1st marathon training plan?

sans5souci

Hi guys!

To those of you that have completed a marathon, which training plan did you use that you would recommend to another first time marathoner? I will be running my first marathon Spring 2014 and need some suggestions so I can start training next month.
My 5k pace ranges from 7:47 to 8:36 but my mantra for the race will be "Conserve, conserve, conserve!" so I plan on running it at a 9:30 pace.

Any and all tips welcome!

heybales

Never used a specific training plan, just smart training based on recommendations from many sources through the years which they may have gotten from training plans, and only 1 overuse injury every cropped up, genetic though, and proper sole insert and I finished training.

Usually I get 6-8 weeks for marathon, because I've just finished something else, so just keeping a good base level of conditioning. Like 4 weeks now after a century bike ride, which is really pressing it for even me.

Only really need 4 days of running, even 3 is possible. Only need to hit 18 miles if potential for overtraining is possible.

Long weekend run, this is the one that keep increasing, lower aerobic HR zone. Slower than race pace.
Short 30 min slow run in morning before breakfast, for training the fat burning system better, fat-burning HR zone. This is optional run.
60 min upper aerobic HR zone.
40 min hill sprints mixed with true HIIT routine, alternating weeks. 10 min walk warm-up and 10 min cool-down.
Another day for upper body lifting and perhaps a calm spin class or your own bike/spin ride.

Rest day after the long day.
Rest day for legs after the sprint/interval day.

Don't increase that weekend mileage more than 10% of total weekly mileage. Keep the other runs time based. If you get faster at stated HR and cover more miles, then great training of your aerobic system, just what you need.

Here at the beginning, spend 2 weeks on the following program. You can put 2 weeks in later too.
Warm-up walk 5 min.
30 sec all out sprint, 4 min recovery level HR, may start out walking to recover fast than slow jog.
Repeat 4-7 times.
Cool-down walk 5 min.

Benefits from that SIT routine is all about endurance - http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/HIIT.html

About 2 months out from the race, do the following foot-time on your weekend run. Eat the day before as you would before race day. Eat same breakfast, wear same clothes, ect.
Divide your expected marathon finish time by 5 and make that x (250 min total = 50 = x)
Walk x - 10 min (40 min in example time you gave)
Run x + 15 min (65 min)
Walk x - 10 min (40 min)
Run x + 15 min (65 min)
Walk x - 10 min (40 min)

There, you just spent the same amount of time on your feet as the race will take. Tested all your stuff, eating, ect. Now no changes to equipment or routine that worked.
May need 2 rest days after this, though it is might calm actually, not bad overuse potential.
Could do this one again if desired to test new clothes or first one went bad and changed a bunch of stuff.

Another weekend, this will require 2 days, rest day before and after.
3 runs of 9 miles each, all within 24 hrs, about.
Morning and night, and next morning. Or night, and morning and evening next day.
There, just did the entire distance, hopefully at race pace.

The SIT, foot-time run, and 24-hr distance run are the 3 recommendations I try to squeeze in each training buildup to a marathon, actually any big endurance event, works on long rides and tri's too.

Miffylou

Bumping to keep for later. ????????