Intermediate Marathon Training Program - Grandmas Marathon

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
DAY/WEEK
WEEK 1
Monday,
February 13
TODAY’S
WORKOUT
DESCRIPTION REMEMBER WEEKLY
MILES
3 miles easy Welcome to day one of the
If you have never done any
Grandma’s Marathon Intermediate type of speed work or any
Training Program.
running other than easy,
training pace, this is probably
We are assuming that you can run at not the program for you.
least 6 miles without stopping and Consider taking the Novice
that you run regularly – at least program. Novice,
several times a week. You may also Intermediate, and Advanced
have run some races, but not
all have similar core elements.
necessarily a marathon.
The Novice program will
introduce you to speed work
and hill work and you can
adjust the miles according to
how you feel.
The first several weeks of your
training will be “building” weeks.
Building weeks are basically just
mileage. In this Intermediate
program, however, we’re also going
to have some “lactate threshold” or
“pace” runs. These are geared to
improve your endurance and your
ability to run longer at a faster pace.
For example, if you planned on
running a 3:03 marathon, or
averaging 7:00 per mile, your goal
will be to do your pace runs at 7:00
per mile pace. You may not be able to
run that pace right away in this
program and don’t worry about that!
You’ll notice that your pace on these
runs will get faster with less effort as
you get more fit.
Feel free to tailor your
training. Just because the
schedule says that you need to
run xx miles on one day does
not mean that you can’t make
some adjustments to suit your
lifestyle. This program is a
template so you can follow it
to the letter, or simply use it as
a guide. You be the judge!
We’ll work on building your base and
adding new elements to your training
gradually over the next 18 weeks
until your big day.
Remember that you’re training for a
race that is 26.2 miles. You need to
prepare your mind and body to
handle that distance. I know you can
do it
Tuesday,
February 14
3 miles easy This is the time to start doing sit-ups
or crunches. A strong core will help
you hold your form when you get
tired during a run or race. It will also
help your breathing and help prevent
side stitches.

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Wednesday,
February 15
Thursday,
February 16
Friday,
February 17
Saturday,
February 18
Sunday,
February 19
WEEK 2
Monday,
February 20
5 miles easy Speed isn’t important on these easy
days. Just run what is comfortable for
you. Your main objective now is to
simply go the distance and build your
endurance.
3 miles easy Be patient in building up your miles.
All of these short running days will
add up, so stick with the plan and run
just 3 miles today, even if it feels too
easy.
3 miles easy Feel free to juggle days in your
training. If it works better for you to
do a long run mid-week, for instance,
do that! Just try to remember to take
an easy day before and after any
longer or harder workout.
5 miles pace Start out at an easy pace until your
muscles have warmed up – about 10
minutes or so. Once you’ve warmed
up, ease into your faster pace. You
may decide to measure a course and
use that route for your pace runs. Or
you may decide to use a Heart Rate
Monitor to measure these efforts. If
you are using a Heart Rate Monitor,
you should be running around 85% of
your max.
8 miles
long run
OFF
This is your first “long” run of the
program, so find a comfortable and
even pace. Pushing hard doesn’t
equate to a better workout. In fact,
pushing too hard too soon can
increase your chance of injury.
Mondays will be your day off in this
training program. This gives your
body a chance to rest and recover
after a week’s worth of hard work!
You can customize this
program to fit into your
schedule. The main thing is to
try to get in the prescribed
weekly mileage the best you
can and don’t skip weeks. If
you haven’t run for awhile
and are starting your training
from scratch, an 18 week
program will get you to the
finish line with a minimum of
stress and with little risk of
injury. A marathon crash
course could be risky!
If you have been running a
while, 8 miles might not seem
very far. Just remember that
we’ll be working our way up
to 20+ mile runs.
30 miles
Tuesday,
February 21
4 miles easy You should be feeling pretty spunky
today after your rest day! Stick to 4
miles today though. We want to build
up gradually.
On your run today, take some
time to think about your goals
for completing your marathon.
Are you shooting for a
particular time? Do you have
any weeks during this training
program where you will have
schedule conflicts? Now is a
good time to figure out when

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Wednesday,
February 22
Thursday,
February 23
Friday,
February 24
Saturday,
February 25
Sunday,
February 26
WEEK 3
Monday,
February 27
5 miles easy Running on softer surfaces can help
prevent injuries. For today’s 5 mile
run try a course in a nearby park or
on dirt.
4 miles easy Running in all weather conditions
helps to prepare you for race day.
The workout today is 4 miles, and
even if it is raining or snowing go for
it! Braving the elements helps you
prepare mentally for whatever
weather conditions you may have to
face on race day.
4 miles easy Take some time to find a few local
races where you can gain some
experience. Later in the program
you’ll be asked to run in some 5K to
10K races to get yourself familiar with
race logistics.
5 miles pace Establishing routes will help you
relax when you run. Try the same 5
mile route that you ran last week.
Don’t worry if you did not improve
on last week’s time. Improvement
will come. I promise!
10 miles
easy
long run
OFF
We’re bumping up our distance to 10
miles this week. Last week’s shorter
run was just to get you in the mindset
of following a weekly schedule.
Remember to start off slow and find a
comfortable pace. If at any time
during the run you feel that you can’t
complete the distance, just slow down
to a pace that allows you to continue.
Today is a rest day. These days are
important for your body to give it a
chance to recover from the increased
stress of training.
you may have to juggle some
workouts in order to achieve
your goal time.
32 miles
Tuesday,
February 28
3-4 miles
pace
This week we’re adding another pace
run into your weekly schedule. This
one will be shorter. Follow the same
format as your previous pace runs –
jog easy for 10 minutes or so and then
ease into your pace.
These pace runs give you
practice in actually racing and
learning how to stay relaxed as
you’re running faster. It’s
natural to tense up as you’re
getting tired because it’s
uncomfortable but you want
to learn to keep relaxed.

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Wednesday,
Februrary 29
Thursday,
March 1
Friday,
March 2
Saturday,
March 3
6 miles easy
medium
distance
The medium distance run will be a
regular staple in our weekly program.
These runs are critical for building
your base. We’ll keep this run at 6
miles this week but we’ll be
increasing the distance each week.
6 miles easy Just an easy 6 mile run today!
Remember that the miles will get
easier as your body gets in shape.
5 miles easy Take some time during these easy
weeks to plan out your goals and
strategy for your race.
6 miles pace Run under control today! You have a
long run tomorrow!
Sunday,
March 4
WEEK 4
Monday,
March 5
11-12 miles
easy
long run
OFF
Starting off slowly is the key to a
successful marathon - if you push it
too fast to soon you’ll risk burnout.
So it is important to practice this on
your long run days!
Every 4 th week we’ll take it a bit
easier. This gives your body a chance
to absorb all the training you’ve been
putting in the past 3 weeks.
Easier days and weeks are also a good
mental break. Taking a mental break
is very important in long training
programs like this one. You want to
be fresh at the starting line – not
burned out!
37-39
miles
Tuesday,
March 6
Wednesday,
March 7
3-4 miles
pace
6 miles easy
medium
distance
Don’t cheat your body by trying to
run farther than 3-4 miles. Rest and
cutting back on training periodically
are just as important as the workouts
themselves.
Run a nice, easy pace today.
Thursday,
March 8
4 miles easy Establishing a routine will help you
stay with the program, especially on
shorter days it will make the workout
go by faster. For today’s 4 mile run
stick to one of your favorite paths,
and think positive thoughts.
Friday, 5 miles easy Doing a little upper body work is

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
March 9
beneficial too. Try doing some push
ups or lifting light weights.
Saturday,
March 10
Sunday,
March 11
WEEK 5
Monday,
March 12
Tuesday,
March 13
6 miles pace You’re becoming an expert at these
pace runs. When we get to the
strength and speed portion of the
program the additional endurance
you have from these runs will be a
huge asset.
8 miles easy For today’s 8 mile run start slowly
and remind yourself to be patient
long run during the run. Normally we would
be running 12+ miles but since this is
our “down” week we’re just doing 8
today. You’ll really come to look
forward to these little step-back
weeks when you pick up your
mileage.
OFF One more week of your building
phase and then we’ll start getting into
some hills/resistance work.
Next week we’ll start our
hill/resistance workouts. Today, to
prepare for your hill workout, I’d like
you to find a hill – about 200 meters
or so (imagine the distance of half
way around a high school track). The
hill can be in your neighborhood or
on part of one of your running routes.
You’ll use this hill for “hill repeats.”
What that means is, after your warm
up, you’ll charge up the hill – really
pushing the pace. Then, you’ll jog
back down and do it all over again.
We’ll talk more specifics next week
when we get to the actual workout. If
you find your hill today though,
you’ll know just what to do next
week. The mental preparation is half
the battle! Today, just run your
normal pace. When you find the hill
you’re going to use, jog up it once to
see how it feels. Now you’re all set!
5 miles pace We’re slowly increasing the distance
of these shorter pace runs. Keep with
it!
Mentally preparing for a run,
workout, or race is very
important. I mentioned
finding a hill today even
though you won’t be doing the
workout. Taking out the
unknown factor prior to a run,
workout, or race will reduce
your anxiety and help you
prepare. That’s why so many
people take course tours of
their marathon races.
32-33
miles
Wednesday,
March 14
7 miles
medium
You know you can do this - just an
easy 7 mile run today. So just walk
out the door, put one foot in front of

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Thursday,
March 15
distance the other, and the next thing you
know you’ll be done.
4 miles easy For today’s 4 mile run remember to
start at a slow pace and finish at a
comfortable speed.
Friday,
March 16
5 miles easy You get a break today – only 5 easy
miles!
Saturday,
March 17
Sunday,
March 18
WEEK 6
Monday,
March 19
Tuesday,
March 20
7 miles pace Try to start doing some of your runs
at the time you’ll be racing – 7:30 am.
This gets your body used to running
at that time of day. You don’t want to
do all of your runs in the afternoon or
evening if your race is in the morning.
14 miles
easy
long run
OFF
6 miles total
hill repeats
x6
Notice that we’re slowly increasing
the miles of your long run. Next
week we’ll jump up a few more miles.
We want you to be able to cover 22
miles in training in this program!
The hill repetitions I mentioned last
week are for strength building. Hill
repetitions build strength and
stamina. Even if the course you plan
to run is flat you need to have strong
legs to carry you the distance. Most
people don’t have trouble finishing a
marathon because they get “out of
breath.” They have trouble finishing
because their legs get weak and just
can’t carry them further. Hill
repetitions will give you strong legs.
You can do it! If you do these
workouts I guarantee you’ll have the
strength and endurance to go 26.2
miles!
This is your first “hill” workout. Hill
repeats allow you to use your own
body weight and gravity to get in an
excellent strength workout.
You found your hill last week so
Start practicing what you’re
going to eat before the race.
You need to know what will
keep you fueled and feel good
in your stomach. One of the
worst mistakes a marathoner
can make is trying to eat or
drink something new the
morning of the race! You want
to know exactly how your
body will respond. So now is
the time to practice.
This marathon training
program involves more than
just easy running. If at any
time during this program you
feel that you might have an
injury or if something is more
than just “ordinary” sore, take
the day off! Use the overnight
rule – if you have soreness or
pain that isn’t significantly
better the next day, take time
off. This could be an injury or
the beginning of something
serious. It’s always best to nip
these things in the bud.
Your hill workouts will not
only give you leg strength but
they will improve your aerobic
threshold. The higher your
aerobic threshold, the faster
you’ll be able to race.
42 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
you’re ready to go. Jog easy for 15
minutes first. This is your “warm
up.” Finish your warm up at the
bottom of your hill. Now, start
charging up the hill. Get up on your
toes and lean slightly forward. Use
your arms. Don’t stop when you
reach the top! Run hard just a little
over the top. Then jog back down
and do it again.
Don’t forget your warm up
and cool down! The warm up
loosens and warms up your
muscles and the cool down
helps your muscles relax and
brings your heart rate down
gradually.
Wednesday,
March 21
Thursday,
March 22
Friday,
March 23
Saturday,
March 24
7 miles very
easy
medium
distance
5 miles very
easy
Your workout today is to do 6 hill
repeats.
Jog for an easy 15 minutes afterward.
The cool down an important part of
the workout – it helps your body
return to its resting heart rate.
We’ll be keeping up these medium
distance runs even though we’re
working a little harder. Just keep it
very easy today.
Feel free to flip flop your Wednesday
and Thursday runs if you feel you
need an easier day after your first hill
workout. You may notice that your
calves are sore. That’s because you
were up on your toes and really using
those muscles!
6 miles easy Drink plenty of water or electrolyte
drinks today. It’s very important to
be hydrated before a long run or
harder workout!
7 miles pace You should feel like you’re running
faster than your normal training pace
but not so fast that you can’t keep it
up for a little while. You may not be
able to talk very easily and your
breathing will be more labored.
Sometimes the most difficult
part of doing the mid-week
medium distance runs is
finding the time to do them! If
you’re working full-time or if
you have kids in school
activities, your evenings might
be booked solid. Try to get up
earlier to get your run in
before work. That way there’s
no chance that you’ll miss a
workout. If you have an
opportunity to run during
lunch, all the better.
Sunday, 9 miles easy On long run days it is important to 40 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
March 25
WEEK 7
Monday,
March 26
long run
OFF
start off slow. Find a comfortable
pace and stick with it. Remember to
keep hydrated on long runs as it will
prevent cramping.
You’ve had a big week.
Congratulations. Enjoy your well
deserved day off.
Tuesday,
March 27
Wednesday,
March 28
Thursday,
March 29
Friday,
March 30
Saturday,
March 31
7 miles total
hill repeats
x7-8
8 miles easy
medium
distance
Use the same hill you used last week
and do 7-8 repetitions
Keep the pace nice and easy. You
may want to do some light stretching
before and after your run as you may
be feeling some residual soreness
from your hill workout yesterday.
5 miles easy Just a nice easy 5-miler today. If you
can do the run in the morning you
can come home from work and not
have to think about it!
6 miles easy Have you booked a room for
Grandma’s Marathon weekend yet?
If not, take the time today to look into
lodging. You can download a
complete lodging list from the
Grandma’s Marathon web site at
www.grandmasmarathon.com.
6 miles pace You can use the same route you used
for last week’s run or find a new path.
For these runs it’s best to keep it flat.
Your main objective is moving your
legs faster. A treadmill is a great
place to do pace runs if you have
access to one. You can set it to a pace
and just go.
Many runners get regular
massages as part of their
training. Contrary to what the
general public might believe –
that massages feel good and
relaxing – a deep tissue
massage can be down right
painful! This type of massage
is very beneficial to hard
working muscles though. It’s
especially helpful if you have
areas that are tight and sore –
like the calves and hamstrings.
Just make sure you find
massage therapists who
specializes in sports massage.
.

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Sunday,
April 1
WEEK 8
Monday,
April 2
15 miles
easy
long run
OFF
Don’t forget your warm up and cool
down!
Today is a long run of 15 miles. Begin
slowly with the first mile and work
up to a comfortable pace that you can
maintain for the workout. Endurance
and strength are built on consistent
mileage and long runs. Do this run
without worrying about how fast you
are going.
This is another week where we will
scale back the mileage a bit. We’ll
keep the core workouts in the
program this week but lessen the
volume.
47 miles
Tuesday,
April 3
4 miles total
hill repeats
Remember – these rest days are
important for your body to give it a
chance to recover from the increased
stress of training. Think about how
your training has been going. If it
was always easy everyone would do
it.
We’ll go back down to 5 reps for this
week.
Wednesday,
April 4
Thursday,
April 5
Friday,
April 6
Saturday,
April 7
Sunday,
April 8
x5
6 miles We’ll keep this at 6 miles this week.
Piece of cake!
medium
distance
5 miles easy You’ve come a long way since that
first day – great job! Find a
comfortable pace and try to maintain
it for 5 miles.
5 miles easy Just an easy 5-mile run today. Don’t
overwork or max out your legs
because you are in the middle of
training and your long run is
scheduled for Sunday.
5 miles pace Follow the same format for your
other pace runs but keep the harder
effort portion to a mile or so. The rest
of the run should be easy jogging.
16 miles We’ll keep our long run today to 16
miles. I hope you enjoyed your
long run “down” week and you’re fired up for
next week’s workouts! Next week
we’ll be doing our first 20 miler and
then we’ll move into the speed
41 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
WEEK 9
Monday,
April 9
OFF
portion of the program.
If you ran an even pace yesterday you
shouldn’t be too sore today.
Take some time to think about this:
Many runners do not prepare
specifically for their goal race. By that
I mean they run on flat surfaces when
they are training for a hilly race or
vice versa. It’s important to try to
simulate your race course. You don’t
have to be exact. Grandma’s has
slightly rolling hills so some of your
runs should be on hillier terrain.
Your legs will thank you on race day
if you train this way!
Tuesday,
April 10
Wednesday,
April 11
Thursday,
April 12
Friday,
April 13
Saturday,
April 14
Sunday,
April 15
8 miles total
hill repeats
x7-8
9 miles easy
medium
distance
We’re going to lengthen your hill
workout. You can use the same hill
and add 1-2 more reps or you can
find a hill that is a bit longer and try
5-6 reps on the longer hill. If you use
a longer hill, scale back on your pace
just a notch so that you can get to the
top and over and still continue with
more repeats.
Just an easy 9-miler today. Just take it
easy today and shake out any kind of
soreness or fatigue you might feel.
These mid-week longer runs are a
time commitment but they are an
important part of your training.
5 miles easy Keep it easy today. Since you did a
longer hill workout this week don’t
be alarmed if you feel more sore
today. It’s common to be more sore
the 2 nd day after your workout.
6 miles pace We’re doing our pace run today so
that you can rest a bit on Saturday.
Sunday will be the first 20-miler!
You’re ready!
4 miles easy Enjoy your run today! I hope you
have your taxes done so you don’t
have to stress about that when you
run your long run tomorrow.
20 miles This is a milestone – the first 20 miler.
Practice drinking or using an energy
long run gel during your run.
Remember how your last long
run went and see if you can
remain consistent or improve
on today’s run. Don’t be afraid
to go slow if you need to
52 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
WEEK 10
Monday,
April 16
OFF
We’re starting our 10 th week now and
this week we should try to fit in a
practice race. Try to find a local 5K-
10K race that you can run this
weekend. If you know of a race, take
some time today to make sure you
know where to register and pick up
your number and where the race
starts.
during your long run. This
run is not about speed.
Tuesday,
April 17
8 miles total
hill repeats
x9-10
Use one of the hills you’ve used in
previous weeks. If it’s your shorter
hill, try to do 9-10 reps. If you choose
another longer hill do 7-8.
This is our last regular hill repeat
session! We’ll move into more speed
work next week.
Remember to concentrate on
form when you’re running
hills. How fast you get up the
hill is not as important as
holding your form and not
getting sloppy when you start
to get tired.
Wednesday,
April 18
Thursday,
April 19
9 miles Be sure on today’s 9 mile run that you
are running at a steady and even
medium pace.
distance
6 miles easy Just run nice and easy today.
Friday,
April 20
Saturday,
April 21
5 miles easy This is another easy run and instead
of doing a pace run tomorrow, we’ll
run easy with some strides. We aren’t
tapering specifically for your race on
Sunday but keeping the snap in the
legs will be important. Your race will
serve double duty – speed and pace
work.
4 miles easy
with 4x
strides
Jog easy for 2 miles and then
incorporate 4, 50-100 meter strides
into your run. Strides are not sprints.
You should feel in control and you
should maintain your same training
pace form. You will just be moving
your legs quicker. Your arms should
swing in sequence with your legs.
Strides are all about being in control
while you’re moving fast. After each
You’ll notice at races that a lot
of runners do “strides” before
their races. These strides are
like pick ups. After a warm up
and before a race a runner
may do 4-5 strides or pick up
immediately before the start of
a race. These strides get the
heart rate up and also snap the
legs to attention so the body is
ready to race.

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Sunday,
April 22
WEEK 11
Monday,
April 23
5K-10K race
OFF
stride, jog easy for a few minutes.
Most of your run will be at a very
easy training pace.
This is your first practice race. Be
sure to get to the race early enough to
do a good warm up of 15 minutes or
so. This race will give you a good
benchmark or gauge of where you are
at with your fitness. You can look
back at this race and see how you’ve
improved by the end of the program!
Good job on your race yesterday!
Today would be a good day to do
some stretching and some light cross
training. Your muscles will need to
move a little after your hard effort.
If there is no race in your area
this weekend measure a 5 mile
route on your car’s odometer
and run it harder than your
normal training pace. Do a
warm up and cool down as
well.
39-42
miles
Tuesday,
April 24
6 miles total
with 6 x 2:00
hard; 1:00
jog in
between
This week we’re adding another
element to our program. You have
built a base and you’ve improved
your strength. Now we get to add
some speed!
Wednesday,
April 25
Thursday,
April 26
Friday,
April 27
Saturday,
April 28
speed work
10 miles
very easy
Today I want you to start out at your
normal easy training pace. Jog like
this for 15 minutes. After your warm
up jog, pick up your pace and run a
similar pace to what you ran in your
race this past weekend. Pay attention
to your form and breathing. Run like
this for 2 minutes. Just check your
watch or use landmarks. After 2
minutes, jog very easy for 1 minute
and then start another 2 minute
interval. Repeat this 6 times. The rest
of your run should be an easy jog.
This will be your longest mid-week
run. You actually gain speed by
putting in distance work. Think
about that on today’s 10 mile run.
medium
distance
4 miles easy A bonus day – only 4 miles today! Speed work is harder on your
legs so it’s important to run
very easy for a day or two
after your hard workout.
6 miles easy Don’t overwork or max out your legs
be going too fast today because you
are in the middle of training and your
long run is scheduled for Sunday.
7 miles pace You know what to do! Don’t run too
hard. Just get into your tempo pace.

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Sunday,
April 29
18 miles
long run
Remember to start off slow and find a
comfortable pace.
Long runs and practice races
are the perfect times to
experiment with clothing to
find out what is most
comfortable to wear on race
day.
51 miles
WEEK 12
Monday,
April 30
Tuesday,
May 1
OFF
6 miles total
With 10 x
1:30 hard;
1:00 jog in
between
This week is another “down” week.
We’ll keep the core elements in our
training but scale back a bit on the
miles except for our long run. The
weekly mileage won’t necessarily be
less because we’re not backing down
on our long run.
Follow last week’s instructions.
We’ve got more intervals this week
but the time is less. Should be a snap
for you!
These easy days and weeks are
a very important part of your
training and it’s also
something that many runners
ignore and neglect. A body
can’t keep working hard at a
relentless pace without
eventually reaching a breaking
point. For runners this means
injury or burn out. I’m sure by
now you’ve come to look
forward to your easy days and
your “down” weeks. These
keep you from getting injured
or stale.
Wednesday,
May 2
speed work
5 miles easy Keep it easy today. Remember,
you’re resting a bit this week.
Thursday,
May 3
Friday,
May 4
Saturday,
May 5
8 miles easy We flipped our medium distance run
to today so you could rest a bit after
medium your speed workout.
distance
6 miles pace Follow last week’s instructions – stay
in control as you’re running your
tempo.
5 miles easy Run easy today and remember to
hydrate yourself with plenty of water
and electrolyte drinks!
Sunday,
May 6
20 miles
easy
long run
Before you begin this run, take some
time for some positive reflection.
Remember that there might be a point
in this run that doesn’t feel good, but
50 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
your body WILL overcome it. Just
take it easy for the 20 miles and stick
with it.
WEEK 13
Monday,
May 7
OFF
Enjoy the day today. You’ve earned
it! Take some time to think about
your specific goals for the marathon.
It’s not that far away!
Tuesday,
May 8
8 miles total
with 5 x 5:00
hard; 2:00
jog in
between
This might seem like a hard workout
but when you look at it, it’s only 25
minutes of hard work.
Wednesday,
May 9
Thursday,
May 10
speed work
6 miles easy
If you don’t already have a running
buddy see if you can find someone to
join you today. Having someone to
run with makes the miles fly by.
medium
distance
6 miles easy Stay with the program. All the miles
are important, and today’s 6-mile run
is no exception.
Friday,
May 11
Saturday,
May 12
Sunday,
May 13
WEEK 14
Monday,
May 14
5 miles easy Enjoy! Eat a good dinner tonight
because tomorrow is a big day – your
most aggressive pace workout.
10 miles
pace
16 miles
easy
long run
This is a challenging workout but you
can do it! Remember to keep your
shoulders and even your face relaxed
as you pick up the pace.
Good job on yesterday’s run. We’ll
keep the long run to 16 today to let
you recover from that effort. Keep
the pace easy today. It’s okay to carry
a water bottle and /or a gu or gel. In
fact, it’s a good idea to practice using
whatever you plan to eat or drink
during the marathon on this run.
5 miles easy This week we’ll try to get in one more
race as a “tune up.” Look at your
local race calendar and see what’s on
the schedule. Try to find a 10K if you
can.
If you have been lifting
weights, now is the time when
you want to stop any extra
strength training. You don’t
want to overly fatigue your
muscles before the marathon.
51 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Tuesday,
May 15
Wednesday,
May 16
7 miles total
with 6 x 4:00
hard; 1:00
jog in
between
speed work
8 miles
medium
distance
We’re flipping the “off” day with
Thursday’s easy run so your legs will
feel a bit fresher for your 10K on
Sunday.
We’re not tapering for this race but
we’ll cut back a bit toward the end of
the week just a notch so you’re not
completely tired for your 10K.
Run your 8 miles at a comfortable
pace on softer surface
Thursday,
May 17
6 miles easy Keep this run nice and easy.
Friday,
May 18
Saturday,
May 19
OFF
4 miles easy
with 4x
strides
We’re taking today off instead of
Monday so your legs can rest just a
little before the race. This also
simulates what you’ll do before the
marathon – you’ll take the day before,
the day before the marathon off.
Remember to hydrate yourself with
water and electrolyte drinks to get
ready for your race tomorrow.
Sunday,
May 20
WEEK 15
Monday,
10K race
OFF
Have fun and visualize yourself
running Grandma’s Marathon.
Phew! A rest day. Sit back and put
your feet up.
It’s good to have some
experience with race logistics
before you get to your main
event. By that, I mean you
now know what you need to
do before the race (eating,
sleeping, etc.). You know what
to expect when you get to the
race (pick up your race
number, etc.). If you know
how to take care of the details
before a race, you eliminate a
lot of anxiety that has nothing
to do with your running! You
don’t have to worry about all
the little details.
40 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
May 21
Tuesday,
May 22
Wednesday,
May 23
8 miles total
with 10 x
3:00 hard;
1:30 jog in
between
speed work
8 miles easy
medium
distance
After this week we’ll start our taper
for the marathon! With tapering we
keep up the intense portions of the
workouts but scale back on the
volume.
Just remind yourself again that only
30 minutes of this run is challenging.
The rest is easy jogging.
Keep it nice and relaxed today. You
have your longest run this weekend.
If you plan to wear light
weight training shoes or racing
flats for your marathon (or a
shoe other than the one you
normally train in) make sure
that you wear these shoes on
some of your harder workouts
or long runs. You need to
know how your legs will hold
up.
Thursday,
May 24
Friday,
May 25
5 miles easy Today is an easy recovery day. Treat
yourself to some frozen yogurt - you
deserve it!
6 miles easy Enjoy the beautiful spring day.
You’re gearing up for a big weekend.
Saturday,
May 26
7 miles pace On these runs you should feel like
you’re in a steady rhythm. If at any
time you feel like you can’t keep up
the pace or you notice your form
changing – pumping your arms or
shuffling your feet more – slow
down! The exact speed isn’t the
important element on these runs.
These runs are to train your body to
run a quicker pace. You should be
“comfortably uncomfortable.”
Sunday,
May 27
22 miles
easy
long run
Don’t be intimidated by the
marathon. Your training will get you
there. Begin today’s 22-mile workout
at a slow comfortable pace and just
keep putting one foot in front of the
other. Jog slowly and keep at
whatever pace will allow you to
finish. Time on your feet is the
critical element. Just stay positive!
Every mile counts. Try not to
skip workouts Today’s 22 mile
run may seem daunting, but
these workouts help build
endurance for the marathon.
56 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
WEEK 16
Monday,
May 28
OFF Great job! You’ve come through 15
weeks of good training. You are well
on your way to running a great
marathon.
This is the taper/fine-tuning portion
of our training.
Give your body a rest today after
your 22-mile run! Sit back and relax
while you review your marathon
goals and visualize yourself running
Grandma’s Marathon.
Tuesday,
May 29
Wednesday,
May 30
Thursday,
May 31
Friday,
June 1
5 miles total
with 10 x
2:00 hard;
1:00 jog in
between
speed work
10 miles
medium
distance
Stay in control and be focused. As
you’re doing your workout imagine
yourself out on the Grandma’s
course. You’re running along and
you see one of your competitors.
Begin one of your 2:00 intervals and
make the pass! Remember, don’t
sprint! A pass made at a fast and
controlled pace is much more
intimidating to your competition than
an all-out sprint. It’s a marathon for
gosh sakes!
Just enjoy your 10-miler today on this
nice spring day! Feel proud of
yourself at how much you’ve
accomplished and how far you’ve
come these past 15 weeks.
6 miles easy If you haven’t been practicing
drinking energy drinks on any of
your runs, you should think about
doing that. You want to make sure
your stomach can handle a drink like
that while you’re running.
5 miles easy Today is an easy day. Have some
lunch with friends after your run.
Saturday,
June 2
Sunday,
June 3
6 miles pace Jog easy for 10 minutes, ease into
your pace run, and keep that up until
you have 10 minutes left to complete
the 6 miles.
15 miles
easy
This is the last long run of the
program. You’ll be tapering down
from here until race day.
This will be a dress rehearsal. On this
Don’t worry about not having
done a long run of 26 miles.
The excitement and adrenalin
at the race will carry you the
entire distance.
47 miles

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
WEEK 17
Monday,
June 4
OFF
run you want to make sure that
everything you’re going to wear
during the marathon feels good.
Wear the shorts you plan to wear and
the shoes, etc. Bring the gu or gel and
the drink you plan to use. Practice
makes perfect!
Today is a rest day. Take a nice,
relaxing walk today. Rest days are
important during your taper. You’re
trying to conserve energy so even if
you feel like you need to go for a run
- don’t. Just stay home and relax!
Tuesday,
June 5
Wednesday,
June 6
Thursday,
June 7
Friday,
June 8
Saturday,
June 9
Sunday,
June 10
WEEK 18
Monday,
June 11
4 miles total
with 10 x
1:00 hard;
1:00 easy jog
in between
Stretch and just have an enjoyable
day off. We’re very close to the big
day now!
This should be just light, controlled
pick ups – just like strides. Stay in
control and watch your form.
6 miles easy Run your 6 miles on a soft,
comfortable surface. Stretch
afterward.
5 miles easy A 5-mile run is just what the doctor
ordered for your tired legs. Take it
nice and easy today.
5 miles easy Seems like a lot of easy days but they
are all for a purpose. You’ve only got
a week until your big day!
4 miles pace This is just a shorty! You should feel
light and fresh after having had three
easy days. Your legs will thank you
for letting them run a little faster!
8 miles easy You’ve put in the work and done all
the long runs. Today’s long run is
long run just an easy 8 miles. Now it’s time to
let your body rest and prepare itself
for next week’s race!
OFF This is it! The week you’ve been
waiting for and working so hard to
reach. Race Week! This week we’ll
just have some short runs with a few
pick ups.
32 miles
Tuesday,
June 12
3 miles easy
with some
pick ups.
Today is just an easy 3 miles. The
race is only 5 days away. Take time to
review your goals and really think

Intermediate Marathon Training Program
Wednesday,
June 13
2-3 miles
easy
about your race. If you want to view
a schedule of events for Grandma’s
Marathon weekend visit
www.grandmasmarathon.com. Begin
your hydration routine to get you
ready for race day!
Warm up and run 2-3 miles at a
comfortable pace on a softer surface.
Thursday,
June 14
Friday,
June 15
OFF
1-2 miles
easy
Go out for a walk. Pack and get
ready for your trip up to Duluth!
Don’t forget to pack your Grandma’s
Marathon confirmation card - you’ll
need it to pick up your race packet.
Stretch lightly today. Enjoy the day
but try not to be on your feet all day.
Respect the fact that you’ve trained
hard for 18 weeks and 26.2 miles is a
long way to run. You’re ready
though!
Enjoy the race expo today and take in
the sights and sounds. It’s an exciting
time. Read the race material in your
packet so you know where to pick up
the bus to the start, where to drop
your sweat bag before the start of the
race, etc. Have a nice dinner at
Michelina’s All-You-Can-Eat
Spaghetti dinner at the DECC. That
evening, you might want to lay out
what you are going to wear before,
during, and after the race, and attach
your timing chip to your shoe. Keep
your legs up and relax. Last but not
least, set your alarm or get a wake up
call early enough so that you have
time to have a light breakfast at least
2 hours so before the start of the race.
Remember to drink!
Saturday,
June 16
RACE DAY
You made it! Enjoy the bus ride to
the start with all your fellow racers.
It’s an atmosphere charged with
energy. Once the gun goes off you
know what you need to do. You’ve
spent 18 weeks preparing for this day.
Enjoy it.
If this is your first marathon,
it’s nice to record a few
thoughts about your
experience in your running
log. Years later, when you’re a
seasoned veteran, you can
look back and fondly
remember your first big race.