Sunday Runday
On this weekly column, Wearables Editor Michael Hicks discusses the world of working watches, health apps, and coaching traits, in his quest to get quicker and fitter.
Many working watches provide marathon coaching plans. Now that I am signed up for the Garmin Tucson marathon in November, simply three months out, I’ve to resolve rapidly which plan to strive. Ought to I belief a smartwatch algorithm to offer me a customized marathon coaching plan, or use a working coach plan from TrainingPeaks?
It has been a number of years since I final ran a marathon. When Garmin provided a media invite to run in its first Garmin Marathon collection, I knew I might should ramp up my mileage rapidly, however intelligently, so I do not overtrain and crash out.
I’ve reviewed just about each working watch beneath the solar, however whether or not I take advantage of my Garmin Forerunner 970 or one other gadget, my success or failure will rely on the exercise plan, greater than the {hardware}.
So I made a decision to take a seat down and examine each smartwatch marathon coaching plan, to see which might finest put together me for the Garmin marathon collection.
Each smartwatch-based marathon coaching plan for learners
Only a few smartwatches advocate long-term coaching plans. Suunto outsources its plans to TrainingPeaks. Fitbit gives each day Run Coach recs, however nothing cohesive. Apple Health+ focuses on indoor exercises. I solely know of some working watches with correct marathon steerage!
GARMIN: Out there by Run Coach, Garmin’s marathon coaching plans final 16 weeks. The newbie plan has zone-2 straightforward runs, zone-4 threshold tempo runs, and fartlek runs, with one long term each weekend.
Between three weekly runs, Garmin recommends two cross-training days per week, for body weight workout routines, yoga, swimming, or biking.
The intermediate plan expects 5 exercises per week, however is not that completely different. It recommends weekly intervals and has extra back-to-back run days, plus longer lengthy runs, however nonetheless mixes in relaxation and cross-training days.
Garmin’s coaching load philosophy emphasizes low cardio and anaerobic selection to enhance VO2 Max, plus energy coaching to optimize your type. I am usually all about this philosophy, however frankly, if I will enhance my exercise days per week and hit my marathon goal, I must spend most of my time centered on mileage. Subsequent marathon, I will fear about pace and energy.
COROS: COROS has 15 marathon coaching plans, focusing on particular end occasions or 12-to-20-week schedules. Many goal professional runners that hit 50–100 miles per week, however COROS additionally caters to mere mortals like myself.
COROS’ 4-hour, 12-week plan expects you to run 5 occasions per week for 25–40 miles. Most are quick cardio endurance runs, with the occasional “marathon tempo” run and lengthy, quick runs on Sundays.
This 4:00 marathon tempo plan, conversely, schedules 4 runs per week for 15–25 miles. However almost each run has you mixing straightforward pacing with 15-second strides or 400m pickups, ultimately progressing to intervals and inverted pyramids. You get extra relaxation days, however hardly ever take a simple run.
Both manner, COROS emphasizes mileage over cross-training, letting you resolve if you wish to concentrate on pace work or how far you are prepared to go per week. I am fairly impressed with what they’ve to supply.
POLAR: The Polar working program has you enter what number of days per week you are prepared to run and the way lengthy, plus how arduous you usually discover working. It then creates a 100-day marathon coaching plan.
Should you’re a Gentle runner, Polar has you do a medium run each Monday and Friday, intervals on Wednesdays, and a long term on Sunday. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are reserved for cross-training: Power, mobility, and core workout routines, respectively.
Should you’re a Strenuous runner, you swap in a tempo run on Wednesdays and intervals on Saturdays, that means you are doing three medium-to-hard runs in a row from Friday to Sunday. You continue to do not get relaxation days, solely cross-training train days. Both manner, these inflexible plans are for individuals who work out day-after-day.
SAMSUNG: The Galaxy Watch 8‘s Working Coach has ten coaching ranges; Stage 10 goals for runners to complete a marathon in beneath 4:48. To qualify for degree 10, you might want to go Samsung’s 12-minute working take a look at with unknown standards.
The Working Coach beta is type of a large number. You’ll be able to’t merely select a marathon coaching plan; if Samsung ranks you decrease, you may should spend weeks, if not months, leveling up. But when Samsung ultimately lets runners choose their goal distance and tempo manually, nevertheless, the Working Coach has an incredible number of run sorts like Fartlek, repetitions, intervals, and lengthy runs that might profit newbie marathoners.
AMAZFIT: Zepp Coach has you select a goal marathon tempo and date, then describe your weekly mileage and common tempo. With that, it generates a three-month program of straightforward, arduous, interval, fartlek, and lengthy runs, grouped by HR zones or tempo relying in your choice.
It is not probably the most complete or assorted coaching plan, but it surely’s out there for super-cheap watches just like the Amazfit Bip 6 or Energetic 2, which is nice for frugal runners.
Which marathon coaching plan I am going with
All of those marathon coaching plans are “free” after you purchase your watch, so we won’t complain an excessive amount of if they seem to be a bit restricted. You will discover hundreds of TrainingPeaks marathon plans if you wish to pay for one thing higher.
Personally, in any case that looking out, I am leaning towards a simple Hal Higdon novice coaching plan, that are well-liked with first-time marathoners. Relatively than concentrate on difficult speedwork or strengthwork, I will simply examine off 4 runs every week of about 20–30 miles and hope for the most effective.
I am a number of weeks behind his 18-week schedule, however I am hoping I can hit the bottom working, so to talk, as a result of I’ve already been coaching. Then, as soon as I’ve conquered this Garmin marathon, I can go into one other marathon with a extra superior plan.
However you probably have a favourite marathon coaching plan that helped you hit a PR, I might love to listen to your suggestions within the feedback!
