One Successful Marathon Per Year

What do you do next after your fall marathon is complete? So, you just finished NYC. Achieved your goal. Now what? Got this question the other day. Here's a path to consider. Endurance training is an iterative process. Lydiard training cycles build on one another as well. As I've said before, building fitness is about stress and recovery. Assuming you are on a smart post half or full marathon recovery plan of a few weeks, now comes the decision about what to do next? How many marathons should be run in a year? I've always felt that one successful marathon per year is smart. How you measure that success will vary from runner to runner, but for me it was time improvement.

Now consider working on your shorter distances and pace in your next cycle. For example, for the Spring target a 5k or 10k. A plan for these, while still providing a good aerobic base building component, will have you working on shorter, yet faster paced tempo runs, fast interval sessions during the anaerobic phase and of course testing yourself in controlled races as you head towards peak. The beauty of this is once you complete this cycle, you can move right into your marathon training cycle for Fall with an 18–24 week plan. The benefits? Your fitness level will have increased, your aerobic base will have grown, your fundamental speed will have improved, and you will have set yourself up for a productive next training cycle for a goal half or full marathon.

If you would like to learn more about the Lydiard® Method, please visit our store, Running Niche, and talk with Bob Dyer or Jennifer Henderson, who are both Lydiard® Certified Coaches.