This Is the Minimum Amount of Training Required to Run a Marathon.
As I lament in almost every training journal entry, not everyone is able to restructure their entire life around their training plan. Sure, there are obstacles like injuries and illnesses, but you have personal priorities—I missed a run last week due to an unexpected FaceTime call from an old friend.
Training for a marathon is a serious commitment that requires careful planning and execution, as well as the ability to make the most of your limitations. Let me be your authority on the fact that I am irresponsibly busy, maybe a little lazy and terrible at sticking to plans, but still run a marathon every year. Here are my mental tricks to help you develop a running plan when you’re short on time and motivation.
Training Plan Basics
The general consensus is that you should follow at least a 14-16 week training plan, preferably 18-20 weeks.
Even if you need to deviate from your training plan or need to jump straight into week four to squeeze in a workout, you still need to have a plan in the first place. Here’s my guide to choosing the right training plan to suit your lifestyle, running experience, work responsibilities, and race goals. But after choosing a plan comes the hardest part: sticking to it, even if everything goes wrong .
So how can you run a marathon with minimal training? Well, it depends on how you feel about being too sore to go to the toilet the next day? If you’re determined to do it, here’s the minimum you can get away with without risking serious injury.
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Start with the base. Before you begin the plan, you should be able to run 3 to 5 miles comfortably. If you can’t, take a month to get to that level. You could try jumping into a training plan a few weeks earlier than your current fitness level, but then you could hurt yourself or burn out before you get to the marathon starting line. Be honest about your base and go from there.
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Give preference to long runs . Your weekly long-term results are non-negotiable. If you can’t run at least 16 miles at least two weeks before the marathon, I wouldn’t attempt the marathon.
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Squeeze in training runs. Aim for at least two more runs per week. One should be a moderate run (starting at 4 to 5 miles and gradually increasing to 8 to 10) and the other could be an easy 3 to 4 miles.
This is the absolute foundation of marathon training. Now here’s how you can use it to avoid marathon training at a fraction of the cost.
The “I’m Busy and Fickle” Strategy
I would love to be a running influencer who can afford to center my decisions around long runs, but that’s just not the life I lead. (For now.) (Nike, if you’re reading this, shoot me an email.) Until then, the “I’m busy and inconsistent” approach is based on honesty and self-acceptance. Follow these tenants whenever you are training for a marathon at a minimal level.
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First things first: prioritize the long term . I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it. If you only do one run a week, make it a long run. This is the most important thing to prepare for a marathon.
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Be flexible . Some runners are rigid about which days of the week correspond to how far they run. Personally, I look at my weekly schedule and work backwards. This means that sometimes my classic long run on Sunday is actually a long run on Tuesday. The exact day or order of your runs won’t matter as much as when you start your runs.
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Time at a distance . On busy weeks, focus on time spent running rather than distance. A 30-minute run is better than no run at all. Having a “time over distance” mentality will help you strategize your runs across the board, especially when you have to shorten individual runs to compress them.
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Something is better than nothing. Can’t fit in at full height? If possible, go for a 10-minute run or even a few mini runs throughout the day. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
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Don’t overdo it. While you need to prioritize your weekly long runs, it is still unwise to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% at a time. If you need to skip a long run, you can shuffle your long runs around so you don’t have to jump from 10 to 18 miles (for example) on consecutive weekends.
Last word to the wise
Remember, everything I’ve shared today is about the bare minimum. Most marathon runners are not “the bare minimum” people. You’ll feel more comfortable and less likely to hurt yourself the more you exercise. But if life gets in the way and you need to cut corners, focus on gradually building up your long run and participate in at least two other runs or cross-training sessions per week.
Even if you planned to stick to an ambitious training plan, sometimes all you have is the bare minimum. Illness, injury, surprise parties – life happens. When this happens, don’t worry. Listen to your body. If you feel pain (not just normal), take a break . It is better to go to the start slightly undertrained than outright injured.
Now lace up your shoes and get going. Or not! Be lazy! There’s always tomorrow, right?