Marathon Training Plans!
It’s that time again! Summer time usually means the start of training for all those fall races! I’m so excited for the thought of doing a race in a state that actually has seasons. Texas rotates through hot and less hot with an occasional week of winter. June is usually the start of marathon training for many since it gives you enough time to get those miles built up. If you haven’t started, don’t fret! Today, I’m sharing with a few resources and marathon training plans so you can pick the one that’s right for you!
Your training depends on your goals and your race. You may not necessary want to run a full marathon but I do believe you will be able to get something out of these resources. It all begins with knowing and establishing your goals. Once you’ve done that, you can dig deeper into these resources. Check out this post to brainstorm a bit and then come back to pick your plan!
Marathon Training Plans: Hal Higdon
I believe this is one of the top training plans you’ll find with a good ole Google search. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, you want to make sure this will fit your needs and help you reach your goals. Hal Higdon actually has quite a few different training plans for all events and all activity levels. This one was one of my first training plans I tried when I was looking to reach my 10K PR. The only downside is that you will have to put in the work yourself and there’s not quite a way to receive feedback. If you’re pretty self-motivated and just want a simple program to follow. This one is for you!
Marathon Training Plans: Hanson’s Running
Here is another awesome free resources that provides full and half marathon training plans. One thing you’ll notice here is that there isn’t much explanation of the different types of workouts. Again, you’ll have to do the work on your own and take these things into account. On the full marathon plan, you’ll notice that the long runs don’t get too high in the double digits. While this isn’t necessary a BAD thing, it’s just a break from what most other marathon runners have done in the past. I personally haven’t followed the Hanson’s method but I do know of some successful marathoners who have.
Marathon Training Plans: Painface Coaching
Of course, I had to end this one with my personal favorite: Painface Coaching. Coach Kyle is such a knowledgeable runner and I had absolutely no qualms in paying to get a personal running plan. Painface Coaching offers two different aspects to training. One, a detailed plan for you to follow on your own (The Run Down) or two, a plan that changes based on check ins and performance (The Long Haul). What I love about it is that Coach Kyle takes a lot of things into account and doesn’t make you feel bad if planned runs don’t happen. He believes that training to conform to the runner, not the other way around. I will say that by following his approach to marathon training, I’m already much farther along than if I’d done it on my own with a random plan. I also feel like I am the strongest runner I’ve been in a long time. Injury free thanks to his programming of mobility and strengthening exercises into my training schedule!
Whether you pick one of these three or this post simply leads you into the direction of your next plan, please let me know! I hope that these resources help in your search and get you closer to picking a great training plan. I’d love to be able to offer help and encouragement regardless of your goals!
Have you hired a coach before or have you only used online marathon training plans?
