Project 02:30: Preparing for the Berlin Marathon 2022 - Part 2

In Part 2 of a series, our Sportsshoes CTO Jon Cleaver guides us through his preparation for his next big running challenge - the Berlin Marathon, 25th September 2022.

Pictured: Jon (121) competing in the Trawden 7 Trail Race

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The first phase of my training was primarily focussed on improving my 5km fitness to a similar level earlier in the year.

Below is a summary of these initial objectives;

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PHASE 1 objectives: Weeks 1-4

1. Prime the body to take on more mileage volume

2. Introduce strength work in the gym twice a week

3. Get into 5km PB shape

4. Ensure the holy trinity are completed - 2 sessions of speed work/tempo and a long run (up to 2 hours) every Sunday

5. Get into the rhythm of running 6 days a week with 1 or 2 double days with the mileage creeping up to 60 a week.

6. How to test: 5km race at the beginning of July

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ANALYSING MY MARATHON TRAINING SO FAR:

Which aspects of my marathon training went well?

Overall, I feel that this was a solid start to marathon training, as it was mainly focussed on improving 5km speed and increasing mileage.  At the end of this training block I managed to achieve a 5km PB at the Sportsshoes Podium 5km race in Leicester, sponsored by Saucony. This was an amazing experience and I also had the opportunity to race in the new Saucony Endorphin Pro 3, which performed exceptionally well in poor running conditions! It should also be noted that 11 of the athletes competing in the races all set new 5K PB's whilst wearing this shoe.

My discipline in the gym has been good and I've done plenty of strength and conditioning work as part of my training. Also, my consumption of things not so conducive to training has been minimised (such as drinking alcohol) - although I do like a craft beer or two!  In general, my running sessions have been high quality.

In terms of mileage, I've increased this from 45 miles to 72 miles by the end of week 4 and my long runs have been around the 2-hour mark, which is where I need to be right now.  I haven’t felt the need to have a day off since week 1, but undoubtedly I will when I feel the need to take a break.

Pictured: Jon (138) competing in the Sportsshoes Podium 5k race, sponsored by Saucony - July 2022

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Which aspects of my marathon training didn’t go as well? 

Work commitments disrupted week 1, as I was required to travel and stay in London for 2 nights at a 3-day conference. This disrupted my training block and also meant that my nutrition and sleep were both neglected. During the same week I also had a stag party at the weekend.  However, once these social engagements were out of the way I bounced back with 3 solid weeks of training. 

The Freckleton Half Marathon was a low point, it was my slowest HM in a number of years. I didn’t fare well in the heat and it was a genuine struggle. I also had a poor training session on the following Tuesday, as I hadn’t had enough time to adequately recover from the race. 

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What’s next and any changes? 

I have now established a new baseline for weekly mileage at 75-miles and I will look to gradually increase this to 80-miles and beyond.  Halfway through this block I am going to switch one of my weekly sessions from a 5km to a longer threshold style session, but keep one of these 5km sessions to maintain speed. Long runs will climb to 02:30 and start to progressively increase the speed at the back end of these. I have a couple of races in the plan and may attempt another 3km on the track towards the end of July, but I really want to keep these to a minimum with the escalation of mileage. 

Pictured: Jon competing in the Burnley Park Run

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What training sessions have I been doing as part of my marathon training?

1.5 mile hill reps x 3 (1500ft) 

3km Time Trial Road (09:25) 

Park Run Tempo (17:23) 

2 x 1 mile, 2 x 1km, 2 x 400m 

10 x 400m, 5 x 200m (Grass, 90 secs recovery) 

16 x 60 secs (Grass, rolling recovery 1 min) 

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What shoes and spikes have I been wearing for races?

JUNE 10 2022 - Norden 6 (3rd place) 35:28 - Nike Vaporfly Next% 

JUNE 19th 2022 - Freckleton Half Marathon (4th place) 01:15 - Nike Alphafly Next% 2   

JUNE 26th 2022 - Trawden 7 Trail race (4th place) 42:56 - HOKA Tecton X 

JUNE 28th 2022 - Stretford 3000m track (3rd place in Heat 2) 09:14 (PB) - Nike Dragonfly

JULY 2nd 2022 - Podium 5km Leicester (5th place in the C Race) 15:54 (PB) - Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 

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Pictured: Jon wearing the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Road Running Shoes

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What road shoes have I been wearing for marathon training? 

Easy runs - New Balance 1080v12 or Nike Pegasus 39 

Sessions - Nike Streakfly

Races - As above 

Progress Log from Strava

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You can follow Jon and all of his running adventures here

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Want to find out more? We've been busy collecting all the latest tips & expert advice for marathon training and race days. Our Marathon category lets you experience real in-the-moment stories as we dive deeper into Q&A with athletes, kit reviews, nutritional advice and so much more!