Marathon Training - Week 5 of 30

Image by ◄Kentigern► via Flickr

It's Monday, which means the beginning of a new training week!


This week is week 5 of my 30 week program. Here's what's on the schedule for this week:

• Monday - scheduled rest
• Tuesday - 3 mile run
• Wednesday - 4 mile run
• Thursday - 3 mile run
• Friday - scheduled rest
• Saturday - 6 mile run
• Sunday - 1 hour walking

Last week was a bit of a step-back week in terms of mileage because I ran a 5k race on Saturday instead of doing a long run. Looking ahead, last week will be the last sub-16 mile week of the program.  The weekly miles really start to ramp up now, mostly because the Saturday long runs will ramp up at a rate of about a mile a week over the next several weeks.


I'm glad I did the 5k last Saturday. I made a significant improvement over my 5k from one month ago, which gives me confidence that my training program is working. 


I think it's a good idea to work races into a training program, especially if it's an extended program like this one. Races break things up and add some fun to the program. Races can also allow you to see that you are making progress and give you confidence in your training program.  Not to mention, I think a race for a good cause really adds deeper meaning and motivation to your running.