A typical marathon training program might last from 16-18 weeks. It usually has a mixture of long runs, hill repeats, tempo runs, speed work on the local high school track, and some other easier paced runs thrown in for good measure.
Of all the runs in a training program, for me one of the most special ones is the last long run prior to marathon day. It’s usually 3 weeks out from race day and typically is around 32-34 kilometres long. Many runners treat it as a “dress rehearsal” for race day. I’ll eat the same breakfast and wear the same clothing as on race day. I’ll fuel up along the run the same way as I will for the first 32km on race day. If possible I’ll run a good portion of the last long run on the race course.
If you do some of your runs in a group setting then you’ll know that at the end of a workout it’s common to exchange high fives, fist pumps, or handshakes of some sort to acknowledge the shared company. After the last long run before a marathon, however, the handshakes and fist pumps hold extra meaning. After we put the last long one in the bank, we know the toughest part of the marathon training is over and that the next couple of weeks will be about tapering and getting our bodies rested for race day.
Sunday will be the last long run before the 2009 Ottawa Marathon. After that, the countdown to race day is on.
Current Issue
Previous Issue
Prior Release
