My (Flexible) Manchester Marathon Training Plan

I am currently training for Manchester Marathon 2020, and I am so excited to be hitting some long distance runs in the coming weeks and months.

It has been way too long since I did anything that gives me the right to say that I am a long distance runner!

So what does my Manchester Marathon Plan actually look like?

Just three runs a week!

Yup, only three.

I do not plan to get a PB, or to run “sub” anything… so I intend to just keep myself as uninjured as possible.

My Manchester marathon plan consists of:

• one speed session (intervals, hill reps or tempo).

• one gentle 5km (a Run Talk Run!)

• one long run!

This is quite possibly the most flexible marathon training plan I have ever tried to adhere to, and I think it is for that reason that I am likely to commit to it the best! I don’t mind which days these runs fall upon, so long as my legs feel rested and ready for the runs.

What run am I enjoying the most?

So, as much as I am loving all of the runs on my marathon training plan, there is just one run that sticks out as my absolute favourite.

For me, it's got to be "the easy 5km".

I mean, there is grit and purpose to be found in the long runs.

There are endorphins and power to be found in those speed sessions.

BUT there is nothing more beautiful, to me, than running without really thinking about the running itself. Maybe this is lazy of me, because it is supposedly the run of the week which is the least hard work hehe #notsorry

For me, there is a certain element of joy in knowing that it is a result of the hard work I put in with my other two sessions, that allows the "easy 5km" feel so damn gentle and enjoyable.

Womens Running: SAD Feature

This was quite the surprise! I had completely forgotten about giving a few words on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for this months edition of Womens Running UK so seeing one of our gorgeous Run Talk Run leaders, Eleanor, tag me in a post about it was a cheery moment.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am part-human, part-sunflower. I LIVE for the sunshine, and so does my brain, apparently.

As the temperatures start to drop, it seems there is a weight pulling my mood down with it. Even though I am a lot lot better at managing my "down days" there is absolutely no denying that I have to fight through an extra layer of fog, to feel ok.

Running isn't gonna cure your shitty feelings. It's not a miracle-worker.

Feeling down (or worse, depressed) is gonna take more than just a brisk run to feel better

BUT... though its not gonna cure you, it might make today feel just a little bit better.

I liken my own experience with depression to being like a knife, that really really cut deep and caused pain that I just don't understand. Running was (and is) my means of "softening the edges" of that knife.

If you have a shitty day with an ushakeable fog (it happens) I really do urge you to head out for a walk or a run if you can. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a tough thing to pull through, but you are tougher, and the sun will shine again.

I am a Confidence Coach, and I currently have 1:1 sessions available to book in for 2020. If you would like to ask me any questions about this coaching, feel free to drop me a line. Or you can book in to have some time on the phone with me (for free, obvs).