Forums >Racing>Pfitz. Question 3
Slower but happier
I just picked up his Advanced Marathoning to think about using it 2018. I haven’t followed a plan recently but tend to just build my own using Daniels pacing/workouts and making it up as I go. Anyway, I usually do faster workouts like VO2Max earlier in the block then leave off of those and focus more on tempo/ MP runs later. Pfitz seems to flip that and put a good amount of VO2 right up to the taper. Maybe I missed it, but what is the rationale on this? How bad would I screw it up if I did more VO2 sooner and more MP later in the maybe misguided hope that I could raise the roof and end up w a faster tempo/MP pace. I know it’s probably wishful thinking.
TL;DR. For prior Pfitz plan followers, how do those late cycle vo2 workouts workout?
2020 goal: couch to 5K, currently working on the couch block
Hi TH,
I recall the rationale was to build base, tempo, then to tune up with the faster stuff closer to race date. I've had good success with the plan. i think its intuitive that you build tempo and MP through the first few cycles, then tune up with a little speed as you get closer. not sure that there is strong empirical basis for either approach, but as i've just said in another thread, there seems to be a lot of success for people using Pfitz.
the only other note i'd add is that as a masters runner I find that i tend to feel banged up (ie strains) from the VO2max stuff and races in last 8 weeks...I think if you get good volume and tempo/MP work in consistently, i'm not sure how critical the speedwork is...but i'm sure others here have opinions on it...
From one of the other recent Pfitz threads:
Regarding VO2max training there are two schools of thought. 1. VO2 max training isn't very specific to the marathon so best to do it early in the plan. 2. VO2 max training provides short-lived benefits so best to do it later in the plan.
Regarding VO2max training there are two schools of thought.
1. VO2 max training isn't very specific to the marathon so best to do it early in the plan.
2. VO2 max training provides short-lived benefits so best to do it later in the plan.
It's a tough plan and beat me up pretty good, but I didn't feel the late-cycle VO2max caused any particular problems. I did 3 Pfitz cycles and they worked out pretty well for me on race day.
Switch things around however you want, but then you're doing a different plan.
Dave
I've heard on a couple threads now that pfitz does tempo earlier, and fast stuff closer to the race. I've run pfitz 4 times now, and that's not how I see it. Pfitz does tempo early, and then later both tempo and fast stuff. 6,4,and 2 weeks before the marathon all call for races which are essentially tempo runs. Then usually on Tuesday following the ~10K-15K you do track work. I don't think I'd want to be doing both a difficult tempo run and a race the same week. Marathon pace runs are scattered throughout the program both early and late.
5k- 18:55 (2018) 10K- 39:04 (2017) Marathon- 3:00:10 (2018)