Week 1 Update: 16-Week Journey to Abu Dhabi Marathon! - Lee Grantham

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Week 1 Update: 16‑Week Journey to Abu Dhabi Marathon! from Lee Grantham. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Train in extreme heat (up to 42 °C) by mixing early‑morning outdoor runs with indoor treadmill work to keep heart‑rate in Zone 2.
Use a “recovery + heavy leg” split: easy 40‑min run in the morning, heavy leg session later in the day.
Hill‑focused intervals (7 × 5 min at 2 % incline) boost speed‑endurance without over‑loading legs.
Gradually increase total interval volume (20 → 35 min) and long‑run time (up to 75 min) while staying mostly in Zone 2.
All‑In Run Club on Sundays (20‑50 min) provides a fun, community‑driven threshold/tempo run.
Avoid “too much, too fast” – keep volume steady, mix hills, flat runs, and interval work.

Workout Example:

Monday: 40 min easy recovery run (first 3 km outside, then finish indoors on treadmill). 6 h later: heavy‑leg session.
Tuesday: 50 min easy run, focus on staying in Zone 2.
Wednesday: 7 × 5 min intervals on treadmill at 2 % incline, total 20‑35 min depending on volume progression.
Thursday: Active recovery walk (heat adaptation).
Friday: 40 min recovery run.
Saturday: Long run 75 min at Zone 2, include a few hill bursts (2‑3 min) to keep legs ready for upcoming hill races.
Sunday: All‑In Run Club (20‑50 min) – treat as a mini‑threshold tempo; pace comfortably, aiming for a steady effort.

Closing Note: Give this week‑one schedule a try, tweak the paces to fit your own thresholds in the Pacing app, and enjoy the journey to Abu Dhabi! 🚀