Skirt Runner
I'm surprised there has been no obligatory mmmmm bop or hockey bros photo as of yet.
Lol!
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
Might be worth picking up a book or two to understand the general philosophy, purpose of each workout type and how they fit into marathon training, etc and then map out a modified plan closer to when you'll start training to suit the mileage/intensity that you'll be able to handle? Or do something like pick a Higdon novice plan as a skeleton, pad the midweek mileage a bit and put in some quality components. If that's more work than you want to do you could possibly find a coach-type person to put together a plan for you. I'm also planning to base build over the winter. If I can magically get to 50mpw and stay there all spring I'll be thrilled, but I'm more just hoping to get to 40 and go from there.
Might be worth picking up a book or two to understand the general philosophy, purpose of each workout type and how they fit into marathon training, etc and then map out a modified plan closer to when you'll start training to suit the mileage/intensity that you'll be able to handle? Or do something like pick a Higdon novice plan as a skeleton, pad the midweek mileage a bit and put in some quality components. If that's more work than you want to do you could possibly find a coach-type person to put together a plan for you.
I'm also planning to base build over the winter. If I can magically get to 50mpw and stay there all spring I'll be thrilled, but I'm more just hoping to get to 40 and go from there.
This is a good idea but may be tough to do alone. I don't think I can afford a coach....that's what I loved about running wizard though.... Custom to your needs.
I have used Running Wizard and like it, but Running Wizard is no more, sadly. Apparently Hansons is very similar. I will be running my first full in just over a year, so I have lots of time to decide, however I think whatever plan I chose I want to do the half marathon version of the plan for the spring first to get used to how things are structured, and build my base high enough for whatever plan I choose so I do want to start thinking about this now. Those that have done Hansons what did you think? Would you do it again? Did you purchase the plan online or take it from the book? Have you done the e-coaching offered online? Thanks!
I have used Running Wizard and like it, but Running Wizard is no more, sadly. Apparently Hansons is very similar. I will be running my first full in just over a year, so I have lots of time to decide, however I think whatever plan I chose I want to do the half marathon version of the plan for the spring first to get used to how things are structured, and build my base high enough for whatever plan I choose so I do want to start thinking about this now.
Those that have done Hansons what did you think? Would you do it again? Did you purchase the plan online or take it from the book? Have you done the e-coaching offered online?
Thanks!
As you mentioned, good thing is that you have plenty of time to figure things out. I guess my answers are similar to Fuzzy's except I only did Hansons for 1 marathon. When I started the plan, it was to be my first marathon in over 3 years, and I was maybe just over a year into a comeback after 1.5 years mostly off. Prior to starting a marathon plan for that fall, I did a bunch of races from 5k-half marathon, using Hudsonesque training. I guess the mmmmbop boys were getting some attention at the time I started researching marathon plans, and what drew me in was the style of workouts. It just appealed to me. I purchased the 60-80mpw week plan on the Hansons Coaching Services website, so the comparison to the beginner plan might be a bit different since I had a lot of weeks in the 70-80 range with many 20-milers. As others have mentioned, the plan is very solid, but you need to work your ass off.
I hit a huge PR, so obviously I'm really happy with the result, but more than that I felt it prepared me to run a really strong race, and again, I like the style of training. Yes, I would do it again. I started working online with one of their coaches this past spring, and have had some great results so far. I don't have much of a review on that so far, and I likely would have made similar gains with one of their canned plans. You don't seem interested in that though, so I won't go on.
I am a bit leery of the beginner plan, mostly because it looks like a couch to finishing style plan. If you go that route, I would skip the first 5-6 weeks and just build my own base and then jump into the plan. If you are really interested, then checking out one of the half plans (either from the book/run shop website, or by purchasing one from the coaching website) may be a good introduction. Then if you don't like the workouts/philosophy you can go to your backup plan for your subsequent marathon. However, I think the comments about your mileage are valid. Although the plan on the run shop website starts from the couch, it does seem to take you up to about mid-40s in the thick of the plan. The beginner plan on the coaching site indicates that it goes from 16 to 40 miles over 18 weeks, so that may be a bit more conservative and it likely sticks to the same principles. I haven't seen it, but the sample week looks indicative of Hansons style training. Keep in mind though that even this sample week of 39 miles has you running 6 days per week.
Peace out
I still think Hanson's is a great program, and they prepared me well to run my marathon. I just need to work on getting better at actually running the marathon that I've prepared for.
I don't know that it would be a great fit for you just in the sense that, compared to other marathon plans, I suspect it has a greater amount of midweek mileage and a lighter load of mileage on the weekends. With your schedule, that seems like the opposite of what would work best.
I think you need to worry less about which plan to use and worry more about increasing your mileage.
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).
Good advice and it appears she is. I would argue that researching plans and getting input from others before attempting them is a good thing.
Currently im very comfortble running in the mid to high 20s per week and am trying to get myself into the 30s but I am not yet in the 40s and woukd want to work up to that over the next several months. I don't think I will be there yet for 6 consecutuve months before starting a plan.
One of my favourite parts of training is reading all the potential plans. Maybe I shouldn't even run. I'll just spend my time making my calendar look pretty with all these fancy runs
Check out Hansons, and as others have mentioned check out Higdon and Pfitz. I started Pfitz 18/55 on 35-40 average going in and it was manageable.
Rather than blindly following any plan, I think a much better route is to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Look at various plans but then develop your own plan based on those strengths and weaknesses.
Here's a comparison of several plans.
I still think that Higdon is unmitigated garbage. Even the "advanced" plan is setting you up for an uncomfortable marathon -- none of the mid-week fluff supports the LR.
Agreed that more miles are good, and then look at maybe Hansons beginner or Pfitz 55 (with the option to decrease intensity on speedwork but not mileage if you're feeling overwhelmed.)
I think the section called "suitability comparison" could be debated (after all it is one guy's opinion) but that link is a good read.
Here's a comparison of several plans. I still think that Higdon is unmitigated garbage. Even the "advanced" plan is setting you up for an uncomfortable marathon -- none of the mid-week fluff supports the LR. Agreed that more miles are good, and then look at maybe Hansons beginner or Pfitz 55 (with the option to decrease intensity on speedwork but not mileage if you're feeling overwhelmed.)
My first marathon, using Higdon Intermediate, was the most comfortable of all of my four marathons. Because I paced it super conservatively. Is it the best plan if you want to run your best race? No. But for someone who is barely averaging 10-15 miles per week, it's probably the best option.
I think the issue right now is how to get to the point where you are ready for a marathon training plan. Maybe Higdon will not get you ready for a marathon, but will it get you ready for marathon training? Since she has a year, maybe use something Higdon as a guide for base-building. What's nice is they are all free online, so you can compare them to get an idea where to start based on your current mileage. Many of his plans don't have any speedwork at all, which may be appropriate at this point. Then after ~6 months if she is >40mpw, look at something like Hansons Beginner or Pfitz 55 for the race.
Kristin - I'm sure it's a good idea to read the Pfitz & Hansons books, but at this stage it can all get pretty overwhelming. If you are going to pick one, I think Hansons is a bit less in-depth & somewhat more geared to the beginner. Of course they have differences in training philosophies, but either will give you a lot of the basics in terms of the benefits of different types of workouts.
Dave
Formerly sdnyc99
Hey Kristin!
This is the first time I've come to RA in a loooooong time. Figured I'd jump in by answering your question.
Like others said, Hanson is an incredibly tough plan, even the beginner's. It's intense and takes 6 days/week of running. The mileage feels easy and doable at the beginning, but ramps up quickly. I've attempted to train with Hansons twice and gave up midway both times...I just didn't have the dedication. This past training cycle (for Chicago), I followed Hansons beginner plan about 1/2 way through my training then gave up and started modifying it for myself and cross-trained the hell out of my legs. I do think that if I was able to follow it completely, I'd have been much stronger and faster, but I was happy with what I got.
I'd love to one day be able to follow the plan beginning to end and dedicate myself to doing the workouts well. I've read the marathon book cover to cover a couple of times and I really believe in their approach. But it'll have to come at a time in my life that isn't busy with work and family stuff.
I used Higdon's beginner and intermediate for my first 2 marathons and was satisfied with them. Your goal should be to finish your first happy, having had a ton of fun, and standing upright. Higdon's can get you there.
Angela
Former Bad Ass
Oh, my. I forgot the best part of my Chicago experience. I met Hal Higdon! Except he was just sitting there basically comatose and no matter how many times I asked a question, he said uh huh and stayed in Higdon land. He was a like a zombie. Maybe he is too old to be signing books at expos?
Damaris
It really is about your goals. For my first I used a toned down (yes, a toned down) version of Higdon's Novice I, but it was my most comfortable marathon and my only negative split. My only goals were to have fun, finish and run the whole way. My marathon was not fast (5:00:01), but that plan got me there, smiling at the finish and eager to run another.
For Nos 2 and 3, I made up my own plans -- roughly using the weekly mileage and long run schedule from HIdgon's Intermediate plan, but beefing up my mid-week run and adding a little speed work.. I was happy with my performance both times on race day, but my times were still pretty slow (4:43 and 4:38).
Now I'm using Pfitz's 18/55 for #4, and, at week 11, I feel like it is beating me down. If I could do it all over again, I think I would have used his 12/55 plan and just added a couple of weeks. 18 weeks is seemingly like an eternity. But, I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks. If I don't see a pretty dramatic improvement this time, I'll feel like a bit of a chump for not just sticking with what I was doing before, but maybe adding a few extra miles.
Life is good.