YAYpril - B-Plus
I'm registered for my first marathon on September 8. It's very local (the HM starts less than 3 miles from my house, at the marathon halfway point - it's a point-to-point course) and it was my first HM in 2011.
www.viamarathon.org
So, I've been thinking about training plans. I own Glover's Competitive Runner's Handbook, Pfitz's Advanced Marathoning, and Hudson's Run Faster (although I haven't read it yet). I'm not concerned about racing this one since it's my first; I just want to finish upright and with a smile on my face, hopefully without a death march. I realize that training in the Eastern Pennsylvania summer will be difficult, but I also have a running partner who will be training for Chicago who will have no problem meeting me at 5:30 on a Saturday morning to run 20 miles.
I've run 4 HMs (my 5th is in 3 weeks) and my 2013 weekly mile average is 32 (including a couple low weeks and two 40-mile weeks) so I feel sure I'll be ready to start training for my marathon after my HM. I don't do a lot of quality work because speedwork intimidates me. I've looked at Pfitz's 18/55 and truthfully it scares the hell out of me because of the amount of quality work, and the fact that I'll be doing most of this between June and August. I've glanced at Glover's marathon plans and the one that peaks at 50 miles doesn't seem awful. The one Hudson plan I looked at in the book at started at 15 miles per week (???).
I'm a slow runner (long runs around 10:30mm, will be slower in the summer, PRs are in my sig) so running 60, 70, 80 mile weeks isn't feasible right now. My log is public if you want to take a glance.
I realize I'm rambling. Does anyone have any advice or insight?
I think Pfitz 18/55 is doable in your case, so it shouldn't scare you. I love the Pfitz plans so I'm biased to him.
Good luck on your first!
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
I only know Pfitz. Your mileage seems reasonable for the 18/55, but if you don't like speedwork, or are not ready to handle it on a weekly basis, then I don't see the point of going with him. Do other plans skip speedwork completely? I can't imagine doing that... My feeling is that in the end, most plans are similar, if they include some type of speedwork and about the same weekly mileage. Good luck!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Ball of Fury
Have you thought about a Hanson plan? I think either the advanced or beginner would be doable for you. I just find their plans very easy to follow. Yes, there is speedwork but it's consistent from week to week and just seems simpler to follow than some other plans. I also like that the longest run tops out at 16 miles, which is consistent with the general guideline of 25-30% of your weekly mileage.
PRs: 5K 22:59, 10K 46:54,HM: 1:51:15
If you don't like speedwork, you will hate Hansons. I did (do?).
I used Higdon Intermediate II for my first. No speedwork, lots of easy running. I felt plenty prepared to run the marathon.
On the other hand, speedwork isn't as scary once you get used to it. And now I feel like I wouldn't know what to do with a plan that had only easy miles.
I am slightly leaning toward Pfitz, because I've heard a lot of It's the Best Plan for a Marathon... but I've also heard people using it and then getting injured because of the intensity. I have two friends who got injured while training for their first marathons and couldn't run them. I don't want to end up like them.
Lily, I don't have the book in front of me but I know Glover's plan has speedwork. It's just not all "9 miles with 5 miles at HMP," then doing 8 miles with 10x100 strides 3 days later, that sort of thing. More like a tempo run one week and hill repeats the next.
Ami, I looked at Hanson's plans and I know I wouldn't be confident running just 16 miles as my longest run. 10 miles "in unknown territory" so to speak would be almost 2 more hours... and the IDEA of their training makes sense, but I don't think it would be viable for me. I would really need at least one 22-miler so that when race day came, at 22 miles I would know that even though I'm now in unknown territory, I still have less than an hour to go. Does that make sense? It's all psychological, I know.
Yeah, I try to do at least something once a week - even if it's just fartleks (hehe, fartlek). It's a numbers thing for me. If some mystical internet being (McMillan) tells me to run xx miles at xx pace, I think "holy shit, there's no way" and psych myself out.
It's scary!
If you don't like speedwork, you will hate Hansons. I did (do?). I used Higdon Intermediate II for my first. No speedwork, lots of easy running. I felt plenty prepared to run the marathon. On the other hand, speedwork isn't as scary once you get used to it. And now I feel like I wouldn't know what to do with a plan that had only easy miles.
I did the same for my first. If you feel like you want to add a bit of speedwork, it is easy to use Higdon Int II and add 3-5 tempo miles onto the midweek run. IMO, for a first marathon, tempo/HMP runs of up to 6 miles at that pace are a great way to gain confidence and feel strong.
20,000 miles behind me, the world still to see.
Yeah, I try to do at least something once a week - even if it's just fartleks (hehe, fartlek). It's a numbers thing for me. If some mystical internet being (McMillan) tells me to run xx miles at xx pace, I think "holy shit, there's no way" and psych myself out. It's scary!
I always worry 'how am I possibly going to run x pace??' - in fact that's how I spend my warm up miles before any faster running. But then I always manage it. Give it a try and see how it goes. You might surprise yourself.
KillJoyFuckStick
The "best" plan is the one that works for you and that you can work; Pfitz, Hudson, Hidgon, Run More/Run Less/Run Further/Run Faster/Run Drunk or whatever.
You people have issues
Now that last one sounds like my kinda plan!
April,
It makes perfect sense! Truthfully, I am a bit nervous about it myself!
I BQ'd using Higdon Intermediate 2 last fall. I chose it because I too was intimidated by speedwork. It worked for me, but a funny thing happened after. I decided to take a break from distance training and ran a bunch of 5ks "just for fun". And realized I was getting faster. And then someone pointed out that I was basically doing speedwork every weekend. Then a friend pointed out that based on those races, I should be able to run a much faster marathon. Now I'm 14 weeks into Hansons advanced plan. Before each "hard" workout I think no way can I do that. And then I do and feel amazing. And am shooting for a 15+ minute PR.
Long story short: you can run a good marathon without speedwork and if that's what you want to do for your first, that's perfectly fine. You can run an even better one with it. You will surprise yourself.
Coaching testimonial: "Not saying my workout was hard but KAREN IS EVIL."
Upcoming races: Hennepin Hundred - October 2024
Check out my website and youtube channel
I just do Pfitz, because the name sounds cool and it also sounds German, so it's gotta make me fast. Glover is an actor and the Hanson brothers, aren't they singers or something? Higdon is hard to pronounce for my French self. And Hudson is a river. My choice is all very logical, as you can see.
kidding... :-)
Fatty McFatFat
Our PRs are pretty similar. I ran Richmond last November. I used Hudson (Run Faster). My first week was definitely not 15 miles; looking back it was 53, but I think that was because I ran extra from the end of another HM training cycle. Hudson has three levels per race distance - I think I did the middle level? Even with missing runs due to vacation and sickness I ended up feeling comfortable crossing the finish line.