RW's VLM Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-4:30

Posted: 4 December 2006

A 4:30 marathon is approximately 10:00 per mile. To break 4:30, you should eventually be capable of a sub-2:00 half-marathon (9:00 per mile) and sub-53:00 10K (8:30 per mile). Right now, you should be used to running around 20 miles each week and do around four runs a week.

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 target times below are approximate defaults. Your Garmin download will give you more specific targets.

WEEK ONE (Dec 27-Jan 2): approx 18M

Mon 3M (miles) easy (approx 23 mins)
Tue Rest
Wed 4M with middle 2M at 10K pace (approx 40 mins in total - 18 mins fast)
Thu Rest
Fri Rest
Sat 3M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 8M easy (approx 88 mins)

WEEK TWO (Jan 3-9): approx 24M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 60 secs) with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (28 mins) then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 10M easy (approx 1:50)

WEEK THREE (Jan 10-16): approx 25M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M or 1600m at at 10K pace (or 9 mins) with 400m (or 3 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 5M easy (approx 55 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 4M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 10M steady (approx 1:45)

WEEK FOUR (Jan 17-23): approx 25M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 5:30) with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
WedRest
Thu 6M easy (approx 66 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 10M in approx 1:45 (First 5M easy in 55 mins, last 5M at marathon pace in 50 mins)

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

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 2:05) with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 7M easy (approx 77 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 13M easy (approx 2:23)

WEEK SIX (Jan 31-Feb 6): approx 31M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2000m at 10K speed (or 11 mins) with 400m (or 3 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 8M easy (approx 88 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 13M easy (approx 2:16)

WEEK SEVEN (Feb 7-13): approx 30M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 60 secs) with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at marathon pace (approx 40 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M hills or hilly circuit
Sun 15M steady (approx 2:37)

WEEK EIGHT (Feb 14-20): approx 34M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 1M at 10K pace (or 9 mins) with 400m (or 3 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu9M easy (approx 99 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 15M in approx 2:37 (First 7M easy in 77 mins, last 8M at marathon pace in 80 mins)

WEEK NINE (Feb 21-27): approx 34M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 5:15), with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (approx 38 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M total)
Sun 18M steady (approx 3:09)

WEEK TEN (Feb 28-March 6): approx 37M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 2:05), with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1 mile jog
Wed Rest
Thu 10M easy (approx 1:50)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 18M in approx 3:09 (First 9M easy in 99 mins, last 9M at marathon pace in 90 mins)

WEEK ELEVEN (March 7-13): approx 36M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 16 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 60 secs), with 200m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1 mile jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (approx 38 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M total)
Sun 20M easy (approx 3hrs 40)

WEEK TWELVE (March 14-20): approx 35M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 4 x 2000m at 10K speed (or 11:00), with 400m (or 3 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 9M easy (approx 99 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun Half-marathon race, plus 1M warm up and cool down

WEEK THIRTEEN (March 21-27): approx 37M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1M or 1600m (or 9 mins) fast with 400m (or 3 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (approx 38 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 20M in approx 3:30 (First 10M easy in 110 mins, last 10M at marathon pace in 100 mins)

WEEK FOURTEEN (March 28-Apr 3): approx 33M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 5:30 mins) with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 7M steay (approx 73 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 15M steady (approx 2:37)

WEEK FIFTEEN (April4-10): approx 23M

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 2:05), with 100m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1 mile jog
Wed Rest
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 28 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 33 mins)
Sun 10M steady (approx 1:45)

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

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 55 secs) with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 4M easy (approx 44 mins) with 4 marathon pace 100m strides
Fri Rest
Sat 2M easy (approx 22 mins) in racing kit with 3 maathon 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 and 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-4:30 schedule:

Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule, in minutes/mile. 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.