One month to go before the marathon. Should you be tired? Rested? Still building?

You have been through morning runs and Sunday long runs and afternoon tempo runs and track runs. You have trained for months with this goal in mind. The race is just around the corner and you ask, “Now what?”

The approach towards the last month should focus on recovery from a hard marathon-training schedule and rest to ready yourself to be your best on race day. The last four weeks presents an opportunity to write the final chapter of a great novel with hopefully that “happily ever after” marathon ending.  

Here is the advice you need and the answers you seek entering the last month:

1. It’s key to remember that the bulk of the training has been done and you can give yourself a pat on the back. Gain confidence from your miles and look upon those last few weeks as fine-tuning your well-built engine. Studies have shown that fitness cannot drastically change in a span of a month and there shouldn’t be any changes to your original goals. 

2.   Don’t overdo it. You are fitter than you were when you started this process and you may feel like you want to take your new fitness for a test run. This last month should not be a trial for “how much can I handle”. Adding in extra mileage is an added stress on the body regardless of your current fitness. The trend in the last few weeks is to reduce your mileage. 

3.   Although recovery is highlighted in the last month it is also a good time to tackle some unfinished work. Intensity is something that you can work on leading up to race day. The bulk of your training blocks have primarily focused on aerobic capacity, threshold, and efficiency during the long runs. The intensity has been the lactate threshold, speed, and strength work at the track sessions. Intensity is more important to maintain in the last month of training. Keep up the intensity.

4.   Important enough to repeat, the basic foundation of the last month should be intensity, not volume. Too much mileage at this point in your schedule further stresses tired muscles and will not allow for recovery. It is better to let muscle fibers recover by gradually reducing their weekly dose of impact forces. The quick intensity, on the other hand, improves blood flow and stimulates recovery. Research has demonstrated that intensity is a catalyst of fitness rather than mileage. Since you are trying to ignite and fine tune your fitness, the more direct route to this is intensity. Furthermore, intensity produces a number of physiological adjustments which are very attractive qualities to long-distance runners:

                  a.   Intensity expands blood volume to a greater extent than easy running; the increased blood volume ensures both better fuel and oxygen delivery to muscles and a superior supply of blood to the skin for cooling - which also reduces the risk of dehydration during a marathon. These are all very positive physiological effects desired heading into the big day. 

                  b.   It is similar to doing strides at the end of a track workout. It is important to engage the nervous system especially when the body is starting to fatigue. By continuously working on your turnover with intensity, marathon pace will feel easy in comparison (while, on the other hand, slow running will make marathon speed feel comparatively harder). This is not to be dismissed when faced with the daunting task of 26.2 miles at a set pace

5.   “Long” Runs. Leading up to the marathon you should have a purpose to your long runs other than overall volume. With four weeks to go you should have your last “long run” of your schedule 3-4 weeks out. This run should be 18 – 22 miles and will be a “dress rehearsal” for your big marathon. For the last 2-3 weeks the long runs should come down in volume till you are running 60 minutes the week prior to the race.  The body should be filled with a feeling of nervous energy. Anxiousness is a friend, although your body feels ready to go, you need your rest. 

In review we are looking for quality over quantity, rest, and recovery. Work on your turnover through the last few weeks of your training. Be positive and remember that less is more. Following these tips you will be ready to rip it up on race day. Good luck. 

In the end, take in the day.  Enjoy and be proud of yourself.