I make my own plans based on what I've learned about my own body/endurance from 14 years of running
and 10 years of halfs and now 2 years of fulls.
For the last 18 months or so I've been basing my planning off Hudson's book and have PR's in all my
marathons (and all other distances) so I'm happy with how it's working out for me.
I don't use the plans in the book per sey but I take his theories and apply them to myself with the
workload I can handle without injury and have time for.
Super B****
Plans generally haven't worked for me in the past... you would think that flying by the seat of your pants wouldn't work very well, either, but I've gotten much better results that way. And fewer injuries. So until that stops working, I'm just going to stick with it.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Mostly harmless
I didn't vote because I've only used two plans. One from MarathonRookie.com which got me across the finish line but just barely and I'm currently semi-using Pftiz 18/55. I say semi-using because I'm getting in all the miles but I've skipped a lot of the speed work to try and avoid injury. I still have 7 weeks to go so the jury is still out, but I hope to PR by quite a bit over my first.
"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
I'm an 18 week Pfitz girl so far, but I modify his plan quite a bit. I don't adhere to his build up phase. Instead, I pad the plan with easy miles and thus try to hold steady at a certain mileage for the duration of the training cycle (one peak week, though). I don't run the doubles called for and instead lengthen out my recovery runs a hair (I can't run doubles with my kiddos' schedule right now). I am running (and I'm planning on continuing to run) more MP miles than he calls for in his plan. I am also flexible with the work outs. I went out to run 11 GA on Tuesday and my legs felt great, so I ran faster instead and then will turn a subsequent planned MLR into a GA one. I run > 20+ milers than he calls for. What I do, though, is definitely try to run all the quality runs that he calls for (tempos, LRs w/MP miles, intervals) and I try to follow the general flow of his plan (recovery, MLR/speed, MLR, recovery, MLR, recovery, LR) day-to-day.
What's the best training plan for you at one point in time may not be the best training plan later on. Higdon Intermediate worked great for me when I was trying to build my mileage to run my first half and first marathon. I had good luck with Pfitz's HM plan B when I was ready to introduce some speedwork. Now I'm trying Hansons Advanced. I don't know that it's the BEST plan for me. It certainly doesn't fit my personality or how I like to train but I'm getting used to it. We'll find out how it works in the spring. But before this year I know wouldn't have been able to handle it.
I don't really use a plan. If I'm looking at marathon training, I do look at the way Higdon spaces the long runs, but that's pretty much it.
I voted for other. I have someone helping me and I mix that with my past experience in training. After 10 marathons, I sort of have a good idea of what works well for me and most importantly, what I enjoy doing.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Not quite right
I voted other because I did use a plan as a guide .In my short running life the one time I did use a plan I found a couple that had what I was looking for and adjusted to me. Pretty much I found most of the beginner HM plans were real conservative and the intermediate had more speed work than I wanted. So worked from there . Do look forward to using some core parts of Hudson's training when I get back on my feet. I find his concepts fit me good.
I'm using the purchased Hanson Marathon 20 week 40-60 miles per week plan for the Shamrock and feel that it is doing me lots of good. I'll repeat the latter ~7 week portion of it for the Lake Wobegon marathon which is 7 weeks after the Shamrock.
I've been sticking fairly strictly to the plan with the exception of adding some miles in on the one SRD and also on the Saturday easy days.
For Chicago I may continue with this one, beefing it up a bit and skipping the initial build-up and speed work intro phases, or I may purchase the next plan higher up which is a ~70 mpw plan if I remember right. I'll just have to wait for the results of my upcoming two marathons before I make up my mind.
I used to be very strict with following one plan or another. I always seemed to have a race scheduled, or if I didn't, my base miles went way down. This winter, I have been doing my own thing and trying to maintain 30 or so mpw. I've discovered that I really enjoy running without a plan. I thought my quality runs would suffer, but in actuality, it's just my long run that has been limited.
Asa far as the best plan for me? I have no idea. That's part of the mystique of training - trying to figure out what your potential might be.
PRs:
5k: 25:05 (Sep 2011) 10k: 51:57 (Aug 2012) half: 1:56:46 (May 2013) full: 4:09:46 (Jan 2016)
Proud Calgarian
I put "other" because I can't grasp what my coach is doing right now with the workouts that she is getting me to do. I've gone on about paces and this and that, but I got back the following response from her:
"I've got the plan covered to get you to these events and you are following it! We have lots of time to tune you up. You worry too much about the little details!"
So there, I should just go and run!
2015 Goals and PRs:
5k - 17:59 (18:05); 10k - 35:59 (36:42); HM - 1:19:19 (1:19:59); FM - 2:49:59 (3:05:46)
miscreant
For "me"? The best training plan for "me"?
I'm happy, hope you're happy too...
delicate flower
I was thinking of tackling a Pfitz plan before my injury. Looking back the plan my coach put together for my marathon this past May, I can see it most closely resembled a scaled back 18/55 plan. I wanted to give 18/70 a go this time but that'll have to wait at least another year.
<3
No more marathons
I make my own plans based on what I've learned about my own body/endurance from years of running I don't use the plans in the book per sey but I take his theories and apply them to myself with the workload I can handle without injury and have time for.
I make my own plans based on what I've learned about my own body/endurance from years of running
+1 - mostly what one mother said.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!