This year I was lucky enough to have friends and family support me in my goal of entering the Berlin marathon 2022 through a charity spot (Link). Here I’m reviewing my training weeks leading up to the main race and will try to update every week as a living notebook.
The main training blocks start eight weeks out (two main blocks of three weeks, one week recovery). In the weeks before I was ramping up mileage including some workouts faster than race pace. From 12 weeks out, some more MP efforts were introduced and tempo runs are extended to beyond 10km, long runs reach 30km and above (close to 35k during the last 10 weeks). Six weeks out, the 35k include a 3k tempo finish, which increases every week by 3k, ending at 15k tempo finish close to MRP two weeks out of the marathon.
FINISH:
2:48:28h ⇨ pace: 3’59.76 💥🚀👌
Overview
The plot below from WKO5 shows the progress of CTL (chronic training load) over time from May 2022. Weekly mileage and intensities ramped up from June, especially including long runs and more tempo runs, while specific focus was maintained the last 8 weeks with mileage peaks of 126km. Besides, all this was only possible because of my reduced working schedule, with parental leaves of 50% during July and August.
I usually worked 4h in the morning, went for my training and then picked up the kids. On easy days I often doubled, i.e., ran to work (7.5k) and then added another longer workout of 1.5h-2h (another 20-25k).
Those days, I also would often incorporate some fasting and fasted runs:
Tuesday usually was interval training, often adding up to 18-20k (for example, 4x2k repeats). After that, I would have a low-carb dinner (a big salad and some yogurt afterwards), skip breakfast next morning, have a fasted morning run and then a banana at work and an ‘almuerzo’ (early little lunch, usually a sandwich) before my afternoon longer run. During this run, you could feel the low carb levels, everything was a bit sluggish, no power, but in theory it should boost fat-burning [add ref].
On the other hand, interval session (Tuesdays), tempo runs (Sundays) and often also long runs (Thursdays) were supported by at least one gel. Long runs with tempo finish sometimes more than one gel, to also increase carb-burning and adapt the stomach to the intake – this worked pretty well during the race as I did not have any digestion problems.
Taper might have started a bit too early (according to plot). However, this was due to a 21k trail race 3 weeks out (on podium course, but our leading group lost in the woods 😬).
Week -01 (September 19-25, 83 km)
| Sun | MARATHON RACE DAY |
| Sat | Shake out run 3.5k easy with few speed ups |
| Fri | Easy 6k |
| Thu | Easy 8k |
| Wed | Race-pace Intervals 5x1k (11k total), HR lower than ever, the form is there ✌️ |
| Tue | Morning 7.5k easy |
| Mon | Race-Pace Intervals 3x2k (12k total) |
Week -02 (September 12-18, 94 km)
| Sun | Easy 8k |
| Sat | Long run 29k |
| Fri | rest |
| Thu | Easy 7.5k |
| Wed | Tempo run 15k at MRP (3’55, 20k total) |
| Tue | Morning 7.5k easy Evening 6.5k easy |
| Mon | Intervals 6x1k @ MRP (1k easy, 16k total) |
Week -03 (September 05-11, 98 km)
| Sun | 10k easy run (double-buggy family run) |
| Sat | Long run with 15k tempo finish (35k total, 15k at MRP @ 3’55) |
| Fri | Easy 15k with buggy |
| Thu | rest day |
| Wed | Intervals 4x2k, 1.6k easy (18k total), still a bit stiff after the race, but not too bad |
| Tue | Morning 7.5k easy Evening 6.5k easy |
| Mon | 5k easy post-race shake-out run |
Week -04 (August 29-04 September, 103 km)
Focus of this week was the Brussels Meyboom Trail Half-Marathon.
Fun race and nice course – until the leading group of us four runners (including the first woman) took a wrong turn at around 14k and ended up on the 65k course – dammit (adding another 5k to our round and obviously missing the podium). Another 50+ runners should follow, which we all turned around (meaning, it was not only us 😅). The next ‘official’ told us we were on the good course, until after another km or so later, we realised it must be wrong.
At least a free beer after all…the show continues.
| Sun | Race: Brussels Mayboom 21k trail (lost in the woods, otherwise podium) |
| Sat | rest |
| Fri | Taper-Run, Easy 13.5k with buggy (65%), with pick-ups |
| Thu | Rest day (biking) |
| Wed | Morning 7.5k easy (68%) Evening 16.4k easy (68%) |
| Tue | Intervals 3⨉3k @ 3’37, 2k easy (19k total) |
| Mon | Morning 7k easy (68%) Evening 10k easy (68%) |
Week -05 (August 22-28, 114 km)
It is getting tough. And is staying hot. Long run this week was not easy, although there was a 10k segment that really was a fly-by, everything felt very easy and light, pace was good, HR low and the km were ticking by. But then it got harder again and the final 9k tempo close to MRP was not a joke (gels at 25k and 30k).
| Sun | Tempo run 10k @ 3’45 (15k total) |
| Sat | rest day |
| Fri | 10k (very) easy with buggy (56%) |
| Thu | Long run 35k with 9k tempo run (@ 5’00 and 4’10) |
| Wed | 18k easy @ 64% |
| Tue | Intervals 6⨉1k @ 3’25, 1k easy (17.5k total) |
| Mon | Morning 5k easy (71%) Evening 13k easy (70%) |
Week -06 (August 16-21, 126 km)
| Sun | Tempo run 15k MRP (3’55), 21k total |
| Sat | rest |
| Fri | Recovery 15k with buggy @ 60% |
| Thu | Long run 35k with 6k tempo run (@ 5’05 and 4’10) |
| Wed | Morning 9k easy @ 65% Afternoon 11k easy @ 68% |
| Tue | Intervals 4⨉2k @ 3’30, 1.6k easy (19k total) |
| Mon | Easy 15k @ 65% |
Week -07 (August 08-15, 107 KM)
This long run was a hard nut, running through the Ardennes with a 210m climb over the last 4.5km and no water left 🥵, until then everything went very fine (faced a broken bridge though, taken away by the river ⇨ some wet feet required).
| Sun | rest |
| Sat | Long run 35k with 670m gain @ 5’10 |
| Fri | Easy 5k with double buggy |
| Thu | Easy 15.5k @ 68% |
| Wed | Intervals 3⨉3k @ 3’35, 2k easy (18k total) |
| Tue | Easy 17.5k @ 68% |
| Mon | Tempo run 10k @ 3’50 (16k total) |
Week -08 (August 01-07, 121 KM)
Until now, most of it was preparation for the preparation, getting close to 100km/week.
The last eight weeks are specificity training and sharpening, close to 120km/week and many kilometres around target race pace (3’55-4’00).
Legs feeling still good with those kilometres, intervalls go well with speed, long run starts feeling better above 30km ⇨ things go well for now. 😊
| Sun | Morning 9k easy Evening 6k easy |
| Sat | Long run 34.5k @ 4’55 |
| Fri | Easy 18k @ 4’50 |
| Thu | rest |
| Wed | Intervals 6⨉1k @ 3’25, 1k easy (18k total) |
| Tue | 16k Easy @ 67% |
| Mon | Tempo run 15k @ 4’10 (19k total) |
Week -09 (July 25-31, 95 KM)
| Sun | rest |
| Sat | Long run 33.5k @ 5’10 |
| Fri | Easy run 11k @ 68% |
| Thu | Intervals 10⨉400m + 5⨉200m (15k total) |
| Wed | Easy run 19k @ 68% |
| Tue | Tempo run 10k @ 3’50 (16k total) |
| Mon | rest |
Week -10 (July 18-24, 102 km)
| Sun | Long run 34k @ 5’06 |
| Sat | Easy 12k @ 5′ (68%) |
| Fri | Intervals 5⨉1k @ 3’30 |
| Thu | 100′ @ 70% |
| Wed | rest |
| Tue | Tempo trail run 13k (climb 340m) |
| Mon | Easy 7k (65%) |
Week -11 (July 11-17, 91 KM)
| Sun | Long run 24k, 800D+ trail in the alps 👌 |
| Sat | Easy 11k (supporting Marina at Zugspitz Ultratrail 50k) |
| Fri | rest day |
| Thu | Easy trail run 20k (70%) |
| Wed | Easy 9k with running buggy |
| Tue | Intervals 5⨉3′, 5⨉2′, 5⨉1′, 5⨉30” (1′ rest in between) |
| Mon | Easy 9k (commute) |
Week -12 (July 4-10, 94 km)
| Sun | Tempo run 10k @ 4′ |
| Sat | Rest day |
| Fri | Easy 13k with running buggy (61%) |
| Thu | Long run 30k 68% |
| Wed | 2⨉9k Easy (morning and evening, 68%) |
| Tue | Intervals 5⨉2k @ 4′ pace (forest trails, road/dirt) |
| Mon | rest day |
Fun.Run.Dad 
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