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The #1 Training Mistake Most New Marathoners Make—and How to Avoid It

Author

Jonah Rosner
March 27, 2025

The #1 Training Mistake Most New Marathoners Make—and How to Avoid It

Estimated read time: 3.42 minutes (about the time it takes to realize your gels are still on the kitchen counter... 12 miles into your long run 😳)

Hey Performance Nerds! Jonah here. 🤓

Most runners train for months... but still show up not ready for the actual demands of 26.2 miles.

It’s not just about running more. It’s about running smarter.

Today, we’re breaking down:

  • 📆 Why generic marathon plans lead to race-day breakdowns

  • 🧪 The science behind race-specific training

  • 🔁 How to shift from base miles to race-ready fitness

  • 🏃🏻‍♂️My go-to marathon-pace workouts (plus a 10-week sample block)

Let’s science! 🦜

🤔 Specificity 101: The Most Overlooked Training Principle

Want to run your fastest marathon? Then you need to train your body to handle exactly what race day throws at you.

In training, your body adapts to the demands you place on it. That’s the foundation of specificity. 🧠

If you want to run a fast marathon, your body needs to get used to running at marathon pace — for long durations, under race-like conditions.

These race-specific sessions lead to aerobic, muscular, and biomechanical adaptations that directly prepare you for the unique demands of marathon day.

Generic training = generic results. Unless you want to high-five the sweeper van at mile 20, spend some quality time at the pointy end of this triangle! 🔺💥

🔬 The Science Behind Specificity

Research shows:

  • VO₂max sets your aerobic ceiling, but it’s not what predicts marathon performance.

  • Lactate threshold and running economy matter more — and both improve best near marathon pace.

  • Durability (your ability to maintain form and pace under fatigue) comes from doing long, hard efforts that simulate race day.

Marathon Sweet Spot: Train here or watch your marathon dreams die at mile 20! Your body doesn't magically know how to run race pace... unless you've taught it exactly that. 📊💯

Elite runners shift their training toward marathon specificity as race day nears.

Bottom line?

The closer your training matches race demands, the better you perform. 🏃📈

😬 Why Most Runners Plateau: The Progression Problem

Most runners stick to the same schedule, and it destroys their marathon race day:

  • Easy miles? ✅

  • Some speedwork? ✅

  • Long runs? Sure, but always at a comfortable pace...

Here’s the issue:

If you never train at marathon pace, you won’t magically do it on race day.

❌ What Happens If You Skip Specificity:

  • You fade in the final 10K → no practice running fast while tired.

  • Your legs cramp → your muscles weren’t ready for the pounding.

  • You hit the wall → you never rehearsed fueling at goal pace.

Generic training = generic results.

🔄 From Base to Race-Ready: How to Structure Your Specific Prep

Training should move from general to specific as race day approaches.

Early on, it makes sense to build aerobic capacity, strength, and speed. But as race day approaches, your workouts should start to mimic the race itself — in pace, terrain, duration, and fueling.

🌧 Base Phase:

  • Easy mileage, strides / speed work, and strength 💪

  • Build durability and aerobic capacity 🫁

🌟 Specific Prep Phase (8-12 weeks out):

  • Add marathon-pace segments to long runs 📊

  • Practice fueling and pacing under fatigue ⛽️

  • Include terrain that mimics race course 🛣️

Skip these? Around mile 20 you’ll feel like I do when I try to make Augie (my dog) walk past a squirrel—full panic, zero control, and absolutely no pacing plan. Never again. 🐶😅

Practical Summary ✅

  • ✔ Train at marathon pace 1–2x per week in the final 8–12 weeks

  • ✔ Include pace segments in long runs to build fatigue resistance

  • ✔ Threshold and economy matter more than VO₂max for marathon performance

  • ✔ Practice fueling and gear at marathon pace—not just easy pace

  • ✔ Progress workouts from general → specific as race day approaches

🚨  #1 Gym Mistake Destroying Your Runs

Did you miss my post about why #1 Gym Mistake Destroying Your Runs? You can find it below!

I won’t lie. These videos take me a while to make. If you find it helpful, share it on your story or with a friend. It helps me a ton!

Are You a True Running Nerd? Prove it.. 🧐

Welcome to the prove you’re a nerd section. Each week, I ask a question about a common running science myth.

Answer correctly, and you’ll be entered into a weekly raffle to win a package of Jonah’s favorite supplements.

How long before a marathon should you eat your biggest carb-heavy pre-race meal to maximize glycogen without gut issues for a morning marathon? 🍝🕒🏃‍♀️

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week’s Results: The Strength Showdown! 🏋️‍♂️🔥

Whoa, performance nerds, we’ve got ourselves a tie-breaker moment! 🧠⚔️
You all came in stacked with solid knowledge—but only one range truly rules for pure strength gains.

Here’s how the votes stacked up:

🟩 A. 1–4 reps per set with heavy weights (90–95% of your max) 🏆 – 114 votes ✅
🟩 B. 5–8 reps per set with moderate-heavy weights (80–85% of your max) 💪 – 114 votes
⬜ C. 8–12 reps per set with moderate weights (65–75% of your max) 🏋️ – 24 votes
⬜ D. 12–15+ reps per set with light weights (50–60% of your max) 🚶‍♂️ – 2 votes
Total votes: 254

Takeaway:
If you're chasing raw, maximal strength (think squat PRs and deadlift domination), it’s Option A all the way.

That 1–4 rep zone targets neural efficiency and motor unit recruitment—AKA, your nervous system’s way of flipping every switch to move heavy stuff. ⚡🏋️‍♀️

Option B is still a beast for building strength and size, so shoutout to those of you training for well-rounded performance. 💪💯

Nerdy Finds of the Week 📚🧑‍🔬

This section includes my favorite research, podcasts or books about running/lifting science.

🥚 Protein for Endurance: How Much, When, and Why It Matters

🔬 Core Finding:

Endurance athletes need more protein than previously thought—especially during carbohydrate-restricted training or recovery days—to support recovery, muscle remodeling, and adaptation. But don't expect extra performance just from adding protein during exercise.

📊 Key Research Points:

  • Daily Protein Needs:
    🧍 Standard days: ~1.8 g/kg body mass (BM)
    💤 Recovery days: ~2.0 g/kgBM
    🍞 Low-carb training days: ~1.95 g/kgBM
    👩‍🦰 Women may need slightly more (~1.9 g/kgBM) during luteal phase

  • Per Meal Dose:
    🍽️ Aim for ~0.5 g/kgBM post-exercise for optimal muscle protein synthesis (MPS)

  • During Exercise?
    🚫 Adding protein to carbs during exercise does not improve performance, unless carbs are too low

  • For Recovery & Adaptation:
    ✅ Protein helps repair myofibrillar proteins
    🧬 Might not increase mitochondrial MPS unless high doses (~45 g) are used

  • CHO-Restricted Training:
    🧪 Protein before/during fasted or low-CHO sessions does not blunt adaptation
    🔁 Might help mitigate muscle protein breakdown (MPB)

  • Intensified Training Blocks:
    💪 Protein intakes up to 3 g/kgBM improved performance retention, reduced soreness, and infection rates

🛠️ Practical Applications:

  • 🚴 Daily Strategy:
    ➕ Increase protein intake on recovery and low-CHO training days
    📈 Treat protein needs as periodized, not static

  • 🍽️ Meal Timing:
    🕐 Prioritize 0.5 g/kgBM protein right after long or hard sessions
    🌙 Consider 40–45 g casein pre-sleep for overnight mitochondrial support

  • 💥 For Low-CHO Sessions:
    ✅ Add 10–20 g protein pre- or intra-workout without affecting fat oxidation or adaptation

⚠️ Limitations or Caveats:

  • 🧪 Mitochondrial MPS data is still limited—current methods can't fully assess long-term effects

  • 👩 Most studies used male participants; female-specific and master athlete data still lacking

  • 🍽️ Many performance-related claims rely on short-term studies or lab settings

🎯 Bottom Line:

Protein isn't just for gym bros—it's a recovery and adaptation tool for endurance athletes, especially when training hard or in low-energy states. Think of it as insurance for your training gains, not a magic bullet for performance.

Focus on consistency, timing, and context over just hitting macros. 🧠💪

Don’t forget: You + Science = AWESOMENESS 😎

Yours in science,

Jonah

P.S. - We have a crew of 15,270+ nerds here who are running FAST using science.

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