Training Update!
My current split, how I'm balancing lifting & running goals, and why I'm training this way!
Hey Friend!
Hope you’ve been enjoying these latest Substacks…because I’m having a blast writing them.
Switching gears a little, I get a lot of questions about my own training so I figured I’d do an in depth breakdown of what my training is like these days.
Current Goals
Before I dive into the specifics, I’ll share what I’m working toward.
My BIG goal for 2024 is to run a sub 3 hour marathon. I just found out that I did not get accepted into the 2024 Chicago Marathon, so I’m still a little unsure what my race will be. It is highly likely that I will just target the Monumental Marathon here in Indianapolis…it’s around the time I’d like to race (late Fall) and the course literally runs by my apartment…very convenient.
As for lifting goals…I’m still unsure about what I want to work toward. I had toyed around with the idea of getting into CrossFit, but given the run volume I’ll be maintaining I don’t feel I’d be able to give it my all…so CrossFit is going on the shelf for a little longer.
I've also considered going deeper into calisthenic training (bodyweight) and improve my handstand stability, muscle ups, & work toward things like Front Levers and other advanced bodyweight movements.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is to not “rush” to set goals. If you don’t have clarity, sit with them for some time and it’ll appear. When you rush to commit, you risk working toward something you don’t actually want to train for. When this realization hits a few months into your training, it is a huge momentum loss. So, I’ll continue brainstorming ideas and share the goals when they appear!
My Training Outline
With the sub 3 hour marathon being my North Star, that takes priority in my training schedule. Here’s what a typical week looks like:
Monday: Run (Speed) + Lift (Upper Body - Push)
Tuesday: Run (Endurance) + Sauna/Stretch
Wednesday: Run (Endurance) + Lift (Lower)
Thursday: Swim + Sauna/Stretch
Friday: Run (Speed) + Lift (Upper - Pull)
Saturday: Run (Endurance) + Lift (Lower)
Sunday: Run (Recovery) + Sauna/Stretch
The overall frequency is:
Run: x6
Lift: x4
Swim: x1
Sauna/Stretch: x3
As you can see…it’s very run dominant! I’ve kept 1 day of swimming to maintain my swim ability & use it as a low-impact cardio day.
My Training Explained
Let’s dive a bit deeper into my training plan…
You my have noticed I have 3 types of run workouts: Speed, Endurance, and Recovery.
The Speed workouts range from 30-60 minutes and contain intervals where I ramp up my pace. Here’s an example of a speed workout:
10 min warmup (RPE 4-5)
20 sets of: 30sec FAST (RPE 9) // 30sec RECOVERY (RPE 3)
10 min cooldown (RPE 5)
The Endurance workouts are intended to build my aerobic base and are primarily done with a Zone 2 heart rate. These are typically 60 minutes and intended to be fairly low intensity. With my max HR being close to 200bpm my zone 2 range is: 156-165bpm)
Finally, the Recovery workouts are pretty self explanatory. These are 25-40 minutes at a pace 1-2 minutes slower than my zone 2 pace. The intention is to help my body recovery from the week of training while still stacking some extra volume.
Moving on from running…let’s talk lifting.
My lifts are broken up into an upper/lower split. Because I don’t have any specific lifting goals at the moment, most of these are unstructured. My lifts last 45-60 min and consist of 4-6 movements, 3-4 sets each. I’m doing a lot more machine work than I’ve done in the past, because I want to avoid the CNS fatigue that accumulates from heavy barbell movements. Once I have clear lifting goals, I’ll add more structure and train with more intention but for now…I just get wicked pumps :)
As I mentioned above, the intention of the 1 swim is to not lose the ability to swim (yes…that is a real fear of mine lol) & to have a low impact cardio day. Running is a very high impact form of cardio…your lower body takes a beating. Swimming allows me to still improve my aerobic capacity, but not take any additional impact fatigue. I also fully intend on jumping into some 70.3s in 2024 (strictly for fun), and this will ensure I can get through them without any changes to my training plan. These swims last 30-40 minutes.
To finish up this breakdown, the sauna/stretch is intended for recovery. These are entirely on feel…some days I’ll do longer sauna sessions (40+ minutes) and other days they’ll be short n sweet (15 minutes). I’ve noticed a huge impact on my recovery throughout the week when I regularly sauna, so it’s a staple going forward.
Well, that’s pretty much it!
In addition to my traditional training I still try to move my body as much as possible…lots of walking, hiking, and the occasional fun activity when the opportunity presents itself.
Hopefully this answers some your questions about how I train and why…and gives you some ideas on how to structure your own training based on your goals.
If this gets a positive response, I’ll plan to do an in depth breakdown like this every 2-3 months as my training evolves.
Have the best day ever!
-Mike