Looking for some advice from you running experts!
I’m committing myself to the 2020 WDW marathon and I’m shopping around for the right training program. Does anyone have any suggestions for marathon training programs I should look into? Ideally I’d love to be able to download an app on my phone to keep track of the daily workouts.
Thanks!
Late to seeing this but agree with others. Find something that fits your life, your past running history, your goals, etc. I think the most important part may be less which one of the great training plans you choose (Higdon, Galloway, Hansons, Daniels, McMillan, Pfitz, Fitzgerald), but making sure you read and understand the instructions. Most plans will have a handy calendar that says run 4 miles on M, 5 miles on W, 12 miles on Sa (just made up numbers), but in the instructions it will really explain how fast you should be running these, what kind of WU is involved, what you should be paying attention to during the run. I believe that's the key to the training plan. Less so the mileage, and more so how each day is executed. The biggest question you should be able to answer is, "Why am I doing this training run?". "What purpose does it serve?" Knowing why you're doing something makes you more invested in it.
Me personally, I advocate for custom training plans. Something written around your schedule, your life, your history, your current fitness, your past results, your injury history, etc. Fit the training plan around you and your life and not the other way around. Of course when it comes to a marathon training plan, my ideas might seem wildly counterintuitive. Aim to not exceed 150 min for a continuous runner or 180 min for a run/walker. For some that may end up being 20 miles, but others that may mean a max of 11-12 miles. How could one possibly run 26.2 miles on race day while only running 11 miles max in training. How can I also concurrently spend 80% of my training about 20% slower than my marathon goal pace? So I'm going to run slow and train for far less in a single run than I will on race day? And the funny thing is it does work as a method. It isn't easy, but it does work. The basis of which is in physiology more so than anything. But when you get in the nitty gritty of many of the other plans and their instructions/books you may find that these concepts aren't all wildly counterintuitive, but rather echoed by many others.
Here's a series of posts that I think would be helpful in evaluating training plans:
Training Load
-A longer thread from earlier in 2018:
The Beginner's Guide to Stravistix or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the TRIMP (started by
@kleph)
-An explantation of the terminology and whether "Fitness" = Pace:
"Fitness" and "Fatigue"
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More isn't always better
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Finally figured out how to apply the mathematical formula of Stress Score, "Fitness" and "Fatigue"
Now the parts that will be more interesting.
Training Load Calculations on Different Training Plans for Different Fitness Profiles
-Covers the following scenarios.
--4 hour runner vs 6 hour runner using traditional Galloway Advanced Marathon
--4 hour runner choosing between traditional Galloway Advanced Marathon and a hybrid with 4 days per week but minimized long run
--6 hour runner choosing between traditional Galloway Advanced Marathon and a hybrid with 4 days per week but minimized long run
--4 hour runner vs 5 hour runner using Hansons Advanced
--4 hour runner vs 5 hour runner using Hansons Advanced; Determining appropriate Base training
--4 hour runner vs 5 hour runner using Hansons Advanced; A Secondary method to make Hansons Advanced appropriate for 5 hr runner
Training Load Calculations on Different Training Plans for Different Fitness Profiles: Part 2
--Covers the following scenarios.
--4 hour runner choosing between Hansons Advanced and Higdon Advanced 2
--4 hour runner missing the last long run in Hansons Advanced: What truly happens to training load when you miss the last big training day???
--4 hour runner missing the entire peak week in Hansons Advanced: What truly happens to training load when you miss the entire peak week???
--4 hour runner who chooses to increase the long run in Hansons Advanced because 16 is just too short
4 hour marathon runner choosing between Hansons Advanced and Hansons Beginner
Training Load Calculations (What happens when the next cycle starts?): Part 3
--Runner decides to follow up 18 week Hansons Advanced with another 18 week Hansons Advanced starting right after the Marathon ends
--Runner decides to follow up 18 week Hansons Advanced with another 18 week Hansons Advanced starting 2 weeks after the Marathon ends and takes some time off
--Runner decides to follow up 18 week Hansons Advanced with 12 week Hansons Advanced starting 2 weeks after the Marathon ends and takes some time off
--Runner decides to follow up 18 week Hansons Advanced with 10 week Hansons Advanced starting 2 weeks after the Marathon ends and takes some time off
--Runner decides to follow up 18 week Hansons Advanced with 12 week Hansons Advanced starting right after the Marathon ends
2019 Training: A Macro View