Week 9: Training for the Manchester Marathon

Prioritising recovery and incorporating strength training.

Published March 27, 2023

Welcome back to the latest update on my training for the Manchester Marathon! This week, we’re looking at my week nine of training and how it went.

Monday started off on a bit of a rough note as I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t feel like running. Instead, I opted for a Les Mills Bodypump #123 strength training session. In hindsight, I should be doing more strength training in general as a runner, but better late than never.

On Tuesday, I attempted a tentative 5 km run, which was my first run since last Wednesday. Despite feeling a bit under the weather, I managed to complete the run without experiencing any hip or knee pain. However, it did feel like hard work.

Wednesday was a one-hour Cardio Tennis session, and I was feeling better overall. Cardio Tennis is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness while having fun, and it’s a nice change of pace from running hence why I do it weekly.

Thursday began with a tennis hitting session, and I was feeling back to normal. At lunchtime, I managed to complete a 5 km run at a pace of 4:56/km, which was encouraging.

However, I decided to prioritise recovery for the rest of the week. Recovery is an essential component of marathon training and is just as important as the training itself. In hindsight, I probably should have been doing more strength training earlier on to avoid knee and hip pain, but I’m glad I incorporated it into my routine this week.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s update on my training for the Manchester Marathon. I’ll keep you posted on my progress, and I’ll see you next week for the next update!