Here's How IT WORKS:
Marathon Training Schedule:
Coach Jeff Galloway has created 25-week Marathon training plans to help you get ready for the Marine Corps Marathon. The "To Finish" plan is designed for first time marathon participants. The "Time Goal" plan is designed for those who have already completed one marathon and want to get faster. After selecting a training plan, you will be sent daily emails detailing your workouts and offering tips and training advice.
Training Log & Analysis:
Log your daily workouts and compare your progress to Coach Jeff Galloway's recommended training regimen.
Bulletin Boards:
Communicate with other runners. Share your experiences, ask advice and stay informed about the trends and happenings in the running community.
Helpful Tips:
Quick motivational and informative messages to keep you going throughout the week. Click here for tips from Marine Corps Marathon winners, experts and more!
Is there a cost to this service?
This free service is brought to you by the Marine Corps Marathon and Galloway Productions.
Special Offer to Virtual Training participants! Receive a 35% discount on Jeff’s Galloway’s latest training textbook to use in conjunction with the Virtual Trainer. Use coupon code mcm09 to receive your discount.
Choose Your Goal Using The Magic Mile
The “Magic Mile” will help you determine a realistic goal for the MCM. Coach Jeff Galloway complied performances from the hundreds of runners he has worked with over the last 30 years to establish a prediction formula based upon a one mile time trial (the “Magic Mile”) for the 5K, 10K, half and full marathon distances. Analysis has shown that most runners slow down 30% when they go from a fast one mile, to a fast per mile pace in a marathon, and by 20% when they run a fast half marathon.
Why the Magic Mile?
The Magic Mile (MM) is a unique tool to help you determine realistic goals. Training for a race such as the MCM can be an extremely rewarding experience. Some runners, however, get a bit too motivated and run faster on training runs, and in the first part of their race, than they are able. This often results in burnout or injury. While you never know exactly how fast you will run on a given day, there's a simple time trial that can accurately predict your current potential finish time. This allows you to set a long run pace that can almost eliminate the chance of injury due to too fast a pace. The Magic Mile will help determine if the goal pace is realistic, how much improvement can be expected, and whether someone is on track to meet the goal.
Running the Magic Mile takes the guesswork out of goal-setting. This often involved putting the reins on the ego, which will talk the person into goals that are not within their current capabilities. These formulas will allow you to predict race time by running a timed mile. During the training season, you will run a Magic Mile on a set schedule, depending on your training goal.
Predictions are most accurate if:
*You are doing the training needed for their distance and time goal.
*The temperature on race day is 60F or cooler.
*You have paced correctly and taken the necessary walk breaks.
*You update your one-mile trial roughly every 2-3 weeks.
How To Do The One-Mile Time Trial
1) Warm up with a slow one-mile run.
2) Do a few acceleration-gliders.
3) Pace yourself as even as possible on each quarter mile.
4) Run as hard as you can for one mile, without becoming physically ill.
5) Keep walking after the time trial for 5 minutes, then jog a slow 1-6 miles, as needed for to maintain that day’s mileage.
6) On each successive MM, try to better the pace by 20 to 30 seconds.
7) Use the formula provided to see what time is predicted in the goal race.
8) The goal on each successive MM is to beat the best time you have previously run. After 3-4 of these, you should be running very close to your best pace. You want to finish thinking that you couldn't have run more than a few seconds faster—to get an accurate estimate of potential.
Now Predict Your Race Performance
1) Take your last four one-mile time trials. Eliminate the slowest. Average the other three.
2) Use the following prediction formulas to adjust your one mile time, based on your race distance:
Add 33 seconds for your pace for a 5K
Multiply by 1.15 for 10K pace
Multiply by 1.2 for half marathon pace
Multiply by 1.3 for marathon pace
3) Input your MM time here to determine your predicted, realistic pace.
4) You can use your prediction to choose your finish goal. Click here to pick your program.
Don’t forget to adjust for heat and humidity by slowing down by 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degree temperature increase above 60F.