I know that there are so many different marathon training plans out there, it can be a minefield when trying to sieve through all of them trying to work out if there is actually one out there for you, and what you need.
Personally I have done 2 marathons and followed 2 different plans, so I am going to share with you what I would look for in a marathon training plan.
What are your goals?
This should absolutely be the first thing that you think about, even before looking for a training plan for your marathon. During my first marathon I chose to aim for a challenging target time, under 3 hours 15 minutes. Because of this, I chose a more advanced training plan with more intensity knowing I couldn’t just lightly jog around. If you have given yourself a target time that you feel is going to challenge you, look for a plan with some intensity, regardless of your speed.
If your aim is purely just to get around, look for a plan that builds you up in distance and keeps you consistent. Being able to do the distance will give you confidence on marathon day and the consistency will really improve your body’s ability to withstand all of the running.
Deciding on Frequency, Intensity, Type and Time
Frequency is the number of runs you do in a week- It would be best to choose a plan that has a similar amount of runs to that which you currently do, if you don’t run at all or very little, make sure that the runs at the start of the plan include a rest day in between to give your body a chance to adapt. Once you are up and going, adding more in is a good idea!
Intensity is the effort that is required during your run workouts. All plans should contain a good bulk of easy (aerobic) runs. Most of the marathon is going to be taken at a cautious speed as a lot can happen over 42km!
If you are aiming for a specific time, look for a plan that is going to include a session or 2 each week that is going to have you run at your target pace effort or slightly above. This will help your body adapt to the pace that you are probably going to force upon it on race day!
With the aim of just finishing, having most of your runs at an easy effort will reduce the strain on your body, and reduce the risk of injury. It is always good to have a little bit of intensity thrown in… personally, I would get bored otherwise!
Type is what you are doing for training. Mixing your running with strength training is a great way to improve your running speed, efficiency and endurance as well as reducing injury risk. For this reason it is good to look for a plan with some strength training included.
If you are also into other sports that can improve your cardiovascular system or strength it is always good to add it in. Some plans include some cross training sessions, at Efficient Endurance, we have mixed some cycling and/or swimming into some of our marathon plans for this very reason.
Time is the length of time you are training for. I have had clients in the past that have had very little time during the week to run and more time at the weekends as well as the other way around. Think about your typical schedule when settling on a plan. Our training plans are focused on keeping sessions under an hour during the week with longer runs sidelined for the weekend.
Go for the marathon training plan that is going to get you where you want to be
The whole idea behind a marathon training plan is to guide you from where you are now, to where you want to be.
Do you think that plan will give you the tools you need to achieve everything you want to?
Will it give you the value to lift you further than you first thought?
Take a look at our plans that are created to get you further than you thought possible.
