Base Building for Spring Marathons: Your October-November Training Blueprint
October arrives with cooler air and shorter days. While some runners wind down their season, the smartest ones are lacing up for something different. They're building the foundation that will carry them through spring marathons with strength, confidence, and personal records.
Marathon base building is the unglamorous work that pays enormous dividends. Think of it as constructing the of a skyscraper. The higher you want to build, the deeper and stronger your foundation needs to be. These eight weeks of October and November represent your opportunity to lay that groundwork.
Why Base Building Matters
Your aerobic base determines everything that comes after. Research from the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that aerobic capacity built during base phases correlates directly with marathon performance months later. Runners who skip this phase often hit walls (literal and metaphorical) during their spring races.
Base building develops your body's ability to burn fat as fuel, strengthens connective tissues, increases capillary density in muscles, and builds mental resilience for longer efforts. You're teaching your body to run efficiently at easy paces, which paradoxically makes you faster when it counts.
Your October Base Building Strategy
October is about establishing consistency without stress. Start where you are, not where you want to be.
Weekly Structure:
- 4-5 running days per week
- Total weekly mileage: 60-75% of your planned peak training volume
- One longer run building from 90 minutes to 2 hours
- All runs at conversational pace (you should be able to speak in complete sentences)
- 2-3 strength training sessions focusing on core and glute activation
The biggest mistake runners make in October is running too hard. Your easy runs should feel almost boringly easy. If you're breathing heavily or can't maintain a conversation, you're defeating the purpose. Easy running builds aerobic capacity. Hard running just makes you tired.
Add 10% to your weekly mileage each week, but include a step-back week every third or fourth week where you reduce volume by 20-30%. Your body adapts during recovery, not during the work itself.
November: Building Momentum
By November, your body has adapted to consistent running. Now you can begin adding structure and subtle intensity.
Weekly Structure:
- 5-6 running days per week
- Weekly mileage: 75-85% of planned peak volume
- One long run progressing from 2 hours to 2.5 hours
- One workout: either tempo intervals (3-4 x 10 minutes at marathon pace with 3-minute recovery) or progression runs (start easy, finish at marathon pace)
- Remaining runs stay conversational
- Continue strength training 2x per week
The single workout per week serves a specific purpose. You're introducing your body to sustained efforts without the crushing fatigue of full marathon training. These sessions also provide valuable data about your current fitness level. If marathon pace feels uncomfortably hard in November, you have time to adjust expectations.
The Details That Make the Difference
Sleep and Nutrition: Base building increases your training load, which means your recovery needs increase proportionally. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep nightly. Your nutrition should emphasize whole foods, adequate protein (1.2-1.6g per kg bodyweight according to sports nutrition research), and sufficient carbohydrates to fuel your runs.
Listen to Your Body: Persistent fatigue, elevated resting heart rate, or declining performance signals inadequate recovery. Take an extra rest day. Missing one run protects the next four weeks of training.
Cross-Training: Swimming, cycling, or yoga on rest days can enhance recovery while maintaining cardiovascular fitness. Just keep the intensity low. This isn't the time for heroic cycling efforts or advanced yoga inversions.
Beyond the Miles
Base building extends beyond physical training. October and November offer time to dial in logistics that will matter in spring. Test your race-day nutrition during long runs. Experiment with different fueling strategies. Break in new shoes gradually. Establish your pre-run routines and post-run recovery protocols.
This period also builds mental endurance. Showing up consistently on cold, dark mornings when motivation is low develops the psychological toughness that carries you through mile 20 of your marathon. Every run completed is a deposit in your mental bank account.
If you're exploring spring marathon options, the 42cal Race Directory helps you find races by location and date, allowing you to plan your training timeline precisely.
The Foundation for Success
By December 1st, you'll have transformed your running. Your easy pace will feel more comfortable. Your long runs will extend further with less effort. Your body will be primed and ready for the structured intensity of marathon-specific training.
Base building isn't flashy. You won't set speed records or earn kudos for your easy pace. But when April or May arrives and you're crushing your goal marathon, you'll trace that success back to these quiet October and November miles. The foundation you build now determines how high you can climb later.
Start today. Run easy. Stay consistent. Trust the process. Your spring marathon self will thank you.