Back in June 2009, I wrote about my experience with the Brooks-Hanson training program I used to get ready for the Boston Marathon. My conclusion was that it definitely worked for me allowing me to achieve my goal of a sub-4 hour marathon. I did caution that I used the program after having been a runner for 24 year and had completed 5 marathons. So I was far from a novice runner. It is a very tough training program and shouldn't be attempted by a newbie runner.
The Brooks-Hanson program eliminates mega-long runs and high-mileage weekends. What it does is allow you to gradually build up to the moderate-high mileage required for marathon or distance success. Instead you run easy days mixed with speed sessions and tempo workouts which I found allowed me to run well even when my legs were tired. When I got home from Boston, I decided to customize
the Brooks-Hanson method to help me achieve my personal goals. I wanted to increase my power on hills and to be able to run sub-9 minute miles without struggling.
I knew that I wanted to keep running 6 days per week like I have been doing with the Brooks-Hanson program. I also wanted to incorporate hill repeats into my routine. I felt that it would allow me to be able to handle any type of race course I might encounter. I thought hard about how I could modify the Brooks-Hanson program to meet my training needs. I came up with the following program:
• Monday - Hill Repeats
• Tuesday - Speed work
• Wednesday - Rest
• Thursday - Tempo Run
• Friday - Easy Run
• Saturday - Long Run
• Sunday - Easy Run
Let me explain each workout. On Monday, I head out for a hill repeat workout. I leave my house and run 1.2 to 1.5 miles over to a hill that has close to a 10% grade and is over a half mile long. When I reach the base of the hill I run for 2 minutes at as steady a pace as I can up the hill. When the 2 minutes are up, I then turn around and walk back down the hill for 2 minutes. I run 6 repeats of 2 minutes each with a 2 minute recovery between each repeat. When I am done with the repeats, I then run approximately 2 miles back to where I started. My goal is to get in between 5.5 and 6 miles by the end of my run.
The reason I added hill repeats to my training regimen is because running up hills forces me to lift my knees higher. I have found that this has helped me improve my stride speed and length on flat running routes. It has also helped me increase power. My particular hill workout is used by runners to improve their VO2max and increasing muscle strength. The hill repeats improve my stamina helping me with running economy, conserve energy and get me through the hard times during a race when I feel tired. By adding this new dynamic element, I have been able to eliminate the feeling that my running is becoming stale. It is an intense workout that has given me a fresh new wind and the adrenaline rush I needed.
On Tuesday I go to my local gym to get in a speed session on the treadmill. Before jumping on the treadmill, I do 40 minutes of circuit weights. I have read numerous times that if I could develop total body strength and muscle balance I would be able to minimize my risk for injury and experience quicker race recovery. The truism that this routine does confirm is that strength equals speed. Since adding circuit weight training to my regimen I have found that I have gained aerobic fitness and at the same time strengthening my running muscles. A stronger overall body has allowed me to get the extra juice I need to run faster without post workout soreness slowing me down on my other training days.
When I finish my strength training, I head over to the treadmill and run a 5K distance at an 8:30 per mile pace. I set the program on hills which alternates the grade from 1% to 4% during the run. The nice thing about speed work on a treadmill is that the treadmill forces me to run at the targeted pace. I am aware of the fact that the treadmill does provide some assistance. But with the hill program, I am getting at least some simulation of running outside. Plus to keep up with a moving belt at a specific speed, I have had to adjust my running form to make it the effort easier. I have noticed that my running form is much better because I am being forced to seek the easiest way to run the pace set. Since I am running at an increased pace, I am able to take these form improvements with me out on the road.
Before heading to the showers, I finish my day with 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. I do a fairly intense workout where I do 8 minutes as if I am running forward alternated with 8 minutes in reverse. I use a machine that has handles as well which allows me to get a total body workout. Pedaling backwards improves my elliptical posture and engages my core which is hugely beneficial. In the past, I have noticed that towards the end of a long runs when I am really fatigued my form begins to suffer. This naturally slows me down. So the benefit of a using the elliptical builds up my core strength that helps me maintain good posture and maintain my form at the end of my run.
Wednesday is a day of complete rest. I have found that I crave this day. I do no exercise of any kind. I try to stay off my feet for as much of the day as I can. It is a day where I let my body and legs recover from all of the hard work I have been doing the last 4 days. I have found that the rest day helps to prevent overuse injuries, restore glycogen stores and most importantly prevents mental burnout. Remember that the best thing you can do for your body and running performance is to respect the need for rest and recovery.
Thursday is the day I do the same routine as Tuesday. The difference is that I do a 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill at a 9 minute pace. The great thing about a tempo run on the treadmill is that I can totally zone out and just run. I never have to check my watch to make sure I am maintaining the correct pace. Instead I plug in the pace and all I have to do is just keep up. I have found that I focus more on how the pace feels which is beneficial when I am out on the road. I can actually feel my pace rather than be a slave to the clock. It also allows me to work on other form aspects of running like my leg turnover and body posture. Finally, I have a tendency to go out too fast on my runs. The treadmill keeps me from going too fast allowing me to hold the pace throughout the run and not slowing down at the end.
Friday is my easy run day. I go out for a 5 or 6 mile run. I have no pace in mind. I just try to settle into a comfortable pace and get the miles in. No matter how much I am mentally dreading a run, once I get a few miles under my belt I forget how much I was dreading it. The easy day allows me to have a nice unchallenging run. My attitude on the run is more relaxed and a bit slower. These runs allow me to go all out on my long run the next day knowing that I am fully recovered and ready.
Saturday is my long run day. My long runs can be anywhere from 6 to 10 miles. When I leave my house, I set a goal to run my long runs at or just slightly slower than my marathon goal pace. After all of these weeks of training using this new regimen I have found that I never need to look at my watch on my long run. I run totally based on how I feel. What is interesting is that I have found that I am able to run a 9 minute or slightly faster pace without much difficulty. The long run is the cornerstone of my distance running training. It also gives me a greater capacity to handle more quality/harder sessions in my training each week.
Sunday is a mixture of running and strength training. I go out for a 3-5 mile easy run before heading over to the gym. Once at the gym I do my circuit weight training regimen followed by 50 minutes on the elliptical. It is actually my favorite day of the week. I get in a run out on the road and then get to increase my strength through the circuit weights and elliptical workout. I always leave the gym feeling powerful and ready to take on the next week of training confident in the knowledge that I am constantly improving.
I am really seeing the benefits of this new training regimen. In my last 2 adventure races I was able to go out and run hard during all 3 of my assigned legs. When I was finished, I felt that I could have run 3 more without any problem. I am able to go out and complete long runs at paces I never could have imagined when I started distance running so long ago. Most importantly, I am now at a comfortable weight that I am able to maintain without any real effort other than eating sensibly.
Running has become my drug of choice. This training regimen has done more than any others I have tried to protect me from anxiety and depression despite having a very stressful job. It has helped to boost my sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day. Running allows me to feel more in control of my life and body. Running has definitely changed my life for the better. It is no longer just an activity I do or even just exercise, it’s my way of life. Best of all it gives me energy to enjoy all that life has to offer.
Feb. 29 – 6.20 miles (1:04:06, 10:21 pace) - Hill Repeats
Mar 1 – 7.30 miles (1:06:33, 9:15 pace)
Mar 3 – 7.20 miles (1:07:43, 9:24 pace)
Mar 4 – 5.20 miles (45:50, 8:49 pace)
Mar 5 – 8.20 miles (1:10:32, 8:36 pace)
Mar 6 – 8.70 miles (1:24:52, 9:45 pace)
Mar 7 – 6.10 miles (1:03:15, 10:22 pace) - Hill Repeats
Mar 8 – 7.20 miles (1:05:17, 9:04 pace)
Mar 10 – 7.20 miles (1:07:41, 9:24 pace)
Mar 11 – 6.10 miles (55:42, 9:08 pace)
Mar 12 – 9.20 miles (1:20:18, 8:44 pace)
Mar 13 – 9.20 miles (1:24:04, 9:08 pace)
Mar 14 – 6.20 miles (1:01:55, 9:59 pace) - Hill Repeats
Mar 15 – 7.20 miles (1:06:27, 9:14 pace)
Mar 17 – 7.20 miles (1:07:42, 9:24 pace)
Mar 18 – 5.20 miles (45:15, 8:42 pace)
Mar 19 – 9.10 miles (1:18:33, 8:38 pace)
Mar 20 – 8.50 miles (1:20:56, 9:31 pace)
Mar 21 – 6.10 miles (1:04:55, 10:38 pace) - Hill Repeats
Mar 22 – 7.20 miles (1:05:35, 9:07 pace)
Mar 24 – 4.00 miles (42:29, 10:37 pace)
Mar 25 – 4.00 miles (42:00, 10:30 pace)
Mar 26 – 8.20 miles (1:12:39, 8:52 pace)
Mar 27 – 4.10 miles (34:51, 8:30 pace)
Total Miles: 164.8 miles
2016 Total Miles: 489.2 miles
