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?
- Personalized Assessment: Based on your running experience and fitness condition
- Smart Adjustments: Training intensity optimizes automatically with progress
- Scientific Pacing: Based on your target finish time
- Injury Prevention: Reasonable intensity progression to avoid injuries
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This is a conversation with a World Marathon Majors runner. Initially, I thought 'honor' and 'dream' would be the keywords of this interview, but by the end, the phrase that appeared most in my notes was 'training session.' The teacher and student of this 'training session' is the same person, a 63-year-old runner named Li Zhezhan.
For Boston, a city rich in American history and culture, the marathon holds special significance. Every year on the third Monday of April, elite runners from around the world flock to the city for the famous Boston Marathon. This marathon event dates back to 1897 and has been held for over a century.
That year, Li Zhezhan was 60 years old. He completed the race in 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 50 seconds, becoming one of the few finishers from mainland China. The Boston Marathon was also the second stop on his World Marathon Majors journey.
The Tokyo Marathon was an unforgettable and somewhat challenging experience for Li Zhezhan. In the second half of the race, affected by strategy and equipment, he struggled with fatigue and blood blisters on his feet. Seeing the blood seeping through his white socks, he gritted his teeth and told himself to 'persist.'
Thus, this elderly runner's journey began in Tokyo, followed by Boston, New York, Berlin, London, and Chicago, finally achieving his World Marathon Majors dream last October.
'I was very happy to receive the certificate. I was just one month shy of turning 63, so I competed against runners aged 58-62 and finished 6th. I'm very satisfied and will continue to strive for a top-three finish in the 63+ age group next year!' After the 2016 Beijing Long-Distance Running Festival, Li Zhezhan wrote in his social media. With self-discipline and a pursuit of speed, he hopes to achieve even better results.
As running becomes a fashion and trend, more and more young people are joining the ranks. As an experienced runner, Li Zhezhan is happy to share with young runners: progress gradually and train within your capabilities; in each practice, try to run the first half relaxed and the second half faster, developing the habit of 'slow start, fast finish.'
'Both legs and the brain have memory functions. Never deceive yourself in training; you will get what you put in.'
'Running is a sport for loners.' Li Zhezhan likes to get up at 3 AM, taking advantage of the quiet streets before dawn, running along the spacious and quiet Chang'an Avenue, with the streetlights seemingly lit just for the runner.
Every overseas race is also a 'solo mission' for Li Zhezhan. His considerate son prepares guides and bilingual instructions for him. 'I am very grateful for my family's support; without it, I couldn't have run in so many places. I am also thankful for the kind people I met on the road, like the overseas Chinese translators I encountered.'
'Today, Beijing is cloudy and a bit cool. I did stretching exercises at home, left at 1:30 PM, ran around Chang'an Avenue and Zhongnanhai three times, covering 21.37 kilometers in 1 hour, 51 minutes, and 13 seconds. My average pace was 5 minutes and 12 seconds per kilometer, with a cadence of 183. Afterward, I did thorough stretching, iced my knees for 15 minutes, and then had pear water, yogurt, chocolate, nuts, an apple, and snacks.' This was Li Zhezhan's exercise log on April 19.
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!
