The starting gun for the 2016 Two Oceans Marathon goes off in less than 11 weeks. Follow this 10-week training program, whether you are a beginner or not, to make sure you are able to get your best time.
Time to get that body moving– ready, set, go!
Week 1 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 42
Monday
Start your training program with a rest day. The point of a rest day is to let your body recover and gain strength to train hard during the rest of the week. That being said, if you have the energy, a 30-minute walk, or a touch of cross-training can count as a rest day.
Ideal Cross-training exercises:
- Swimming
- Spinning
- Yoga
- Strength training
Tuesday
8km Easy pace
The aim with an easy pace is to get your body strong and up your endurance.
Wednesday
8km Easy pace
Remember to keep your pace steady. A steady, easy pace helps to avoid injuries and avoids pushing your body too hard during training.
Thursday
8km Easy pace
On easy pace days you can swap Thursdays for cross-training. Make sure that you cross-train for the same amount of time it would usually take you to complete a 8km run.
Friday
Rest
Saturday
15km Easy pace
A longer run trains endurance and gets your body used to running for longer. If you find that, at the beginning, longer runs are more tiring consider adding some runner friendly snacks to your diet.
Sunday
5 km Easy pace
Take a shorter run to get any stiffness from Saturday’s longer run out of your body. Remember to stretch well and give yourself a five minute cool down run before you finish exercising.
Week 2 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 56km
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Easy pace
The shorter runs each week will increase in length. The longer runs will increase too so that, by the end of your training, you are able to run the full length of the Two Oceans Marathon without blinking.
Wednesday
10km Easy pace
Thursday
10 Easy Pace
Friday
Rest
Saturday
20km Easy pace
Sunday
6km Easy pace
Week 3 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 63
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Increasing your pace pushes your body harder. This way you start training to run at a race-level pace.
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
10km Medium pace
Friday
Rest
Saturday
25km Easy pace
Sunday
8km Medium pace
Week 4 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 60
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
20 min Strength training
Body weight squats, single-leg deadlifts, single leg squats
Friday
Rest
Saturday
30km Easy pace
Sunday
10km Medium pace
Week 5 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 70
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
15km Easy pace
Reducing your pace allows you to take longer runs without tiring out.
Wednesday
15km Easy pace
Thursday
20min Strength Training
Focus on your core: planks, running planks, crunches, and the bicycle
Friday
Rest
Saturday
35km Easy pace
Sunday
5km Easy pace
Week 6 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 70-80
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
10km Medium pace
If you are feeling up to the run, go for it! If you would rather have a little variation switch the run for 30 minutes of cross-training.
Friday
Rest
Saturday
40km Easy Pace
Sunday
10km Medium pace
By now your body should be accustom to training almost every day. A shorter run might be necessary, if you are feeling stiff. Alternatively attend a yoga class today and get all that stiffness out with a good stretch.
Week 7 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 70-80
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
10km Medium pace or 30min cross training
Friday
Rest
Saturday
40km Medium pace
Sunday
10km Medium pace
Week 8 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 72
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
10km Race pace
Time to see what your body can really do! Try and improve on your Wednesday time today.
Friday
Rest
Saturday
42km Easy pace
Sunday
30min Strength training: legs
(As per week 4)
Week 9 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 72
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10km Medium pace
Wednesday
10km Medium pace
Thursday
10km Race pace
Try and improve on last week’s time.
Friday
Rest
Saturday
42km Medium pace
Sunday
30min Strength training: core
(As per week 5)
Week 10 – Two Oceans Marathon guide
Total km: 65
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
15km Easy pace
This week is all about getting comfortable with race day and keeping active without tiring yourself out.
Wednesday
15km Easy pace
Thursday
10km Easy pace
Friday
Rest
Saturday
20km Medium pace
Sunday
15km Easy pace
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[…] and efficiency on race day, as you know what you need to do. CMIYC also provides you with a Two Oceans Marathon Training Guide, that gives you more information on different training techniques and […]