The Rebuild, Entry 02, Training Log: Inside My Marathon Training Block

Published 10/11/2026

Welcome back to my weekly blog series, The Rebuild! Let's talk about this week. Check out Entry 01 here!

In this entry we'll have a look inside my marathon training block, how I'm feeling about my upcoming race, and some of my thoughts on my goals ahead of the Indianapolis Marathon!

Georgie RIP, the best little doggie!

Before we hope in, one additional thing this week, we had to say goodbye to our amazing doggie Georgie. He lived 12 long years and his time just came and the whole family was so sad, especially the kids. It was a rough start to the week but I am glad he is no longer in pain.

The Number

This week's number is 4, as in I ran my 4th 20-mile run of this marathon training block already, after clocking a 32-mile long run earlier this summer. This is HUGE for me personally, as I've struggled over the last six years to really put in long runs or runs over 12 miles. I'd do all the 4- to 5-mile runs and 10- to 12-mile long runs and workouts, but the long run solo has been hard for me. This is my 2nd straight solo 20, which again, for me, is HUGE.

The Week

This week was all about the workout I did midweek, because it was the first time I saw a glimpse of my old self in a long time. One of my favorite workouts is 3 x 8 minutes on with 3 minutes off, but I hadn't done it in a while. I have such fond memories of running this workout well that I knew, even without taking splits, it would hit me mentally if I wasn't ready. I wanted to feel ready, with a lot of consistency behind me, before trying it again.

I went out and even had the confidence to take some splits, and for the first time in about 7 years I averaged sub-6:00 pace for the 3 reps, and I did it all by feel, which is what I'm most proud of.

A humid easy run

I'm not someone who lives by my paces or numbers. In fact, when I'm at my best, I'm in the zone so much that the numbers aren't even a concern. But when you're coming back and want to really trust yourself again, being able to check in at times to feel and see progress has been helpful. This was huge for me, because I haven't felt that strong and in control running this fast in a long time.

The Thread

Let's go through my week. Here was my plan, and then what I actually did:

Day	Plan	Actual
Monday	6 to 7 miles easy	5 miles easy
Tuesday	6 to 7 miles easy w/ strides	6 miles w/ strides
Wednesday	3 x 8 mins at LT w/ 3 min recovery, 7 miles total	Workout and 7 miles total
Thursday	Rest day	Rest day
Friday	5 miles easy	6 miles
Saturday	20 miles w/ pickups near the end	20 miles w/ pickups the last 5 miles
Sunday	5 miles	Unscheduled rest day

Let's talk about the week at a high level. My easy miles are all done at a pace I never actually know. I don't check it in the moment, and I don't look it up online afterward either. I've been running long enough to find a groove on an easy day, and that's my pace. When I'm running, I instinctively slow down if it feels too fast, because I don't want that. My strides on Tuesday felt really fast and controlled, and I was very excited for the workout on Wednesday. If you want to check out our Speed Base or Aerobic Base training plans head here, this is what I followed to get ready for this marathon build.,

For the workout, the most important takeaway for me on a Lactate Threshold (LT) workout isn't the paces, although I'm excited about them. It's how it felt, because LT pace to me is something I need to be able to hold for longer than 24 minutes, in fact up to an hour. So I shouldn't feel dead on these, and on each rep I naturally found my speed, no surging or pace-checking. I just found my vibe and ended each rep challenged but strong. Post-workout, it was exciting to see the paces on the faster end of what I thought I was capable of at this point.

My 20-miler was another solid run, although it did end up with almost four bathroom breaks, which I don't love. I fueled well in the morning with a Pop-Tart, a Scratch High-Carb mix, and a coffee. I got in 200 grams of carbs for the 20 miles, and at the end I was able to pick up the pace. That said, my left hamstring felt a little tight at the start, and every attempt to stretch it out didn't work. It eventually spread into my calves and became really noticeable near the end. It wasn't pain, just tired legs, so I gutted through this more than I'd normally like.

That's also why I took an extra rest day Sunday. Knowing how my body felt post-run, getting some rest was more important than squeezing in 5 miles. Also, we'd had cold rain all day, so no thanks!

Next Week

That wraps this week's marathon training block. Running-wise, next weekend is Baltimore Marathon weekend, so I'll be doing my 20 miles along the course as I cheer on friends and teammates all day. It's my favorite day of the year in Baltimore, also because the streets are shut down, which makes getting in some miles much easier. As for my marathon, I've started thinking about what my goals should be, and the goal I keep settling on is 2:55 to 2:59. I'd really like to break 3 hours again, and I think that's a good challenge for me right now. It would be almost 30-plus minutes faster than my last few marathons, and it gives me something to look forward to that keeps me motivated going forward.

Next week we'll dive into the Rewind pillar to get a little backstory on my running history and my journey. I hope you enjoy this dive into my running story. See you all next week!

Also, if you're looking for a 1:1 coach, I have openings this fall, so hit me up at this link and let's see if we're a good fit.

Q&A With Nick

What pace did you hit in your lactate threshold workout?

Sub-6:00 pace for all three 8-minute reps, by feel, for the first time in about 7 years.

Why did you take an extra rest day?

My body needed it more than I needed 5 easy miles, especially after a hamstring that tightened up on the 20-miler.

What's the marathon goal right now?

2:55 to 2:59 at the Indianapolis Marathon, which would be a sub-3 hour finish.

About the author: Nick Klastava is the CEO and head coach of Running Explained. He is a USATF and RRCA certified run coach and a masters runner with a 2:30 marathon PR and a Boston Marathon finish.