Tuesday: 45- to 50-minute run at easy, conversational effort Sunday: 40- to 45-minute run at easy effort Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (medium intensity) + strength and flexibility Thursday: 30 minutes low-impact cross-training and flexibility Tuesday: 30 minutes low-impact cross-training and flexibility Monday: 15 minutes light, low-impact cross-training and flexibility or massage Here is how your training in between marathons could look: The third week in this case is race week, so youвЂ™d taper back down to run three core runs of 30-40 minutes at an easy effort, a rest day, and two cross-training workouts at a moderate effort. The second week reintroduces running for shorter durations of 45-75 minutes at an easy effort. For instance, in a three-week time frame between two marathons, the first week would include rest days, short and low-impact cross-training at an easy effort, and flexibility or massage. Once you finish your first marathon, youвЂ™ll begin your marathon-to-marathon training sequence, which will evolve as you progress based on how your body is feeling. Sunday: Long run at easy, conversational effort

Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (medium to high intensity) + strength and flexibility Thursday: Run at easy conversational effort Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (medium to high intensity) + strength and flexibility Tuesday: Run at easy, conversational effort Here is what that might look like in a weekly sequence: This allows you to train at a variety of intensities and movement patterns without too much stress to the body. There is something to be said for running three days per week because it allows plenty of time to get in both actual running time and complimentary cross-training workouts. Mixing in these activities will help you boost fitness, fix muscle imbalances, avoid overuse injuries down the road, and maintain fitness while youвЂ™re recovering.Дepending on your body and your go-to marathon training schedule, you can schedule 3-4 easy-effort runs per week, two strength/cross-training days, and one day of complete rest. ItвЂ™s also wise to preserve your body by including one or two low-impact cross-training activities like cycling, elliptical, yoga, or swimming in addition to a regular, moderate-intensity strength and flexibility program. The key is to aim for an easy effort from start to finish.

Just like you need to race your marathons strategically, youвЂ™ll also need to pace yourself wisely for all of the races. The key is to think of this as a long training sequence thatвЂ™ll build enough fitness to finish your first marathon but not to race it hard. The final phase of training for the first race might look like this:ДЁ miles: Race simulation (Run half easy effort, finish at marathon effort for second half.) In other words, go long one week and then shorter the next. From there, backend it with build-up long runs every other week. And rather than hammering one marathon, recovering, and repeating like a traditional plan would call for, keeping tabs on your body-and adjusting your training and recovery accordingly-can actually make you stronger as you progress.Дuring training for the first marathon, plan to run your longest run three weeks out from the race. I could write you a plan, but it would be useless because it will change as your body adapts to the ebbs and flows from each race. Think of it as a flow-based plan where all the races are connected to the primary goal for the year. WhatвЂ™s the difference? One suggests training for one marathon, and then the next, and the next. But itвЂ™s a good idea to change your frame of focus from running one marathon per month to training to run 12 marathons in a year. Since youвЂ™ve already run marathons, your body has a base and understanding of what it takes to cover the distance. You're wise to be thinking about training logistics because it will help you maintain motivation and health throughout the year. How do I train during the 3-4 weeks between each race? ~Justin IвЂ™ve run several marathons, but I realize this is a different thing all together. IвЂ™ve set a goal to run a marathon a month, and I'm wondering if you can share training tips to avoid injury.

Other words for running a train