Marathon Program

Week 4 | Marathon Day 25

Hill Intervals

Time: 20-40+ minutes, 5 X 60″ intervals.

Hills are not only a fantastic way to build running strength but an affective way to build and improve our running technique. Hills force us to increase our cadence, engage our glutes, and use our arms for more efficient and powerful running.Hills also challenge our ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility and show us very quickly how much harder we have to work when we don’t have enough!

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Workout

  • Warmup

    It’s all about that breath, remember? So before you start chipping away, stand tall with your hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Take 10 deep belly breaths to focus and mentally prepare for the task at hand.

    Run for 10 minutes slowly building pace from an easy to a moderate effort, while connecting your breathe with your stride rate.

    Run should be focused, tall, quick, and light.

  • Get Moving

    Don’t skip the rest of your warmup! We want to increase blood flow to all our joints and tendons and prep them for the greater speed and higher impact of the hills. Enjoy the time not running and not sitting stagnant in a chair!

    1 round: 10 sprawls, 10 squats, 10 hip circles per leg, 10 elbow touches per side, 10 forward/backwards arm swings

  • Run

    5 rounds: 60 second hill interval. Rest 1-2 minutes in between.

    *Use a “runnable” hill, nothing that’s over 5% incline.

    **Recovery week so less is more!

    Options: continue up the hill & slow jog back down to the start, or use a treadmill indoors.

  • Advanced Run (Recovery Week)

    Mechanical Speed Session

    1 mile EZ, Rest 5 min

    2 Rounds

    600m (or 2:30)

    500m (or 2:00)

    400m (or 1:30)

    300m (or 1:00)

    200m (or 0:30)

    Rest 2 min between reps and 5 min between rounds.

    Miles: 3-4

    Notes:

    • All efforts should be paced at moderate-high exertion.

    • Goal of today is not to work hard. It’s to remind your legs how to move smoothly and spring-like. That is why there is so much rest.

    • The emphasis today is mechanics, not aerobic stress. If you feel like you need to adjust either the pace or the rest in order to do this, go for it and let me know.

    • This workout can easily be done at a track if you have access to one.

Cool-Down & Mobility

3 minutes easy run/walk cool down

1:45 minutes foot rolling per side with a ball

***Run is not finished until after you’ve done your mobility***

Videos

  • Warmup

    1. Breathing Warmup

    2. Speed Day Dynamic Warmup

  • Mobility

    3. Speed Day Mobility Work