A) Emile uses to have 3 periods in altitude (2 in Kenya and one in Italy in Sestriere) for a total of about 3 - 3 and half months. In my opinion, it's important to train in altitude with continuity for long periods at the beginning of this choice, but remember that our muscle have a memory, such as our physiology, and when an athlete reach the ADAPTATION we can reduce the length of periods in altitude, maintaining them normally till 60-30 days before the marathon.
Altitude training has the effect to increase the Aerobic Power, and is a direct key of improvement when we speak of 5000, 10000 and HM (all distances athletes run over the LT) while for the Marathon, run UNDER the threshold, it's no more important approaching the race.
B) My athletes go to gym 2-3 times per week during the fundamental period, when are in Europe. Kenyans go to gym for about 1 - 2 months during the recovery after a full marathon. But don't forget that running in Kenya means to use very hilly courses, that increase the level of muscle strength, something not usual for European runners
C) I believe in the effect of a big modulation during every phase of training. This is for example the reason of "special blocks". So, sometimes I use special blocks, sometimes 2 following days of high specific intensity (for a marathon runner intensity means to run very fast for not less than 25-35 km) followed by 2-3 easy days of recovery. Normally, if there is a good recovery, one week after special blocks or similar training, every athlete improves his shape
D) Everybody who is at the second or third year of training for Marathon goes to run 1-2 times 45 km or more (Bordin, Olympic Champion 1988, ran in Sestriere 52 km in 3 hours) at good speed. The 45 km of Emile are still very far from the 45 of Sondre Moen, who in 2017 before Fukuoka ran in 2 hr 27, like Moses Mosop 2 months before running his first marathon in 2:03:06 in Boston
E) One of the goals for the future is to increase the pace during the recovery. Compared with last year, there are less km in the range of 4'10" - 4'20", this year the most part of "basic mileage" is 10" - 15" faster than in 2023. But in my opinion the pace must arrive at 3'45" > 3'50" during the recovery, everything slower is "regeneration".
F) I write in details all the training of not less than 20 athletes. It's easier with European, because everybody is educated to write their training, adding some time also the feeling (Amanal Petros, Tadesse Abraham, Sondre Moen, Julien Wanders...) also before entering in my training group. It's by far more difficult with Kenyans, very few of them write their training, and when I'm not in Kenya they send me only the pictures of their watch with time and distance, but very few infos about what there is around (easy run, moderate run, and all the small things they add tio their workouts)