7 Week Marathon Training Plan: Week 3

Week 2 of marathon training went fairly well. I was able to get all my key runs in, and only neglected one easy run (in favor of an impromptu rest day). I had to shift my running plan around slightly because of working late. My five mile tempo run at the end of last week was incredibly tiresome, and I had to do it on a treadmill because of location and timing. But, no excuses, I got it in and got it done.

My knee is starting to feel the effects of running at a much higher volume, so fingers crossed it can hold out for the next couple of weeks. I’ve had meniscus surgery twice on the same knee, so it can be sensitive sometimes. Below is my week 3 training plan; I have a tempo run planned for this evening, so we’ll see how that goes since work has been crazy this week so far.

You might notice I have my running plan and weightlifting plan on staggered rest/recover weeks, so I’m still in a build phase on the run fitness and recovering this week on the weightlifting/functional fitness side of things. I took the base/build/recover/build/recover/etc. format from Joe Friel’s The Triathlete’s Training Bible, which is a fantastic book for anyone who is training for a triathlon, be it your first or thirtieth. Creating your own seasonal training plan is tough, but that book really walks you through how to plan healthy volume and intensity increases throughout the season. Those same principles can be applied to marathon training, or really for any sport.

Any good training book recommendations, for triathlons and/or marathons? I’m always looking to expand my library!