Training


Marathon Training Guide - Novice Supreme

A Simple 30-Week Schedule for Beginning Runners

I DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM FOR NEW RUNNERS, specifically those individuals new to the sport of long distance running who would like to start in the spring to get ready to run a marathon in the fall. Individuals who plan to get serious about their training and dedicate six or seven months to training for their first marathon.

If truth be told, this is not exactly a new marathon training program, but rather two training programs combined for the convenience of beginning runners. Novice Supreme combines my 12-week Spring Training Program with my popular 18-week Novice Marathon Training Program. If you are a beginning runner, you could just as easily access each of those programs here on my Web site and do the work yourself. Similarly, you could sign up, in time, for each of those interactive programs available through TrainingPeaks, my interactive partner. But I've done the work for you.

While this program originally was designed for the Chicago Marathon, I expanded it so you can use it for any marathon on any date. Begin now!

Training for the marathon, or any other running race, is not easy. It's hard work. It takes discipline. But it's also a lot of fun, as you'll soon discover, particularly if you run with a friend or a group of runners. More detailed instructions on how to use this program can be found in the introductions for Spring Training and Marathon Novice 1. If you have questions, follow me over to my Virtual Training Bulletin Board. Ask away in one of the forums.

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice Supreme
Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 Rest 1.5 m run 3 m run 1.5 m run Rest 3 m run 30 min walk
2 Rest 1.5 m run 3 m run 1.5 m run Rest 3.5 m run 35 min walk
3 Rest 1.5 m run 3 m run 1.5 m run Rest 3 m run 40 min walk
4 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 1.5 m run Rest 4 m run 30 min walk
5 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2 m run Rest 3 m run 45 min walk
6 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2 m run Rest 4.5 m run 30 min walk
7 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2 m run Rest 3 m run 50 min walk
8 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2 m run Rest 5 m run 30 min walk
9 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2.5 m run Rest 3 m run 55 min walk
10 Rest 2 m run 3 m run 2.5 m run Rest 5.5 m run 30 min walk
11 Rest 3 m run 3 m run 3 m run Rest 3 m run 60 min walk
12 Rest 3 m run 3 m run 3 m run Rest 6 m run 30 min walk
13 Rest 3 m run 3 m run 3 m run Rest 6 m run Cross
14 Rest 3 m run 3 m run 3 m run Rest 7 m run Cross
15 Rest 3 m run 4 m run 3 m run Rest 5 m run Cross
16 Rest 3 m run 4 m run 3 m run Rest 9 m run Cross
17 Rest 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 10 m run Cross
18 Rest 3 m run 5 m run 3 m run Rest 7 m run Cross
19 Rest 3 m run 6 m run 3 m run Rest 12 m run Cross
20 Rest 3 m run 6 m run 3 m run Rest 13 m run Cross
21 Rest 3 m run 7 m run 4 m run Rest 10 m run Cross
22 Rest 3 m run 7 m run 4 m run Rest 15 m run Cross
23 Rest 4 m run 8 m run 4 m run Rest 16 m run Cross
24 Rest 4 m run 8 m run 5 m run Rest 12 m run Cross
25 Rest 4 m run 9 m run 5 m run Rest 18 m run Cross
26 Rest 5 m run 9 m run 5 m run Rest 14 m run Cross
27 Rest 5 m run 10 m run 5 m run Rest 20 m run Cross
28 Rest 5 m run 8 m run 4 m run Rest 12 m run Cross
29 Rest 4 m run 6 m run 3 m run Rest 8 m run Cross
30 Rest 3 m run 4 m run 2 m run Rest Rest Marathon

 

Click here for the TrainingPeaks interactive version of Novice Supreme