It ought to come as no shock that elite athletes run quite a lot of miles when marathon coaching. Even so, truly listening to about what they do continues to be fairly mind-boggling, each when it comes to the gap run and the quantity of onerous operating they log every week.
Earlier this yr I attended the launch of the Underneath Armour Infinite Elite operating shoe, the place the 2022 New York Metropolis Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi spoke about her coaching. Lokedi is presently making ready for the Boston Marathon, and based mostly on the beneath it’s truthful to say that she is placing the work in to succeed at Boston.
Lokedi mentioned she usually runs 200-220km (124-137 miles) every week, doing doubles (two runs a day) on most days. If that quantity wasn’t spectacular sufficient by itself, Lokedi is doing most of her operating at altitude in Kaptagat, Kenya or Flagstaff, Arizona, and logging a number of onerous exercises every week as a part of her coaching.
Right here’s what a typical coaching week appears like for Lokedi. There are some runs the place Lokedi simply described them as a double, so presumably they’re a comparatively quick and simple run within the afternoon, after a more durable or longer morning run.
Monday: Hill coaching—both reps or a hilly route (20-24km). Double within the afternoon (10-14km)
Tuesday: Monitor session (12-15km). Double within the afternoon.
Wednesday: Restoration run (20-24km). Double within the afternoon.
Thursday: Long term (alternating 35-40km one week, 30km the week after).
Friday: Restoration run (20-24km). Double within the afternoon.
Saturday: Tempo or Fartlek periods (20km). Double within the afternoon.
Sunday: Relaxation day or 25-30km.
It’s clearly essential to recollect when taking a look at a packed schedule like this that Lokedi is an elite athlete with loads of time to relaxation round her operating, and a full group readily available to assist her together with her restoration and vitamin, plus different runners to do her periods with. This isn’t one thing amateurs take pleasure in, and no-one is suggesting you go and attempt to copy Lokedi’s coaching for Boston (though it’s best to pay heed to her coach’s Boston Marathon coaching tip).
Lokedi says her vitamin technique entails protein and carbs in each meal, and plenty of snacks. There aren’t any actual restrictions to her food regimen—if the physique feels it wants it then simply eat it. Or as her coach Stephen Haas put it: “there aren’t any cheat meals while you’re operating that a lot.”
