Geoffrey Mutai - Full training log before 2011 NYC Marathon CR 2:05:05

casualobserver wrote:

His training doesn't raise any red flags. It looks consistent, crazy and incredible, but it's built over the years and after all, he paid the price for such high mileage training.

What price $ was that ..?

what is missing in the schedule is the altitude, terrain, which is a big deal.

essentially you have energy reservoir building 4 days, and 2 days of quality at race pace, or equivalently better at altitude.

also, this schedule works if you have a background, ability to run 13 low 26 high 10k.

in other words you have ample speed already, and can bring it to the surface with rest.

if you want to develop into a world class marathoner using this technique, schedule alone.

forget it.

high mileage doesn't mean much, if you can recover.

if you're not recovering, you're doomed.

i did 100 miles per week with quality, struggled on 80.

mutai training echos an untried schedule i had, which i based on the two essentials of the marathon,

an adaptation to race pace.

an adaptation of energy reserves.

also the complete rest day is in theory correct, or opinion.

i was thinking you would have 30k per day average at 6 minutes up and down at altitude, or whatever.

one long run.

2 workouts, intervals at faster than race pace mile, or kms, maybe uphill.

another 5 or 10 k repeats at race pace two 10ks of 4 x 5km.

on top, you have your yoga, massage, extreme rest, nutrition.

longjack wrote:

what is missing in the schedule is the altitude, terrain, which is a big deal.

essentially you have energy reservoir building 4 days, and 2 days of quality at race pace, or equivalently better at altitude.

also, this schedule works if you have a background, ability to run 13 low 26 high 10k.

in other words you have ample speed already, and can bring it to the surface with rest.

if you want to develop into a world class marathoner using this technique, schedule alone.

forget it.

Altitude is the same as Iten 2400-2500m. Terrain is not that flat in the area, we can assume it being undulating. Slight up and downs.

I have to agree with you, recovery is what makes the difference. While i think you can get better at marathoning by echoing this schedule, i don't think it's the best to develop, only if you already master the distance.

G.Mutai was definitely capable of running under 27min for 10000m, he never really wanted it or gave it a shot. I think he had the ability to run 26:4x when in top top shape, no doubt.

I'm curious what Rupp is running these days for Chicago, do you think his schedule is similar/harder than Geoffrey's?

Interesting to see he followed up the Boston Marathon with quite some training.

MON APRIL 18, 2011 - Boston Marathon - 2:03:02 CR - 1st

Afterwards, a 10-week training plan for the Boston B.A.A 10K(JUN 26, 2011)

starts.

WEEK 1 - 100 KM/62 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - Boston Marathon - 2:03:02 CR - 1st

PM - REST + CELEBRATION

TUE - AM - REST

PM - REST + TRAVEL

WED - AM - REST + TRAVEL

PM - REST

THU - AM - 10km easy 40min

PM - 10km easy 40min

FRI - AM - 10km easy 40min

PM - 10km easy 40min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 5x1km at 2:50/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 2 - 144 KM/89 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 16km easy 1hr04min

PM - 10km easy 40min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 5k in 14:10, 5' easy jogging +

6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 16km easy 1hr04min

PM - 10km easy 40min

THU - AM - 30km Tempo Run: 1hr43min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 16km easy 1hr04min

PM - 10km easy 40min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 5x1km at 2:50/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 3 - 178 KM/111 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 4x2km at 2:55/km with 3' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

THU - AM - 40km Tempo Run: 2hr20min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 12km easy 48min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 10x1km at 2:57/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 4 - 184 KM/114 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 6x1km at 2:52/km with 2' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - 10km easy 40min

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 12km easy 48min

THU - AM - 40km Tempo Run: 2hr20min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 12km easy 48min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 5x1km at 2:50/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 5 - 188 KM/117 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 2x5km at 2:58/km with 6' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min

THU - AM - 40km Tempo Run: 2hr20min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 10x1km at 2:58/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 6 - 188 KM/117 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 4x2km at 2:55/km with 3' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min

THU - AM - 40km Tempo Run: 2hr20min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 12x1km at 3:00/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 7 - 188 KM/117 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 23km easy 1hr32min

PM - 14km easy 56min

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 2x6km at 3:00/km with 6' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - 10km easy 40min

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min

THU - AM - 30km Tempo Run: 1hr39min

PM - 10km easy 40min

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 15km easy 60min + TRAVEL

SAT - AM - Nairobi Kenyan Police Ch. 5K - 13:52 - 4th

PM - REST + TRAVEL

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 8 - 167 KM/104 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 26km moderate 1hr30min

PM - REST

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 5x1km at 2:53/km with 60" easy jogging

between reps + 4x400m in 56s with 60" rest + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

THU - AM - 40km Tempo Run: 2hr25min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 6x1km at 2:40/km with 3' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 9 - 161 KM/100 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 25km moderate 1hr27min

PM - REST

TUE - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 13x1km at 2:50/km with 90" easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

WED - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - 10km easy 40min

THU - AM - 30km Tempo Run: 1hr41min

PM - REST

FRI - AM - 20km easy 1hr20min

PM - REST

SAT - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 12x1km at 2:58/km with 1' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - REST

PM - REST

WEEK 10 - 74 KM/46 MILES

----------------------------------------------------

MON - AM - 6km Warm-up - 30min + 10x1km at 2:50/km with 2' easy jogging

between reps + 6km cool-down - 30min

PM - REST + TRAVEL

TUE - AM - REST + TRAVEL

PM - REST

WED - AM - 16km moderate 55min

PM - REST

THU - AM - 6km moderate 20min

PM - 6km easy 24min

FRI - AM - 6km easy 24min

PM - REST

SAT - AM - 4km easy 16min

PM - REST

SUN - AM - Boston B.A.A 10K - 27:19 CR - 1st

PM - REST + CELEBRATION

Incredible training.

Consistent high mileage off 6 days and only doubling a few times a week.

Mzungu,

Thanks so much for sharing these logs. Great examples of the type of training that changed the marathon even in 2009-2012.

Do you have logs from earlier in 2011 when Geoffrey was running XC at a high level while building up to Boston? Thanks.

Is the training very different from what was done before or is simply that more talented (read East Africans) are now running the marathon?

yyy wrote:

Is the training very different from what was done before or is simply that more talented (read East Africans) are now running the marathon?

From what I've read most Kenyans either just jog or take Sun competently off.

Now the classic Kenyan schedule looks something like this from what I've read:

Sun off or light jog

Mon am 20 k in a progression manner, often average is below 3:30 per kilometer

pm easy jog

Tues am track pm easy jog or off

Wed am one hour moderate pm easy jog

Thurs am fartlek pm off or easy jog

Fri am one hour easy pm off or easy jog

Sat long steady run p m off

Kipsang does something similar.

Kipchoge Schedule is more like Mutai, but a bit different:

Sun am 25k in 1:40 pm off

Mon am 75 min steady pm 50 min easy

Tues am track

wed am 80 min steady pm 50 min easy

Thurs am long run (what is essentially a marathon tempo run)

Fri am 70 min steady pm 50 min easy

Sat am fartlek

If you want more info read what Renato Canova said in this thread. I would like to hear what Canova thinks about Mutai training.

is it such that the main difference with Europe/US is the pace of the long runs?

For hobbysloggers like me, I'm seeing how I can adapt his methods into my training, even at obviously slower paces.

The Japanese do a lot of slow running and drills. Easy and HR-based. (Not necessarily Tinman, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tinman gets some of his aerobic ideas from the Japanese or talks to Hodgie-San).