Marathon Race-Day Rehearsal

Workout - Marathon Race-Day Rehearsal

• 11min @ 9'30''/mi
• 2 lots of:
  • 2min @ 8'00''/mi
  • 2min rest
• 6 lots of:
  • 0.0mi @ 8'00''/mi
  • 1min rest
• 12min 30s @ 9'30''/mi
• 5min rest

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Intro

A quick rundown of “Run 20% Faster with ONE Simple Change!” by Lee Grantham. Worth a watch. The key points are below so you can run the workout this week. The full video has the rest.

Key points

• Focus on one excellent interval session per week, not just more miles. For more research on this approach, see our interval training guide.
• Quality beats everything. Nail execution (10/10) while keeping perceived effort at 8/10. That’s how you stay the course without torching yourself.
• Warm-up, fueling, and cool-down turn an ordinary interval workout into super-compensation.
• Match the carbs you take in during training to what you’ll use on race day. This conditions your gut and speeds recovery.

Workout example (mid-week intervals)

1. Warm-up: 10-12 min easy running, then 2 × 2-minute efforts at target interval pace (about 8/10 effort). Add 5-6 min if you need more time to lift HR and ready your legs.
2. Main set: 6 × 1-mile repeats at marathon race pace with 60 seconds recovery. Hold the same effort each rep. Don’t shock yourself in the early ones. This targets marathon endurance, but the same principle applies to any distance. Adapt it for 10K training or 5K speed.
3. Fueling: take in carbs at race-day rate (gels, sports drinks) through the reps to keep glycogen topped up.
4. Cool-down: after the final rep, drop the pace gradually until you’re in zones 1-2, then walk.

Practical tips

• Treat this session as your most important weekly workout. 10/10 execution.
• Aim for 8/10 perceived effort. Strong, not destroyed.
• Use the same warm-up and fueling every week to build a pattern.
• Mix this with easy runs, recovery runs, and rest days for the full super-compensation effect.

Closing note

Try this next week and adjust paces in the Pacing app to your fitness.

References

• Run 20% Faster with ONE Simple Change! - YouTube (YouTube Video)