TRAINING PLANS
Based on the concepts in the highly successful training guides Advanced Marathoning and Faster Road Racing, Pete’s training plans will prepare you for a personal best.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Intelligent, effective training for your marathon or half marathon
Level 1 training plans for first timers, levels 2-4 for runners with “intermediate” mileage and experience; and level 5 for high mileage runners with “advanced” experience
14-week, and 15-week marathon plans levels 2-5; 18-week level 1 marathon plans
11-week half marathon plans levels 1-5
Stepwise increases in long run distance and training volume for optimal marathon preparation
Daily coach’s notes explaining each workout
Hard-easy training pattern with strategically planned recovery weeks to reduce injury risk
Optional cross-training sessions
Easy access to your training plan anytime, anywhere via the Final Surge app
Seamless integration with all major training platforms, apps, and devices, including Garmin, Strava, Polar, Suunto, Apple Watch, COROS, Wahoo, Stryd, MapMyRun, RunGap, and more
Advanced performance insights to track and refine your progress, pace, heart rate, and more
CHOOSE YOUR PLAN
Pete’s Training Philosophy
I believe every runner should approach the marathon and half marathon with respect — and that begins with focused, purposeful training.
My goal as a coach is to help you develop the ability to sustain your target pace all the way to the finish, while also understanding the why behind each session. When you understand your training, you train with greater confidence and intent.
I don’t believe training needs to be complicated. I value simplicity, structure, and making the most effective use of your time.
Above all, I see each runner as an individual. To reach your potential, you need to learn how your body responds to training, and adapt your approach to suit your own needs — in training, nutrition, and recovery.
Training paces
The optimal paces for the various types of workouts (long runs, LT interval and tempo runs, progression runs, VO2 max workouts, speed sessions, general aerobic runs, and recovery runs) are determined relative to lactate threshold pace (LT pace).
LT pace is the most useful basis for prescribing the range of training intensities because it is the single best predictor of race pace for distances of 8K through the marathon. LT pace is faster than the pace for long runs, medium long runs, general aerobic runs and recovery runs and slower than the pace for VO2 max workouts and speed sessions.
Determining Lactate Threshold
Your LT pace can be determined in the following 5 ways:
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The best way to find your lactate threshold is to be tested in an exercise physiology lab. During a lactate threshold test, you run on a treadmill at progressively increasing speeds. The lactate concentration in your blood is measured by pricking your finger or ear and analyzing several drops of blood. A typical lactate threshold test consists of six increasingly fast runs of 4 minutes each on a treadmill with a 1-minute rest to obtain a blood sample. By graphing your blood lactate concentration at various running speeds, the physiologist can tell you the pace and heart rate that coincide with your lactate threshold.
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If you track and analyze your workouts using training analysis software, it will likely provide an estimate of your LT pace. These calculations are based on heart rate and pace data, and more data will generally lead to more accurate estimates. Several of the most popular platforms have become increasingly accurate and reliable in recent years. For greater accuracy, use a chest strap heart rate monitor.
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LT pace can be estimated accurately using race performances. If you have completed a recent race in about 45-60 minutes, that pace is a very good estimate of your LT pace. For example, for fast (but not elite) runners, LT pace is approximately race pace for 15K. For runners with a 10K time of 50-65 minutes, LT pace will be very close to 10K pace. The table below estimates LT pace based on recent race performances for 5K, 10K, and 15K.
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For experienced runners, LT pace is the pace you could race for about 45-60 minutes. If you run a 45-minute time trial in good conditions on a flat course, your pace and heart rate during the last 30 minutes will provide a good estimate of your LT pace and LT heart rate. For an accurate result, warm up well and use a chest strap heart rate monitor.
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You can also estimate your LT pace based on heart rate. For experienced runners, LT pace generally occurs at about 82 to 90 percent of maximal heart rate, which coincides with about 76 to 87 percent of heart rate reserve (heart rate reserve is your maximal heart rate minus your resting heart rate). Because the relationship between lactate threshold and heart rate varies depending on genetics and fitness, your heart rate at a race effort you could maintain for 45-60 minutes is often the most accurate estimate.
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