Who doesn't follow a "cookie cutter" training program?

Barefoot Gentile

Barefoot Gentile

Barefooters
Apr 5, 2010
1,947
1,226
113
53
Fairfield, CT
#1
I am running my second marathon in May 11'. For my first I followed a Higdon plan, for this second one I really just want to go with it on my own. I really didn't like the feeling of being tied to down to specific training plan. I have been contemplating on following the Pfizter 18/55 plan. (Advanced marathon training is a fantastic book btw). But I am a bit skeptical because it's a very intense plan, and right now my personal life is super busy, and don't think I want to max out at 55 miles per week. I am not really concerned about being a speed demon for this marathon, I do want to come under 4 hours, which I will. I am shooting for 3:55. I just want to beat my lousy time of 4:16 from my first one. (lousy for me because i went into the marathon injured, and was very dissappointed with my time)

I know the basics marathon training, when to cut back, taper, and what key workouts to do, so I just might do my own training. Bottom line is just run, and increase mileage, and the LR are very important.

Who else does not follow a training plan?
 
#2
 I don't...but I've yet to

I don't...but I've yet to run in a "real" race...but when I do in the new year, I don't really care what my time is...I do this to have fun, and if I'm not having fun I don't do it....I run when I want to, how I want to....
 
#5
 I do have a highly

I do have a highly competitive nature, that age has somewhat tempered...but I try to keep my running fun...when I get competitive, someone almost always gets hurt, and it's usually me ;-)

I find it creeping in though...but the truth of running for me is that with everything else I do, I will never have enough time (and more likely the dedication, talent, time left in life) to run with the elites ;-)....even though I often fantasize about running a marathon in 2 hours :-D...I innitially never really considered doing "real events"...but reading everything on here, it just sounds like a lot of fun to run these things with a bunch of other people who like to run too!



I will never be the fastest dude out there, but I don't think I'll be slowest either...and it's not about anyone else anyway, it's about the experience. I just want to see what is possible in this life for me, without judgement or condemnation for my self....I want to see what my body can do, with what resources I have. That, and I've never really been that good at "following plans" anyway, they are too inorganic for me. I'd rather let things play out naturally.
 
#6
Mike,  I am very familiar

Mike, I am very familiar with the FIRST program, not my cup of tea though. I don't like the idea of running only 3 days a week, plus I don't want to do that much cross-training. I definitely want to run more. People have had alot of success with "run less" plans. I know people who have BQ'ed on them. Thanks!



I definitely will max out at least 45 miles per week, all depends how my body handles things. 50 would be awesome.
 
#7
Nate:  Right on!     I am

Nate: Right on! I am turning 40 years old in 6 days, and yes I have mellowed a bit, but always will have this inner competitiveness, it's good to have. Running a 2 hour marathon!! forget it for me. I am truly blown away of what these elite marathoners are doing now and the times they are achieving, it's crazy. "inorganic" i like that.
 
#8
I haven't followed a training

I haven't followed a training program in over a year and like Nate, just run for fun.

During my regular runs, I never have a set distance or time that I have to meet which has lifted a tremendous amount of pressure off my shoulders. I will race once in a while but most of the races I enter I am just there to keep a friend company.

I also don't do speedwork but rather will challenge (and be challenged) by those that are running with me. Far more fun then sprinting around a track.

Next year I am thinking of taking a serious shot at a BQ and am considering following the Pftiz 75 plan. There's a website called roadtoboston (doesn't appear to be working atm) that has the plans online and lets you customize it a bit.
 
#9
edited to delete a double

edited to delete a double posting
 
#10
Shacky, thanks for that site

Shacky, thanks for that site I will check it out. You have some fantastic marathon times. I fully think you can BQ, when you decided to take that challenge.

This is really ironic by the subject of my post, but I went to a local barnes & noble on my lunch break, and just happened to see this book by Matt Fitzgerald called "The Mind-body Method of running by feel" I wanted to stay there and read the whole thing, I will definitely be picking it up. There is tons of info in there but it's bascially about training by feel and listening to your body.
 
#11
Mine is definitely no cookie

Mine is definitely no cookie cutter, I make up my own schedules and play around with it adjusting to my needs and road blocks. This is it in a nutshell, subject to change https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Atyb-evOnbYFdFN1TGRjVHJfRnRVQi1QZHZ3ekZabVE&hl=en#gid=0
 
#12
Adam - forget it.  Just found

Adam - forget it. Just found out the domain expired in late 2009.



Marathon Times still has their article on Pfitz posted though and includes the schedule. Just won't spit out a customized spreadsheet like the other site did: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4432&PageNum=1
 
#13
Hills, Base training,

Hills, Base training, Intervals, taper- with Long runs through out all phases,



In that order.



Dont really do any hard running during base training...this could be a 3-6 month period depending on what size of base you are going for and what you are starting at. Run hills for 8 weeks before entering Base phase and then drop in, cut some miles and enter Interval work (hard track workouts), then taper while cutting miles but still holding intensity. Then Win. Atleast this is my plan
 
#14
Shacky:  Thanks for the

Shacky: Thanks for the link. I bought Pfizter's book awhile ago, even if someone doesn't want to follow his marathon plans, i personally think it's one of the best marathon books out there. And about Boston, it closed out real quick. I think they are getting alot of heat about that, I read that they are considering about lowering the BQ times even more in two years.



Burt: You pretty much summed it up. One thing I don't have to worry about is hills, I live in a very hilly area I can't avoid them, in fact I live on top of a hill. I have to run a 1/2 mile downhill to start my run, and 1/2 mile up hill on the end of my run. That up hill run to my house after a tempo run, or long run can be brutal, but it saves me from boredom at a track. Hillwork=speedwork.
 
#15
Here is the "Danjo Fully

Here is the "Danjo Fully Costumizable Workout Designed for You and You only by Our Fancy Pants Algorithms" workout:

If you want to finish the race; run a lot.

If you want to do well in the race; run a lot, and do speedwork sometimes.

Listen to your body for how much "a lot" and "sometimes" are supposed to be. If you can't possibly concieve how much "a lot" would be, run as far as you can, and figure it out from there.

This is the exact workout regimen I plan to follow for the rest of my life, and to get that 2 hour marathon (just kidding, I can't run one mile much under 6:00, I doubt I'll ever be able to run 26 of them at around 4:30.)

That book about listening to yourself sounds like just the right thing. It will help you figure out the complexities of my workout plan, haha. I think you will pretty much figure out your own perfect workout plan eventually if you listen to yourself and change things up every once in a while. And hills only count as speedwork if you're going kinda fast, though I'd definitely say they count if your pushing them. I would suggest maybe running some as thier own workout sometimes.
 
#16
I don't think following a

I don't think following a plan necessarily means "competitive" and planning by feel is not competitive. Even if one does not follow a plan, one can still follow principles of training.
 
#17
I basically started running

I basically started running this year at age 47. A few years ago, I started running for the first time, ran for a few months and did a 10K in 49:47. Then I stopped for two years because running gave me deep, scary hip pain.

Going minimalist has allowed me to run again without the hip pain, and I started up again this spring, mostly as training for a tri.

I don't follow any plan, and it drives my wife, who follows a plan religiously, nuts. I just make things up as I go along, usually deciding what to do the night before. I don't like to just run, however. I need a speed goal, or else I just don't enjoy it. Right now, I'm trying to get the lowest 10K I can. I usually run three times a week (in VFF's), with one being about an 8 mile slower run (say, 7:50 per mile), one being four 1 mile intervals with 2 minutes rest at say, 6:45 or 6:50, and then another one being from 4 to 6 miles at my 10K goal pace (currently 7:05).

I'm trying for an under 44 min 10K on Thanksgiving. (I've run 44:27 in training). I would like to eventually see if I can get under 40 min after age 50, so I guess I will have to a) incorporate a real training program and b) run more miles, if I want to achieve this. But for now, I'll wait until I stop improving before getting a serious training program.
 
#18
 Danjo, hills are speed

Danjo, hills are speed training...the muscles you work on hills and the way in which they work, directly correlate to speed on flat surfaces.
 
#19
technically speaking hills

technically speaking hills are "strength" training which "allows" you to better handle the rigors of high mileage and then hard running. Speed work is well....speed work. That is why Lydiard has you doing hills in the begining.
 
#20
 don't forget the workout the

don't forget the workout the breath gets with hills too....it's impossible to go fast if you can't get your wind :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Support Your Club

Xero Shoes

Forum statistics

Threads
19,155
Messages
183,638
Members
8,705
Latest member
Raramuri7

Latest posts

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back
Menu