The Ten-Ten-Ten Approach to Running the Marathon

Every year thousands and thousands of marathoners issue themselves the challenge of running the perfect marathon.  Some have successful encounters with this grueling distance and others for the 3rd, 5th or even 10th straight year fail in their quest of conquering this distance.  For those who have had some measure of success, the approach that I am about to introduce may not have significant value even though it may enhance your race strategy and net even better results.  But for those who are searching for that magical moment, this approach may be the turning point to many years of frustration and pain!

Ten, Ten, Ten.  This race strategy was first introduced to me by my former coach and mentor George Wisniewski.  It focuses on splitting the race into three sectors: the first 10 miles, the second 10 miles and the last 10 kilometers.  This seems simple enough but certain precautions should be taken.

The First Ten Miles

Suppose your goal is to run 3 hours and 10 minutes for "the race."  The first guide will be the pace you would have to run to achieve this goal.  In this case 7:15 per mile pace would turn the trick.  So according to the 10-10-10 theory, your pace for the first 10 miles should be between 7:15 and 7:20 per mile, just slightly slower than your goal, this allows you the proper energy conversation to attack the middle 10 miles and your goal of 7:15 pace is within a reasonable pick-up.  Don't be concerned about the 20 or 30 seconds that you are off pace because I can assure that, if all other factors are negligible, you will make up those seconds with a small mid-race push without any panicky moves.  Remember that you only have to make up 2 or 3 seconds per mile, not the 30 seconds total time which can sometimes cause drastic and unnecessary moves in the middle 10 miles.  We have crossed our first bridgehead and now we'll segue into the challenge of running that perfect race.

The Next Ten Miles

The next 10 miles will be the key to running a great race, but it can only be accomplished if you've carried out the plan which you've prepared for.  So the two go hand in hand --- that is, the first 10 miles, the second 10 miles.  Once you've achieved the goal of running conservatively but in the "ball park" for the first 10 miles, you are ready to rumble but you've now decreased the rumble considerably, namely you now only have to go 16 miles at breakneck pace as opposed to the 26 miles which you are accustomed to running.  The reason for this is simple: you have conserved enough energy where you almost feel unchallenged to this point.  Here, the work begins, the fangs come out and the tone of your race changes.  While others are awaiting the midway point, you are starting to pursue and attack it every so slightly.  The focus on increasing pace in small increments allows the comfort of passing the midpoint knowing that your best and most intense racing is yet to come and you are ready to unleash a surge for at least the next 7 miles.  In the example of the 7:15 per mile pace marathoner, their goal would be to run at the target pace of slightly quicker.  The idea is to balance out the two 10 mile portions.  At the very least, you should be approaching 20 miles at the intended pace.  If you are slightly off, that is fine as long as you establish momentum going into the final 10K.

The Final 10K

Of course, this is where the fun starts; at least, you should be mentally prepared for this final stretch drive with this attitude.  The whole premise for this strategy is to "nail" all those rabbits who are not in tune with such self-imposed factors as pace, patience, plan and implementation that we can control.  By mile 20, most of these people have lost a sense of what it is that they want to accomplish.  As with any race, especially an endurance test such as the marathon, it is the strong finisher who gets the big prize.  Some may wonder, well, why is it that you always slow down in the last 10K?  My answer is simple: the body has just run 20 miles!  So the question should be, How do I minimize the physical and mental strain of the whole darn thing?  I've just give you the answer and, by the way, if I carried it out properly, I sincerely believe that most well-trained athletes will actually run their last 10K as fast or faster than the previous two increments of ten.  Of course, the last increment of ten is shorter than the previous two, so this too should help you mentally, because you are only expected to run 7:15 pace for 10K as opposed to 10 miles.  Hey, whatever mental edge you can take into war, you take to the battleground.  Remember that each increment of ten is a segue into the next ten.  So remember not to throw surges such as 6:45 per mile between 10 and 20 miles because then you are guilty of not being touch with the self-imposed factors that I mentioned earlier, namely pace, patience and plan.

Conclusion

Ten-Ten-Ten works!  Over the years, "Wiz" and myself have prescribed this type of race strategy to countless athletes.  The results have ranged from "great races to average races," and while average may not sound so great, please take notice that the results of race performances do not include "poor, blew up or disaster."  My point is that you can narrow your chances of having a bad race and significantly increase the chances of running that magical race!

Coach Tony Ruiz