uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Hi. I am considering training for a marathon later this year. I have a good base and am comfortable on my long runs so I think I am ready. Besides, I am not getting any younger. I am considering the Pfitz 18/55 plan and I would like any comments or opinion on it. During my HM training I peaked at 45 mpw so I think I can handle the extra weeks and mileage of the 18/55 plan. If it becomes too much I can adjust on the fly. My goals for my first marathon are to race it and finish comfortably in under 4:00. Does that seem realistic with the 18/55 plan? Thanks in advance.
Go figure
I haven't used the plan, but have perused it a number of times. With the running you say you've currently been doing, that plan is more than substantial enough to get you to a sub-4 time. Like you said, just pay attention to your body and make the plan your own.
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
I have much less speed than you do, and I was hoping to break 4:00 off of Pfitz 18/55 in my last marathon in February. I broke my ankle right at the start of taper and didn't get to run it, so I don't know if I would have, but it felt feasible. I think it should definitely be enough of a plan for you to break 4:00, since the pace will be less aggressive for you than it was for me.
My wildly inconsistent PRs:
5k: 24:36 (10/20/12)
10k: 52:01 (4/28/12)
HM: 1:50:09 (10/27/12)
Marathon: 4:19:11 (10/2/2011)
What's your half PR, Jack?
Pfitz is good as long as you're able to keep up with his speedwork and mid-week med-LRs. If you skip them, then I don't see the point of going with Pfitz. The name alone isn't enough to make one fast... (not talking about you, I'm sure you can handle speedwork with no problem...)
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
You will never finish a marathon "comfortably" if you're doing it right. It sucks. However, the 18/55 plan is a good one.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Wrong. You finish marathons comfortably. But you race them uncomfortably.
I did this plan off 35 mpw base, and it was definitely manageable. I even got a 10 minute PR.
At this point, I think you can choose any plan that has you running consistently at around this level of mileage and break 4. But this is a good choice imo.
LtH: I know "comfortable" is a relative term. You and others have said the last six miles of a marathon are hell and I expect to be in distress. Instead of comfortable, perhaps I meant "standing up."
Thanks for the advice.
Drink up moho's!!
The plan is sound, just a lot of miles. Depending on your paces it might take up more time than you are willing to commit to.
I love the Pfitz plans. As to your marathon goal, I would wait until after the HM to see how you did. A HM of 1:49 would indicate a sub-4 marathon while a 1:55 might not, so it depends on how well you do this Sunday to at least know your parameters.
I had been running close to 55-65mpw when I started Pfitz 18/70 and thought it felt doable throughout, even through the first asthma issues. But the programs are tough so you need to be careful and listen to your body. Oh, and keep those recovery runs SLOW!
Good luck!
Damaris
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Docket: my PR is 1:44 and I know I can beat that right now on a flat course. My HM this weekend is incredibly hilly so I don't know. You know I am going to race it and try my best.
Jack, for my first marathon, my HM PR was 1:46. I had trained with Pfitz 18/55. I was on my way to a 3:40/3:45 finish time, but had a stroke while running, didn't finish the race. A few months later, I trained with the same plan, but I was in bad shape (anemia). My HM time trial was 1:50 and I finished my marathon, 4 weeks later, in 3:55. So I have no doubt that with your present 1:44 HM and the right training, you have a strong sub-4:00 in you.
Then sounds like sub-4 is reasonable but this weekend it should give you a better idea of where you are now. Good luck!
Mostly harmless
I loosely used this plan for my second marathon. I am an injury prone runner and started to have Achilles problems after some of the quality sessions so I either eliminated or changed most of those after the first few weeks. I ran all the miles in the plan, just not all of them at the prescribed pace. I changed most of the quality work outs to MP runs. My HM PR is 1:51 and I ran 3:54 in the marathon.
Any plan is just a starting point, it is up to you to make it fit your needs.
"It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi
Dumb question - is this plan available anywhere publicly, or do you just have to buy the book?
I just ran a 1:48 HM, plan to see if I can go sub-4 in a couple months based on my own personally designed haphazard excuse for a training plan. But after that, thinking about getting into a more formal plan for a fall marathon, and this seems like the one people gravitate toward.
Dave