Week 12: Increasing Endurance (September 6-12, 2025)
Welcome to Week 12! You’ve now entered the final third of your marathon training program. This week, we’ll increase your long run distance to 8 miles, which is a significant milestone in your preparation. You’re building solid endurance that will carry you through to race day.
Week 12 Goals
- Complete your first 8-mile long run
- Continue to build endurance with longer steady runs
- Focus on maintaining consistent pacing
- Refine your race day nutrition and hydration strategy
Daily Workout Schedule
Monday: Rest Day
Complete rest day after Week 11. Take time to assess how your body is responding to the increased training load.
Tuesday: Run/Walk
Total Time: 47 minutes
- 5 minutes walking
- 5 minutes dynamic stretching
- Run 15 minutes / Walk 1 minute
- Repeat once more (32 minutes total)
- Focus on maintaining even effort throughout
- Pay attention to your breathing and form
- Walk 2 minutes
- Static stretching (3 minutes)
Wednesday: Cross-Training
Duration: 45-50 minutes
- 45-50 minutes cycling with 3 x 8-minute moderate efforts
- Structure:
- 10 minutes easy warm-up
- 8 minutes moderate effort
- 5 minutes easy recovery
- 8 minutes moderate effort
- 5 minutes easy recovery
- 8 minutes moderate effort
- 10 minutes easy cool-down
- 45-50 minutes swimming with similar interval structure to cycling
- 45-50 minutes focusing on full-body strength:
- Continue with exercises from previous weeks
- Focus on core and leg strengthening
- Add resistance if previous workouts have become comfortable
Thursday: Steady Run
Total Time: 50 minutes
- Same as Tuesday
- Run at a steady, comfortable pace for 35 minutes without walking breaks
- This is 5 minutes longer than your previous steady runs
- Focus on maintaining even effort throughout
- Pay attention to your form as fatigue sets in
- Same as Tuesday
Friday: Rest Day
Complete rest day before your longest run yet. Focus on proper hydration and nutrition today, and make sure to get adequate sleep.
Saturday: Long Run/Walk
Total Distance: 8 miles
- 5 minutes brisk walking
- 5 minutes dynamic stretches
- Run 15 minutes / Walk 1 minute
- Repeat this cycle until you reach 8 miles
- Hydration Plan: Drink 4-6 oz water every 15-20 minutes
- Nutrition Plan: Take energy gel or equivalent (100-150 calories) at miles 3 and 6
- Focus Points:
- Maintain consistent pace throughout
- Practice mental strategies for staying focused
- Utilize deep, rhythmic breathing
- Walk 5-10 minutes
- Complete comprehensive stretching routine (5-10 minutes)
- Immediate refueling with carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes
Sunday: Active Recovery
30-45 minutes easy walking
30 minutes yoga focusing on recovery
20-30 minutes very light swimming
Tips for Week 12
Nutrition for Long Runs
With an 8-mile long run this week, nutrition becomes crucial:
- Practice your race day nutrition strategy during the long run
- Aim to consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour during runs over 75 minutes
- Take your first nutrition around 30-45 minutes into the run
- Experiment with different types of fuel to find what works best for you
- Remember to consume adequate protein and carbs within 30 minutes after finishing
Mental Training
As runs get longer, mental strategies become increasingly important:
- Break your long run into 1-mile segments mentally
- Practice positive self-talk when fatigue sets in
- Visualize yourself successfully completing the full distance
- Focus on your breathing or use counting techniques to stay present
- Remind yourself of how far you’ve come in your training journey