bland. It was a long stretch of nothingness as we made our way out to the Olympic venues.

But the finish was worth it, lapping around the brand-new Olympic stadium. We looked up and imagined the stands filled with people from around the world watching the track, where some of the best athletes in the world would run in the 2000 Games.

PARIS, FRANCE, 2001

A fifth anniversary is a milestone of sorts, so we wanted to do something special for our fifth anniversary marathon run. As it turned out, our search for a suitable anniversary marathon turned up the fact that the Paris International Marathon had an anniversary of its own to celebrate: the 25th annual running of the marathon through the City of Lights—a city filled with history and soaked in culture. Immediately, we knew this was the race for us.

Being the not so proud owners of a French vocabulary of roughly two dozen words between the two of us, we thought we’d have a tough time getting around Paris, but marathon runners seem to have their own international language and we had no problems at all.

With 25 years of experience at putting on the race, the organizers have the logistics down pretty well. Some 27,000 runners gathered at the Arc de Triomphe on a chilly April morning. We took off en masse (see how good I became at tossing French words into my conversation?) down the Champs Elysees, where spectators lined the entire boulevard. We quickly realized we were using up a lot more time and energy gawking at the architecture than counting the miles. Portions of the course were cobblestone streets—not exactly ideal if you’re hoping for a PR, which we weren’t exactly shooting for.

From start to finish, there is plenty to see along this course. On the grand scale, there was the Guillotine, the Louvre, the Bastille, and Vincennes Park.

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Denise Dillon MARRIAGE ON THE RUN M107

Reaching the five-year marriage milestone, Ed and Denise chose the Paris Marathon, which was doing its own celebrating with the 25th annual running through the City of Lights.

But there were also the special moments along the course that you can only find in France. We ran past a cafe where a man and woman sat eating croissants and sipping coffee, oblivious to us. We glanced down a side street and saw an elderly woman carrying a bag full of bread and fruits. And then there were the flowers! Paris in the springtime really does bring out the gorgeous tulips. Vibrant reds, yellows, and pinks seemed to burst through the overcast day and were absolutely stunning.

As weranalong the Seine, crowds of people gathered on the bridges to cheer us on. Running along the river and seeing the Eiffel Tower off in the distance was an experience that will stay with us for a very long time. And at mile 22, when we saw a table set up on the course serving French wine, well, we just had to stop and raise a toast to Paris, to the marathon (and to our fellow marathoners), and to us on our fifth anniversary.

From here, we had just a few miles left to go. We ran through another large park and finished on the Foch Boulevard, not far from where we had started this most memorable of anniversary celebrations.

MORE TO COME

The prospect of a new marathon each year around the time of our anniversary colors the excitement we associate with our wedding anniversary. The training and hours of long runs we spend together give us something even more important: quality time together. Time to discuss our day, work out our problems, and look forward to the future.

Ofcourse, as any marathoner knows, those long runs aren’t always easy, but like our marriage, we are there for each other, lending support and encouragement. Running has given us the opportunity to visit some amazing places. And, year after year, our annual marathon gives us the opportunity to fulfill our promise to give each other the world. es

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In the late afternoon on June 22, 2002, the Edmonton Festival Marathon Society will host more than 3000 runners from all over the world at the “Race the Twilight” Running Festival. Featuring:

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Basic Training for ‘a 3:30 Marathon

The Secret to Running a 3:30 Marathon Is Becoming a Well-Rounded Runner. Part 2 of 3

NCE A runner has completed a first marathon safely, thoughts turn to

running another marathon with a time goal. There are many articles on training for a sub-4:00 marathon; in fact, Dave Kuehls has written an entire book on the subject, 4 Months to a 4 Hour Marathon.

A more ambitious goal is to run 26.2 miles at a perfect eight-minute-permile pace, which effectively sneaks under the formidable 3:30 barrier. (In marathon jargon, to “run a 3:30” means to run a sub-3:30, just as a “four-minute mile” means to run a mile in under four minutes.)

For a runner to confidently break 3:30, especially a runner who has come to the sport later in life, it takes a combination of strength, endurance, speed, upper-body strength, rest, and focus. It also takes a dedication to mixing and matching workouts to maximize the divergent specificities of training.

The program that follows will be more successful if the runner comes to it with at least three years of endurance running on the joints, ligaments, and muscles; an ability to comfortably maintain a base of 30 miles per week; and a regular involvement in racing at shorter distances.

This training schedule assumes the runner’s years of experience at shorter distances will allow for greater volume and intensity of work, especially with track workouts, hill workouts, and long runs.

Because most amateur long-distance runners work full-time jobs and have a life outside running, the program does not require more than 55 miles per week of training at its maximum; the program stresses quality over quantity but assumes the runner has been consistently involved in a quantity of miles per week on an ongoing basis.

The training schedule is launched with a base week that is repeated four weeks in a row. If the four weeks of base week training is too strenuous, the runner should scale back expectations and not embark on the 3:30 program until able to comfortably handle the base week load.

Richard Benyo BASIC TRAINING FOR A 3:30 MARATHON 113

It should be noted that this program is not based on WHR (working heart rate), as the “first marathon” program we published in our previous issue was. Since there is a distinct time goal involved in this program, certain performance levels must be met in the key workouts if all is to come together on race day.

When this program was originally put together a dozen years ago, it recommended that the runner stop racing. It assumed that the runner came to the program with a strong racing background and that the key/difficult workouts would serve to replace racing during the 16 weeks of training. In the dozen years since then, after discussing the program with hundreds of runners, it has been decided that the ability to continue racing throughout the program, even with less intensity, would benefit the runner by maintaining an “edge.” Hence, in this updated program, racing is allowed—in fact, encouraged—as part of the Saturday long run but at a less-than-maximum effort. (See “S-Mixed-LR” discussion following.)

Although it was possible to switch Saturday long runs with Sunday rest days in the “first marathon” program, switching is not encouraged in this program because a day of rest is needed on Sunday in order to be prepared for the ambitious fartlek or hills program on Monday. If it is impossible to run the long workout on Saturday and it must be done on Sunday, slide the entire week following back by aday—thatis, a rest day on Monday, the fartlek/hill workout on Tuesday, a gentle run on Wednesday, the track workout on Thursday, and so on. The two rest days integrated within the week are essential to proper recovery so that the runner goes into the next hard workout properly rested.

You will note that the 16-week training program for a 3:30 that follows has a 17th week, this being the week following the marathon itself, during which the fit endurance-trained body is brought down gently toward recovery.

What follows is the explanation of the abbreviations used within the program.

ABBREVIATIONS AND WHAT THEY MEAN

NE=Nonrunning exercise. Activities such as bicycling, cross-country skiing, swimming, walking, or easy hiking—all done at a casual, recreational level.

R = Rest. This one may be difficult for the long-running athlete and may take some practice, but rest refers, literally, to doing nothing of a physical nature. Who says a marathon-training program is all work? Restorative rest is an integral part of successful training.

E/R = Either exercise or rest. Sundays call for either a bit of exercise or rest. If you are particularly tired after the Saturday long workout, opt for rest, considering the volume of work you face on Monday. If you are feeling particularly spry on Sunday, some casual exercise is okay.

F = Fartlek. This is a Swedish training method (translated as “speed play’’) in which the workout is broken up by throwing in speed surges at regular intervals. An easy way to do this is to run on aroad with telephone poles. Throw in a surge between poles, then drop back to your regular pace between the next two poles; continue alternating throughout the workout. In fartlek workouts, as in hill workouts, the number of miles indicated includes a one-mile warm-up jog and a one-mile cool-down jog at the end. For example, if the schedule says week 10 calls for “F: 6 miles,” this means jog one mile, do fartlek for four miles, then jog one mile as a cool-down.

H=Hills. Like the fartlek workouts, the distance listed includes a one-mile warm-up jog and a one-mile cool-down jog. Hill workouts should be run on moderate hills, that is, never more than a 4-5 percent grade. The run up should be done with attention to style/form and strong use of the legs but not at an exhausting or sprinting pace; the run back down the hill should be done in a relaxed manner but with attention to striding out comfortably.

F/H = Fartlek with hills. While most fartlek workouts are done on level or rolling terrain, this workout is done incorporating hills up which you can accelerate, recovering on the descent on the other side.

T=Track. Track miles are calculated differently from fartlek or hill miles. Jog one mile as a warm-up before doing the mile repeats; jog one lap (400 meters) between each repeat, and do a minimum of a half-mile cool-down jog at the end. The mile you jog to warm up your legs does not count in the total listed for the workout; neither do the one-lap jogs between timed miles and the half-mile cool-down following the workout.

S-Mixed-LR = Saturday mixed long run. For those who like to race and those who feel that racing adds spice to training and that it leads to a runner maintaining an “edge,” an option is offered to do a combination long run workout on Saturday. This would consist of a race immediately followed by a run to complete the called-for long-run mileage for that day. For instance, if the schedule calls for a 20-mile long run on Saturday and there is a local 10-mile race, you can go to the race, run the 10-miler at 30 seconds per mile slower than you are capable (i.e., if you are capable of a 70-minute 10-mile race, run it at 75 minutes), then immediately (before you begin to cool down) roll into a run, completing the remaining 10 miles at 60 to 90 seconds per mile below yourrace capability.

16H-mile run = 16-mile hilly run. For the Saturday long run two weekends before your marathon, an H (hill) is indicated behind the scheduled 16 miles. This key workout should be done on a relatively hilly course (the hills should be rolling hills, not staggering mountains). This workout should not be an SMixed-LR but should be a sustained effort at an eight-minute-per-mile pace average.

Richard Benyo BASIC TRAINING FOR A 3:30 MARATHON = 115

BASE WEEK

You should be able to do this weekly workout comfortably for four weeks in a row before embarking on the 16-week 3:30 program:

M T Ww

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F/H: 7 miles

3-mile gentle run

T: 4 repeat miles at 8:00 3-mile gentle run

14-mile run at 8:30

16 WEEKS AND COUNTING TO A 3:30

16 Weeks Out E/R H: 7 miles 3-mile gentle run T: 4 repeat miles at 8:00 3-mile gentle run R 15-mile run at 8:15

15 Weeks Out E/R H: 5 miles 3-mile gentle run T: 4 repeat miles at 7:50 3-mile gentle run R 12-mile run at 8:00

14 Weeks Out E/R H: 7 miles 3-mile gentle run T: 5 repeat miles at 7:50 4-mile gentle run R 16-mile run at 8:30 13 Weeks Out E/R H: 5 miles 3-mile gentle run T: 4 repeat miles at 7:40 3-mile gentle run R 13-mile run at 8:00

12 Weeks Out E/R H: 7 miles 3-mile gentle run T: 5 repeat miles at 7:40 3-mile gentle run F R Ss 7-mile run at 7:50

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11 Weeks Out

Ss E/R M H: 5 miles

4-mile gentle run Ww : 4 repeat miles at 7:30 T 7- to 10-mile gentle run F R S. 3-mile run at 8:00

10 Weeks Out

S E/R M H: 7 miles T 5-mile gentle run Ww : 5 repeat miles at 7:30

7- to 10-mile gentle run R s 8-mile run at 7:45

9 Weeks Out E/R

M H: 5 miles

7- to 10-mile gentle run

W _ T:4 repeat miles at 7:20

4-mile gentle run

F R 13-mile run at 8:00

8 Weeks Out E/R

H: 10 miles

4-mile gentle run

: 5 repeat miles at 7:20

5-mile gentle run

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9-mile run at 7:30 7 Weeks Out E/R F: 6 miles 3-mile gentle run : 4 repeat miles at 7:15 4-mile gentle run R 14-mile run at 8:00

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Richard Benyo BASIC TRAINING FOR A 3:30 MARATHON i 117

Ss E/R

M H: 7 miles

T 3-mile gentle run Ww : 5 repeat miles at 7:15

4-mile gentle run

Ss 20-mile run at 7:40

s E/R

M F: 7 miles

4-mile gentle run Ww : 4 repeat miles at 7:10 5-mile gentle run F R

3-mile run at 8:00

H: 9 miles

3-mile gentle run

+ 5 repeat miles at 7:10 4-mile gentle run

F R 21-mile run at 7:45-8:00

F: 10 miles

3-mile gentle run

: 4 repeat miles at 7:00 4-mile gentle run

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6H-mile run at 8:00

3-mile gentle run

7- to 10-mile gentle run 2 repeat miles at 7:10 E R

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2-mile run at 7:50

3-mile gentle run R 3-mile gentle run 5-mile gentle run R R or 2-mile jog

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6 Weeks Out

5 Weeks Out

4 Weeks Out

3 Weeks Out

2 Weeks Out

1 Week Out

March/April 2002

Marathon Week

Marathon at 8:00 pace (average per mile) 3-mile gentle walk

R or 2-mile gentle jog or walk

3-mile gentle jog or brisk walk

5-mile gentle run

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IN CONCLUSION

The 3:30 marathon is a worthy goal for runners who have been practicing their art for several years. As with anything in long-distance running, it isn’t easy— it takes hard work, dedication, and focus. Just like anything else in life that is worthwhile.

The beauty of marathon running is that unlike some jobs and/or professions, there are very real, discernable results to be had for your hard work. There is nothing vague or iffy about the elapsed time of your marathon effort in the official results. It is there in very real, very finite numbers.

You are immediately rewarded for all your hard work and dedication, but long-term, your reward of having accomplished your 3:30 goal spills over in other aspects of your life.

(Next issue we’ll deal with what it takes to break the difficult—but very satisfying—3:00 barrier. It’s the next logical step after yourrousing Pg 3:30!) ¢

Adventure Running At Its WORST!

In 1989, two runners set off to become the first to run from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney and back—in mid-summer. Lottsa luck, fellers!

Send $22 in US funds (shipping/handling included) to: Rich Benyo, Box 161, Forestville, CA 95436, USA

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Richard Benyo BASIC TRAINING FOR A 3:30 MARATHON 119