Virgin Money London MarathonVirgin Money London Marathon 12 Week Training Plan You’ve signed up to take part in the Virgin Money London Marathon – CONGRATULATIONS. We asked our

Virgin Money London Marathon

12 Week Training Plan

Images to come

Virgin Money London Marathon12 Week Training Plan

You’ve signed up to take part in the Virgin Money London Marathon – CONGRATULATIONS.

We asked our friends at Virgin Active to create a 12 week training plan just for you, to help you cross that finish line with a huge sense of achievement and a smile on your (slightly red) face.

Intermediate or Advanced?

Start at week 7 and progress through to week 12, then repeat weeks 7 - 12. This will give you a slightly more advanced 12 week training plan.

Just starting out?

This plan is suitable for beginners who have never run a marathon before and will guide you over the 12 weeks preceding 26th April to get you race day ready.

Got your place – what’s next?

In the plan you’ll see a mix of runs of differing lengths, strength and conditioning workouts and some swims and cycles to help you mix up your training.

One of the biggest misconceptions that runners make is that strength and conditioning exercises / resistance training makes you heavier, slower and is wasted time that could be spent running.

Use the below chart as a guide to show you how hard to work in each session.

How to use this training plan:

Follow the weeks 1 – 12 and stick to the training plan, days and workouts as closely as possible to achieve your goals. You’ll see that the workouts refer to ‘load’, this is your rating of perceived exertion.

This is scale from 1-10 based on how hard you find a session. This scale is frequently used in sport science and has been found to reliably correlate with physiological markers such as heart rate.

In your strength and conditioning (S&C) sessions, the load should be based on how you feel at the end of your working set, and in your runs the load should be based off how you feel at the end of the run.

In actual fact a well planned and executed strength and conditioning programme can induce the following positive effects and more: • Increased strength and power output making you faster• Increased muscle-tendon unit strength reducing injury risk• Improved mobility increasing efficiency in gait and also reducing injury risk


LOAD / RPE SCALE LOAD / RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION

10 MAXIMAL 0 more reps can be completed, 0 more seconds can be completed, out of breath and can barely speak

9 EXTREMELY HARD1 more rep, Cannot continue for much longer, very short of breath and can barely speak

8 VERY HARD1-2 more reps, can sustain for a short period of time, short of breath and can only say a few words at a time

6-7 HARD2-3 more reps, can sustain for a fair period of time, short of breath and can just about string together a sentence

5 MODERATE3-4 more reps, can sustain for a long time, can speak a sentence at a time

3-4 LIGHT - MODERATE4-5 more reps, can hold a conversation

1-2 LIGHT Over 5 reps left, somewhat effortless and can talk comfortably

The strength and conditioning exercises in this programme will benefit athletes of all levels.

Complete the series of exercises marked ‘A, B or C’ consecutively with the required number of reps, at the load stated then rest and repeat all exercises four times.

Harry GrosvenorHead Coach and Master Personal Trainer, Virgin Active

Plan written by


EXERCISE SETS REPS

A CAT COWS 4 10

A SUPINATED BODY WEIGHT ROWS 4 12

A SINGLE LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS 4 10

B 90-90s 4 10

B SIDE PLANK STAR 4 30s

B LATERAL BOX SQUATS 4 12

C PALOFF PRESS 4 10

C GOOD MORNINGS 4 10

C BOX JUMP / DROPS 4 5

Strength and Conditioning

EXERCISE NOTES

FARTLEK 1KM X 4 Jog 100m, run 100m @ 80% max. effort (rest 60s between)

SPRINT DRILL X 2 Sprint 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m (rest 60s between)

Track Session A

EXERCISE NOTES

6 X 1 KM Pace-setting drill: run each KM at fast pace, with 1 minute rest

Track Session B

EXERCISE NOTES

10 MIN WARM UP Choice Stroke Continuous

KICKING DRILL 10 x Lap Sprints (alternate freestyle kick + breastroke)

SPEED WORK 100m x 5 Freestyle

10 MIN COOL DOWN Choice Stroke easy Continuous

Swim Session

Exercise breakdown


Cat CowsCome to hands and knees, shoulders over wrists and hips over knees.

Drop your belly towards the floor by pressing your chest forward and tilting your pelvis to push your tailbone up.

Pause, then reverse the movement by tucking your chin and dropping your tailbone towards the floor, arching your back.

Bodyweight RowsGrab the handles of a TRX or bar and tip-toe your feet out in front so your body is one straight line.

Squeeze your bum and core, then row by pulling your hands towards your lower chest. Slowly lower back down and go again.

Single Leg DeadliftsTake a kettlebell or just your bodyweight and balance on one leg.

Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your legs straight and hips level.

Make sure to keep your core tight and shoulders back.

Squeeze your bum to stand back up.

90-90sSit on the floor with both knees at 90º and your feet on the floor just wider than hip width.

Cross your arms, then slowly twist your hips to your left and drop both knees to the floor.

Pause, then twist your hips to the right until your knees reach the floor.

Side Plank StarCome to a side plank with your elbow on the ground below your shoulder and your body in a straight line.

If you’re feeling stable, lift your top arm and top leg towards the ceiling.

And hold it.

Side Box SquatsPut one foot on a box and the other one big step out to the side.

Squat down onto the raised leg by sticking your bum out to the side.

Now squeeze through your glutes to stand back up.

Paloff PressUse a cable station or a resistance band attached to something sturdy.

Squat down slightly with the band in both hands and enough tension so it’s tough to stay facing forward.

Tense your core to resist the twist and push away with both hands.

Good MorningsStand straight with a light barbell across your shoulders.

Keep your shoulders back, core tensed and knees slightly bent, then push your bum back to hinge forward at the hips.

Then squeeze your bum to stand back up.

Box Jumps/DropsJump with both feet onto a medium box and land softly.

Shuffle to the edge of the box and drop down, cushioning your weight by bending though your knees. Turn around and go again.

WEEK

01TOTAL KM = 13

Monday Rest

Tuesday + S&C, Load 4-5 3KM, Load 5-6

Wednesday Rest

Thursday 5KM, Load 5-6

Friday Rest

Saturday S&C, Load 5-6

Sunday 5KM, Load 5-6

WEEK

02TOTAL KM = 15

Monday Rest


Wednesday Rest


Friday Rest



WEEK

03TOTAL KM = 18

Monday Rest


Wednesday Cycle 60-Min, Load 5-6


Friday Rest




WEEK

04TOTAL KM = 24

Monday Rest




Friday Swim Session, Load 6-7



WEEK

05TOTAL KM = 33

Monday Rest





Saturday + S&C, Load 6-7 Track Session A, Load 8-9


WEEK

06TOTAL KM = 38

Monday Rest








WEEK

07TOTAL KM = 20

Monday Rest



Thursday Row 5KM, Load 6-7


Saturday HIIT Class, Load 6-7


WEEK

08TOTAL KM = 56

Monday Rest





Saturday + S&C, Load 8-9 Track Session B, Load 7-8


WEEK

09TOTAL KM = 66

Monday Rest





Saturday + S&C, Load 8-9 Track Session B, Load 7-8


DELOAD


WEEK

10TOTAL KM = 51

Monday Rest







WEEK

11TOTAL KM = 43

Monday Rest







WEEK

12TOTAL KM = 18+ RACE KM

Monday Rest

Tuesday + S&C, Load 4-5 5KM

Wednesday Row 5KM, Load 6-7



Saturday Mobility, Load 4-5

Sunday, 26 April 2020 Race day, good luck.


Documents

Virgin Money London MarathonVirgin Money London Marathon 12 Week Training Plan You’ve signed up to take part in the Virgin Money London Marathon – CONGRATULATIONS. We asked our