Max Effort Marathon Training Plan

$98.00

12 Week, 6 day/week Training Plan specifically designed to maximize marathon performance
Plan deploys initial assessments and bases follow-on programming on the assessment results. In this way the plan automatically “scales” to the incoming fitness of the athlete.
Includes programming to increase overall durability through total body and focused chassis integrity (functional core) strength training
This training plan is one of the 200+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

Description

This 12-Week, 6 day/week training program is sport-specifically designed to prepare athletes to run a Max Effort Marathon – your fastest possible. This plan is designed to be completed 12 weeks directly before your marathon. Week 12 in the plan is an unload/taper week so the plan can be completed directly before your marathon.

FITNESS ATTRIBUTES

This training program has 3 general objectives:

Increase speed over ground
Increase overall durability through total body and focused chassis integrity (functional core) strength training.
Increase running aerobic base and efficiency for longer distance runs

This training plan deploys multiple running assessments, (3-mile, 6-mile, and 9-mile) and uses assessment performance for the follow-on progressions. In this way, the plan automatically “scales” to the incoming running fitness and speed of each individual athlete.

While this plan includes strength training, the focus is on running speed and performance.

This is Version 1 of this plan, designed March 2020.

Speed Over Ground Work
This 12-week training deploys multiple 3-mile, 6-mile and 9-mile running assessments and uses the athlete’s assessment time to dictate paces for follow-on, shorter, fast intervals.

Weeks 1-3 deploy 3-mile running assessments and 1-mile repeats based upon your assessment times
Weeks 3-5 deploy 6-mile running assessments and 2-mile repeats based upon your assessment times
Weeks 5-11 deploy 9-mile running assessments and 3-mile repeats base upon your assessment times

Aerobic Base/Longer Runs
While the Speed Over Groundwork in the plan is anchored in 3 to 7-week blocks, the plan’s easy and moderate longer run distances increase throughout the plan.

You’ll run easy, medium distance once per week.

You’ll run moderate-paced, long-distances runs once per week on Saturdays.

Below is the weekly mileage in the plan:

Week Mileage

1 15
2 18
3 22
4 26
5 30
6 32
7 35
8 38
9 20
10 42
11 21
12 18

Strength Work
This training plan includes total body (lower/upper) and chassis integrity (functional core) strength programming to address strength imbalances, add work for non-running days, and increase overall durability.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Mon: Assessment or Speed over Ground Intervals
Tue: Strength/Chassis Integrity
Wed: Speed over Ground Intervals
Thu: Medium Distance, Easy-pace Run
Fri: Chassis Integrity
Sat: Long Distance, Moderate-pace Run

COMMON QUESTIONS

What is the Required Equipment?

Stop Watch with repeating countdown timer (a smartphone will work)
Fully-equipped weight room with a squat rack, bench, barbell, plates, dumbbells and/or kettlebells
Sandbag – 40# for women, 60# for men
Foam Roller

How Long do the Sessions Last?
60-180 minutes depending upon your running pace. Longest days will be the Thursday easy run and Saturday long moderate-pace runs. Gym-based sessions are designed to last 30-50 minutes.

How does the Max Effort Marathon Training Plan differ from the Meathead Marathon Training Plan?
The Max Effort Marathon Training Plan is 12 weeks long, and designed to prepare the athlete to run their fastest possible marathon. The Meathead Marathon Training Plan is 8 weeks long, and designed to prepare athletes to complete a marathon without suffering, and still maintain strength and size.

What if I miss a day?
If you miss a day, make up the session you missed the next day and follow the programming as prescribed. The programming is progressive – it builds upon itself. Don’t skip ahead.

What does 25/35# Dumbbell Crawl mean? What about 3/5x Chin Ups.\
25/35# Dumbbell Crawl = women use 25#, men use 35#
3/6x Chin Ups = Women do 3x, Men do 6x.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run/Ruck Calculator is listed as an exercise.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Yes. Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming.

How do I access the plan?
You can access the plan via username and password either through our website or through our app (Mtn Tactical Fitness) available for IOS and Android.

Can I print out sessions to take to the gym?
Yes – you can print a week of programming at a time

More Questions? Email: coach@mtntactical.com

DISCLAIMER

Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that you are in proper health. Physical training contains inherent risks including, but not limited to, muscle strains, tears, physical and bodily injury up to and including death. This training program is not meant to provide medical advice; you should obtain medical advice from your private health care practitioner. If you are unable to assume these risks then you should not engage in this training program. No liability is assumed by Mountain Tactical Institute, Inc, its owners or employees, and you train at your own risk. Mountain Tactical Institute makes no warranty, express or implied, of any kind in connection with this training program.

Required Equipment

Stop Watch with repeating countdown timer (a smartphone will work)

Fully-equipped weight room with a squat rack, bench, barbell, plates, dumbbells and/or kettlebells

Sandbag - 40# for women, 60# for men

Foam Roller

Sample Training

Below is Week 1 from this Training Plan:

***************************

SESSION 1
Obj: Running Assessment

Warm Up:
4 Rounds
5x Push Ups
5x Walking Lunge
Run 100m
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) Run 3 Miles for Time

RECORD FINISH TIME

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Pigeon Stretch
Frog Stretch

***************************

SESSION 2
Obj: Strength, Chassis Integrity

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
10x Back Squat @ 45/75#
3/5x Scotty Bobs @ 25#
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 5 Rounds
6x Back Squat - increase load rapidly each round until 6x is hard, but doable
8x Kettlebell Floor Press - increase load rapidly each round until 8x is hard, but doable
3/6x Pull Ups
Toe Touch Complex

(2) 15 Minute Grind …
5x Sandbag Getup @ 40/60# (Alternate Shoulders each Round)
5x Keg Lift @ 40/60# Sandbag
10x Dumbbell-Kettlebell Hinge Lift @ 25/35#

“Grind” = work steadily, not frantically, through the circuit

(3) Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

***************************

SESSION 3
Obj: Speed Over Ground Intervals

Warm Up:

4 Rounds
5x Push Ups
5x Walking Lunge
Run 100m
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 3 Rounds
Run 1 Mile at “Per Mile Interval Pace” using your SESSION 1, 3-Mile Running Assessment and the MTI Running Interval Calculator.

Rest 8 Minutes between efforts

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Pigeon Stretch
Frog Stretch

***************************

SESSION 4
Obj: Easy Pace Run

Training:

(1) Run 3 miles at an Easy Pace

"Easy" = you can speak in full sentences while running

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Instep Stretch
Pigeon Stretch

***************************

SESSION 5
Obj: Chassis Integrity

Warm Up:

4 Rounds
5x Push Ups
5x Walking Lunge
10x Sit Ups
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 15 Minute Grind ...
5x Kneeling Plate Half Moon @ 25/35#
5x Sandbag Getup @ 40/60# (Alternate Shoulders each Round)
5x Keg Lift @ 40/60# Sandbag
15/15 Standing Founder

"Grind" = work steadily, not frantically through the exercises in this circuit for the prescribed time or rounds

(3) 2 Rounds
Toe Touch Complex
Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

***************************

SESSION 6
Obj: Moderate Pace Run

Training:

(1) Run 6 miles at a Moderate Pace

"Moderate" = Comfortable but not easy

(2) 2 Rounds
Hip Flexor Stretch
Instep Stretch
Pigeon Stretch

1) Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance.

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe.

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety.

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete’s Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes’ mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf’s of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete’s Subscription?

Plan – Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
Packet – Like purchasing the DVD’s of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
Athlete’s Subscription – Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you’ll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the “Required Equipment” tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com

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