The 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Training

For The 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Training I continue to ramp up the volume. I have set my benchmarks for my 6k tempo, 1k reps and 5k hard effort. These will be tested once again a little later on as I make my way through the Pace Phase of the plan. As I’m still in the Base Phase, the intensity isn’t the focus so much as building up the volume, overall fitness and the marathon training routine. 

I have broken down my upcoming 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 into the training sessions and what the goals are for the week.

The 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Running Sessions

The 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Running sessions once again consists of six days of running and one Rest Day. Total volume for this week is 83k (51 miles). The majority of the volume is easy effort, however, there is some steady work as well as some hills thrown in. Although the target race is as flat as it comes, hill repeats is strength, aerobic capacity and speed work in disguise. There is no marathon training block without some hills. If the target was an undulating course, I would also include downhill work. That said, even in this phase, a downhill session will unlikely benefit me for Valencia. 

Monday: Rest Day
I am calling this a rest day. A rest day should have only low impact activities, if at all possible. I will do my 20 minute bodyweight workout in the morning. However, it is such low impact, that I am still considering it a rest day. Otherwise, if I can get out for a light walk to get some steps in I will do that.

Tuesday: Hill Repeats Session – 11k (7 miles)
Tuesday’s Hill Repeats Session will shape up as follows:

2k (1 mile) easy warm up
5-10 minutes dynamic drills 
3 sets x 5 reps x 60 second hills (75-80% effort)
downhill jog recoveries between reps
2 minutes static recovery between sets
8k (5 mile) easy cool down

The way I execute this session is to time the first one. Once I know where I finish the first one at 30 seconds I will use that as my reference point and aim to reach that each time. This is a solid effort at 75-80%. If I went at a higher intensity at this point, I would be unlikely to reach the same distance each rep.

Wednesday: 10k (6 miles) Easy Run
This easy session will get some volume into the week and provide some recovery from the previous day’s session.

Thursday: 15k (9miles) Easy Run With 4k (2 Miles) Steady
This is a mid-week, medium length run. The last 4k I will increase the pace to a steady pace. 

Friday: 5k (3 miles) Easy Run in AM + 5k (3 miles) Steady Run in PM
My usual morning Friday run is a group run with friends and is probably the most enjoyable run of the week. This is then followed up with a second 5k in the evening at a steady pace. This is a short double session to start laying down the foundations of doubles in the weeks to come.

Saturday: 8k (5 miles) Change of Pace (CoP) Run
I will execute this session as follows:
1.5k easy + 5k steady effort +1.5k easy (1 mile easy + 3 miles steady effort + 1 mile easy)
As always, steady pace is comfortably hard.

Sunday: 27k (17 miles) – Long Slow Distance Run (LSDR)
The LSDR for me is a very important and under-appreciated session. It can be hard to run slow, but from a physiological perspective it is important. This run offers a great adaptive benefit from an energy and oxygen delivery perspective. Last week I put a guideline for what my LSDR would be, however, it is really done by feel. Whatever LSDR is on the day is what it is. It is a comfortable pace the entire way.

Strength & Conditioning

For the 2:49 Project Week 3 training my strength and conditioning routine doesn’t change from where it was in weeks 1 & 2. I am feeling the benefits already and may go to 40 reps at some point this week, at least on some of the exercises. Here is a reminder of what it looks like:

35 reps push ups
35 crunches
90 second plank
35 squats
35 dead bugs (each side)
35 bicycle crunches (each side)
35 lunges

Repeat these until you hit 20 minutes. I then finish the routine off with:

35 reps close hands push ups

Yoga

I perform a 20 minute yoga for runners routine from YouTube 3 days per week. This week I will aim for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The days aren’t the most important part as long as I can get the three sessions in.

Running in the Heat

I learned a tough lesson in Week 1, and I went into detail in the Week 1 Update coming out on Monday. However, as a preview, I had a very tough session and ended up getting sick at the side of the road. I can only think it was the heat that was the culprit. Well, my stupidity  of performing the session in the heat. I felt I was well heat adapted after doing so much running under the Spanish sun. I still need to take precautions.

Running in the heat can be a problem if you live in a hot climate. Here in Southern Spain, August can sometimes be extreme. There is, however, big benefits to be found in being heat adapted. This is true even if your target race is to be held in cooler temperatures. Here is a link to a well researched article about the subject. But the general benefits include the following:

• Fluid balance improvements
• Acquired thermal tolerance
• 23% increase in time to exhaustion
• Improvements in heart rate, core temperature, skin temperature, power output, lactate threshold, increase in plasma volume and greater max cardiac output

How to Work on Becoming Heat Adapted

So the question is, why didn’t I work on this years ago? In Ireland, there wasn’t much of an opportunity to train in the heat without putting in an effort to do so. One method to try is to overdress on some long runs. Another is to make use of a sauna. These things MUST be done carefully and with moderation. 60-100 minutes per day, every other day for about 3 weeks will go a long way to reaching some of these benefits. But, the caution here is to do it slowly. 

For a few weeks leading up to these sessions of heat training there should be a gradual increase in time in heat. So, for example, week 1 may only have 2 x 10 minute sessions. Week 2 could have 2 x 15 minute sessions. Adding a third 15 session into week 3 to brings the total to 45 minutes before the all important weeks 4, 5 and 6 where the target of 60-100 minutes may be reached.

Three Steps to Consider for Running a Session in Hot Conditions

There are three steps that I will consider going forward in this 2:49 Marathon Project when performing a session in the heat. These include checking the weather ahead of time and getting out at the coolest part of the day, bringing cold water with me as well as something to cool me down. The last thing I will do is consider adjusting my goals for the session if it feels too hot.

Step 1: Checking the Weather Conditions

Since I had the bad experience, I am checking the expected weather conditions the evening before the session. In this way, I will have a better idea what time I need to be ready to get out the door. If I am executing the session at the coolest part of the day, I have a better chance of a successful session.

Step 2: Bring Cold Water and Cooling Towels

When the temperatures start to hit the high 20’s or 30’s (80 degrees F or higher), I know I will need to bring cold water and ensure I drink plenty during my session. An insulated jug of water with ice does the job nicely. Alternatively, freezing a bottle of water the night before and bringing it will ensure I have cold water as it thaws. 

It is also a good idea to bring a frozen towel in a cool bag. This can be used to put on my head or around my neck if the temps get too high and I start to feel overheated.

Step 3: Consider Adjusting Expectations

If the temperatures are high and I have an interval session or a tempo session, I need to be realistic in my expectations. Depending on how my body is reacting, I may need to adjust the session to decrease the intensity somewhat. At the end of the day, it will still be based on exertion, which is what I’m looking for. 

The 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Training Summary 

In summary, the 2:49 Marathon Project Week 3 Training is an interesting week. It involves much of what I like to do, which is running an increasing volume, comfortably. But there is also some hill repeats and some steady running to add some different looks. I’m very much looking forward to this week and hope to hear some feedback from you.

Can You Follow the 2:49 Marathon Project?

I accidentally pushed out the week 1 video on the wrong YouTube channel. The correct channel is this one here: JMRunCoach

Daily updates will be shared on my Instagram account and Tiktok account. Weekly updates will be in longer form on YouTube, my Facebook page,  and here on the A Heart for Running blog. Also, for anyone who wishes to get email updates, please subscribe to the mailing list at the bottom of this page and the weekly updates will be delivered directly to your inbox. Ensure to check your junk box and allow the emails from here through.

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