The following is a complete journey from couch to 5km to to 10km to marathon...
The first six weeks are designed for a beginning runner or one who is recovering from an injury as seen in the chart below:
Running Plan I - For Beginning Runners
| Wk | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 mile | Bike or swim | 1 mile | Bike or swim | 1 mile |
| 2 | 2 miles | Bike or swim | 2 miles | Bike or swim | 2 miles |
| 3* | Bike or swim | Bike or swim | Bike or swim | Bike or swim | Bike or swim |
| 4 | 2-3 miles | Bike or swim | 2-3 miles | Bike or swim | 2-3 miles |
| 5 | 2 miles | 3 miles | off | 4 miles | 2 miles |
| 6 | 2-3 miles | 3-4 miles | off | 4-5 miles | 2-3 miles |
*Do not run during Week 3 - bike or swim everyday. There is a high risk of injury.
The following nine weeks will take you to a level where you can seriously start to train for a marathon without risk of serious injury. Just climbing to this level of running could cause tendonitis and other joint pains due to the harshness of running on the body.
(FACT - 30-60% of all runners get injured every year - Runner's World). It is NOT recommended to start Running Plan II until you can perform week six from the Running Plan I.
Running Plan II - For Intermediate Runners
| Wk | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 miles | 5 miles | off |
| 2 | 3 miles | 5 miles | off |
| 3 | 4 miles | 5 miles | off |
| 4 | 4 miles | 5 miles | off |
| 5 | 5 miles | 5 miles | off |
| 6 | 5 miles | 6 miles | off |
| 7 | 6 miles | 6 miles | off |
| 8 | 6 miles | 6 miles | off |
| 9 | 6 miles | 6 miles | off |
| Wk | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 miles | 5 miles | 2 miles | off |
| 2 | 3 miles | 5 miles | 2 miles | off |
| 3 | 6 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | off |
| 4 | 6 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | off |
| 5 | 6 miles | 4 miles | 4 miles | off |
| 6 | 6 miles | 6 miles | 4 miles | off |
| 7 | 6 miles | 6 miles | 6 miles | off |
| 8 | 6 miles | 6 miles | 6 miles | off |
| 9 | 6 miles | 6 miles | off | 10km event |
*Work on speed and goal pace during Weeks 8-9 (minutes/mile).
Running Plan III - Intermediate / Advanced Runners - Build up to 10 - 13 miles
|
Wk |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
1 |
4 miles |
5 miles |
off |
3 miles |
4 miles |
6 miles |
off |
|
2 |
5 miles |
4 miles |
off |
6 miles |
4 miles |
6 miles |
off |
|
3 |
5 miles |
4 miles |
off |
6 miles |
4 miles |
6 miles |
off |
|
4 |
6 miles |
4 miles |
off |
6 miles |
4 miles |
6 miles |
off |
|
5 |
7 miles |
4 miles |
off |
6 miles |
4 miles |
7 miles |
off |
|
6 |
8 miles |
4 miles |
off |
6 miles |
4 miles |
8 miles |
off |
|
7 |
8 miles |
4 miles |
off |
7 miles |
off |
9 miles |
off |
|
8 |
8 miles |
4 miles |
off |
8 miles |
off |
10 - 11 miles |
off |
|
9 |
9 miles |
4 miles |
off |
8 miles |
off |
10-13 miles EVENT |
|
*Work on speed and goal pace during above workout (minutes/mile).
Once you have the foundation of running thirty miles per week under your belt, you are now ready to train at your goal mile time and distance. Usually Saturday and Sunday make the best days for your longer run so Monday and Friday will be off days in order to recover and prepare. The chart below is a 12 week plan for a Marathon:
12 Week Running Plan for Better Marathon Performance - For Advanced Runners
| Wk | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | off | 8 miles | 5 miles |
| 2 | off | 8 miles | 6 miles |
| 3 | off | 9 miles | 6 miles |
| 4 | off | 9 miles | 6 miles |
| 5 | off | 10 miles | 6 miles |
| 6 | off | 11 miles | 6 miles |
| 7 | off | 12 miles | 6 miles |
| 8 | off | 12 miles | 6 miles |
| 9 | off | 12 miles | 6 miles |
| 10 | off | 10 miles | 6 miles |
| 11 | off | 8 miles | 6 miles |
| 12 | off | 6 miles | 6 miles |
| Wk | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 miles | off | 6 miles | 6 miles |
| 2 | 6 miles | off | 7 miles | 7 miles |
| 3 | 6 miles | off | 8 miles | 8 miles |
| 4 | 6 miles | off | 10 miles | 6 miles |
| 5 | 6 miles | off | 12 miles | 6 miles |
| 6 | 6 miles | off | 14 miles | 6 miles |
| 7 | 6 miles | off | 16 miles | 6 miles |
| 8 | 6 miles | off | 18 miles | 6 miles |
| 9 | 6 miles | off | 19 miles | 6 miles |
| 10 | 6 miles | off | 20 miles | 6 miles |
| 11 | 6 miles | off | 10 miles | 6 miles |
| 12 | off | off | 2 miles | marathon |
Goal Paces:
10:00 / mile = approx. 4.5 hours 9:00 / mile = approx. 4 hours 8:00 / mile = approx. 3.5 hours 7:00 / mile = approx. 3 hours 6:00 / mile = approx. 2.5 hours
These workouts are recommended running programs that have worked in the past for many people, but they may not be right for you. Check with your doctor prior to starting any exercise routine (especially running) or you may find yourself reading the articles in the StewSmithFitness.com Article Section
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Tactical Fitness Training For the Candidate / Recruit: Specializing in preparing individuals for military, special ops, law enforcement, and firefighter selection programs (getting you "TO and THROUGH" training).
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Functional Training for Both Active Duty / Recruits: Utilizing a seasonal tactical fitness periodization system that balances longer workouts of running/rucking, swimming, and calisthenics during the Spring/Summer when days are longer. Then, the focus shifts in the Fall/Winter to lifting (Cals/cardio maintenance) when the days are shorter/colder. This process has 25 years of proven success building tactical athletes who improve in all areas of fitness: strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, muscle stamina, mobility, flexibility, and grip.
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Tactical Fitness Course: An 80-minute course on preparing for Spec Ops selection, getting TO and THROUGH the toughest military special ops’ programs using this two-phase system.
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Extensive Content Library: Over 1,000 free articles, 200+ podcasts, and social media content (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) featuring Spec Ops swim critiques and LIVE QA sessions.
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NEW SKOOL.com Tactical Fitness Community
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Where to Find More Information About Optimal Performance Training Programs
When you start training again, consider the seasonal tactical fitness model. I call it A WAY to train and obviously not the only way to train. But it offers the opportunity to never neglect your weaknesses, improves flexibility and mobility, and puts you at a level of physical ability where you are happy with your overall ability to do just about anything. We have a system where the seasons dictate our training. When it is nicer outside, we tend to run and do more calisthenics. When it is colder and not so nice, we lift more, run less, and still maintain our outdoor activities with shorter runs and rucks. Check it out: Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System.
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