Plan for Marathon

antennachick

Could someone point me in the right direct of a plan for a marathon? Just completed my first half (actually it was 14.5) trail run. I would like to do a few more halves this year and then try in a year (next fall) for a marathon. But there are so many plans out there, which one has worked for you?
I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis off and on so I want to keep that under control as much as possible. Usually I don't have issues until I forget to stretch or wear cheap shoes (outside of running), but I still want to go slow with my training to avoid issues. I have already been fitted for shoes and insoles ect.

lporter229

Lots of things to consider when choosing a plan, so a bit more info might help. The obvious questions are:

How long have you been running and what is your current weekly mileage?
How many days per week do you currently run? plan to run during training?
What is your goal for the marathon? Time goal or just to finish?
Is this going to be a trail marathon or road marathon?

If you are relatively new to running, are currently running less than 25-30 miles per week and are looking just to finish a road marathon, then I would look at one of Hal Higdon's novice plans. They are very popular with first time marathoners.

spiriteagle99

I did Higdon for all three of my marathons, starting with the Intermediate 2, then the Advanced, then back to the Intermediate 2. (I was more comfortable with 5 days a week instead of 6.) They matched the level of running I was used to when I started (35 mpw). If you are running less, then you'd want one of the Novice plans. OTOH, you have time to build your base so you are comfortable starting a program at 35-40 mpw.

Because of a history of injury, I wanted a program that did not require a lot of speedwork. If you are used to doing a lot of speedwork, then Pfitzinger is very popular. Hanson is even more demanding. I am an older runner (60 atm) so I preferred Higdon's cut back weeks. I figured getting to the start line healthy was a bigger priority than finishing the race fast.

SweatsOnSunday

I like the Hal Higdon plans. I'm in week 7 of a marathon one now. And I agree with @spiriteagle99, I'm trying to avoid flaring up an old injury, so I wanted to stay away from speedwork.

mfpchris

I used "The Run Formula" couch to marathon: http://www.therunformula.com/free-marathon-training-plan/

spiriteagle99

mfpchris wrote: »

I used "The Run Formula" couch to marathon: http://www.therunformula.com/free-marathon-training-plan/

That's an interesting plan, but is not good for slow runners. It does the long run by time, which for me would mean only one 17 mile run and the rest at 12 or 13. That's true even for the Experienced Level. I really don't think that's enough. More volume means more endurance, which is essential for a marathon.

MeanderingMammal

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

mfpchris wrote: »

I used "The Run Formula" couch to marathon: http://www.therunformula.com/free-marathon-training-plan/

That's an interesting plan, but is not good for slow runners. It does the long run by time, which for me would mean only one 17 mile run and the rest at 12 or 13. That's true even for the Experienced Level. I really don't think that's enough. More volume means more endurance, which is essential for a marathon.

I'd agree, they all look like a recipe for a really painful experience.

Interesting that they're pitching a Couch to Marathon plan that assumes you can run for 50 minutes.

AutumnBlue4

I have used Mastering the Marathon: Time-Efficient Training Secrets For The 40-Plus Athlete by Don Fink for both of my marathons (I wasn't even over 40 for the first one) and I really liked the plan. There are options depending on how much you currently run and whether you want to add cross training in or not and how many days you want to train. He also goes by times rather than distance or pace which I really liked for a change.

tomaattikastike

If you click through to the details of the "Experienced" plan, you can see both distance and time estimates.

For example, the peak weekly mileage is 55 miles, and the total running time for that week is 8:12 hours. That's an average pace of around 8'55" per mile - I guess, being a week with high mileage, that would be appropriate for a marathon race pace of around 7'30" minutes per mile, or a goal marathon time of maybe 3:15. If that's way off your intended goal pace, than this "Experienced" plan is probably not a good fit. The plans are somewhat mislabelled, as experience does not equate to speed, and neither does 2'55" make someone "Elite". And the "couch to marathon" plan assumes that someone with no prior running experience can start, in week one, with four runs between 38 to 47 minutes run - any true beginner who makes it through those four runs is very likely to get injured. Running takes a lot of adaptation.

I would, however, also not generally advise plans that include long runs of much more than 3 hours for beginners, even if the goal marathon time is 4 hours or more - apart from training the metabolism, that can also get very taxing on muscles and joints.

spiriteagle99

tomaattikastike wrote: »

I would, however, also not generally advise plans that include long runs of much more than 3 hours for beginners, even if the goal marathon time is 4 hours or more - apart from training the metabolism, that can also get very taxing on muscles and joints.

That depends on how easily you recover from your long runs. I never had an issue with that, though I have a very hard time actually doing them. I can do a 3 hour run and be ready to run again the next day. OTOH, if you take days to recover, then doing a shorter long run makes sense. As a slow runner, I was very glad to have had 3 1/2 hour long runs as part of my training. I did three 20 milers before my first marathon. Even so, on race day I still fell apart at mile 20, though a lot of that was because I set out too fast. Time on your feet helps prepare you for how long a marathon feels, especially at the end.

SchweddyGirl

There are so many plans out there, that really you just need to research through them and pick the one that you think will work with your current running level and schedule. I have ran 2 marathons, and both times I used the one that my local running store compiled for the group (it was an adaption of a Higdon with optional speed workouts for the advanced runners). They even comprised a recent schedule to work alongside a road series that happens during the same time of year.

I personally like the Higdon plans, as well as the Coach Jenny plans. But, like I said. The schedule you need is one that will work for you. A good one is one that incorporates a natural and safe distance increase, includes XT time (trust me, you will need it for your marathon training), and adequate rest...whether in the form of days off or low mileage/time recovery days.

bjderhak

Im kinda late to this post.. but I am currently training for my first marathon (jan 28 2018) I researched EVERYthing I could find online and ended up making up my own plan based on what I know about myself, my goals, and a world of information. I figured that it was the best way to keep me motivated, keep me (semi) injury free and get me where I want to be.

7lenny7

@bjderhak I'm a self planner as well. I had an experienced friend develop my HM plan, but I created my own marathon, 50K and 50M plans. I'm not trying to break any records, just get through it as injury-free as possible.

Orphia

I used the Strava Premium training plan for runs 4-5 times a week and tweaked it depending on how my body was behaving as time passed.

I also referred to @Stoshew71 's awesome "Gripes on Training Plans":

http://therunningstan.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/my-gripes-on-training-plans.html