Sondre Moen – 2:05:48 Marathon Training
On the 22nd of October 2017, Norway’s Sondre Moen smashed his Half Marathon personal best time by over 2 minutes to run 59:48 at the Valencia Half Marathon. Five weeks later, he lowered his Marathon personal best by even more time than that, including breaking the European Marathon record in 2:05:48 (later to be broken by Mo Farah).
“In 2016 I became a full-time athlete and in September of that year I started to be coached by Renato Canova, which I believe were two key factors in my journey to running a sub-one-hour half marathon in Valencia.
Before working with Renato, I was self-coached for a year and while I had the knowledge to run a 2:10 or 2:11 marathon, I did not possess the knowledge my coach does of the specific sessions to run faster. My training programme has changed a lot under Renato and under his regime I run faster on my daily runs and I have two to three days behind hard workouts whereas in the past my hard workouts were always every second day. It took a while to adapt to my new training regime and I found at first I spent a lot of time sleeping to recover.
But over time my performances in the training group improved to the point that Abel Kirui (the two-time world champion) was the only guy in front of me ahead of sessions. This filled me lots of confidence as did running my first ever sub-eight minute 3000m. Now, I know to run a sub-eight-minute 3000m is not so special but my previous best was 8:01 set when I was 19 and it was a barrier I wanted to break. Last July I ran a meet in Nembro, Italy, expecting to maybe run 7:58. I had done no specific preparation for the race but I ran 7:52.55 – it was an important breakthrough for me. In September I ran 27:55 for eighth in a 10km in Prague and this gave me the belief I could run a 60:30 half-marathon in Valencia the following month.
That day I ran at a smooth pace and passed 10km in 27:56 – only one second slower than I had ran for that distance in Prague. Three guys moved ahead and I found from 11km on I was running my own. But the pace remained consistent. I ran the race without a watch but at 15km I saw the time and I thought I had a chance of beating one-hour. For the rest of the race I tried to relax as much as possible and maintain my rhythm. To cross the line in 59:48 was in some ways even a bigger achievement then my 2:05 European record time when winning the Fukuoka Marathon in December. To run just under an hour is a major landmark and as significant as running a 3:59 mile compared to that of a 4:01 mile.” – Sondre Moen in an interview with IAAF.
“He worked in summer in mountains in Italy in Sestriere for 50 days running also 220km per week and running also 45km longrun once. I was impressed about his choice of life to book an apartment alone (end season summer in Sestriere), living and training there alone for all days. After Valencia half he came to Kenya with me for second period of work.
Just a month before the Fukuoka Marathon we had a little problem during a long run of 40km when i voluntarily stopped him after 33km looking him quite tired slightly limping.
He did many times workouts around 27km – 30km.
For example he did one day 7x3000m all under 9min with a recovery km in 3.25. The difference between him and Kenyans is they can run faster with slower recovery while he prefers to maintain the faster speed in the recovery. He did workouts also on track for example : 2x3000m, 3x2000m, 5x1000m, 6x500m in one day.” said his coach Renato Canova in an interview with Alberto Stretti.
With thanks to coach Renato Canova, here is the training of Sondre Moen between running 59:48 Half Marathon in Valencia and 2:05:48 Marathon in Fukuoka.
Monday 23 Oct
56’ at 3’50” > 3’40” (15 km) + Travel (Valencia – to Dubai)
Tuesday 24 Oct
Travel (Dubai to Nairobi) + 37’45” at 3’50” > 3’40” (10 km)
Wednesday 25 Oct
a) 1h14’ at 3’45” > 3’40” (20 km) in Iten
b) 1h04’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (17 km)
Thursday 26 Oct
a) 1h29’ at 3’45” > 3’40” (24 km)
b) 47’45” at 4’05” > 3’55” (12 km) + 12 x 80m sprint uphill
Friday 27 Oct
a) 18’30” warm-up (4.7 km) + 1h10’ Fartlek (5 times 3’ fast / 1’ moderate + 5 x 2’/1’ + 10 x 1’/1’ + 15 x 30”/30”) (21.3 km)
b) 58’ at 3’55” > 3’50” (15 km)
Saturday 28 Oct
a) 59’15” at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km)
b) 48’45” at 3’50” > 3’40” (13 km)
Sunday 29 Oct
2h24’18” at 3’31” (Moiben Road) (41 km) (35’08” + 35’22” + 35’16” + 35’14” + 3’18”)
Total volume of the week : 210 km
— — — — —
Monday 30 Oct
a) 56’45” at 3’50” > 3’40” (15 km)
b) 57’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (15 km)
Tuesday 31 Oct
19’15” warm-up (5 km) + 30 km in 1h37’23” (average : 3’14”8) with 10 times 2 km recovery 1 km in : 6’22” / 3’22” – 6’16” / 3’25” – 6’14” / 3’20” – 6’15” / 3’29” – 6’16” / 3’32” – 6’16” / 3’30” – 6’19” / 3’29” – 6’28” / 3’36” – 6’24” / 3’25” – 6’16” / 3’09” (average 20 km fast : 3’06”3 – average 10 km recovery : 3’25”7)
Wednesday 1 Nov
a) 1h15’ at 3’50” > 3’40” (20 km)
b) 1h06’ at 4’ > 3’45” (17 km)
Thursday 2 Nov
a) 59’45” at 4’ > 3’50” (16 km)
b) 48’ at 4’ (12 km) + 12 x 80m sprint uphill
Friday 3 Nov
a) 1h at 4’ > 3’50” (16 km)
b) 58’45” at 4’ > 3’50” (15 km) + 4 x 100m fast,
Saturday 4 Nov
a) 17’ warm-up (4.5 km) + 1h with short variations of speed (30” / 1’) every 3’ (17.6 km)
b) 58’15” easy (15 km)
Sunday 5 Nov
a) 49’15” at 3’50” > 3’45” (13 km) + 4 x 100m fast
b) 49’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (13 km)
Mileage of the week : 226 km
— — — — —
Monday 6 Nov
a) 1h03’ at 3’45” > 3’40” (17 km) + 12 x 80m sprint uphill
b) 49’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (13 km)
Tuesday 7 Nov
a) 58’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (16 km)
b) 39’10” easy (10 km)
Wednesday 8 Nov
a) 15’ warm-up (3.5 km) + 33 km in 1h46’25” (average 3’13”4 / km)
(16’03” – 31’56” – 47’53” – 1:03’48” – 1:19’57” – 1:36’06” + 10’19”)
Note : Training planned on 40 km, but at 31 km Sondre felt some problem in one heel and I decided to stop at 33 km
b) 31’ easy (8 km) – Volume of the day : 44.5 km
Thursday 9 Nov
a) 1h01’ easy (15 km)
b) 46’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km)
Friday 10 Nov
a) 58’45” at 3’55” > 3’45” (16 km) + Gym
b) 46’ at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km) + 5 x 100m fast
Saturday 11 Nov
a) 18’15” warm-up (5 km) + Track :
2 x 3000m (recovery 3’) + 3 x 2000m (rec. 3’) + 5 x 1000m (rec. 2’) + 6 x 500m (rec. 1’30”) in :
9’00”8 / 8’55”2 –
5’54”8 / 5’55”2 / 5’53”7 –
2’57”4 / 2’57”1 / 2’57”3 / 2’56”9 / 2’59”2 –
1’27”6 / 1’27”3 / 1’28”7 / 1’27”3 / 1’27”8 / 1’25”6
b) 38’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (10 km)
Sunday 12 Nov
a) 1h09’40” with short variations of speed at 3’35” > 3’25” (20 km)
b) 35’ easy (10 km)
Weekly Mileage : 222 km
— — — — —
Monday 13 Nov
a) 1h04’15” at 3’40” > 3’30” (18 km)
b) 38’40” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km)
Tuesday 14 Nov
a) 1h14’27” at 3’40” > 3’25” progressive (21.1 km) + 6 x 100m fast
b) 38’10” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km)
Wednesday 15 Nov
a) 14’15” warm-up (4 km) + 27 km in 1h24’43” (average 3’08”3) with 7 x 3 km recovery 1 km in :
9’03” / 3’27” – 9’03” / 3’25” – 9’05” / 3’21” – 9’14” / 3’25” – 9’24” / 3’26” – 9’06” / 3’20” – 9’18”
(average 21 km fast : 3’03”7 – average 6 km recovery : 3’24”)
b) 38’30” at 3’55” > 3’45” (10 km) – Mileage of the day : 41.1 km
Thursday 16 Nov
a) 1h07’30” at 3’50” > 3’40” (18 km)
b) 41’10” at 3’50” > 3’40” (11 km)
Friday 17 Nov
a) 58’20” at 3’40” > 3’35” (16 km)
b) 45’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (12 km)
Saturday 18 Nov
a) 58’ at 3’40” > 3’35” (16 km)
b) 45’30” at 3’50” > 3’45” (12 km)
Sunday 19 Nov
1h44’20” at 3’45” > 3’40” (28 km)
Weekly Mileage : 211 km
— — — — —
Monday 20 Nov
a) 20’ warm-up (5 km) + 24 km alternating speed in 1h15’03” (average 3’09”5) :
2’56” / 3’14” – 3’03” / 3’20” – 2’56” / 3’20” – 2’57” / 3’26” – 2’59” / 3’22” – 3’03” / 3’20” – 2’59” / 3’24” – 3’00” / 3’14” –
3’07” / 3’31” – 2’56” / 3’23” – 2’52” / 3’20” – 2’56” / 3’10”
(Total time 12 km fast : 35’44”, average 2’58”3) – (Total time 12 km slow : 40’04”, average 3’20”3)
b) 38’ easy (10 km)
Tuesday 21 Nov
a) 1h07’50” at 3’50” > 3’40” (18 km)
b) Rest (Sauna)
Wednesday 22 Nov
a) 1h06’30” at 3’45” > 3’35” (18 km)
b) 38’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (10 km)
Thursday 23 Nov
a) 46’30” at 3’55” > 3’50” (12 km)
b) 59’45” at 3’45” (16 km) + 4 x 100m fast
Friday 24 Nov
a) 18’ warm-up (5 km) + Track (Tambach, 1930m altitude, very muddy for the rain of the night) :
10 x 600m (rec. 1’45” < 1’55”) in :
1’45”1 – 1’39”2 – 1’39”5 – 1’39”2 – 1’39”5 – 1’39”6 – 1’41”5 – 1’38”0 – 1’40”1 – 1’37”0 –
Rest 7’ –
10 x 400m (rec. 50” < 55”) in :
64”6 – 63”2 – 63”6 – 63”8 – 63”6 – 64”1 – 62”9 – 64”0 – 63”8 – 62”1
b) Rest
Saturday 25 Nov
a) 1h07’ at 3’45” > 3’40” with short variations of speed (18 km)
b) Rest
Sunday 26 Nov
a) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km)
b) 38’ at 3’50” > 3’45” (10 km)
Weekly Mileage : 172 km
— — — — —
Monday 27 Nov
a) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km)
b) Rest (Flight Nairobi – Abu Dhabi)
Tuesday 28 Nov
a) Rest (Flight Abu Dhabi – Seoul – Fukuoka)
b) 1h at 3’50” > 3’40” (16 km) + 4 x 100m fast
Wednesday 29 Nov
a) 37’30” at 3’50” > 3’40” (10 km) + 4 x 100m fast
b) 44’30” at 3’45” > 3’40” (12 km) + 5 km on the road in 14’52” (Marathon Pace)
Thursday 30 Nov
a) 28’55” at 3’40” > 3’35” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast
b) Rest
Friday 1 Dec
a) 27’50” at 3’30” > 3’25” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast
b) Rest
Saturday 2 Dec
a) 28’ at 3’35” > 3’25” (8 km) + 4 x 100m fast
b) Rest
SUNDAY 3 Dec
FUKUOKA MARATHON : 1st in 2:05:48 (European Record)
[ 14:59 – 30:01 (15:02) – 44:59 (14:58) – 1:00:02 (15:03) – 1:03:19 – 1:15:02 (15:00) – 1:30:08 (15:06) – 1:44:44 (14:36) – 1:59:23 (14:39) – 2:05:48 (6:25) ]
Weekly Mileage : 131 km
