- Take your marathon goal time in hours/minutes and convert this to minutes/seconds. For example, if your marathon goal is 3 hours and 10 minutes then convert that to 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
- Try to run 800 meters (approximately 1/2 mile) in your converted time (3:10 in this example).
- Recover after each 800 by jogging or walking for the same amount of time (again, 3:10 in this example).
- Start with three or four repetitions in the first week.
- Continue with Yasso 800 workouts once a week and try to add one more repetition each week until you reach ten repetitions. The first few should feel pretty easy, but you'll notice that they'll start to get more difficult as you continue to add repeats.
In addition to weekly Yasso 800s, you'll still need to do your regular marathon training, including weekly long runs. Even with the proper training, being able to complete ten Yasso repetitions doesn't guarantee that you'll finish the marathon in your goal time. But if you can't complete the ten repetitions, it's probably a good indication that you won't hit your goal time.
Also see: 8 Rules for Speed Training
