreshed, strong, and ready to increase intensity.

9. Benchmarking Fitness
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 • Bene t: The time trial or race at the end of the block offers a real-world test of tness progress.
• Outcome: The athlete gains insights into current ability, re nes pacing strategies, and boosts con dence heading into marathon preparation.

What the Athlete Might Hope to Achieve Over This Period

1. Aerobic Strength: A strong base that ensures the athlete can handle the demands of marathon-speci c training.
2. Ef ciency at Marathon Pace: Better ability to sustain 3:07/km over longer durations with reduced perceived effort.
3. Durability: Improved physical resilience and reduced injury risk due to gradual mileage increases and strength work.
4. Sharpness: Enhanced ability to handle faster efforts (e.g., VO₂ max intervals) and recover ef ciently.
5. Mental Readiness: Con dence from completing challenging runs, setting the tone for the next training phase.
6. Fitness Insights: Data from the time trial to adjust pacing, re ne goals, and guide future training.

Make sure to warm up before harder sessions - Recovery periods should be easy jog

Warm-Up Before a Session days (20–30 Minutes Total)

1. Easy Jogging (10–15 Minutes)

• Pace: Easy effort (conversational pace).

• Purpose: Gradually raise heart rate, increase circulation, and loosen muscles.
2. Dynamic Drills (5–10 Minutes)

Incorporate movements that improve range of motion and activate running muscles:

• Leg Swings: 10–15 per leg (front-to-back and side-to-side).

• High Knees: 2x30 meters.
• Butt Kicks: 2x30 meters.
• Lunges with Rotation: 10 per leg.
• Skipping or Bounding: 2x20 meters.
3. Strides (5 Minutes)

• 3–4x20–30 seconds at a progressively faster pace, nishing slightly faster than tempo pace
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 • Walk or jog back for recovery between strides.
• Purpose: Neuromuscular activation and transitioning to the tempo effort.
4. Short Rest and Reset (1–2 Minutes)

• Take a moment to hydrate or adjust gear before starting the tempo session.

Optional Additions

• Foam Rolling (Before Warm-Up): Light rolling on major muscle groups to release tension and improve mobility.
• Activation Exercises (Before Drills): Include exercises like planks, bridges, or mini-band work to engage the core and glutes.
Guide to Training Zones and How to Determine Them

Training zones are critical for structured running training, as they allow for targeted physiological adaptations. Here’s a breakdown of the zones, their
purposes, and how to determine your personal zones based on metrics like heart rate, pace, power, and lactate.

1. Training Zones Overview

Zone Description Effort Level Purpose

Zone
Recovery/Easy Very light, conversational Promotes recovery and aerobic base
1
Zone Aerobic
Comfortable, steady Builds endurance and fat metabolism
2 Endurance
Zone
Tempo/Moderate Challenging but sustainable Improves aerobic power and LT1
3
Zone
Threshold (LT2) Hard, controlled effort Increases lactate clearance, LT2, and pacing
4
Zone Very hard, dif cult to
VO2 Max Enhances maximum oxygen uptake
5 sustain
Zone Develops power, speed, and lactate
Anaerobic/All-Out Sprint, explosive effort
6 tolerance

Using Heart Rate (General Guidance)

1. Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax):

◦ Perform a hard, sustained effort (e.g., 3-minute all-out sprint) to nd HRmax.
2. Heart Rate Zones:
◦ Zone 1: <60% HRmax.
◦ Zone 2: 60–70% HRmax.
◦ Zone 3: 70–80% HRmax.
◦ Zone 4: 80–90% HRmax.
◦ Zone 5: >90% HRmax.
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 ◦ Zone 6: All out.

Using Pace (Race-Based Estimation)

1. Recent Race Times: Use a 5K or 10K race to estimate:

◦ Zone 1: >20% slower than marathon pace.
◦ Zone 2: Marathon pace.
◦ Zone 3: 10–20 seconds slower than half-marathon pace.
◦ Zone 4: Half-marathon to 10K pace.
◦ Zone 5: 3K to 5K pace.
◦ Zone 6: All out.

Week-by-Week Training Structure (Zones)

Week 1: Foundation

Day Workout
Recovery: 6–8 km (12-14km if you run more) in Zone 1 + strides (5 ×
Monday
100m in Zone 5). (Optional double run easy, or cross training)
Tempo: 4 × 8 min in Zone 4, 2 min jog recovery, total 12–14 km. -
Tuesday
ensure a good warm up, and warm down.
Wednesda Aerobic: 10–12 km in Zone 2. (Again, adjust volume to suit your
y needs, but follow zone 2 approach).
Hills: 8 × 1 min uphill in Zone 5 effort, jog down recovery, total 12
Thursday
km. (Include good warm up and down)
Friday Recovery: 8 km in Zone 1.
Progression: 14 km starting in Zone 2, nishing last 4 km in Zone 4.
Saturday
(Include good warm up and down)
Sunday Long Run: 20 km in Zone 2. (Progress effort to zone 2)
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Week 2: Build

Day Workout
Recovery: 8 km in Zone 1 + strides (6 × 100m in Zone 5).
Monday
(Optional double run easy, or cross training)
Threshold: 5 × 6 min in Zone 4, 2 min jog recovery, total 14 km.
Tuesday
ensure a good warm up, and warm down.
Wednesda Aerobic: 12–14 km in Zone 2. (Optional double run easy, or cross
y training)
VO₂ Max: 6 × 3 min in Zone 5, 3 min jog recovery, total 12 km.
Thursday
ensure a good warm up, and warm down.
Friday Recovery: 8–10 km in Zone 1.
Progression: 16 km starting in Zone 2, nishing last 5 km in Zone
Saturday
4. ensure a small warm up, and warm down.
Sunday Long Run: 24 km in Zone 2.

Week 3: Peak Volume

Day Workout
Recovery: 8 km in Zone 1 + strides (6 × 100m in Zone 5). (Optional
Monday
double run easy, or cross training)
Tempo: 4 × 10 min in Zone 4, 2 min jog recovery, total 16 km. ensure
Tuesday
a good warm up, and warm down.
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Wednesda Aerobic: 12–14 km in Zone 2. (Optional double run easy, or cross
y training)
Hills: 10 × 1 min uphill in Zone 5 effort, jog down recovery, total 14
Thursday
km. ensure a good warm up, and warm down.
Friday Recovery: 10 km in Zone 1.
Progression: 18 km starting in Zone 2, nishing last 6 km in Zone 4.
Saturday
Small warm up and down
Sunday Long Run: 26 km in Zone 2, last 4 km in Zone 3.

Week 4: Recovery and Time Trial

Recovery Week

Day Workout
Monday Recovery: 6 km in Zone 1.
Strides: 6 km in Zone 1 + 6 × 100m strides in Zone
Tuesday
5.
Wednesda
Aerobic: 8–10 km in Zone 2.
y
Thursday Recovery: 6–8 km in Zone 1.
Friday Off or cross-training (cycling/swimming).
Short Tempo: 10 km (middle 4 km in Zone 4). Or
Saturday
Time trial / race - good week to test tness.
Sunday Easy Run: 12–14 km in Zone 2.

Time Trial or Race

• Goal: Run a 10K or 5k Test race

◦ 10K Effort: Zone 5.
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 ◦ Half-Marathon Effort: Zone 4.

Repeating your program options.

If you’re planning to repeat some of the training weeks, which makes sense, until you start your next marathon block, see some
Options below to help you keep things interesting.

Monday: Recovery Run + Strides

Purpose: Promote recovery, improve neuromuscular ef ciency.

• Alternative 1: 6–8 km in Zone 1 + 6 × 150m strides at Zone 5 with 90s easy jog recovery.
• Alternative 2: 8 km in Zone 1 + 4 × 200m strides at Zone 4–5 effort, 200m jog recovery.
• Alternative 3: Easy 8 km with 8 × 10s hill sprints at max effort, jog back down recovery.

Tuesday: Threshold/Tempo

Purpose: Develop lactate clearance and improve endurance at sub-maximal effort.

• Alternative 1: Progressive Threshold:

◦ 4 × 10 min starting at Zone 3 and progressing to Zone 4, 2 min jog recovery.
• Alternative 2: Threshold Intervals:
◦ 6 × 6 min in Zone 4 with 2 min jog recovery.
• Alternative 3: Tempo Pyramid:
◦ 4 min in Zone 4, 6 min in Zone 4, 8 min in Zone 4, 6 min in Zone 4, 4 min in Zone 4, all with 2 min jog recovery.

Wednesday: Aerobic Run

Purpose: Build aerobic base and endurance.

• Alternative 1: 12–14 km in Zone 2 with the last 3 km in Zone 3.

• Alternative 2: Fartlek Run:
◦ 8 × 2 min in Zone 3 effort, 2 min jog recovery, embedded in 12–14 km at Zone 2.
• Alternative 3: Steady-State Progression:
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 ◦ 3 km in Zone 2, 3 km in Zone 3, 3 km in low Zone 4, cool-down in Zone 2.

Thursday: Hills or VO₂ Max

Purpose: Build strength, power, and peak aerobic capacity.

• Alternative 1: Hill Repeats:

◦ 10 × 45s uphill in Zone 5 effort, jog back down recovery.
• Alternative 2: Flat VO₂ Max Intervals:
◦ 8 × 3 min in Zone 5, 2 min jog recovery.
• Alternative 3: Mixed Hill and Flat Intervals:
◦ 6 × 2 min uphill (Zone 5 effort), jog down recovery, followed by 4 × 1 min at in Zone 5 with 1 min recovery.

Friday: Recovery Run

Purpose: Facilitate recovery and prepare for weekend sessions.

• Alternative 1: 6 km in Zone 1 + drills (e.g., high knees, butt kicks, bounding).

• Alternative 2: 8–10 km in Zone 1 with a focus on cadence and form.
• Alternative 3: Recovery 6–8 km in Zone 1 + 10 × 20s surges in Zone 3, 40s jog recovery.

Saturday: Progression Runs

Purpose: Simulate increasing intensity under fatigue.

• Alternative 1: 16 km progression: Start in Zone 2, build to Zone 3 over 12 km, nish last 4 km in Zone 4.
• Alternative 2: Alternating Pace Run:
◦ 12–16 km alternating 1 km in Zone 2 and 1 km in Zone 4.
• Alternative 3: Steady Finish:
◦ 14–16 km with the last 6 km in high Zone 3 to low Zone 4.

Sunday: Long Runs

Purpose: Build endurance and aerobic strength.

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 • Alternative 1: Long Run with Marathon Pace Efforts:
◦ 22–26 km with 3 × 3 km in Zone 4 embedded, 1 km Zone 2 recovery between efforts.
• Alternative 2: Split Long Run:
◦ 16 km in Zone 2 in the morning, 10 km in Zone 3 in the evening.
• Alternative 3: Long Run with Fartlek:
◦ 24 km in Zone 2, including 6 × 1 km in Zone 4 with 1 km in Zone 2 between.

What the Athlete Hopes to Achieve

1. Aerobic Base (Zone 2):

◦ Improved fat utilization and endurance.
◦ Ability to handle higher mileage during marathon training.
2. Threshold Ef ciency (Zone 4):
◦ Increased ability to sustain marathon pace with lower lactate accumulation.
3. VO₂ Max (Zone 5):
◦ Better peak oxygen delivery and utilization.
4. Strength and Durability:
◦ Resilience to handle marathon-speci c demands through hill and progression runs.
5. Recovery (Zone 1):
◦ Ensures adaptation and prevents overtraining.
6. Con dence and Fitness Benchmark:
◦ The time trial provides a measure of tness and pacing insight for the next phase.
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Recovery Tips

1. Sleep:
◦ Aim for 7-9 hours per night. Sleep is critical for muscle repair, glycogen restoration, and overall recovery.
◦ Incorporate naps (20-30 minutes) after especially demanding sessions.
2. Active Recovery:

◦ Use recovery runs (Zone 1) to promote blood ow without adding stress.

◦ Light cross-training (cycling, swimming, or yoga) can aid recovery without overloading running-speci c muscles.
3. Hydration:

◦ Monitor hydration levels using urine color (pale yellow = hydrated).

◦ Add electrolytes to water, especially after long runs or in hot weather.
4. Stretching and Foam Rolling:

◦ Stretch major muscle groups (calves, hamstrings, quads, hip exors) after runs.
◦ Foam roll 3-5 times per week to release tightness and improve mobility.
5. Cold and Heat Therapy:

◦ Use ice baths or cold showers after intense sessions to reduce in ammation.
◦ Apply heat (e.g., heating pads, warm baths) for tight muscles or pre-run warm-ups.
6. Listen to Your Body:

◦ Pay attention to signs of fatigue or niggles. Rest or modify workouts if necessary.

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 ◦ Schedule a rest day or cross-train instead of running if you feel unusually tired.

Strength Training Tips

1. Why Strength Training is Essential:

◦ Improves running economy by enhancing muscular strength and ef ciency.
◦ Reduces injury risk by addressing muscular imbalances.
◦ Builds resilience for late-race fatigue.
2. Frequency:

◦ 2 sessions per week (e.g., Tuesday and Friday) during base-building phases.
◦ Reduce to 1 session per week during peak weeks to prioritize running.
3. Key Exercises for Runners:

◦ Core Strength:
▪ Planks (front, side, reverse): Hold 30-60 seconds for 2-3 sets.
▪ Dead bugs and bird dogs: 10-15 reps per side.
◦ Lower Body:
▪ Squats (bodyweight or weighted): 3x10-12 reps.
▪ Lunges (forward, reverse, or lateral): 3x10-12 reps per leg.
▪ Deadlifts (Romanian or conventional): 3x8-10 reps.
▪ Step-ups (weighted or unweighted): 3x10 per leg.
◦ Plyometrics:
▪ Box jumps or bounds: 3x10 reps.
▪ Calf raises: 3x15-20 reps.
◦ Mobility and Stability:
▪ Single-leg balance or squats: 3x10 per side.
▪ Hip bridges or clamshells: 3x15-20 reps.
4. Progression:

◦ Begin with bodyweight exercises and light resistance.

◦ Gradually increase weight or intensity as strength improves.
5. Timing:
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 ◦ Perform strength sessions after easy runs or on rest days, never before key workouts or long runs.
6. Recovery from Strength Training:

◦ Allow 48 hours between strength sessions targeting the same muscle groups.
◦ Prioritize lighter loads and higher reps if feeling fatigued.

Integrating These Tips into the Program

• Nutrition: Practice fueling during race simulation runs and long runs to re ne your strategy for race day.
• Recovery: Follow rest days and recovery runs diligently. Incorporate sleep and hydration strategies into daily routines.
• Strength: Add structured strength sessions on less demanding running days to complement aerobic and marathon-speci c work.

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