Jeff Galloway's Marathon Training Program

Jeff Galloway's Marathon Training Programs are for all levels of runners, from beginning runners to Boston qualifiers. This Low-mileage, Injury-free Training Program is for those who have jobs, families, and a life!

The achievement of completing a marathon training program and finishing the marathon will be your treasure for the rest of your life. The training schedule which follows are the latest evolution in a minimal mileage, low-impact training routine which has been used successfully by an estimated 100,000 marathoners since 1978.

By looking further at the chapter on "Setting Up The Marathon Training Program" chapter in my book New Marathon, reading my newest book (Galloway Training) coming up early summer 2007 and following all of the medical and safety guidelines, you'll have an enjoyable time in the marathon itself.

* Don't wait to take walk breaks. By alternating walking and running from the beginning, you speed recovery without losing any of the endurance effect of the long one.
* Run-walk-run ratio should correspond to the pace used:
8 min mile - run 4 minutes/walk 35 seconds
9 min mile - 4/1
10 min mile - 3-1
11 min mile - 2:30/1
12 min mile - 2/1
13 min mile - 1/1
14 min mile - 30 sec run/30 sec walk
15 min mile - 30 sec run/45 sec walk
16 min mile - 30 sec run/60 sec walk
* Be sure to do the running portion slow enough at the beginning of every run (especially the long run) so that you'll feel tired but strong at the end. The conservatism will allow you to recover faster.
* Every other day you can cross-train instead of walking. Cross country ski machines, water running, cycling, and any other other mode which you find fun and interesting (but non-pounding) will improve overall fitness.
* Stay conversational on all of your exercise sessions. This means that you should be exerting yourself at a low enough level that you could talk. It's okay to take deep breaths between sentences, but you don't want to "huff and puff" between every word.
* As the runs get longer, be sure to keep your blood sugar boosted by eating an energy bar (or equivalent) about an hour before exercise. Drink water continuously before and during exercise and with all food.
* What pace to run on the long runs? After you run the first MM (magic mile), multiply by 1.3 then add 2 minutes - the result is your suggested long run pace per mile on long runs at 60F or cooler.
You don’t want to huff and puff. It is always better to run slower than this pace.
* Pace for the marathon itself: run the first 20 miles at the training pace noted above. If you want to speed up a little, you can do so at that point.
* On long runs and the race itself, slow down when the temperature rises above 60F, by 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60F or more.
* Mon and Wed runs can be done at the pace of your choice, as long as you are recovering from the long ones.
* It is fine to do cross training on Tues, Thurs and Sun if you wish. There will be little benefit to your running in doing this, but you'll increase your fat-burning.
On recovery days, don't do exercises like stair machines that use the calf muscle.
* Be sure to take a vacation from strenuous exercise the day before your weekend long run.
* An optional pace run TT is noted on the Tuesday run. To get used to a pace you want to run in the race itself, time yourself for a mile, and take the walk breaks as you will do them in the race.