So what do you accomplish if you summit Mount Everest? I say, “Not much, unless you learn something along the way.” I truly was overwhelmed with gratitude at the summit of Mount Everest. Gratitude for where I came from, who I am, and where I am going. Gratitude to all those people in the world who demonstrate that being an island unto myself is simply living a hollow life. Gratitude that I was blessed to be able to be in that one place, in that one moment, and open my heart to the world and heaven above.

Recently a dear friend of mine, Dave Thorpe, asked me how it was that I was able to do what I did—in ultrarunning, adventure racing, and mountaineering. Was it because I trained harder? Or was stronger? More fit? More determined? More tolerant of pain? Or maybe it was just good genes? I told him I suspected that none of those reasons were correct. I believe that we are all equal, but not the same. We each have our own very special talents and gifts. For us to not use them to benefit others is the greatest travesty. Maybe I was predestined to accomplish things like the Badwater Quad and climbing Mount Everest as a part of my search not only for myself but for my purpose. For all of us, our purpose should include stepping outside of ourselves to help others. Or as Sister Virginia in Asmara, Eritrea, would say, it is vital to “do the real work of peace and justice.”

So I have been able to come to peace in my mind and my heart. I have been able to let go of many fears and my beloved Jean. She too had a purpose while she was here with us and touched many lives. She brought our beautiful daughter into the world, a young woman who is now 27 and touching the lives of many others.

Closing Thoughts From Oz

My daughter Ali and I recently watched The Wizard of Oz, as we have many times in the past. Coincidentally, that movie starts in black and white, just as [had seen those climbers on that far-off mountain as a 5-year-old in Greeley, Colorado. As they struggled, so it was with Dorothy on that farmstead in Kansas. A tornado struck, and Dorothy was taken away to Oz, and the picture turns to color. My life was much the same, starting in black and white, traveling through my own struggles, with a beautiful world of color eventually opening up for me.

In the end, Dorothy returns to those humble beginnings in Kansas and realizes, “Tf I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

So when people ask me who I am now, I say, “I’m just a farm boy from Kersey, Colorado, riding that hay sled, who needed to look no farther than that hay patch.” All the answers I sought were inside me, just waiting to be discovered. And how could I fail when I had the love of others and the hand of God to help and guide me? I succeed only with help from my family, friends, and i divine intervention.

Training and Racing Within Your Personal “Marathon Zone”

Successful Marathoning Begins With a Realistic Goal That Will Put You “in Your Zone.” Part 1 of 3.

This is the first part of a three-part series on successful marathoning. Part 1 deals with laying the basic groundwork for successful marathoning. Part 2 will look at some of the key building blocks of balanced marathon training and how to integrate them for success. Part 3 will focus on the finer details of successful training and racing, an optimal postmarathon recovery cycle, and how you can ensure continuous performance progress no matter your age or ability.

ll runners can improve their current marathon performances and times—

regardless of age or ability—and have fun doing it. Unfortunately, all too

often, runners train for long periods for marathons only to experience frustrating

results. This does not have to be the case, especially when all it takes is a little

knowledge and some wise coaching guidance about some basic principles of successful marathoning.

Ihave successfully coached hundreds of runners using these basic principles. Runners who understand and follow them have a very high probability of reaching realistic short-term goals and sustaining continuous long-term improvements in their marathon performances.

Training can be stimulating, manageable, and fun, while still producing gradual and sustainable progress.

One of the keys to marathon success is balance. In fact, sustainable marathon improvement is all about balancing the key areas of training, nutrition, and rest with an optimal mental approach in the context of your life. The first step is to find your own ideal marathon training and racing zone for any given marathon training period.

In training, your personal marathon zone is an overall feeling of clear intention and confidence that you are making gradual and sustainable performance progress that is both stimulating and manageable for you. In racing, your personal marathon

zone is when you are relaxed, focused, and in the present moment in allowing your best possible race performance to unfold on that particular day.

Both training and racing are best approached with an attitude of balance if you are to race 26.2 miles near your potential on that day. All runners have an optimal training and racing balance—or zone—that will work most effectively for them. Ignoring the training and racing balance that is best for you will usually result in frustration and poor performances. However, honoring your realistic training and racing abilities will enable you to achieve your short-term goals within the context of sustainable long-term improvement in the marathon.

The marathon is a wonderful but very jealous master. If you are not respectful of what it takes to run a certain goal time, it will remind you of your disrespect over and over again. However, you can make your relationship with the marathon work very harmoniously if you are scrupulous about finding the personal marathon training and racing zone that is optimal for you.

Finding your own personal marathon training and racing zone is absolutely essential to success. This entails balancing many factors such as (1) selecting a manageable weekly mileage level with the optimal frequency of key training sessions each week, (2) following a weekly running schedule that supports your training commitment and fits within your work and family schedule, (3) setting a realistic and achievable marathon goal time, (4) developing clarity of intention and patience in training, and (5) having a sound understanding of the role that basic nutrition plays in facilitating recovery from the demands of marathon training and keeping you healthy and in an overall sense of balance.

While integrating these important ingredients might feel elusive to most marathoners, it is not as daunting as it might seem. The intention of this article is to keep it simple, practical, and flexible for you. Our goal is not perfection, per se, but excellence. My father often told me as a child that “anything worth doing is worth doing well.” If you are already a marathoner and are going to put in all the time, training, cost, and sacrifice into running marathons, then pursuing your own form of personal marathoning excellence does not necessarily take much more money, time, or training. It simply requires intending to do the important things really well and paying more attention to the subtleties and Jittle details that add up to make a big difference over time. Ultimately, it is your attitude—your willingness, clarity of intention, patience, sense of balance, and body—mind consciousness—that will put you in the ideal marathon zone to consistently train and race in a way that is excellent for you, given your ability, lifestyle, and training level.

THE MARATHON TRAINING PROCESS IS A METAPHOR FOR THE MARATHON RACE, AND VICE VERSA

It is often helpful to see the marathon training process as a metaphor for how you will want to run the marathon race. Running an excellent marathon means

staying patient and within your ability in the early going while gradually running near the edge of your potential in the latter stages of the race.

Racing an excellent marathon requires starting the first quarter of the race cautiously and conservatively; allowing your pace to naturally unfold with patience by the halfway point; finding and maintaining an optimal steady-state rhythm or zone in the increasingly challenging third quarter; and summoning your courage, mental concentration, and inner reserves to stick to your pace in the final quarter of the race as fatigue gradually begins to accumulate.

Similarly, you will also want your training process to start slowly and conservatively and to gradually reach and maintain an optimal and balanced training level (that is both challenging and stimulating without going overboard), before sharpening and fine-tuning your fitness so you are fresh and fully ready for your best marathon performance on race day.

A REALISTIC GOAL BASED ON A MANAGEABLE TRAINING COMMITMENT

Two of the most important factors in establishing initial balance and finding your own personal marathon zone are to determine your realistic training commitment (given your lifestyle, ability, and ambition) and then to set a realistic goal based on that commitment that will be fulfilling for you and even challenging but that does not feel burdensome or overwhelming in any way.

Any sensible training program begins with a realistic training commitment and a realistic goal. If you overreach in training or attempt to force an arbitrary time goal that is too challenging, you will naturally become gradually overwhelmed and/or discouraged, and training will eventually become a frustrating undertaking. Injuries, early plateaus, staleness, performance decline, and/or burnout are all too often the result of unsuccessfully striving to maintain an unmanageable training level or pursuing an unrealistic goal in the context of your running background, abilities, and current lifestyle. Having a realistic goal but ignoring basic training guidelines also results in subpar performances relative to your potential.

If you commit to a training level (mileage and frequency of key high-quality sessions) that you can mentally and physically handle on a weekly basis—and select a goal that feels realistic and achievable given the amount of training you are willing to undertake—then you will most likely enjoy the process and achieve your marathon goal. A realistic training commitment and race goal will allow you to feel enthusiastic and in balance, and you will much more likely discover your optimal marathon training zone as well as duplicate it on race day.

Unfortunately, many runners pick an arbitrary weekly mileage and/or marathon time goal that sets the stage for frustration and failure. Many runners rely on one of the many well-meaning goal-setting calculators that are so popular, but

these can often be misleading and counterproductive if they are not understood in their proper context.

While these equivalent-performance calculators can be helpful tools in some cases, it is important to know that achieving so-called equivalent performances in the marathon is actually the exception, not the rule. For example, a race calculator that says a 43-minute 10K is equivalent to a 3:17 marathon can be very deceptive. This is a case where a little knowledge without the full picture can be very dangerous. In this example, what an unsuspecting 43-minute 10K runner often does not understand is that the best he may be able to safely run a marathon is 3:25—not 3:17—based on his own unique muscle-fiber composition, running biomechanics, training history, age, current training capacity, actual training level, and lifestyle commitments.

In fact, based on my analysis of race data of thousands of runners, I estimate that less than 2 percent of all runners actually convert their equivalent performances from shorter race distances to the full marathon distance. Certainly more than 2 percent are capable of doing so, but it takes patience, clear intention, intelligent planning, balance, and consistency over time. With a balanced approach to training and racing, you can get the most out of your marathon potential based on setting a realistic goal and determining a manageable level of training given your ability and lifestyle.

With this said, it is my experience that more than 90 percent of all committed runners can actually run very close to, meet, or even exceed their shorter-distance marathon-equivalent race performances within two to four optimal marathon training cycles, or within about 18 to 36 months of performing balanced and intelligent training within the context of their own personal marathon zone.

Any good coach can help you determine a realistic marathon goal based on how much you are willing and able to sensibly and effectively train and by accurately interpreting the trend line between your shorter and longer race performances. In the absence of a coach, table | will prove useful in helping you determine how much you are realistically willing to train before setting a realistic marathon goal.

Table 1 on page 46 lists four general training levels and their respective (1) number of runs per week, (2) average weekly mileage in the second half of the program, (3) starting and final long run duration, (4) range for the length of the longest goal-pace run (that varies by goal time within each training level), and (5) the frequency of other key high-quality sessions (in addition to a weekend long run or goal-pace run).

When reviewing your options in table 1, it is important to be completely realistic and honest with yourself. Look through your training log and calculate your

average weekly mileage for the past six months. Then determine, as objectively as possible, how many days you can manage to train each week along with how much weekly mileage you can realistically handle within your larger life schedule and other broader personal considerations. Finally, what is the current length of your longest weekly run?

Use all of this information to make a better decision. Suspend any preconceived training notions and be conservative. You will not find your own marathon zone if you get caught up in what you think you should do. “Should” is the first six letters of “shoulders,” and your poor shoulders will get very uptight if you follow any “should” notions. You want relaxed shoulders just as you want to intend a relaxed and balanced approach to training and racing. To find balance, you do not want to be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let go of any “should” thoughts and embrace your own body’s wisdom, gut feelings, and intuition in selecting a training level you can manage. Do not worry, as our building blocks for marathon zone training will provide the optimal mix for you to achieve your short-term marathon goal and help you to increasingly realize your long-term marathon running potential.

One general guideline is to first look at starting at your current training level (weekly mileage) or below, if at all possible. This is what I do with my athletes. The goal is to do as little as possible to get the results you want. In fact, I might begin a full 50 percent of the new runners I coach at a lower training level than they have recently been running. This usually consists of lowering their weekly mileage by 10 to 20 percent, with invariably beneficial results. They begin to feel better and see significant results almost immediately (within eight to 12 weeks), so their initial resistance is offset fairly quickly.

The lower training mileage also allows me to experiment with many different types of high-quality training to see what works best for them both physically and mentally. Keep in mind that many goal-oriented runners are training too much or too hard for their lifestyle and ability level, and they have become accustomed to being inconsistent and hit or miss with their training and race results. In addition, they feel that they are capable of much better. As a result, a reduction in volume puts them a lot closer to their optimal training zone, and the results quickly bear this out.

I want athletes to improve their times by training smarter, not harder, at first. Once they show that they can handle a certain level of smart, balanced training and are successful, then and only then might I consider moving them to the next training level. However, if I feel they can still improve at the same training level, Ihave no problem keeping them at their current level either. Why take any undue risks when you can get the results you want without unnecessary risks? This also creates a built-in mechanism for continual, sustainable improvement. As runners show they have mastered each training level, they will not only adapt

but be eager and fully ready for the next training level, which again will create even better performances as well as continually growing confidence in their own ability to improve.

The lesson here is that it is wise to stick with the approximate level of running (weekly mileage) that you have already been performing. In the case that you feel completely adapted to your current training level (with no feelings of stress or fatigue and no recent injuries or illnesses), then you might consider moving up one training level. Again, this is only if you are completely confident that it feels like a manageable next step for you. Finally, I highly recommend that you never jump two training levels. Doing so is unnecessary and rarely beneficial, while carrying significantly greater risk and a much lower probability of producing long-term, sustainable success. It also completely disregards our foundational principle of the balance needed to find your own personal marathon training and racing zone.

Just so you know what you are getting into in advance of deciding on a manageable training commitment level, a goal-pace run at your marathon-zone goal pace (that gradually increases in length over the course of your marathon-zone training) is recommended roughly every third weekend in place of the normal weekend long run. While this will be discussed in greater detail in part 2 of this series, it will give you all of the information you need to determine your training level using table 1.

While my book deals with goal setting in far greater detail—and within the context of short- and long-term goal setting—it is not the scope of this particular article to go into such depth. For our purposes, suffice it to say that a recent

TABLE 1 Determining Your Marathon Training-Level Commitment

Runs Starting Length of Frequency per Weekly and final final goal of other Level week mileage run duration pace run key workouts

#1 4-5/wk 35-45/wk = 1:45 up to 3:00 +=: 114-15 miles _—_—1# session each week

#2 5-6/wk 45-55/wk 1:45 up to 3:00 += 15-16 miles _—_1/ session each week

#3 6-7/wk 55-65/wk = 1:45 up to 3:00 ~=—« 16-17 miles 3 sessions every 2 weeks

#4 7-12/wk 70-100/wk 1:45 up to 3:00 17-18 miles 2 sessions every week

TABLE 2 Setting Your Realistic Marathon-Zone Goal

Level Marathon mileage Conservative, realistic marathon goal-setting formula

#1 35-45 miles/week Double your most recent half-marathon and add 13-22 minutes

#2 45-55 miles/week Double your most recent half-marathon and add 9-18 minutes

#3 55-65 miles/week Double your most recent half-marathon and add 7-14 minutes

#4 70-100 miles/week Double your most recent half-marathon and add 5-11 minutes

half-marathon is easily the best predictor of a realistic marathon goal. In order to simplify matters and not get overly technical, see table 2 for some very basic goal-setting guidelines. You can also run a half-marathon and see where your general fitness level stands.

Table 2 aligns the different training levels with some of their respective goalsetting guidelines. As with just about everything I recommend, these guidelines are not set in stone in any way. They are very flexible guidelines with lots of gray areas, just like any truly balanced training approach. You will notice that the guideline ranges overlap, as they are still dependent on many individual differences between runners as well as factors other than training. As a result, they are not strict calculations in any way. You can equally trust and use your own inner knowing, gut instinct, and intuition as much as any so-called physiological or scientific formulas in deriving the goal time that feels right for you.

Again, determining a manageable training commitment and selecting your goal time are the first two keys to marathon success, and these steps are essential to finding your own personal marathon-training and -racing zone. Below are also guidelines for fine-tuning your realistic marathon-zone goal time.

Use the higher end of the range (for how many minutes you add to twice your most recent half-marathon) listed in table 2 if

* your target marathon is on a more challenging course than your recent half-marathon,

* your target marathon will have more difficult weather than your recent half-marathon,

* you feel you do not necessarily get better as the distance gets longer, or

* you trained more for your recent half-marathon than you plan to train for this marathon.

Use the lower end of the range (of how many minutes you add to twice your most recent half-marathon) listed in table 2 if

* your target marathon is on a less-challenging course than your recent half-marathon,

* your target marathon will have less-difficult weather than your recent half-marathon,

° you feel that in general, you get much better as the distance gets longer,

* you trained far less for your recent half-marathon than you will train for this marathon, or

* you consider your most recent half-marathon to be soft or significantly below your actual or current half-marathon potential.

FINDING YOUR PERSONAL OPERATIVE MARATHON GOAL-PACE ZONE

Once you have decided on a realistic marathon goal time, you can calculate your marathon goal pace (per mile), for purposes of our training recommendations, by using table 3 (on page 50). It is important to know that another marathon success factor is employing our highly effective six-mile cutdown (see below) at the start of the marathon that will allow you to gradually reach the goal-pace zone that you will maintain for the final 20 miles of the marathon race. Essentially, this cutdown gets you to start slowly and ease into training and racing at your operative goal pace.

This six-mile cutdown averages 20 seconds per mile slower than your operative goal pace based on the pace-per-mile sequence as outlined in chart 1 below.

CHART 1 Our Basic Marathon-Zone Six-Mile Cutdown Sequence

Mile #1 = 30 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace. Mile #2 = 30 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace. Mile #3 = 20 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace. Mile #4 = 20 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace. Mile #5 = 10 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace. Mile #6 = 10 seconds slower than your operative marathon-zone goal pace.

First 6 miles = 2 minutes slower than the goal pace for any other six-mile segment of the race.

Mile #7 = settle into your operative marathon-zone goal pace derived from using table 3.

(Keep in mind that there are many variations of effective cutdowns. In fact, I list about a dozen in my book.)

The purpose of the six-mile cutdown is a sort of risk-prevention insurance in the marathon and has many physiological and mental benefits for ensuring your best possible race. Based on chip data analysis I’ve done, about 97 percent of all runners start out too fast in their marathon. Our special six-mile cutdown prevents one of the biggest causes of subpar marathon performances. Among the many benefits of this six-mile slow-start marathon cutdown is that it (1) eliminates the need for an extensive prerace running warm-up; (2) conserves your limited muscle glycogen stores; (3) prevents the most frequent race error (going out too fast and hitting The Wall early); (4) enables you to gradually find your aerobic steady-state rhythm, pacing homeostasis, and optimal mental and physical marathon racing zone so crucial to excellent marathon performances; (5) reduces the race to a 20-mile physical and mental challenge (instead of the full 26 miles); and (6) allows you to be in the enjoyable and envious psychological position of passing other runners the entire race—and in droves after the crucial 18- to 20-mile point in the race.

In essence, our six-mile cutdown to start the marathon is performed a total of two minutes slower than your operative marathon goal pace for any other six-mile segment of the race. Again, this allows you to find your marathon goal-pace zone comfortably and with the least risk possible. Your racing zone is that place or mental and physical state of being relaxed, focused, and in the present moment. The cutdown creates a high probability of being in the zone, and since it will be practiced in training frequently, you will find it relatively easy to replicate in your target marathon race.

Table 3 allows you to make a step-by-step calculation of the marathon goal pace (per mile) that you will run in the final 20 miles of the marathon (starting in mile seven) after employing our unique six-mile cutdown to start the race (outlined in chart 1).

PERFORMING YOUR MARATHON-ZONE REALITY CHECK

Once you have calculated your operative marathon goal-pace zone (e.g., 8:24 per mile for a 3:42 marathon time after subtracting two minutes by accounting for our recommended six-mile cutdown), you can plan a marathon-zone reality check to determine whether this goal pace will realistically put you in the zone in training and, consequently, for your target marathon race.

Before doing this, I recommend first taking two to three very easy days of running. Then find either an accurately marked five-mile run or use your new GPS to run this pace. Do not take this reality check lightly, as it is nearly 20 percent of the full marathon distance. Be sure to eat well in the days prior to this test and be

well hydrated going into it. Also, be sure to warm up adequately, and get ready to be mentally focused on the task at hand. Two primary guidelines will tell you whether you are selecting a goal that

will have a high probability of putting you in the zone in training and on marathon race day. These marathon-zone guidelines are your heart rate zone and your perceived-effort zone as listed in table 4 on page 51.

If your heart rate zone falls within the guidelines listed in table 4 and the three statements about your perceived-effort zone are all true, then this is what I refer to

as a high-probability marathon goal for you. Congratulations, you have taken the

first step toward being in the zone! This key step puts you right on target toward achieving your marathon-zone goal.

TABLE 3 Converting Your Goal Time to a Goal Pace for a Reality Check

Convert your goal time to minutes by multiplying hours by 60 and adding the additional minutes.

For example, a 3:42 marathon is 3 hours x 60 = 180 minutes + 42 minutes = 222 minutes.

. Subtract two minutes from this total to account for our suggested six-mile

cutdown. For example, a 3:42 marathon is 222 minutes — 2 minutes = 220 minutes.

Divide these total minutes by 26.22 miles to get your goal pace per mile in minutes and seconds as a decimal.

For example, 220 minutes divided by 26.22 miles = 8.39 per-mile pace.

. Separate the minutes (number before the decimal) and multiply the

decimal by 60 to get additional seconds.

For example, separate the eight minutes, then multiply .39 minutes x 60 seconds/ minute = 23.4 seconds.

. Add minutes (number before the decimal) back to seconds and round up

to the nearest second to get the total operative goal pace per mile.*

For example, 8:24 per mile would be the operative goal pace for our purposes for a 3:42 marathon goal time.

*This is the final pace-per-mile figure that will be used for a five-mile goal-pace run that is a reality check for your marathon zone. This will be your personal marathon-zone goal pace (pending a reality check).

In this example, 8:54, 8:54, 8:44, 8:44, 8:34, 8:34 would be the respective mile splits for the first six-mile cutdown for a 3:42 marathon goal time. Then, this calculated 8:24-per-mile pace would be maintained from mile seven to the finish in order to run a 3:42 marathon, in this particular example.

However, if the zone guidelines for the five-mile goal-pace reality check reveal that this pace is too challenging for you—given your current fitness level—then it would be wise to adjust your goal pace before proceeding. Again, be realistic here. You do not want to put yourself in an uncomfortable position from the start. Consider the effort of the pace and determine a realistic adjustment before attempting another five-mile goal-pace zone reality check.

Once you have determined a realistic goal pace that offers a high probability for putting you in your marathon-training and -racing zone, you can locate a target marathon that will also help you get in your zone on race day. My advice is to select a marathon that offers a relatively flat and fast course (or with a net drop that has as few significant ups and downs as possible) with ideal marathon weather conditions (45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit) typically expected during the race. In addition, take into consideration your own personal preferences (such as the number of race participants, crowd, location, amount of travel, time-zone changes, race-management reputation, and scenery) when making this choice. Your

TABLE 4 Assessing Your Marathon Goal-Pace Zone

1. Your Heart Rate Zone

Your heart rate remains equal to or less than 82 percent of your maximum heart rate. If temperatures are above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, you can add 1 percent for every three degrees above 65 degrees to the formula.

For example, with a temperature of 74 degrees—or nine degrees above 65 degrees—you would add another three percent (one percent for every three degrees above 65 degrees) for a heart rate that is 85 percent (82% + 3% = 85%) of your maximum heart rate.

2. Your Perceived-Effort Zone

a. Your perceived effort in the final mile (fifth mile) feels like it is roughly in the 75 to 80 percent effort range.

b. You feel as you are approaching the end of the five-mile run that you could possibly run two to three more miles.

c. You feel that with excellent, well-balanced, sensible, and sustainable marathon training over a four-month period, you could potentially run this pace for the length of the final goal-pace run range that is listed in your chosen training level in table 1 (on page 46).

For example, if you have decided on training level #2, you would want to feel that you could run at least 15 to 16 miles continuously at this pace. Keep in mind that in that final goal-pace run, the first six miles (the cutdown) will be an average of 20seconds per mile slower than the pace of this five-mile goal-pacerun—making it significantly easier than 15 to 16 miles purely at this current goal pace.

race choice can be as important as your choice of training level and time goal in your success. Consider all of these factors with care, and you will naturally be creating a higher probability of marathon-goal achievement.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR MARATHON-SPECIFIC TRAINING

It is my experience that roughly four months—or about 17 to 18 weeks—is an ideal marathon training period for allowing you to find your personal marathon zone gradually, while developing your competence and confidence completely. It is not too short to make your training feel rushed and not so long that the training process feels like it is dragging out. Of course, if you are very fit beforehand, 15 weeks can be a sufficient marathon training period.

Once you have located your target marathon date, simply count back 17 to 18 weeks to determine when you will begin your own marathon-zone training. If your target marathon is more than 18 weeks away, you can use the extra time to begin to lay some of the important groundwork for preventing injuries and getting your body—mind gradually ready to perform in the zone that is right for you.

Remember, to be truly in the zone in training means that you feel balanced and patient as well as never mentally overwhelmed at the thought of any particular workout. If your intention is clear, you will mentally and physically pace your entire training program, just as you will apply this same pacing principle to the marathon race itself. In fact, the balanced and patient training approach and process are an ideal metaphor and meditation that will prepare you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for an excellent marathon on the big day. Likewise, no particular training phase, no particular training week, and no single workout will feel rushed or overwhelming if you have truly found the balance of your ideal marathon zone. This is because you will have clear intention in both balancing your life priorities and managing the training effectively.

In the weeks before you begin your 17- to 18-week marathon-zone training period, you can use the time to determine the best days to run each week and begin to run on those days while increasing to and/or maintaining about 80 to 90 percent of the lower range of the weekly mileage level outlined in table 1 (on page 46) that you have chosen as your marathon-zone training-level commitment. This lower level of your weekly mileage range (listed in table 1) is basically where your training will begin. It is not until you approach the second half (the final seven to 12 weeks) of the suggested 17- to 18-week marathon training time frame that your mileage will actually reach and stay in the upper end of the weekly mileage range for your chosen training level (as listed in table 1).

In addition, you can get a great head start if you perform the starting long tun (listed also in table 1 for your chosen training level) consistently for several

weeks in order to be comfortable with it before embarking on your marathonspecific training schedule.

Please note that if you have any leg problems or have had any lingering injury history, it is not recommended that you use this program, as you will simply not be able to get in the zone as long as you are not at ease in your own body. You simply cannot be in the zone if your mind is distracted or you have the potential to have a setback due to a problem that you have not taken the time to fully address and heal. No runner is ever well served to begin marathon training without being consistently injury free for at least six consecutive months.

Since your legs represent your body’s understanding—and are the key limbs that help you move forward in life—it is important that you get in touch with them first now. Bodywork modalities such as Rolfing (Structural Integration), Craniosacral Therapy, chiropractic, and/or deep-tissue massage (from a certified or licensed professional with excellent references) can help you get in touch with your body and start on the road to being fully healed. A daily or semidaily diet of yoga and/or any consistent, gentle stretching routine will enable you to get more in touch with your legs—and therefore, your own understanding—before moving forward in marathon training.

Now is the time to take care of any lingering foot or leg problems before beginning any marathon-specific training. It would be silly to think your leg

problems will simply go away without bringing clearer awareness, intention, and much-needed care to them.

Also, as we have already mentioned, if your five-mile goal-pace reality check does not put you in the zone (as described in table 4), you can adjust your goal pace slightly and perform another five-mile goal-pace reality check at this new goal pace during this extra-time period. Also, during this time, it is fine to run a half-marathon to get a realistic feel for your current fitness level. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to recover from it—usually about two to three weeks of easy running are needed depending on the course and your effort in the race—before beginning any marathon-specific training program.

In addition, incorporating six to eight short strides of 40 seconds to one minute in duration at about 80 to 85 percent of leg speed with full recovery jogs (of 2:003:30) between each in the final 30 percent of any of your medium-length runs will begin to prepare your legs for the training ahead. Similarly, running on hilly courses or off-road courses once a week will help you repattern any repetitive motion syndrome, strengthen connective tissue, prevent future injuries, and enable you to handle some of the more challenging marathon road or track workout sessions with considerably greater ease and quicker postworkout recovery.

Finally, gradually adding sets of double-leg, bent-knee calf raises and singlecalf raises off a stair step will go a long way toward strengthening your lower legs and feet as well as helping make them become much more resilient. These are some of the little things that take very little extra time but add up to make a big difference in many aspects of your overall running. You can perform these exercises before or after your runs with excellent results within a three- to sixweek period.

NUTRITION AND RECOVERY

Good nutrition is one of the biggest factors in your day-to-day and week-to-week recovery, as well as for maintaining balance and consistency in training. In fact, nutrition may be as much as 50 percent of the entire training equation in both the short and long term. In addition, plenty of fluids each day (about a gallon per 150 pounds of body weight of a runner in training) make a huge difference in muscle flexibility, rapid recovery, thermal and metabolic regulation, and overall health. Do not aim to be perfect with hydration overnight if you have been lacking here. Simply make daily progress until you are hydrating consistently. Like anything else, your body (and specifically your bladder) will take some time to adjust and adapt. Be patient, consistent, and persistent, and within a month’s time, you will feel significantly better and notice the difference it is making in your training and running improvement.

A diet high (about 50 to 65 percent) in unprocessed complex carbohydrates (such as brown rice, whole-grain cereals, brown-rice pasta, sprouted grain breads,

fresh fruits, and vegetables) will also ensure balance and a consistently high level of energy in training. Runners tell me all the time that they never realized how much of a difference this can make in how they feel and in how much easier it makes their training. In fact, I advise my runners to make sure they plan to eat several high-carbohydrate meals starting two days before long runs and goal-pace runs. Many find that simply adding six to eight slices of lightly toasted sprouted grain bread (with a favorite nonacidic spread like raw almond butter) throughout the days before these key sessions makes a huge difference in how they feel. By feeling good and having the high energy level necessary to perform the more challenging workouts, you are ensuring at all times that you will remain in the zone to achieve your goal. (My book includes many important nutritional guidelines and suggestions that will benefit most runners in a significant way.)

Finally, as most runners also know, facilitating rapid recovery after longer runs or higher-intensity workout sessions makes a huge difference in how you will feel on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis in managing potentially stressful training.

The most simple and important training equation is

Optimal Stress + Optimal Recovery = Optimal Potential Progress.

Facilitating full recovery is as essential to your potential performance progress as any given key high-quality workout. Since runners tend to be highly biased toward the hard training—stress side of this performance equation, there is a significant shift toward balance and being in the zone when you place as much emphasis on the recovery aspect of the performance equation. This paradigm shift is one of the most important keys to your marathon success.

Postworkout recovery is best aided via carbohydrate—protein drinks (with the correct ratios) taken within the five- to 15-minute (no more than 30-minute) window after a hard workout or long run. Liquids make the carbo—protein easy for the body to assimilate and use immediately within that postworkout window that is so crucial for fast and full recovery. This simple and fairly inexpensive measure goes a very long way toward promoting fast postworkout recovery, maintaining balance in training, and ensuring sustainable progress. You can take a recovery drink like Accelerade or Endurox after any run, and a double serving right after a longer or harder workout is even better. In addition, a fresh-fruit smoothie with preferably water, organic yogurt, bananas, berries, and a splash of 100 percent cold-pressed flaxseed oil will give you the liquid protein and carbohydrates needed for quickest recovery before taking on a solid-food meal.

SUMMARY

In this article, we’ve outlined a broad framework for taking the most important initial steps toward finding the personal marathon-training and -racing zone that