Training

Finishers Medal Programme 2019

2nd screen

Comrades 2019 Finishers Program by Lindsey Parry – Official coach of the Comrades Marathon Association:

To Ask Questions sign up to:

@AskCoachParry, @LindseyParryZA, www.facebook.com/Comradescoach and www.coachparry.com

 

The 2019 Comrades Marathon UP RUN will soon be upon us.The UP RUN is known for The Big Five Hills: Kowies Hill, Fields Hill, Bothas Hill, Inchanga and Polly Shortts. The 1st 3 are all run in the 1st 40km with Inchanga taking you to 50km and Polly Shortts with a little over 10km to go. There are also many other climbs like Little Polly’s, Umlaas Road and other unnamed hills, in short the UP Run is an enormous challenge. It is important to prepare physically for the challenge and in so doing also prepare for the psychological challenge of running 87 odd kilometers from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

The focus up until now has been on laying a foundation and improving half Marathon speed. From January we look at preparing for a Marathon to qualify for Comrades and from there it is all about race day 9 June 2019.

Your biggest training months will be mid-March to early May and as such you should not be looking to do any hard races during this time.

If this is your first attempt at Comrades and you have not followed my Comrades programme for June-December, but you are a regular runner and can do a Half Marathon in 2hrs20 then this is the place for you to start. If you are not a regular runner and have not run a half marathon before or are slower than 2hrs20 then you need to look at considering 2020 as your 1st Comrades or contacting me directly for a training plan.

This programme is time based so people of more experience and greater running ability will get relatively more out of the programme and progress faster. Time based programmes also prevent you from settling on a route that you need to run faster every time you run that particular route. It is easier to maintain discipline and run easy on easy days. The aim is to be able to run a sub 4:50 marathon before Comrades.

Because you will employ a run walk strategy for your Qualifier, Long run and Comrades we will use this strategy in training. Very important to note about using a run walk strategy is that the walk is not a Sunday stroll but fast walking with purpose. It is a change in focus on the muscles not a “rest”.

RECOVERY is important so DO NOT add extra running. It will however be massively beneficial if you add cross training or strength training to your schedule.

Note that training days are interchangeable, if your club does hill training on a different day or club long runs on a different day then you can change days around.

Training Paces for a 4:50 marathon:
Recovery (R): 7:30-7:50/km
Easy (E): 6:50-7:10/km
Long Runs (L): 6:55-7:25/km
Hills: 6:00-6:15/km
Time Trials (TT):
4km 23:18
5km 29:45
8km 49:00

Start at the slower end of the training paces and move towards the faster end as you progress through the coming months of training.

Please note that if you cannot run the Time Trial times this does not mean you are not capable of a 4:50 Marathon. These are guidelines so there is some room either side.

Enjoy the training!

Download the 2019 Finishers Plan Jul - Dec: Download

Download the 2019 Finishers Plan Jan - Jun: Download

 

July training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 July           Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 4
2 July REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 3min walk 2min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 9min walk 1min x 5 Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 5
9 July REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 3min walk 2min x 6 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 9min walk 1min x 6 Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 6
16 July REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 6 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 3min walk 2min x 7 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 9min walk 1min x 7 Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 7
23 July REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 3min walk 2min x 5 Walk 5min easy; Jog 9min walk 1min x 5 Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 1min x 6
30 July REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 6min walk 1min x 4          
August training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Aug REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 5min walk 2min x 7 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 10min walk 1min x 6 Walk 5min easy; Jog 6min walk 1min x 4
6 Aug REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 7min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 6min walk 1min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 12min walk 1min x 6 Walk 5min easy; Jog 7min walk 1min x 5
13 Aug REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 8min walk 1min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 7min walk 1min x 5 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 15min walk 1min x 4 Walk 5min easy; Jog 8min walk 1min x 6
20 Aug REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 7min walk 1min x 6 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 6min walk 1min x 6 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 15min walk 1min x 3 Walk 5min easy; Jog 7min walk 1min x 5
27 Aug REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 10min walk 1min x 3 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 8min walk 1min x 5 REST
September training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Sep Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 4 Walk 5min easy; Jog 10min walk 1min x 5
3 Sep REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 12min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 10min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 25min walk 1min x 4 Walk 5min easy; Jog 12min walk 1min x 4
10 Sep REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 14min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 12min walk 1min x 4 REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 30min walk 1min x 2 Walk 5min easy; Jog 15min walk 1min x 3
17 Sep REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 12min walk 1min x 3 REST 5km Time trial, do this to the best of your ability, walk if you need to. DO NOT go 100% effort REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min, walk 1min x 3 Walk 5min easy; Jog 15min walk 1min x 2
24 Sep REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 2; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 15min walk 1min x 2; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 40min, walk 1min x 3 Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 3
October training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Oct REST Walk 5min easy; 55min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 45min E; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 50min, walk 1min x 3 Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 3
8 Oct REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 50min E; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 1hr walk 1min x 3 Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 2
15 Oct REST Walk 5min easy; 45 E run; Walk 5min REST 5km Time trial, do this to the best of your ability, walk if you need to. REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 60min walk 1min x 2 Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 3
22 Oct REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr10 E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 55min E; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 2hrs LSD walk as needed Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 4
29 Oct REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr15 E run; Walk 5min REST REST

*Continue to walk as needed every 15-30min during your runs
November training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Nov Walk 5min easy; 1hr E; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 2hrs15 LSD walk as needed Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 4
5 Nov REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr20 E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr E; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 2hrs30 LSD walk as needed Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 3
12 Nov REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr E run; Walk 5min REST 5km Time trial, do this to the best of your ability, walk if you need to. REST Walk 5min; 1hr E running walk as needed Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min walk 1min x 2
19 Nov REST Walk 5min easy; 45min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; Jog 20min; Walk 5min REST 21km Race Or REST

21km Race

Or REST
26 Nov REST REST REST REST REST
December training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Dec REST REST
3 Dec REST Walk 5min easy; 20min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 20min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 30min E, walk as needed Walk 5min easy; 20min E, walk as needed
10 Dec REST Walk 5min easy; 30min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 30min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 45min E, walk as needed Walk 5min easy; 40min E, walk as needed
17 Dec REST Walk 5min easy; 45min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 45min E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 1hr30 L, walk as needed Walk 5min easy; 1hr E, walk as needed
24 Dec REST Merry Christmas Walk 5min easy; 1hr E run; Walk 5min Walk 5min easy; 1hr E run; Walk 5min REST Walk 5min easy; 2hr L, walk as needed Walk 5min easy; 1hr15 E, walk as needed
31 Dec REST            

*Continue to walk as needed every 15-30min during your runs
January 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Jan 45min E run REST 15min E; 5km TT; 15min E REST 1hr30 L run 45min E run
7 Jan  REST 1hr05 E run  REST 1hr20 E run  REST   2hr20 L run  1hr30 E run
14 Jan  REST 1hr10 E run  REST 15min E; 5km TT; 15min E  REST   2hr40 L run  1hr45 L run
21 Jan  REST 1hr15 E run REST 1hr25 E run   REST  3hr L run  2hr L run
28 Jan  REST 1hr E run  REST 15min E; 5km TT; 15min E

 Walk a minimum of 1min for every 30min of running on L Runs

 Continue to walk 5min as a warm up before running 
February 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Feb   REST 2hr L run  1hr15 E run
4 Feb REST  1hr15 E run REST 1hr30 L run  REST 4hr L run 2hr L run
11 Feb REST   1hr15 E run REST  15min E; 5km TT; 15min E REST 3hr L run  2hr L run
18 Feb REST 1hr15 E run  REST 1hr30 L run  REST 1hr E run  1hr E run 
25 Feb REST 45min E run REST 30min E run 

 Walk a minimum of 1min for every 30min of running on L Runs

 Continue to walk 5min as a warm up before running
March 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Mar REST REST  Qualifying Marathon 
4 Mar REST REST  REST 30min E run REST 45min E run  1hr E run
11 Mar REST 1hr15 E run REST 1hr30 L run  REST 2hr L Run  1hr30 L Run
18 Mar REST 1hr15 E run REST 15min E; 5km TT; 15min E  REST 3hr L Run 2hr L Run 
25 Mar REST 1hr15 E run REST 1hr30 L run REST 1hr E Run  Training Marathon

 Walk a minimum of 1min for every 30min of running on L Runs

 Continue to walk 5min as a warm up before running
April 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Apr REST  45min E run  REST  15min E; 5km TT; 15min E  REST 2hr L run 1hr E run 
8 Apr REST 20min E; 5x2min hills; 20min E REST  1hr30 L run REST 4hr L Run  2hr L Run
15 Apr REST  20min E; 6x2min hills; 20min E REST 1hr30 L run REST 3hr L Run  2hr L Run
22 Apr REST 20min E; 6x2min hills; 20min E REST 1hr30 L run  REST 50-55km long run or REST 50-55km long run or REST
29 Apr  REST  1hr E Run 

 Walk a minimum of 1min for every 30min of running on L Runs

 Continue to walk 5min as a warm up before running
May 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 May REST  15min E; 5km TT; 15min E REST 2hr L Run 1hr E run
6 May REST 20min E; 6x2min hills; 20min E  REST 1hr30 L run  REST 4hr L Run 2hr L Run 
13 May REST 20min E; 6x2min hills; 20min E  REST 1hr30 L run REST
 4hr L Run 2hr L Run
20 May REST 20min E; 6x2min hills; 20min E  REST 1hr30 L run REST
 3hr L Run 2hr L Run 
27 May  REST 45min E run REST 15min E; 5km TT (Not flat out); 15min E REST

 Walk a minimum of 1min for every 30min of running on L Runs

 Continue to walk 5min as a warm up before running
June 2019 training plan
 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1 Jun 1hr E run 45min E run
3 Jun REST 20min E Run REST 20min E Run REST 10min R Run Comrades
10 Jun REST REST REST REST REST REST REST
17 Jun REST REST REST REST REST REST REST
24 Jun  REST REST REST REST REST REST REST

Training

 

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