RW's VLM Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-3:45

Posted: 26 November 2007

3:45 marathon is approximately 8:30 per mile. To break 3:45, you should eventually be capable of a sub-1:45 half-marathon (8:00 per mile) and sub-46:00 10K (7:30 per mile). Right now, you should be running at least 25 miles per week, and be able to run for 80 minutes non-stop.

The schedule below (devised by former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton) is explained more fully in our free weekly marathon training email, and all at once in our subscriber-only Ultimate Schedules section.
The times below are approximate defaults. Your Garmin download will give you more specific targets.

WEEK ONE (Dec 27-Jan 2): approx 27M

Mon 3M easy (miles) (approx 28 mins)
Tue 3M marathon pace (approx 25 mins)
Wed 4M steady (approx 36 mins)
Thu 4M with middle 2M at 10K pace (approx 34 mins in total - 15 mins fast)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 8M easy(approx 76 mins)

WEEK TWO (Jan 3-9): approx 30M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200 at mile/5K speed (or 50 secs), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 5M steady (approx 45 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 35 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 11M easy (approx 1:44)

WEEK THREE (Jan 10-16): approx 33M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M or 1600m at 10K pace (or 7 mins 30) with 400m (or 2 mins 30) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M easy (approx 54 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (32 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 11M steady (approx 1:39)

WEEK FOUR (Jan 17-23): approx 33M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins 30), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M easy (approx 66 mins)
Thu 5M steady (approx 45 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 4M easy (approx 36 mins)
Sun 11M in approx 1:38 (First 5M easy in 47 mins, last 6M at marathon pace in 51 mins)

WEEK FIVE (Jan 24-30): approx 39M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 1 mins 40), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M easy (approx 76 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun 15M easy (approx 2:22)

WEEK SIX (Jan 31-Feb 6): approx 35M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2000m at 10K pace (or 9 mins) with 400m (or 2 mins 30) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 85 mins)
Thu4M inc hill session or circuit
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun Race or 13M at half-marathon pace

WEEK SEVEN (Feb 7-13): approx 41M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 50 secs), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 95 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at marathon pace (approx 34 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M hills or hilly circuit
Sun 15M steady (approx 2:15)

WEEK EIGHT (Feb 14-20): approx 41M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 1M at 10K speed (or 7 mins 30), with 400m (or 2 mins 30) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 11M easy (approx 1:44)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun 15M in approx 2 hrs 14 (First 7M easy in 66 mins, last 8M at marathon pace in 68 mins)

WEEK NINE (Feb 21-27): approx 44M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins 30), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 95 mins)
Thu 4M hills or hilly circuit
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 5M total)
Sun 18M steady (approx 2 hours 33)

WEEK TEN (Feb 28-March 6): approx 44M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 14 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 95 secs), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 11M steady (approx 99 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun 18M in approx 2hrs 41 (First 9M easy in 85 mins, last 9M at marathon pace in 76 mins)

WEEK ELEVEN (March 7-13): approx 47M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 16 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 45 secs), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 12M easy (approx 1:54)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 45 mins fartlek (approx 5M total)
Sun 20M easy (approx 3hrs 10)

WEEK TWELVE (March 14-20): approx 41M

Mon Rest
Tue1M jog, then 4 x 2000m at 10K speed (or 9 mins), with 400m (or 2 mins 30) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 95 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun Half-marathon race (plus 1M warm up and cool down)

WEEK THIRTEEN (March 21-27): approx 46M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1M or 1600m (or 7 mins 30) at 10K pace with 400m (or 2 min 30) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 85 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat4M easy (approx 38 mins)
Sun 20M in approx 3:00 (First 10M easy in 95 mins, last 10M at marathon pace in 85 mins)

WEEK FOURTEEN (March 28-April 3): approx 41M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins 30), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M steady (approx 72 mins)
Thu 1M easy, then middle 4M at marathon pace (approx 34 mins), then 1M easy
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 45 mins fartlek (approx 5M total)
Sun 15M steady (approx 2:15)

WEEK FIFTEEN (April 4-10): approx 29M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 95 secs), with 100m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M easy (approx 57 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pce (approx 24 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 28 mins)
Sun 10M steady (approx 90 mins)

WEEK SIXTEEN (April 11-18): 13M plus race

Mon Rest
Tue1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 45 secs), with 200m (or 90 secs) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M easy (approx 38 mins) with 5 marthon pace 100m strides
Thu 3M easy (approx 28 mins) with 4 marathon pace 100m strides
Fri Rest
Sat 2M easy (approx 19 mins), in racing kit with 3 marathon pace 100m strides
Sun The race

Download This Schedule For Your Garmin

You can download this schedule onto your Garmin Forerunner 205, 301, 305 or 405 (it will work best on the 205, 305 or 405). Your Forerunner will then guide you through each session with target training paces or heart rates to aim for.

Decide whether you want to train by heart rate or pace (if in doubt, choose pace).
Download the schedule onto your PC desktop using either the quick-download buttons below, or the custom-download buttons further down the page. (The custom options allow you to refine your training paces and heart rates.)
Open your Garmin Training Centre software, use 'file>import sessions' to import the schedules from your desktop, then plug in your Forerunner to synchronise it.
(You should make sure your Garmin software is up to date, especially as there is a new improvement to pace-smoothing for the 205 and 305. We suggest you use the 'WebUpdater option on these pages: 205; 301 ; 305)
If you are new to the 405, to ensure that you have the right software installed, click here.

Quick-download the RW Sub-3:45 schedule:

Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule. You can adjust them if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.

Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session	:
Easy - Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR)	:
Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR)	:
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace (79-84% MHR)	:
Brisk (or Threshold (THR) - around your target half-marathon pace (87-91% MHR).	:
Fast-10K - 90-94%	:
Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR	:
Fast-above-5K	:
You can also adjust the paces above by adjusting your marathon target slightly. The sessions and mileages in the schedule will stay the same but the paces will change.
New target:
:

Finished? When you're happy with the paces, download your schedule

(You can revise your paces partway through your training – just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner.)

Make A Version With Custom Heart Rates

Here are the percentages of maximum heart rate used in the different sessions in this schedule. Insert your maximum heart rate to see which targets you will have to aim for. You can adjust the '% max' figures if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the heart rates is likely to be slightly too high or too low.

Finished? When you're happy with the heart rate zones, download your schedule

(You can revise your heart rate zones partway through your training - just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner)

Your Questions Answered

Choosing and customising a schedule

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

Using Training Center

Following the sessions

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.