Advanced Marathoning

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There are four marathon training plans in Advanced Marathoning. The plans vary by their total volume and the number of days run. The amount of quality running also scales with the weekly mileage, but the overall periodization and number of workouts stays more or less the same.

Below is the list of the long runs for a sample of the plans. Only a subset of the plans for lower mileage, 4 hour marathoners is include' d'. For a complete table, see Full Long Runs Table Plan

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Weeks To 16. This is the number of weeks from the start of the plan to the first 16 mile long run. This section of the training plan I've called the "initial ramp up" that brings a runner from their initial level of fitness to what I consider the threshold of performing long runs. I used the 70 mile 12 week version as the main basis for my training, I kept the mileage and the structure pretty much as is but the biggest changes I made were as follows: One key difference is his advice on how to pace your regular training runs. Some other plans neatly divide all of your miles into workout miles and easy miles. For the easy miles, it doesn’t matter how slowly you run – the emphasis is on not running too fast. But Pfitz distinguishes truly easy runs – recovery runs – from what he calls “endurance” runs. For these runs, you target a pace that’s somewhere in between your marathon pace and an easy pace. Thursday – Standard warm up. Run 30 minutes, alternating between 30 seconds at 20 seconds per mile faster than 5K pace and 30 seconds at an easy pace.

Thursday – Standard warm up. Run 6 x 800 meter repeats at 5 seconds per mile faster than 5K pace. Run 8 x 400 meter repeats at 15 seconds per mile faster than 5K pace. Jog for 400 meters between repeats. Jog for 800 meters between the two sets. Cool down with 800 meters of jogging. The long run will take up the highest percentage of your weekly mileage, and your medium long run will come second. Long runs often take up too high of a percentage of a runner’s total mileage, however, and it’s better if you can space out the mileage over the course of the week a bit better. There is one speed workout per week which depends on the phase of the plan you are in, tempo runs and intervals.This is the book that taught me the science and training necessary to run faster marathons. It’s clear, smart, precise, and full of terrific advice. My first edition is full of scribbles, underlines, and notes, marking a progression from 3:18 to 3:06 to 2:43—and, more important, to a true love of the sport. This edition is even better. Read it and run.”