how long before the 13 week training plan starts

Can a seasoned marathon runner give me some help.  The book gives a 13 week plan but gives no indication as to when it should start.  I don't think that a 20 mile run should happen on the weekend before the event, or am I mistaken?

I'm not  a seasoned marathon runner but the 20 mile LSR should be 3-4 weeks prior to the event. Does your programme not take you up to race day? It should include a taper so you can begin to feel your legs again before race day! All the best with your training. I was a VLM virgin in April and loved most of the training. Even running in the snow!

If when you say the book, you mean the confirmation magazine, then the 13 week plan in there starts at the beginning of January. It's says it'll give you the plan for the last few weeks, the taper basically, in the next magazine.

Yep in the final confirmation magazine (about a month before) you will get the last 3-4 weeks of the plan which is largely tapering.

As mentioned above last long run should be no closer than 3 Sundays before marathon

erm, I would have thought a 13 week training plan would start 13 weeks before the event.............

Thank you everyone.  

I can see why you would make that mistake.

I would like to know the start date too, I wish they had printed that on the schedule so there is no guesswork involved.  So does training begin January 1st then?

Are you taking the pi5s Mrs Doubtfire.???~

LOL!!!!!!!!

That would be a "Yes" then !!!

Well I'm either gonna confuse the issue even more or just put in my 2-pennies worth....but basically for Brighton Mara a week before VLM, X-mas day is 16 weeks to the big day!  So yes on a 16 week training plan for VLM you start on New years Day....good luck!

I'd say start training early and do what they call a 'plateau' before the race. It's similar to a weight lifter adding five pounds a day for two weeks or a football player running with a parachute behind their back. A knew a swimmer that swam with weights on his ankles, too. You want your body to get used to the extra weight and then 'fly' the day you take it off. Heck, I even considered running around the yard in ski boots to train myself!

Running with weights, heavy boots, tyres or parachutes or pretty much anything designed to add extra stress or pressure to body is IMO a pretty dumb idea for most beginner marathon runners and will greatly heighten the risk of injuries.  

I was about to call you an idiot before I realised you were a spammer! 

Did anybody actually watch the video??.....what a load of rubbish~

You realised Keith was a spammer?

Bit harsh!

No,,,Keith likes SPAM...I like Spam...??..Spam Spam and beans. Spam SPam SPam egg Spam and beans. Or Spam and Spam, with SPam and beans and SPam and Egg and SPam......

Keith's not real anyway!!..~