In 2023, I ran 2:57:31 in my first marathon 6 months after I started running.
In 2024, I’m training to run a sub-2:50 marathon while building strength and muscle mass.
Here’s the exact training plan I’m using:
Note: Long post, so bookmark it for future reference.
I’ll split this post into four main areas:
Running
Lifting
Nutrition
Recovery
Let’s walk through each area…
Running
My basic weekly structure involves 6 runs:
3 easy runs
1 track speed workout
1 tempo run
1 long run
Easy runs range from 3-10 miles and are all done to maintain Zone 2 HR (under 150 for me, ideally in 125-145 range). These build the base engine and avoid injury from overuse because they are low intensity and easier on the body. Keeping the easy runs easy is key.
Track speed workouts generally involve a 1-2 mile warmup jog followed by 4-8 miles of track work (starting on the low end of that and building up over time). This is usually a combination of 800s (two laps around a standard track) or 400s (one lap), though occasionally includes 1200s or 1600s as well. Rest periods between the work sets are typically 1-3 minutes.
A standard track workout I do is 8 x 800m with a 400m slow jog to recover between rounds. Another standard track workout is 10 x 400m with a 1 minute slow jog between each round.
Tempo runs are harder middle distance (6 to 12 mile) road runs done at or near anaerobic threshold HR (peak HR before it burns too much to battle through). Usually a 1-2 mile warm up and then the rest of the miles at hard effort (at or better than goal marathon pace). These build the top end effort and are generally representative of the HR exertion level on race day.
Long runs range from 10-22 miles and generally incorporate easy miles (low HR, low intensity) and tempo miles (high HR, high intensity). As I build closer to the marathon, these long runs will be 18-22 miles with at least half of the miles done at or faster than my goal marathon race pace. For now, they are ~10-14 miles as I focus on base building.
So a standard week early in my training cycle right now looks like this:
Monday: 4 mile easy run
Tuesday: 6 mile track speed workout
Wednesday: 4 mile easy run
Thursday: 4 mile easy run
Friday: 6 mile tempo run
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 14 mile long run
By the peak of my training, the weeks will build to something like this:
Monday: 8 mile easy run
Tuesday: 10 mile track speed workout
Wednesday: 8 mile easy run
Thursday: 8 mile easy run
Friday: 12 mile tempo run
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 22 mile long run
My rough idea is to increase overall mileage load by about 5-10% each week, assuming I feel good and healthy (more on that in the recovery section).
If I were training for a shorter race (like a half marathon or 10k), I’d probably replace the long run with a shorter tempo interval run (example: 3 rounds of 1 mile easy, 2 miles hard).
Lifting
My biggest challenge last marathon prep was losing weight and muscle mass from all the mileage. I’m 6’2†185 pounds and this time around, I want to make sure I stay at that weight (and look great).
In other words, I want to be a great runner, but never look like a great runner.
My current weekly lifting plan is aligned with this desire:
Push/Pull/Legs split
4-6 lifting sessions per week
I like the Push/Pull/Legs split because it allows me to hit up to 6 lifts in a week if I feel fresh and well recovered, or scale that back to just the 3 lifts at higher intensity if I’m drained from the increasing running mileage.
The sessions all follow the same general format:
Compound movement - 4 sets x 3-8 reps
Secondary superset - 3 x 8-12
Accessory work superset 1 - 3 x 10
Accessory work superset 2 - 3 x 12-15
Core work
Push compound movements are either bench press or military press. Pull compound movements are a deadlift variation or row variation. Legs compound movements are a squat variation.
Push secondary movements include dumbbell bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, and dips. Pull secondary movements include pull-ups, seated cable rows, and dumbbell rows. Legs secondary movements include lunges, Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges, and split squats.
Push accessory movements include flys, tricep extensions, and shoulder raises. Pull accessory movements include face pulls, straight arm pulldowns, and bicep curls. Legs accessory movements include hamstring curls, leg extensions, leg presses, step ups, and calf raises.
Core work includes hanging leg raises, reverse crunches, stability ball rollouts, side planks, ab wheel rollouts, and more.
Programming Note: “Superset” just means two movements done back-to-back before resting.
Here’s an example push day:
A. Barbell Bench Press 4 sets x 5 reps
B1. Dumbell Incline Bench Press 3 x 8
B2. Dips 3 x 10
C1. Cable Flys 3 x 12
C2. Rope Tricep Extensions 3 x 12
D1. Lateral Raises 3 x 12
D2. DB Skull Crushers 3 x 12
Core Work 3 x 15
Here’s an example pull day:
A. Barbell Deadlift 4 sets x 5 reps
B1. Dumbell Row 3 x 8
B2. Pull-ups 3 x 10
C1. Cable Face Pull 3 x 12
C2. Rope Hammer Curl 3 x 12
D1. Rear Delt Raises 3 x 12
D2. Seated Bicep Curls 3 x 12
Core Work 3 x 15
Here’s an example leg day:
A. Front Squat 4 sets x 5 reps
B1. Reverse Lunge 3 x 8
B2. Goblet Squat 3 x 10
C1. Leg Press 3 x 12
C2. Calf Raises 3 x 12
D1. Leg Extensions 3 x 12
D2. Hamstring Curls 3 x 12
Core Work 3 x 15
These lifts usually take about ~45 minutes if I’m focused and stay on task.
A typical week of lifting and running looks like this:
Monday: Easy Run + Legs
Tuesday: Track Workout + Push
Wednesday: Easy Run + Pull
Thursday: Easy Run + Off
Friday: Tempo Run + Legs
Saturday: Off + Push
Sunday: Long Run + Off
Note: I always do my run before lifting on days where I have to do both. My logic is that my primary goal is a running time goal, so doing that first, while fresh and focused, is essential. This is sometimes a grind, but I always get the work in, even if I have to reduce the intensity level.
Depending on schedule, I vary the times when I do these workouts based on their length and my other work and family commitments. I generally try to do them in the mid-late morning.
You can scale up or down this plan to meet your time availability, but full marathon training while maintaining strength and muscle mass is probably not for those who are ultra-strapped for time.
Nutrition
My daily macronutrient targets that I use as a guide:
Protein: 215g (~1.2g per lb of bodyweight)
Carbs: 200g
Fats: 125g
Total Calories: 2,785
I do a bit of “carb cycling” by notching up the carbs on hard training days through adding more around the workout window.
Since I’m focused on muscle mass as the running miles (and caloric burn) increase during training, I’ll be scaling up these macros in the coming months.
By the peak of my training, my guess is it will look more like this:
Protein: 215g
Carbs: 350g
Fats: 125g
Total Calories: 3,385
As long as I hit my protein goal, I’m not concerned with perfection here, just general direction. I try to hit within ~10% of the daily macro targets established.
The important thing is to figure out your current baseline and build from there. Track your macros for a few days and see where they end up. If your weight has been constant, you’re eating to a good baseline at your current training level. If you are losing or gaining weight, you’re eating to a deficit or surplus at your current training level. If you’re going to be training hard, getting 1-1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good baseline. You can fill in carbs and fats behind that based on personal preferences and goals related to bodyweight.
Typical protein sources include eggs, egg whites, beef, chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whole milk, and whey.
Typical carb sources include quick oats, jasmine rice, sourdough bread, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, raw honey, fruit.
Typical fat sources include olive oil, avocado, grass fed butter, nuts.
As for supplements, I generally keep it pretty simple:
A lot of people asking about a scaled down version of this program that is doable in 60 minutes per day.
I’ll add to this thread with that version soon… (View Tweet)
Ok, here’s what I think the ~60 minute per day version of this program looks like:
Note: Another long post, bookmark this if you want to use it…
Training Week:
• Monday: 4-6 Mile Easy Run
• Tuesday: Full Body Lift
• Wednesday: 4-6 Mile Speed Workout
• Thursday: Full Body Lift
• Friday: 4-6 Mile Easy Run
• Saturday: Full Body Lift
• Sunday: 6-10 Mile Long Run
Weekly totals would be:
• 18-28 miles (including speed and long run)
• 3 60-minute full body strength sessions
For the lifts, I’d probably do something like this:
Day 1:
• A) Squat Variation 3 x 5-8
• B1) DB Bench Press 3 x 8-12
• B2) DB Row 3 x 8-12
• C1) DB Reverse Lunge 3 x 8-12
• C2) Pull-ups 3 x 4-6
• C3) Push-ups 3 x 8-12
• D) Core Work
Day 2:
• A) Incline Bench Press 3 x 5-8
• B1) Goblet Squat 3 x 8-12
• B2) Goblet Forward Lunge 3 x 8-12
• C1) DB Overhead Press 3 x 8-12
• C2) Pull-ups 3 x 4-6
• C3) Push-ups 3 x 8-12
• D) Core Work
Day 3:
• A) Deadlift Variation 3 x 5-8
• B1) DB Incline Bench Press 3 x 8-12
• B2) Cable Row 3 x 8-12
• C1) DB Step Ups 3 x 8-12
• C2) Pull-ups 3 x 4-6
• C3) Push-ups 3 x 8-12
• D) Core Work
For the runs, you’d follow the same format as what was prescribed in the original post.
Track days would be a combination of 800m and 400m at aggressive pace with 1-3 minute cooldowns in between. Easy runs would be easy (~125-145 HR). Long runs would be mostly easy pace with a few hard miles built in.
If you follow that program, you’d be hitting sufficient running and strength training volume to make great progress, in about 60 minutes per day.
Your nutrition and recovery would be very important, given this is probably more volume than you’re used to, with no days completely off (though an easy run only day should feel easy enough that it’s a recovery day). Make sure you’re consuming enough protein and sleeping 7-8 hours per night, plus rolling out and handling soft tissue vulnerabilities as they pop up.
I hope this helps.
Another full e-book for free here on X…
Note: I don’t think it’s possible to train for aggressive marathon goals without pushing up to at least ~18-20 mile runs in training, so this shortened version is probably more well suited for ~10k or half marathon running goals (alongside strength goals). (View Tweet)
@wolfejosh Put together this 60 minute per day version that might be helpful (View Tweet)
Favorite gear list (no affiliations):
• Watch: Coros Apex 2 Pro
• Run Tracking App: Coros
• Apparel: Ten Thousand
• Headbands: Nike
• Easy Run Shoes: Nike Streakfly
• Race Shoes: Nike Vaporfly 3 (View Tweet)
All of my specific lifts are programmed by @ShowMeStrength.
If you want to level up strength wise, highly recommend reaching out to him for his programming and remote coaching.
I have zero financial affiliation. This is not sponsored. (View Tweet)