I’ve all the time needed to run a marathon however by no means needed to decide to the normal coaching required. I really like energy coaching and imagine there’s a lot one can obtain through the use of it intelligently. As a firefighter, I’ve discovered that no coaching prepares me higher for the job than energy coaching in all its kinds. One morning on the hearth station, I shared that I had created a program referred to as the “Iron Marathon,” the place, on the finish of six months, I might full the next to display the facility of energy coaching:
- Deadlift twice my body weight.
- Army Press my body weight.
- Carry out the SFG snatch take a look at (100 reps in 5 minutes).
- Full 1,000 one-arm swings in a single session (utilizing a 28kg kettlebell).
- Run a full marathon with out operating a day in coaching.
I believed energy coaching would enhance my drive manufacturing making each step rely extra. Hypertrophy coaching would enhance my resilience and enhance my capacity to deal with the marathon’s impression. Power endurance work would construct up my mitochondria to permit for higher vitality manufacturing bringing my cardio/respiratory system to a better stage. Moreover, to construct my psychological resolve for the marathon I might do longer periods than regular, as much as 1 hour and 40 minutes on the program’s peak.
As soon as the phrases had been set and I formally introduced them, I managed to persuade three fellow firefighters and my spouse to hitch me on this loopy journey.
With the tip objective established, I now wanted to reverse-engineer the method and decide construction this system.
The Program
I took a deep dive again into my Strong Endurance™ guide, understanding that reviewing the science and protocols would offer perception into how I might accomplish this monumental objective.
In the end, I made a decision on 4 six-week phases. There can be three days every week of antiglycolytic coaching following Template 10 to construct mitochondria and psychological energy. We might carry out 10 seconds of labor each 30 seconds, alternating between one-arm swings sooner or later and sled pushes the subsequent. We might begin at 20 minutes and step by step enhance to 1 hour and 40 minutes over six months, utilizing a step development.
Two days every week, we carried out Power Aerobics to keep up “armor,” as Dan John calls it, permitting us to construct resilience for the race and develop a muscularly supported physique to soak up the heavy impression of operating. We included a mixture of squats, rows, presses, and Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) in clustered ladder units to attenuate fatigue.
The final day of the week was devoted to pure energy coaching to extend drive manufacturing, making each step extra highly effective. For Phases 2–4, we adopted the Tactical Strength Challenge peaking cycle.
I do know this cycle shouldn’t be usually meant for back-to-back use, however we began nicely beneath our one-rep maxes and step by step constructed up over time. In Section 4, we examined our one-rep max. This cycle labored completely, as its low quantity supplied simply the proper dose of stimulus to steadily enhance our energy over six months.
Right here is an instance of two weeks of our coaching:
The Outcomes
After six months of coaching the time got here to check myself on all 5 objectives.
The deadlift went up simply since I had misplaced 10 kilos and solely needed to pull 385 kilos as a substitute of my earlier better of 405. My earlier strict navy press PR was 180 kilos, so hitting 190 was going to be a problem. With effort and perseverance, it will definitely went up.
After permitting myself a number of days of relaxation, I accomplished the 1,000 Swing Problem. It had been a protracted journey constructing as much as this stage of quantity, however I took my time and by no means overdid it. The primary 5 minutes of swings had been the toughest—understanding I had a protracted option to go whereas staying in the identical spot. Nevertheless, as soon as I discovered my rhythm, I entered a stream state the place it was simply me and the kettlebell, rep after rep. Greater than something, this ready my thoughts for the psychological problem of the marathon. After I set the kettlebell down after the thousandth rep, I felt nice—gentle fatigue however no soreness. I had revered the StrongFirst “cease indicators” all the time, preserving my coronary heart price beneath my lactic threshold (140 beats per minute).
A number of days later, I set a timer for 5 minutes and took on the dreaded SFG snatch take a look at. The kettlebell floated up, and I can truthfully say this was the simplest snatch take a look at I had ever performed. The final objective to perform was the marathon.
The Marathon
On the morning of the race, I left the beginning line feeling intimidated and not sure of what to anticipate. As I discovered my rhythm, I felt nice. My respiratory was regular, my coronary heart price was low, and my physique felt robust—like I used to be recruiting the utmost quantity of muscle, making my stride really feel highly effective.
I maintained this sense as much as mile 15, the place I started cramping in my calves, quads, and hip flexors. This compelled me right into a walk-run cycle for the subsequent 5 miles whereas consuming bananas to beat the cramping. It was a real take a look at of my psychological resolve, and I used to be grateful for all these grueling kettlebell periods that had ready me for this second.
Finally, after 5 hours and 20 minutes, I crossed the end line, with my two younger sons cheering me on. The largest problem I confronted throughout the marathon was cramping and foot ache (because of a last-minute shoe concern). Past that, my physique felt robust and resilient—no joint, ligament, or tendon ache throughout or after the race. My cardiovascular system felt unbelievable, like I might have stored going. I by no means skilled any again ache, which was an enormous win since many runners wrestle with it. In truth, my total posterior chain (aside from my calves) felt nice. My posture remained upright and robust, and I had no upper-body discomfort in any respect.
Conclusion
This was an unbelievable expertise that I’ll all the time cherish. Watching my buddies and spouse cross the end line after coaching in such an unorthodox manner will all the time rank amongst my favourite recollections.
Now, this will not have been the neatest option to practice for a marathon, however I imagine I completed what I got down to show—that energy coaching, when performed intelligently, can put together you for no matter life throws at you, even a marathon.
If I’m coaching for as much as two hours a day, why wouldn’t I spend that point swinging a kettlebell—constructing energy, toughness, resilience, and muscle? This journey really strengthened the concept energy has a better objective.
Strong Endurance™—Russian “anti-HIIT” that trains you to provide much less lactic acid as a substitute of tolerating extra of it.
