Running Workouts | Jake Riley Marathon Training – runnersworld.com

On February 29, long before the coronavirus pandemic was at the top of everyone’s minds, Jake Riley, 31, was concentrating on one task: finishing in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

At mile 20 of the Trials in Atlanta, Riley decided to make his move. Ahead of him, eventual winner Galen Rupp had already broken away from the chase pack and was pulling a few others in his wake.

“There was a long, uphill stretch between my pack and theirs,” Riley, who is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado in Boulder, told Runner’s World. “Even though it was tempting to stay put, I decided to surge then. I was running alone uphill into the wind to close the gap. Thankfully, I had plenty of practice with grinding solo on uphills.”

By mile 24, Riley was able to catch the trio of men chasing Rupp. Then at mile 25, he moved into second place, just ahead of Abdi Abdirahman. He was able to hold onto that position all the way to the line, finishing with a personal best of 2:10:02 and securing his spot on the U.S. team headed to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

After the Trials, while Riley was taking three weeks of downtime at his home in Boulder, he found out that the Olympics were officially postponed until 2021 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The decision was disappointing, but understandable given the circumstances, Riley said. With the scheduling change, Riley and his coach, Lee Troop, went back to the drawing board to construct his training plan for the rest of the year.

“The original plan was to do a few track workouts and races to tune up before the Olympics, but now, I don’t need to get on the track,” Riley said. “We’re going to train instead on the trails, doing fartleks and tempos, just building strength for the fall. The plan is to do a fall marathon like New York City or Chicago.”

During a typical marathon training cycle, Riley runs between 105 and 110 miles per week, with a peak week of around 112 miles. A normal week includes two workouts on Tuesday and Friday, a long run on the weekend, and two strength training sessions, along with base runs and mobility work on weak areas such as his Achilles tendon. Because the gyms are closed at the moment, Riley has been bringing equipment like kettlebells and bands to the park to do strength training.

While each component of his training plays a part in his racing success, Riley’s secret sauce is tempo workouts. Here, he describes two workouts that gave him the mental and physical edge he needed to score a podium spot at the Trials. (Luckily, everyday runners can replicate them at home—though results may vary.)

Workout 1: Moneghetti Fartlek

Named after Australian distance runner Steve Moneghetti, this workout is well-known in some marathoning circles and has a reputation for being completely brutal. When he first began training with Troop, “I hated this run,” Riley said. “But it makes you incredibly strong.”

What it is: A 20-minute tempo run at marathon pace with surges during the run. Between each surge, drop back to tempo pace for 60 seconds. Each surge gets progressively faster as the intervals get shorter. Try to hold half marathon pace for the 90-second intervals, then work down in pace until you are running all-out for the 15-second intervals.

How to do it: Find your individual paces (5K, 10K, half, and marathon) using our pace charts.

• Warm up easy for 1 to 2 miles
• 2 x 90 seconds at half marathon pace (90 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 60 seconds at 10K pace (60 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 30 seconds at 5K pace (30 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 15 seconds at all-out pace (15 seconds off between intervals)
• Cool down for 1 to 2 miles

“The hardest part about this workout is that the recovery is tempo, so you never really catch your breath,” said Riley, who typically maintains 5:20 to 5:30 pace on the tempo portion of the workout. “It’s great practice for a race, when you need to throw in a surge on tired legs.”

Try this tip: For the first time, do this workout on a treadmill if possible. Doing so will give you greater control over your speeds/paces and each timed interval. It’ll also help you figure out the exact paces you can hold for each interval. Once you’re comfortable with the format, repeat the workout outdoors if desired. Incorporate the Moneghetti Fartlek into your training once a week or once every other week.

[Run faster, stronger, and longer with this 360-degree training program.]

Workout 2: Tempo Plus Time Trial

This workout is a bedrock of Riley’s marathon training. His session starts with a tempo run that features two miles up a steep incline and two miles back down, then he finishes with an all-out 5K on a gradual uphill. Riley said that this workout was key for his success at Trials because it prepared him to surge on long, grinding hills.

What it is: A four-mile tempo run at marathon pace straight into a 5K as fast as you can go. Find your individual paces (marathon and 5K) using our pace charts.

How to do it:

• Warm up with easy jogging or dynamic drills
• 4 miles tempo at marathon pace
• 5K (3.1) miles at 5K race pace (gradual uphill if possible)
• Cool down

Try this tip: “This workout takes a ton of mental strength, because it feels hard the whole time. But you need to consciously hold back a bit in the beginning to be able to speed up at the end,” he said. “There is nowhere to hide on this run. The first time I did it, I struggled mentally. But I saw a huge difference in how I performed the second time I ran it.” Incorporate this into your plan when training calls for a hill workout or a 7-mile tempo run.

Digital Editor Hailey first got hooked on running news as an intern with Running Times, and now she reports on elite runners and cyclists, feel-good stories, and training pieces for Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines.