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26.2: GO

(18 customer reviews)

BEST FOR: Runners looking to tackle their first 26.2, or a returning runner
PREREQS: Logged at least 12 months of consistent weekly mileage; completed a race or two; having finished a half-marathon isn’t a firm prereq, but definitely helpful. At a minimum, you should be able to currently run eight miles comfortably and have no injuries.
NUMBER OF WEEKS: 18

This marathon program is designed for runners looking to tackle their first 26.2—or somebody who is coming back from an injury, a pregnancy, or is more interested in finishing the marathon than racing the marathon.

We’ll ease you into the distance but we’re not gonna lie: Training for a marathon is a big deal. This plan makes the path seem manageable. (Sorta like bagged salads make veggies at dinner doable.) Training to cover 26.2 miles requires consistency and commitment, especially on the weekly long runs.

From: $100.00

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  • *Race Date

    Step One: Select your race date:

    If you don’t know your race date yet, please select a date that you estimate will be close to your race date. When you solidify it, let us know and we can change it.

     
    Training Date

    Step Two: Your training will begin on:

    Mark this date in your calendar as your official start date! (If your program has already started, no worries; email us and we’ll help you jump in.)

$100.00

Options amount
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Final total
$100.00

The Details

On this plan, you’ll complete six runs that are 15 or more miles long, which will hone your mental toughness as surely as it does your calf muscles. Don’t let that freak you out though: we’ll support and guide you every step so you can, you know, go the distance. We also do our best to make sure you stay injury-free, providing short strength-training routines, a prehab routine, and a cross-training day at least once a week. Over 18 weeks, you’ll have plenty of time to build, adapt, and be prepped to finish a marathon with heart-pumping pride.

BIGGEST WEEK OF TRAINING: 37-39 miles

LONGEST LONG RUN DISTANCES: One 16-18 miler, one 18, one 18-20 miler, one straight-up 20 miler.

CROSS TRAINING + STRENGTH TRAINING INCLUDED? One or two weekly workouts are your choice: cross training or a rest day. There are (non-optional) strength circuits three times weekly, as well as a prehab routine Coach Amanda designed. You don’t need anything but your body weight for all strength training.

NUMBER OF RUNS WEEKLY: Typically four, with a few at five. (The fifth is short, and often optional.)

FIRST AND PEAK WEEKS: (explained fully in the program)

All your workouts are accessible via a Training Peaks Account. This free training tool will help you chart the nearly daily growth of your endurance base. It also sends you a daily email with your workouts for today and tomorrow so you can plan accordingly.

Coaches Jess + Amy are there to help you over speed bumps and answer your questions—and we promise, they’ll never blow a whistle in your face. Not only have they designed every facet of your program from your first step through your finish line, they’ve also written a weekly newsletter filled with advice and tips that corresponds to your training program.

What’s more, Coaches Jess + Amy also post a weekly Ask the Coach column on the private Facebook page, where you can comment with anything that’s on your mind. (If you’re not a Facebooker, you can email us with your question.) Finally, we host regular calls to talk through pacing, injuries, and plenty of other helpful + entertaining topics.

In addition to Train Like a Mother Club, you’ll also be invited to join a private Marathon Program club on Strava, where you can track your miles, and a private Marathon Program Facebook page, where you’ll quickly find an army of (funny, empathetic, inspiring) #motherrunner teammates.* You’ll share training tips, stories of good runs and bad, cheer each other on, and push each other out the door. Momentum comes from teamwork, and these programs roll on some serious #motherrunner momentum.

*Please note that your membership in both our Strava and Facebook groups and access to the training program coaches are limited to the duration of your training plan, plus a few weeks for you to bask in the glow of your race and work with the coaches to help plan your next athletic goal and corresponding training plan. Your access to the Facebook group begins when your training plan does. You are welcome to request entry up to one month before your starting date.

Upon registration, you will receive a package stocked with training essentials, including GU Roctane Drink Mix, two GU Energy items (an Energy Gel and GU Chews); a pair of blister-banishing Wrightsock running socks; a 2-oz. bottle of Sweat X Odor Eliminator spray; and an AMR sticker for your water bottle or laptop. Over $25 worth of swag!

(Domestic shipping is FREE for all merchandise and training swag packages. International shipping is not currently available but we invite you to participate in any of our online programs! Just email us at tlamclub@anothermotherrunner.com and we will help you bypass the shipping at checkout.)

QUESTIONS + ANSWERS

To thrive in 26.2: GO THE DISTANCE mother runners should have logged at least 9, but preferably 12 months, of week-in, week-out running, along with some experience toeing the starting line of a race or two. Finishing a half-marathon isn’t a firm prereq, but it’s definitely helpful. At a minimum, you should be able to currently run eight miles comfortably and have no major injuries.

BIGGEST WEEK OF TRAINING: 37-39 miles

LONGEST LONG RUN DISTANCES: One 16-18 miler, one 18-miler, one 18-20 miler, one straight-up 20 miler

If that feels like too much for your running experience or your schedule, consider joining the 26.2 Run/Walk program.

No. The fee is for the comprehensive training plan, unlimited support, miles of resources, exclusive podcasts, and swag package, which will help you nail your marathon, both physically and mentally. At the end of the wave, you will participate in the organized marathon of your choice; you can also choose to run a marathon on your own, if that works better for you.

Yep—and we’ve heard again and again it’s worth it. Staying committed and motivated during the days, weeks, and, yes, months of training can be ridiculously hard. If you can do that—and these programs are all about accountability and inspiration—race day becomes a celebratory victory lap, not a slog full of self-doubt.

Two of the strength routines include resistance bands, so if you’d like to purchase those, that would be a good investment. (Hello, hip stability!)

Within a few weeks of registration, every participant in a Train Like a Mother program receives a stocked swag package with some of our favorite training essentials. Domestic shipping is now FREE for all merchandise and training swag packages.

We are no longer able to ship internationally, including to Canada. That said, we invite all international runners to participate in any of our online programs! Just email us at tlamclub@anothermotherrunner.com and we will help you bypass the shipping at checkout.

We definitely want this to work into your life and your running lifestyle. You can email us within two weeks of starting the program, and we will set you up with another plan or a partial credit for an upcoming program. We will not be able to issue a straight-up refund.

With a smart training plan, doable strength training, and advice on foam rolling and other self-care, we’re going to do our best to keep you injury-free. That said, if you have an injury or illness that totally slays your training, let us know. We’ll work with you to get you a partial credit for an upcoming program.

THE REVIEWS

Reviews (18)

18 reviews for 26.2: GO

  1. Laurel (verified owner) –

    Hi BAMRs! I used this program with a friend as part of the Race Like a Mother Program for the Kansas City Marathon (2019). It was my 6th marathon, but for the past 5 years I was focused on half marathon distances. I would recommend this program to first-time marathoners, those who have not done a full distance for awhile, or if you are looking for a solid, basic plan. The highlights of the plan include that run days are 4-5 days per week, which leaves flexibility for cross training or moving days around as needed. I did a spin class once per week plus swam some weeks, and I enjoyed having time to cross train. There is enough speedwork for variety and challenge, but not so much that you feel over-trained. I also enjoyed having specific strength circuits to complete- they are simple to fit in your training, with both written and video instructions. My friend Valerie and I were very happy with the plan! We ran negative splits on a hilly course and both finished in the top 100 females :-)

  2. Karyn (verified owner) –

    I made the decision when I was 16 weeks out from the Richmond Marathon to start training for my first full. A long-distance friend of mine is a BAMR-bassador, and she reached out to me on FaceBook after seeing all of my running posts to encourage me to sign up with the TLAM plan. AND I AM SO GLAD I DID!!! For the handful of half marathons I’d run, I had just gone out and run a ton of miles in advance, showed up without a plan, and was happy I did well enough. This time, I had a specific plan, an AMAZING community of women supporting me, Coach Amanda who responds so quickly with answers to questions that we all have; and, most importantly, I showed up to the start line confident (with tons of nerves, of course!) that I’d make it across the finish line. I am looking forward to using Go the Distance for my next race this fall before switching up to Crush the Distance. I love being a BAMR!

  3. Pamela (verified owner) –

    I used the Go the Distance plan to train for my first full marathon. Running is not something that comes naturally to me, and I worked hard to get to the point I could successfully complete a marathon training cycle–I could not have chosen a better plan!! Coach Amanda’s beginner marathon plan has everything you need to train for a successful marathon: the base miles, the strength, the speedwork, and the community! If you’re considering running a marathon, you won’t go wrong with Coach Amanda and Go the Distance!

  4. kandra (verified owner) –

    I used the “go the distance” plan for my first full marathon in the fall of 2019! I honestly don’t know how I could have done without the help of TLAM…I’ve been running for more than 20 years, and have always had my heart set on running a full marathon someday…I probably should have done it pre kids…or even pre husband…but this plan made everything just work itself out! I love having a strength routine as part of training…it was so doable to fit in to the training cycle..hoping to crush my 1/2 marathon time and PR my 2nd marathon with a little help from TLAM

  5. Heather Escaravage (verified owner) –

    This was my first TLAM training plan for my first marathon. I have been listening to AMR for several years and decided to use their program to get me through my first marathon this year. I was really happy with the plan and was able to follow it about 80% (real life here) to get me to the finish line. I am proud to say that I finished strong and don’t have a lot of residual pain or issues and I think it is due to the comprehensive plan TLAM provided. I would definitely recommend the plans to friends!

  6. Heidi Bevacqua (verified owner) –

    This was a wonderful program! I wanted a plan to get me ready for a spring marathon that would get me primed to begin training for my fall marathon. I followed the plan mostly. I will admit that I wasn’t consistent with the post run TLAM circuits. That, I believe, came back and bit me in the end. I did complete my marathon and felt trained. I am definitely going to begin this plan again in 3 weeks to train for my fall (fingers crossed) Marine Corps Marathon. Thanks to Coach Amanda and the community of BAMRs to help push me through! I have, and will continue to recommend this plan to my running mom friends.

  7. Tracey Henderson (verified owner) –

    Just ran the Wineglass Marathon using this program and I couldn’t be happier! I ran a 27 minute PR and a BQ. I definitely attribute a large part of this to the well-rounded training program including strength circuits and speed work. The program was also manageable, fitting into my work and kid schedule with generally 4 runs per week. The supportive online community and weekly emails were an extra motivation boost. Highly recommend this training plan!

  8. Tory Ambrose (verified owner) –

    I love the integration with training peaks. Makes the well designed program even easier to follow!

  9. Kate Bayne (verified owner) –

    I have never run a stand alone marathon…until now! A friend suggested doing the virtual Boston and I immediately thought that was a great idea. As a self-professed non-runner the idea of running a virtual marathon seemed crazy, but the training plan made it easy! I’m happy to say I made it through the training and race injury free, and loved that it uploads to TP which kept me accountable. I do wish I could move days around a little as I had to do that to make it work in my shift life. The red markings in TP bothered me a little lol!

  10. Kate Bayne (verified owner) –

    I have never run a stand alone marathon…until now! A friend suggested doing the virtual Boston and I immediately thought that was a great idea. As a self-professed non-runner the idea of running a virtual marathon seemed crazy, but the training plan made it easy! I’m happy to say I made it through the training and race injury free, and loved that it uploads to TP which kept me accountable. I do wish I could move days around a little as I had to do that to make it work in my shift life.

  11. Sarah (verified owner) –

    This plan has gotten me through three marathons, including my first. I love clarity and versatility of the plan and the little strength “snacks” are perfect to fit into my busy schedule. I didn’t utilize the Facebook page much, but when I did, my questions were answered quickly and thoroughly. I would highly recommend this plan to take anyone from “I’ll never run a marathon” to “Hey, guess what I just did?”

  12. Jodi Edmonds (verified owner) –

    This training plan not only helped me through my first marathon but it helped me surpass my goals. The plan was so easy to understand and follow. It was also adaptable to my schedule and easy to make it work with life. The Facebook group was amazing and super supportive. Questions were answered quickly and it helped make the whole process so much better. I will definitely use this plan again.

  13. Maude Bergeron-Dennie (verified owner) –

    I just ran my first marathon like it was my third. So proud of the training and the race I ran. The support got me through the hard weeks (training for a marathon is long and exhausting). It is the first time I get to a starting line confident that whatever happens I had put in the work and was ready. Thank you.

  14. Kendra Reisner (verified owner) –

    I loved this program!! I just ran my first marathon and was able to enjoy the race and negative split because of how well prepared I felt. I liked the built in strength circuits and “prehab” routine and well as the weekly running calendar – it was all challenging but manageable. The coaches were responsive to my many questions. I am already looking for another AMR program for my next race!

  15. Shaun (verified owner) –

    I purchased this plan to train for the 2023 Chicago Marathon. I have been running since 2009 and had 6 marathons under my belt prior to Chicago, so I am not a beginner runner but felt this plan best matched my goals. My primary goals for Chicago were to enjoy the training cycle, to stay healthy and to finish the marathon with a smile on my face. I opted for the Go the Distance program because I wanted to be prepared, but I wasn’t out to set a PR. I loved having the integrated strength workouts as part of this program, since that is often where I fall short. I was able to finish the majority of the workouts (had a short injury blip in August and missed one long run during a cutback week) and overall felt confident going into race day. Conditions were great in Chicago this year and I ran a strong, consistent race (with a negative split!) and knocked 18 minutes off my finish time from last year’s Berlin Marathon. I am grateful for the training program and the support of the coaches when questions came up. Thank you AMR for helping me achieve my best marathon finish since 2014!

  16. Christina Carter (verified owner) –

    Fantastic program! Highly recommend for new runners! I used this training program for my first marathon. Easy to follow and prepared me well for a successful marathon! The calendar, the prehab exercises and the community are top notch!

  17. elizabeth.w.fowler (verified owner) –

    I recently used this program to run the Chicago Marathon in the Fall. I originally won a lottery spot for the 2022 race, but broke my foot in March of that year and had to defer. I was nervous about the marathon distance after being injured for such a long period of time. I chose the “Go the Distance” plan, since finishing strong and injury-free was my goal. This program did the trick! It held me accountable, while also being flexible and allowing me some grace here and there, when I would get caught up with work, mom-duties, illness, and the other various complications of life that sometimes set all of us back. The community support is amazing and helped keep me going when my motivation for those 20 mile long-runs was waning. Looking forward to listening to the twice-weekly doses of the AMR podcast got me moving, as well. Can’t recommend this program, or the BAMR community enough!

  18. airmetjen13 (verified owner) –

    I did the Better Together Program and used this plan for my first marathon. It was so easy to follow. I loved that everything was so spelled out for me and if I need to move some training around the coaches helped me out.

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