Personalized Marathon Training Plan Guide

Preparing for a marathon requires a systematic training plan. RunBox AI coach creates a customized 16-20 week marathon training plan based on your fitness level, goal time, and available training time.

Why Choose an AI-Customized Marathon Training Plan?

1. Personalized Assessment: Based on your running experience and fitness condition
2. Smart Adjustments: Training intensity optimizes automatically with progress
3. Scientific Pacing: Based on your target finish time
4. Injury Prevention: Reasonable intensity progression to avoid injuries

running through time and nature salomon xa review

Before unboxing, let me briefly introduce myself. I was originally a frail scholar who started running in my thirties. At the end of the year, I whipped through my first marathon in Pengcheng with a time of 3:47, finishing perfectly without injury or hitting the wall. The following year, I couldn't stop: Suzhou Taihu Marathon, Ninghai Mountain Marathon, Ningbo Mountain Marathon, Dujiangyan Shuangyi Marathon, Wuxi Marathon 3:15 (2016 PB), Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon 4:00 pacer, Hangzhou Marathon 4:30 pacer, 24-hour Changxing Island 108k ultra-marathon trial, and the same year I ventured into trail running with my first trail race, Ninghai 100k, finishing in 19 hours. In 2017, Wuxi Marathon 3:03 (PB), Spring Niushou Mountain Marathon 3:20 pacer, Shanghai Marathon, Zhenjiang Marathon 3:30 official pacer, Jiangshan 105k trail race completed smoothly.


Some of my current running shoes (as shown in the picture) include Salomon Speedcross Pro3 and Sonic Pro2. Unlike most people who choose the bright red or small red ones, I believe the right running shoes are the ones that suit you (not because I can't afford them). The Sc Pro3 was my battle shoe for my first trail race, the 2016 Ninghai 100k. Many people suggested changing shoes, saying the large-lugged sole would make me doubt my life on that course. I experienced clouds, fog, wind, and rain that day, finished in 19 hours, and my clothes and shoes were clean without a single fall, making them doubt their lives. (A shy, proud smile)


I still want to thank Codoon for providing the testing opportunity. Long live Codoon!

Alright, back to the main topic, let's talk about the shoes.

The low-key color scheme integrates Salomon's classic logo into the support system on the upper, resembling mountain peaks that provide a circular wrap around the shoe, effectively tightening the forefoot, reducing foot twisting during intense activities, increasing stability, and reducing injury risk. The integrated tongue prevents debris from entering the shoe, affecting the run. The reinforced toe cap ensures protective performance. Judging by the sole, this shoe should belong to the all-terrain control adaptive type.

I tried them on briefly, and they felt good. The shoes are indeed heavy, and the sole is quite hard. The shoe's technology is substantial, with excellent foot wrapping and grip capabilities, making it a great value for the price.

1. Upper

The upper is made of breathable quick-drying mesh, with the wrap of the upper concentrating from the sole to the ridge. Besides the basic breathability, it can block most external elements, especially protruding stones and tree roots on wild trails, providing a strong sense of security. The quick-drying mesh can quickly drain, avoiding extra weight.

The toe cap is heavily reinforced. The thickened and enlarged rubber toe design covers 1/3 of the area, enveloping the entire toe area for maximum wrapping performance. The laces are easy to adjust, and the asymmetrical lace design provides better upper pressure protection. The specially designed integrated tongue seals the entire shoe opening, blocking sand and stones from entering the shoe.

2. Sole
The heel height is 21mm, and the forefoot height is 11mm. It uses a multi-layer sole structure, including dual-density EVA, compressed EVA, EVA injection, and other methods, combined with a 3D stable chassis, providing foot shock absorption and stability. The 3D stable chassis is a hard TPU layer, ensuring overall shoe stability and shock absorption comfort.

The outsole supports all-terrain grip design, with unique tread patterns achieving optimal traction and grip performance. The CONTAGRIP technology includes over 20 types of rubber and 27 tread designs combined with the 3D chassis bottom wrap system, providing the best bottom stability.

1. Asphalt and concrete roads: The shoe's weight and sole design are not conducive for forefoot strikers, but the multi-layer heel structure and the 3D CHASSIS technology at the arch provide excellent shock absorption and stability.

2. Stone steps: The sole's tread performs exceptionally well on stones, even after rain, allowing for forceful twists without slipping. Climbing large rocks is no problem.

3. Sand: On uphill sandy terrain, the sole's tread is very powerful, preventing slippage and allowing full upward force. On downhill, it can handle gravel but tends to slip on slightly loose sand, making direction adjustments less agile compared to the SENSE PRO, appearing somewhat clumsy.

4. Mountain trails: The shoe excels in climbing large rocks and gravel paths, easily handling even slippery stones.

As a heavy-duty trail shoe, it is suitable for complex rocky terrain but performs poorly on road runs. Its heavy protection is suitable for beginners, reducing unnecessary injuries during training. While it can handle complex terrains, it doesn't master them perfectly but has no significant shortcomings. However, the single shoe weight of 405 grams requires careful consideration for speed enthusiasts, such as a certain expert who wears Tiger shoes for trail running.

Start Your Marathon Training Journey

With RunBox app, you'll get:

• GPT-4o powered personalized training plans
• Daily training guidance and feedback
• Nutrition and recovery advice
• Real-time progress tracking

Download RunBox now and let our AI coach create your personalized marathon training plan!