Why First-Time Marathoners Should Skip the Speed Work: Building a Solid Foundation for Success

You’ve decided to train for a marathon? Congratulations on taking this huge leap and making it a goal to join the less than .2% of the population who have completed a marathon!

As you prepare to embark on this journey, it is essential to lay a solid foundation for success. While speed work is a valuable tool in a runner’s toolkit, first-time marathoners may want to hit the brakes on incorporating speed. Now, of course, there are exceptions to this. No one told professional runner Fiona O’Keeffe, who just won the women’s Olympic Marathon Trials with a time of 2:22:10, to exclude speed work in her training. But many of us are NOT professional or elite athletes who dedicate their entire life to training and recovery.

Here’s why you don’t want to include speed work when training for your first marathon as a recreational runner:

Prioritize Endurance

Marathon success hinges on endurance. Long, slow distance runs are the building blocks of training, which helps your musculoskeletal system adapt to the demands of covering 26.2 miles. It is also a beast of a distance. Even if you’ve got the experience running many half marathons or if you’ve been consistently running for several years, your body needs time to adapt to the rigors of covering 26.2 miles. Gradually increasing your weekly mileage, including cutback weeks, and incorporating long runs at a comfortable pace will allow your body and mind to adjust with lower risk.

Reduce Risk of Injury + Burnout

What types of risks will you avoid by holding off on speed work during your first marathon training cycle? Injury + burnout. Speed work places additional stress on your muscles and joints. For those that are new to the marathon distance, the risk of overuse injuries is already higher as your body adapts to the longer distances and more time on your feet. Speed work also adds the mental stress of hitting specific paces, which can risk burnout. Burnout risk is already increased during marathon training due to the longer duration of the training cycle.

But what if I’m an experienced runner?

If you’ve been running consistently for a very long time and already have the experience of doing speed work in training for other, shorter races you may be fine including speed. Keep in mind that you should:

• Be consistently running 20-30 miles per week for at least a year before considering adding speed work to ANY training plan. For a marathon, you should be running that consistently for several years to even consider adding in speed to your first marathon training cycle.

• Space out your higher effort runs. Don’t do a speed workout the day before or after a long run as both are quality sessions that require adequate recovery time.

• Have experience doing speed work in a prior training cycle for a shorter distance race.

Safe ways to add speed to your training:

If you’re an experienced runner who’s done speed work before, but are more injury prone or concerned about how your body will adapt to the longer runs and increased mileage, you can still incorporate speed in a more conservative way. Here are some ideas:

• Strides - run 6-8 x 20 seconds strides in the middle or end of an easy run.

• Fartleks - effort based speed using landmarks or time intervals. Example: 5 x 2 minute @ moderately hard effort, with 2 minutes easy between.

• Hill repeats - find a gradual hill to do faster intervals up. Hills reduce the stress on our joints. Example: 6-8 x 30 seconds uphill at moderate effort, easy recovery downhill.

What will make your first marathon training cycle most successful?

• Focus on gradually increasing mileage.

• Include cutback weeks.

• Work with a coach.

• Practice fueling and hydrating before, during, and after runs.

• Get quality sleep.

• Stay consistent.

• ENJOY THE PROCESS!

In conclusion, as you set out on this journey towards your first marathon, remember that success lies in building a robust aerobic foundation. Prioritize endurance, stay injury-free, and enjoy the journey to the start line. If you find yourself in need of personalized guidance and support tailored to your unique journey, consider taking your training to the next level with our one-on-one coaching services. Our experienced coaches are passionate about helping runners, especially those gearing up for their inaugural marathon, navigate the challenges and triumphs of training. With personalized plans, expert advice, and unlimited communication, our coaching program can be the key to unlocking your full running potential.

Happy running, and here's to achieving your marathon dreams!