Coach Brendan O’Shea – a veteran of over 100 marathons –looks at the enduring appeal of the classic distance andmaps out the training schedules that will help get you overthe finish line in Dublin on October 31.

Whatever your target or motivation,remember that the marathon is a roughand tough event. It is not for the fainthearted. If it were easy it would be nochallenge. I view it as the runner’sMount Everest. If you do decide to havea go it is important that you preparewell for it. This applies as much to theperson who hopes to finish in six hoursas the person hoping to clock 2:30.

In an ideal world, all aspiringmarathoners would have their owncoach who would prepare a customisedschedule for them based on theirparticular needs and abilities. Most can’tafford that luxury, but Irish Runner willhelp you prepare for this year’smarathon with a set of schedules andadvice which should be of help.

You should pick the schedule thatmost suits your goal and expectations.Be realistic: don’t try for 2:30 ifrealistically you should be aiming for4:00. The structure of the schedules isimportant, but you may increase ordecrease the mileage as suits you.

For example, if you hope to do a timeat the fast end of a schedule, try to stickto the mileage given here. If you areaiming for a time at the slow end of aschedule take a mile or two off for eachday.

Our schedules are calibratedprimarily for runners in the three hoursplus category, although they will alsoprove useful for runners looking tobreak the three hour mark.

Before we move onto the schedules Iwant to emphasis two very importantpoints.

Visit Your GPAll who intend training and competingin a marathon should consult their GP. Itis irresponsible and plain stupid not todo so. I cannot emphasis this pointenough. When I was running sub 2:20as a young man back in the 1970s Ialways had an annual check up.

In fact it was mandatory then toprovide a letter from a GP whenentering for a marathon. I always insiston a letter from GP when I coach anindividual athlete. Apart from protectingthe athlete, a thorough medical check-up may improve your performance andgeneral health by highlighting the needfor some nutritional supplements.

For example, your haemoglobin levelmight be low which would lower yourenergy levels but taking an ironsupplement and perhaps some vitaminswould be of great benefit. It is quitecommon to be low in iron.

Best foot forwardMake sure that you have a good pair oftrainers. If you already have a pair thatare more than a year old, you shouldget a new pair as the shock absorbencyis diminished after a year, probably evenafter six months.

I recommend that you opt for anestablished brand. I prefer mediumweight trainers, but the salespersonshould be able to advise you on what’sbest for your size and gait. It’s worthremembering that the trainer shouldgenerally be a half size bigger than yournormal shoe as your feet will tend toswell a little when your exercise.

Avoid training on sand orconcrete

You should try to do at least 50% ofthe training each week on grass orsoft paths. The fartlek session shouldalways be done on grass or on a softsurface but not on a beach. The longrun should be done on road. Minimiserunning on concrete as this is verysevere on the legs and the back. It isbest to use light racers or trainerswhen running on grass. These tips donot apply to walkers who can train onany surface except on a beach.Running or walking on soft sand cancause Achilles tendonitis.

Thorough preparation is as important for the person whohopes to finish in six hours as the runner hoping to clock2:30.

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Marathoncountdown

July 2011 Irish Runner 2120 Irish Runner July 2011

These schedules are for 16 weeks starting on July 11. All runs are at a relaxedpace unless otherwise stated. By relaxed I mean the runner is able to conversewithout difficulty if running with a companion. A fartlek is a run where therunner starts at a relaxed pace but then periodically runs at a faster pace forsome distance before returning to the relaxed pace for a while and thenrunning at a faster pace again for some arbitrary distance until the end of therun. The runner does not stop until the end of the session.

MARATHON SCHEDULES

WEEK 1 (starting July 11)Monday 6m Tuesday 8mWednesday 6m Thursday 8m easy with a few

strides in the middleFriday restSaturday 10m Sunday 13m

WEEK 2 (July 18)Monday 6mTuesday 8m easy fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 15mFriday restSaturday 5m race (adidas 5m

or other)Sunday 10m

WEEK 3 (July 25)Monday 8m Tuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 18m

WEEK 4 (August 1)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 2m warm up,

4x1mile hard with 3min recovery, 2mwarm down

Friday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 5 (August 8)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m steady with

some stridesFriday rest Week 2 starting

12th JulySaturday 10mSunday 22m

WEEK 6 (August 15)Monday 8m

Tuesday 8mWednesday 8mThursday 8m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 18m

WEEK 7 (August 22)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m Friday restSaturday 10m race (Frank

Duffy or other)Sunday 8m

WEEK 8 (August 29)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 2m warm up, 4m

hard, 2m warm downFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 9 (September 5)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10 m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 10 (September 12)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 2m w/u, 4 m hard,

2m w/dFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 11 (September 19) Monday 8mTuesday 10 fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 22m

WEEK 12 (September 26)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday race (Dublin half

marathon or other)Sunday 5m

WEEK 13 (October 3)Monday 8mTuesday 10m easy fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 10m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 14 (October 10)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 15m fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 15 (October 17)Monday 8mTuesday 10m fartlekWednesday 8mThursday 2m w/u, 2m hard,

2m w/dFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 15m

WEEK 16 (October 24)Monday 6mTuesday 5mWednesday 4mThursday 3mFriday 2mSaturday 1mSunday rest

2:30 TO 3:15 MARATHON

WEEK 1 (starting July 11)Monday 4m Tuesday 4mWednesday 4m Thursday 4m easy with

a few stridesin the middle

Friday restSaturday 6 m Sunday 8m

WEEK 2 (July 18)Monday 5mTuesday 6m easyfartlekWednesday 5mThursday 8mFriday restSaturday 5m race (adidas

5m or other)Sunday 6m

WEEK 3 (July 25)Monday 6mTuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 6m fartlekFriday restSaturday 8mSunday 12m

WEEK 4 (August 1)Monday 6mTuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 2m warm up,

2x1mile hardwith 3 minrecovery, 2mwarm down

Friday restSaturday 8mSunday 14m

WEEK 5 (August 8)Monday 6m

Tuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m steady

with somestrides

Friday rest Saturday 8mSunday 16m

WEEK 6 (August 15)Monday 6mTuesday 6mWednesday 6mThursday 6m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 8mSunday 14m

WEEK 7 (August 22)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m Friday restSaturday 10m race (Frank

Duffy or other)Sunday 6m

WEEK 8 (August 29)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 2m warm up,

3m hard, 2mwarm down

Friday restSaturday 8mSunday 16m

WEEK 9 (September 5)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 8m

Sunday 18m

WEEK 10 (September 12)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 2m w/u, 3m

hard, 2m w/dFriday restSaturday 8mSunday 20m

WEEK 11 (September 19) Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 8mSunday 20m

WEEK 12 (September 26)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday race (Dublin

half marathonor other )

Sunday 5m

WEEK 13 (October 3)Monday 6m

Tuesday 8m easy fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 10m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 8mSunday 18m

WEEK 14 (October 10)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m fartlekFriday restSaturday 10mSunday 20m

WEEK 15 (October 17)Monday 6mTuesday 8m fartlekWednesday 6mThursday 8m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 6mSunday 14m

WEEK 16 (October 24)Monday 6mTuesday 5mWednesday 4mThursday 3mFriday 2mSaturday 1mSunday rest

3:15 TO 4:00 MARATHON

The first time I tackled the marathon –Berlin 1997 – I was hopping off theroad at 20 miles. A year later, inLondon, I ran my second marathonand even though I won, I had stomachcramps and struggled over the finalmiles.

Newcomers and novices canmaximise their chances of completingand even enjoying the marathon if theystick to some commonsensepreparation in the week or two leading

up to the race.Rule Number One is to get as much

rest as possible. Long runs in the twoweeks before a marathon are moredetrimental than beneficial, but by allmeans keep your training ticking overwithout doing anything that will takefrom your performance on the raceday. The day before the race I wouldrecommend getting out for 15 or 20minutes of a light run to keep the bodyticking over and limbered up.

PaddyCraddock(oldest man tohave run 30DublinMarathons)

Don’t try to do too much toosoon. Take it a day at a timeand even if you feel really gooddo not depart from the trainingschedule that you are using. Ittakes discipline to stick rigidlyto a schedule and you mustalso have the discipline to takerest days and let the bodyrecover. It is all about patienceand the same applies to howyou run the marathon inOctober.

JerryKiernan(sixth fastestall-time Irishmarathon time-2:12:20 andDublinMarathonwinner 1982 & 1992)

I think that the marathon iswithin everyone’s reach oncethe necessary training hasbeen completed. You must be aconsistent trainer and learn tolive by the motto: HastenSlowly, which is also verysound advice for mostsituations in life. Thesatisfaction of finishing themarathon makes all the hardtraining very much worthwhile.

Martin Kelly (youngest person to have run all 31 DublinMarathons)

I would recommend that all runners trysome interval training a few months intotheir training schedules. It is only recentlythat I started to add some 400m intervalruns with 90-second rest periods to my

weekly schedule. These interval runs at a steady pace are ofgreat help.

‘Get as much rest as possible’There is no magic bullet for success in marathon running,says Catherina McKiernan.

22 Irish Runner July 2011

WEEKS 1 & 2(starting July 11)Monday 3m Tuesday restWednesday 3m Thursday 3m Friday restSaturday 3m Sunday 4m

WEEK 3 & 4 (July 25)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 4mThursday 4mFriday restSaturday 4m Sunday 4m

WEEKS 5 & 6 (August 8)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 4mThursday 4m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 6m

WEEKS 7 & 8 (August 22)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 4mThursday 4m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mmSunday 8m

WEEKS 9 &10 (September 5)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 5mThursday 6m steady

with somestrides

Friday rest Saturday 5mSunday 12m

WEEK 11 (September 19)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 5mThursday 5m easy

fartlekFriday rest

Saturday 5mSunday 14m

WEEK 12 (September 26)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 5mThursday 5m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday jog or run very

easy DublinHalf Marathon

Sunday 4m

WEEK 13 (October 3)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 5mThursday 5m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 18m

WEEK 14 (October 10)Monday 4mTuesday rest

Wednesday 5mThursday 5m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 15m

WEEK 15 (October 17)Monday 5mTuesday restWednesday 5mThursday 4m easy

fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 10m

WEEK 16 (October 24)Monday 4mTuesday restWednesday 3mThursday 2mFriday 1mSaturday restSunday rest

SCHEDULE FOR 4:45 TO 5:30 MARATHON

WEEKS 1 & 2 (starting July 11)Monday 3m Tuesday 4mWednesday 3m Thursday 4m easy with a

few strides in themiddle

Friday restSaturday 4 m on 10th July,

jog 5m adidasrace or other raceon17th.Alternativelyjog 5m

Sunday 4m

WEEKS 3 & 4 (July 25)Monday 4mTuesday 4m easy fartlekWednesday 4mThursday 6mFriday restSaturday 5m Sunday 4m

WEEKS 5 & 6 (August 8)Monday 5mTuesday 6m easy fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 8m

WEEKS 7 & 8 (August 22)Monday 5mTuesday 6m easy fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 12m

WEEKS 9 & 10 (September 5)Monday 5m

Tuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m steady with

some stridesFriday rest Saturday 5mSunday 15m

WEEK 11 (September 19)Monday 5mTuesday 6m easy fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 5m Sunday 18m

WEEK 12 (September 26)Monday 5mTuesday 6m

Wednesday 5mThursday 6m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday run Dublin Half

Marathon at veryeasy half pace

Sunday 4m

WEEK 13 (October 3)Monday 5mTuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 20m

WEEK 14 (October 10)Monday 5mTuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 8 m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 15m

WEEK 15 (October 17)Monday 5mTuesday 6m fartlekWednesday 5mThursday 6m easy fartlekFriday restSaturday 5mSunday 10m

WEEK 16 (October 24)Monday 6mTuesday 5mWednesday 4mThursday 3mFriday 2mSaturday 1mSunday rest

SCHEDULE FOR 4:00 TO 4:45 MARATHON

Pace is not an issue for competitors in this category, but some will combine walking and jogging. Those at the slowerend will walk the bulk of the distance. The faster competitors should try to mix walking and jogging in their training.Those who intend walking the marathon should combine normal walking with some power walking. It is best ifsessions are based on time rather than miles. These athletes will benefit from trying to fit their preparation into aregular schedule of exercise also. The better prepared they are the more they will enjoy the experience.Each session should be walked or jogged as suits. Each session is measured in mins.

SCHEDULE FOR 5:30 TO 8:00

WEEKS 1 & 2(starting July 11)Monday 20 mins walk

or jog ormixture

Tuesday restWednesday 20 minsThursday 20 mins Friday restSaturday 20 mins Sunday 30 mins

WEEK 3 & 4 (July 25)Monday 30 minsTuesday restWednesday 30 minsThursday 30 minsFriday restSaturday 40 mins Sunday 40 mins

WEEKS 5 & 6 (August 8)Monday 40 minsTuesday restWednesday 40 mins

Thursday 40 mins toincludejogging orpower walkingas the athletefeels.

Friday restSaturday 50 minsSunday 60 mins

WEEKS 7 & 8 (August 22)Monday 40minsTuesday restWednesday 40 minsThursday 40 mins with

some joggingor powerwalking

Friday restSaturday 50 minsSunday 80mins

WEEKS 9 &10 (September 5)Monday 40minsTuesday restWednesday 50 mins

Thursday 60 mins withsome joggingor powerwalking

Friday rest Saturday 50 minsSunday 120 mins

WEEK 11 & 12 (September 19)Monday 40 minsTuesday restWednesday 50 minsThursday 50 mins with

some joggingor powerwalking

Friday restSaturday 50 minsSunday 150 mins

WEEKS 13 & 14 (October 3)Monday 40 minsTuesday restWednesday 50 mins.

Thursday 50 mins withsome joggingor powerwalking

Friday restSaturday 50 mins Sunday 170 mins

WEEK 15 (October 17)Monday 50 minsTuesday restWednesday 50 minsThursday 40 mins with

some jogging orpower walking

Friday restSaturday 50 minsSunday 100 mins

WEEK 16 (October 24)Monday 40 minsTuesday restWednesday 30 minsThursday 20 minsFriday 20 minsSaturday restSunday rest

MaryNolanHickey(only womanto have run all31 DublinMarathons)

Do not neglect the long runonce you have progressed tothat part of the trainingschedule. Do not worry toomuch about the pace of therun - it is the time on your feetthat really counts. You will getto the stage where the long runwill be something to be lookedforward to. Then you know forsure that you are getting fit.

JimmyDeenihan (GovernmentMinister,former All-Irelandwinningcaptain withKerry and first time marathonerin 2009)

Anyone serious aboutcompleting the DublinMarathon should start theirtraining no later than the firstweek in July. I had only a fewweeks training under my beltwhen I ran my first DublinMarathon at age 57 in 2009.Last year I started my trainingin January as I know now thatyou need a long and consistentbuild up of training if you areto maximise your potential.

Jenny Lee Masterson andMichelle McGrath at thelaunch of the NationalLottery's sponsorshipagreement with the DublinMarathon and Race Series.The Irish 5-Mile Road Race,the first event in the Series,takes place on July 16.More infowww.dublinmarathon.ie

July 2011 Irish Runner 2524 Irish Runner July 2011