Running coach Fiona Bugler's three day per week training schedule for those training on a limited time budget.

This schedule is designed for those who like to run hard, and may be short on time. As volume is reduced you're less likely to suffer from injury if you follow this programme. To optimise your chances of running your best marathon, you will need to add in two hard cross training sessions a week between the interval & tempo and tempo & long, and have one day off a week. It's a great way to train if you're thinking of combining your marathon with a summer triathlon, or if you simply like variety!

The key thing to remember with the sessions is that quality counts, both in the running and cross training.

Cross training ideas include: spinning classes, a hilly two hour bike ride, a hard swim, 3 x 20 minutes on the cross trainer, bike and rower. It doesn't matter what you do - as long as you feel the session is hard, at a perceived rate of exertion of at least eight out of 10, and it lasts for an hour.

The Three Day Week Marathon Training Schedule

 
Week 1
6 x 800m
3 miles
10 miles
Week 2
10 x 400m
5 miles
13 miles
Week 3
3 x 1 mile
7 miles
15 miles
Week 4
6 x 800m
4 miles
13 miles
Week 5
4 x 1200m
6 miles
15 miles
Week 6
8 x 800m
8 miles
17 miles
Week 7
12 x 400m
4 miles
20 miles
Week 8
3 x 1 mile
5 miles
18 miles
Week 9
10 x 800m
7 miles
20 miles
Week 10
12 x 400m
10 miles
15 miles
Week 11
3 x 1 mile
4 miles
20 miles
Week 12
4 x 1200m
10 miles
18 miles
Week 13
400m, 600m, 800m, 1200m, 1200m, 800m, 600m, 400m
8 miles
16 miles
Week 14
12 x 400m
5 miles
13 miles
Week 15
8 x 800m
3 miles
10 miles
Week 16
 
 
Marathon


Interval
Run these at 30 to 40 seconds quicker than your current 5k pace. For example if you're a 3:59 marathon runner, with a 5k time of 24:49, your pace for 5k is 7:59, so run your 400m at 7:29 to 7:19 pace, which is 1:50 to 1:52 for 400m reps.

Tempo
Warm up and cool down with 10 minutes slow jogging either side. Run the following paces: 3 miles at 10k pace; 4 and 5 miles 10k plus 15 secs; 6 to 8 miles 10k plus 30 secs; 8 to 10 miles half marathon pace. Again using the example of a 3:59 marathon runner with a 10k time of 51:39 and 8:19 per mile, that would be 3 miles in just under 25 minutes etc.

Long
Run at 30 secs slower than marathon pace. In the example of 3:59 marathon, that's at 8:37 minutes per mile.

This programme of three + two is based on the FIRST schedules by the Furman Institute of running and scientific training.
For more information visit the Furman Institute website.

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