Yolmer G (42), was fit runner who just came from a 1:42 PR in a half marathon two weeks prior to our meeting. He had been running for 5 years and always wanted to test himself in the marathon He was determined to run the Miami Marathon, which would take place 10 weeks after our original conversation. I agreed to coach him if he agreed there were to be no speed work involved and the only goal was finishing the race injury-free. Finishing time could not be a parameter to consider.
Given the singularity of this challenge, there was no time to work on building up the aerobic system with heart-rate training, as I like and prescribe to my athletes; nor there was time to build speed. The main goal was to build the athlete from 13.1 to 26.2 safely in the small amount of time we had. So, we worked taxing his body to build up endurance while also allowing it to fully recover from the new work load so we would avoid overtraining. We also had to develop a fueling and hydration strategy, which were new concepts for this athlete.
On race day, Yolmer completed his marathon in 4:16:31. Yes, he had to walk a bit towards the last few miles and experienced some minor leg cramping. But he finished, and he did so with a smile, injury-free, having enjoyed the experience and wondering what he can accomplish if he goes through a full training schedule.
Mission accomplished!