Table Of ContentALL-NEW 4th EDITION NOW INCLUDING HALF-MARATHONS
THE ULTIMATE TRAINING GUIDE
ADVICE, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS FOR HALF AND FULL MARATHONS
HAL HIGDON
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, RUNNER'SIW-l;ml.
This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The informa
tion given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not
intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If
you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.
The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training.
All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to
take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the
exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take
risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and
dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or
dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise and
dietary programs, you should get your doctor's approval before beginning.
Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply
endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies,
organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.
Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it
went to press.
Original edition published in 1993. Revised editions published in 1999 and 2005.
© 1993, 1999, 2005, and 2011 by Hal Higdon
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other
information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
Roda le books may be purchased for business or promotional use or for special sales. For
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For my life partner, Rose
CONTENTS
WARM UP
Marathoning offers a gateway to a brave new running world
vii
1. THE MYSTIQUE OF THE MARATHON
Running 26 miles 385 yards can be a humbling experience
2 . LE ARNING T 0 L 0 VE RUN NING
19
The journey is part of the reward
3 . Y 0 UR V ERY FIRST ST E PS 25
Before running a marathon, first learn to run
4. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE MARATHON
37
Nonrunners say the funniest things
5. N U M B ER 0 NE 43
The first time is always very, very special
6. l 0 M AR ATH 0 N T RU TH S 53
Learn to do it right by following this advice
7. ST RI VING T 0 IM PR 0 V E
Becoming a better runner
8 . B UILDING MILEAG E 71
Balancing too few and too many miles is not easy
9 . RUN NING L 0 NG 81
Endurance is essential for success as a marathoner
l 0 . THE HA L F 93
Stopping halfway is not always a bad idea
1 1. THE FULL 101
Moving up to the ultimate distance: 26.2
12 . SPEEDW 0 R K F 0 R DISTANCE RUN NERS
If you want to run fast, you need to run fast
111
13. DEFENSIVE RUN NI NG STRATEGIES
12 3
You cannot set PRs if you are injured
1 4. PLANNING FOR PEA K PERFORMANCE
Success requires being totally focused on a single goal
1 5. WOMEN 'S MARATHON ING 1 59
Do women need to train differently than men?
1 6. THE MAGIC TAPER 169
The final weeks provide your keys to success
1 7. THE D ISTANCE RUN N ER'S DIET
You need energy to run 26 miles
1 8. THE PERFEC T PACE
197
"Steady does it" spells success
1 9 . CHARI Tl ES
207
Raising money for worthy causes
2 0. RACE DAY L 0 G IS Tl CS 2 17
Getting to the starting line is the next step
2 1. DRI N K ING 0 N THE RUN 231
Fluid management is essential for training and racing
2 2 . M I N D GA MES
2 47
The marathon is mental as well as physical
2 3. MILE 2 7 259
Your race does not end at the finish line
A P PEN D IX
271
Programs
COOLDOWN 281
Acknowledgments
INDEX 2 85
1 81
141
WARM UP
Marathoning offers a gateway
to a brave new running world
What would we do for fun if the Persians had won the Battle of Marathon?
This thought occurred to me while I was in Greece recently to celebrate
the 2,500th anniversary of that battle-and the legendary run from
Marathon to Athens by Pheidippides, who announced, "Rejoice, we con
quer!" and immediately died.
That legend-and it is more legend than historical fact-inspired a race
in 1896 at the first modern Olympic Games over approximately the same
route. Only 17 runners participated in that first race. In 2010, 20,000 run
ners appeared for the 2,500th anniversary celebration. By then, similarly
long races with that many runners and more had become common
throughout the world in Berlin and London and New York and Boston and
Chicago and elsewhere. Races that, by the way, are called marathons, that
term having conveniently taken hold as a description of a running race
26 miles 385 yards long.
In 1993, Rodale Press published the first edition of the book you now
hold in your hands, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. The book fea
tured a red cover with a photograph of a dozen or so elite men (no women)
charging off the starting line.
A half-dozen years later, in 1999, the book had sold enough copies and the
sport had changed sufficiently to justify an updated second edition. Its white
cover featured a number of midpack runners crossing the line in the New
York City Marathon, one of them an Italian pop-music singer, Johnny
vii
viii
M A R A T H O N
Paoli. (Believe it or not, Rodale's photo editors did not know the runner's
identity when they selected the shot.)
By 2005, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide had established itself
as one of the best-selling books for runners training for marathons. More
changes in the sport justified a third edition. Its red-and-white cover
showed a pastiche ofrunners, slow and fast, including Svetlana Zakharova
of Russia winning the prestigious Boston Marathon. Yes, the sport had
come a long way from the fast men on the cover
Marathon: The
Ultimate
Training
Guide
established
itself as one of
the best-selling
books for
runners
training for
marathons.
of the first edition to the fast woman on the
cover of the third.
The focus of each of those editions shifted
somewhat as the sport shifted. I gathered
much of the information for the first edition
from questionnaires sent to marathon coaches
and follow-up interviews with those same
individuals. Indeed, the cover featured the
subtitle "Strategies from 50 Top Coaches."
By the time of the second edition, I had
become more involved in coaching midpack
runners myself, serving both as training con
sultant for the Chicago Marathon and coach for
the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) Marathon Training Pro
gram, which had grown to 2,000 participants.
As we moved into the new millennium, I shifted my attention to provid
ing training programs and answering questions for runners online, both
on my popular Web site, halhigdon.com, and on my Virtual Training Bul
letin Boards. The third edition featured quotes and stories from and about
members of my online "V-Team."
All three of these groups-coaches, in-person runners, and online run
ners-provided a research base for this fourth edition. More and more of
my involvement with runners lately has been through the Internet; over
the years, my Web site has attracted more than five million "viewers."
Halhigdon.com ranks among the top 20 most viewed running sites both in
the United States. (13th) and in the world (17th). But I'm not alone in pro
