Marathon Training Plan Week 5: Volume, Pacing, & Critical - Seth James DeMoor

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of “Marathon Training Plan Week 5: Volume, Pacing, & Critical” from Seth James DeMoor. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to watch the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Week 5 is a transition week (end of Phase 1, start of Phase 2) that builds confidence for upcoming threshold work.
Volume target: 80‑90 miles this week, climbing toward a peak of 110‑120 miles by weeks 7‑8, then a “down week” of 40‑50 miles for recovery.
Pacing strategy: “steady” runs at about 7:00 min/mile (sometimes dipping to 6:52‑6:55 min/mile) on Tuesday and Friday; keep the effort “steezy” (easy, feel‑based) without constantly checking the watch.
Double‑run day: 4‑mile easy run in the morning, 13‑mile long run in the afternoon (total 17 mi) both around 7:41‑7:42 min/mile.
Threshold focus: After week 5 you’ll start short “baby” threshold runs (3‑4 mi) to build confidence for longer threshold work later.

Workout Example

Tuesday: 4 mi easy run at ~7:00 min/mile (feel‑based, “steady”).
Friday: 4 mi “steady” run again at ~7:00 min/mile.
Saturday (or other day): 13 mi long run at ~7:41‑7:42 min/mile, keeping it easy and steady.
Weekly mileage: aim for 80‑90 mi total this week, with a gradual increase toward 110‑120 mi by week 7‑8, then a cut‑back week of 40‑50 mi.

Closing Note

Give this week’s “steady” and double‑run approach a try—adjust the paces to fit your own training in the Pacing app and keep building that confidence for your upcoming threshold sessions. You’ve got this!