13 x 1 Mile
13 x 1 Mile
Designed for 26.2 runners
Intensity
10 x 1M at 13.1M pace EFFORT
Last 3 x 1M cutdown EFFORT, as desired
Recovery
2 minutes between reps
Exertion
8/10
Periodization
General Period
Context & Details
General Period workouts focus on building general qualities which underpin a runner's development and, ultimately, success, throughout a season.
For marathoners, metabolic efficacy (or fueling substrate utilization) is a critical limiting factor to race day performance. Upgrading the efficiency of one’s metabolism is a long, patient process. In order for fitness gains to be stable, a reorganization on a microscopic level must take place which impacts and develops cells, organs, gaseous and chemical exchange as well as blood.
Adaptation is complex. And requires time.
This is why classic marathon training centers around running a high volume of miles. This training approach has endured because it does work to a certain degree.
Generally speaking, in theory, the more running stress a runner subjects themselves to the stronger the stimulus and resulting adaptation. However, we must pay attention to the direction of adaptation stimuli are signaling.
Running a large number of slow miles will make you good at running slow for long periods of time. Running higher amounts of miles fast (enough) will make you faster.
So for the marathoner, what’s fast enough?
Any pace which stimulates just enough lactate production to challenge the metabolism to improve utilization capability.
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Lactate production exists on a spectrum. The faster the running speed relative to a runner’s fitness the more lactate is produced to power muscle action needed to produce that pace. Higher speeds produce higher concentrations of lactate, whereas more manageable speeds produce lower levels.
The key for marathoners is finding the sweet spot, where lactate production is moderate, but manageable — which I call “fast enough” running.
For this workout, taking place in the General Period, fast enough running is judged by the runner’s effort and sensation, not their watch. The effort level I suggest is their current easy, or controlled, 1/2 Marathon pace effort — or about 103% - 107% of target marathon pace.
As an example:
If a marathoner was training to run a 6:00/mile pace marathon, then their easy 1/2 marathon pace would be roughly 5:54 - 5:38/mile pace range.
Some may look at that target pace range and worry it’s too wide of tolerance in pace differential. Don’t worry. It’s really not.
Remember, training is not the WORK you do, but the EFFECT it has on your body. Runners don’t need to chase ridged numbers in practice to get better. What matters most is they’re running fast enough to elicit the desired training effect. Nothing more, nothing less.
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3 Good Books on Marathon training
Advanced Marathoning by Peter Pfitzinger
From Last to First by Charlie Spedding
Endurance Training: Science and Practice edited by Iñigo Mujika