What your training should look like 5-6 months out from a marathon or half marathon & how to begin We are now less than 5 months out from fall marathons like Twin Cities and Chicago. We want to encourage runners to begin their training soon if they have not already done so. The key to success in any long distance running event is the aerobic base and time/consistency with your training. A good training program will not burn you out or ‘peak you too soon’. We will use the progressive overload principle to get you feeling your fittest self on race day Do you find a lot of athletes burn out during a training cycle? How can you avoid the burn out? What is the progressive overload approach and how does it help athletes? Can the first few months of training feel ‘boring’? If they don’t feel easy are you in trouble? What should your long run be about 5 months out? What is the most important training factors right now? Do you recommend starting with a time trial? Should you train for the paces you want to run in the fall or the fitness you are at currently? What if your easy runs get slower? What if it becomes harder to hit workout paces in the heat? How will you ever know what type of shape you are in with all these changes?