Marathon Speedwork Schedule (2023)

Half Marathon Speedwork Schedule (2023)

Speedwork is highly recommended if you would like to get faster and become a stronger runner. However, it is optional, and most novice marathon and half marathon runners will experience significant improvements just by running consistently and carefully increasing running volume (i.e., how much you run). Aside from making you faster, speedwork can help increase your fitness level, increase the range of movement in your joints, make you more comfortable at all speeds, and ultimately help you to run harder for longer.

Key things

1. Work into speedwork gradually.

2. Always warm up for at least 10 minutes before you do speedwork. Four easy-pace laps at a track are a good warmup.

3. Cool down with an easy mile or two and stretch afterward.

Locations & Times

There are a couple of morning options if you’d like to join us:

• Tuesdays 6-7 a.m. at Witter Field, Piedmont HS. Park along the streets around El Cerrito Ave and Magnolia Ave. Workouts need to wrap up soon after 7 a.m. before school starts. Look for pacers Paul, Rohan, Ed, Annemarie and/or Devon at the bottom of the bleachers next to the track on the north side.

• Tuesdays 6:30-7:30a.m. at King Middle School Track, Berkeley. Park on the surrounding streets. Workouts need to wrap up by 8a.m. before school starts. Look for pacer Kate.

We are working to confirm a Tuesday evening option; we will update this page with more details.

Track Workout Tips

Some things to know about our track workouts

• There are no lights at the tracks, so it will be dark when you arrive to warm up. Your eyes will adjust once you’re on the track and the sun starts to rise. Bring a headlamp if you have one.

• We will warm up together and then each runner does the workout at a pace that fits them, pairing up as much as possible with others at their pace.

• Warm up with 4 easy-pace, clockwise laps for a 1-mile warmup, and some dynamic stretches.

• Pacers/coaches are there to provide information, and we’re all there to support one another.

• The workouts will be available and explained if you need it. Before you come to the track, enter a recent race time into a pace calculator such as Jack Daniels’ VDOT calculator to determine appropriate training paces.

• Do your workout counter-clockwise. Then finish with 4 easy-pace, clockwise laps in the outside lanes.

ABOUT SPEEDWORK Paces

To calculate your speedwork pace, use a recent race time/time trial time and a calculator such as Jack Daniels‘. Be sure to use a time from a race that you ran well in favorable conditions (e.g., a flat course, good weather, you were healthy). If you do not have a recent race time, start with a time trial at the track, as suggested on the schedules. It is very important to use actual race or time trial times, rather than the time at which you would like to finish your goal race, because your training should be based on your current fitness level. Or you can do your speed workout “by feel.”

Threshold (T) pace

The intensity of threshold runs is “comfortably hard” or “moderately hard.” This is about your 10K race pace. That is, you are definitely working relatively hard, but at a pace that you can manage for a fairly long time (20-30 minutes, or 60 minutes if you are well-rested). This is about 88 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate.

Interval (I) pace

The intensity of interval pace is “hard.” This is about your 5K race pace. You will be near your maximum heart rate. Do not run any interval distance for longer than 5 minutes in training. Confer with the coach to adjust the interval training to your individual situation if a recommended workout includes “I” pace intervals that would take you more than 5 minutes to run.

Marathon Pace (M) or half marathon (HM) pace

This is your goal race (half marathon or marathon) pace based on your current level of fitness. You can use the same calculator to determine your goal race pace based on a shorter race time.

Easy (E) pace

This is a pace at which you can comfortably talk in complete sentences. It is typically 60-90 seconds per mile slower than your marathon pace or half marathon pace. Most of your running, including your long runs, should be done at an easy pace. You can also use this pace, or go even slower, for your recoveries between hard intervals during a speed workout.

Speedwork without a track

If you don’t have easy access to a track, you can do versions of the speed workouts on your training schedule if you think in terms of time instead of meters. For example, the schedule has 400 I, or 400 meters at interval pace (this pace is “hard” but not a sprint; about your 5K race pace) with 200 meter or 2-minute recoveries. For example, you could do a similar workout by running about 2 minutes at interval pace, then running 2 minutes at easy pace for the recovery interval. If you’re a faster runner, you might run 90-seconds at interval pace and then jog slowly for 90 to 120 seconds to recover between hard intervals. Your pace and recovery time between hard intervals should allow you to run your last hard interval as fast as your first (but not be easy). This pacing might take practice.

Fartlek, which means speed play, is more free-form than the intervals described above. For example, you could identify a tree and run faster until you get to the tree, then slow down until you identify another goal. If you’re on city streets, you could run faster for a half block, then slow down for the rest of the block.

Strides are another way to work in some speed without a track. Find a flat stretch of road and accelerate for 15-20 seconds to near top speed (not all-out), then gradually decelerate to a jog. Repeat up to six times with a minute or so between repeats to catch your breath and get ready to go again. You can do these a few times a week.

Hill repeats can be in the range of 20–60 seconds on a moderate grade, with an easy jog down for recovery. Running uphill encourages good running form: get up on your forefoot, lift your knees, and drive your arms to propel yourself forward. Although you lean slightly into the hill, try to run tall and plant your foot under your center of gravity while taking short, quick, powerful strides.