Marathon Pace Over/Unders

Workout - Marathon Pace Over/Unders

• 15min @ 5'45''/km
• 3 lots of:
  • 1.0km @ 3'50''/km
  • 1.0km @ 4'10''/km
• 10min @ 6'00''/km

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Intro: Quick breakdown of the over/under tempo session featured in My new favourite Tempo/Threshold session for MARATHON training (Over/Unders) from This Messy Happy. It’s a workout format worth exploring — here’s what you need to know to run it yourself. The full video has more details worth watching.

Key Points:

• Over/unders alternate short bursts just above and just below your target marathon (or half‑marathon) pace, creating a hard workout where the recovery portions are built in rather than separated.
• Works across any training phase: 45‑75 min total, with a 15‑minute easy warm‑up and optional running drills afterward.
• The mindset piece: give each session your attention, but don’t spiral over missed ones; focus on the bigger picture and what your plan is building toward.
• Interval length, the over/under gap, and session duration all adjust as you shift into race-specific work.

Workout Example:

1. Warm‑up: 15 min easy jog (add running drills if you want).
2. Main set (30 min in the video, can range from 30‑60 min):
   • Select a base marathon pace (for example, 4:00 min/km for a measured marathon target). No marathon experience yet? Start ~15‑20 s slower than your goal.
   • Over/Under intervals: Cycle between 1 km 10 seconds faster than your base pace, then 1 km 10 seconds slower. Example: 3:50 /km (hard) → 4:10 /km (recovery). Keep switching for the full main‑set duration.
   • Fine-tune the gap based on feel: 5 s, 10 s, or even 15 s over/under if easier feels right. Stay away from large swings (e.g., >30 s) to keep injuries off the table.
3. Cool‑down: 10‑15 min easy jog, stretch.
4. Optional variations:
   • Shorter main set (20‑30 min) for early season or when feeling fatigued.
   • Longer main set (40‑60 min) as you approach the marathon block.
   • Adjust interval length (e.g., 800 m or 2 km) while keeping the over/under principle.

Closing Note: Run this over/under session this week — adjust paces in your Pacing app to match your marathon target and feel the rhythm between push and recovery. Stick with it, trust the process, and track how you’re improving. Happy running! 🚀

References

• My new favourite Tempo/Threshold session for MARATHON training (Over/Unders) - YouTube (YouTube Video)