Advanced Marathoning

I'd run 6 marathons without following a plan, mostly just running because I enjoyed it. I generally tried to average 100-150 miles/month, with a long run every week or so, building up to a peak before the race (for what it's worth, the only plan I'd really heard of was Higdon, which seems to be the "go to" plan and very helpful for most).I was falling well short of my BQ time (my PR was 4:11, my BQ time was 3:30), so I decided to make a serious effort, and after reading some discussions online about which plan was best, decided that this book was geared most closely toward my goal and "style." I think the statement that convinced me was something along the lines of "Higdon is geared toward getting you across the finish line, this book is geared toward a PR or BQ" or words to that effect.This book has a great overview of what goes into preparing for a marathon...fueling and hydrating, physiology, etc, but nothing you won't find in a running blog or magazine, or literally every book with a marathon training plan. The author is easy to read, but there's nothing groundbreaking here. It's not a flaw, just the standard tips and insights that every training plan leads with.Once you get into the plans, however, is where this book shines. The schedules will push you, they will wear you out, and there will be times when you're so sick and tired of running you'll want to toss it out.But if you stick with it, have some discipline and force yourself to stay on the plan on days you just don't have it in you, you will make amazing improvements in your runs, at every distance.I jumped in about 15 weeks out from my race, so I skipped almost the first month of my 18 week plan. The combination of jumping in, other distractions (I had 4 Century rides scheduled during the training which made the long runs difficult...I wound up skipping more than I was comfortable with), and ramping up my mileage too much and too fast had me on the edge of injury for the last 5-6 weeks, but every week I was stronger, and faster.I wound up having some issues leading up to race day, but the results showed. I ran a 3:28:34, which was a 43 minute PR, and should be enough for a BQ (knock on wood). I have another full scheduled in 6 weeks, so I'm currently starting the plan for multiple marathons...I'll post up my results when that's done.I can't say this is the "Best" plan...it's the only one I've used...but it worked for me. It was hard, it took a lot of work on my end, but it certainly led me to where I wanted to be. I'd recommend it to anyone struggling to improve their time for a BQ or personal satisfaction..

Having logged a few marathons under my belt, I found a lot of programs and books out there were focused on the largest crowd. Those either wanting to complete a marathon, or those running less than 50 miles per week. But what I really wanted was a book on 'racing' a marathon. Specifically - how do I get as fast as my genetics (and age) will allow? I wanted programs that would push me further (safely) and make me work towards a PR of a sub-3 hour marathon in the next couple years.I stumbled upon this book because of the other reviews, and thought I would echo the high ratings of this book. I'm now halfway through a 22 week program I put together from this book. The programs are actually 12 or 18 weeks, but I used the recovery section and the guidance presented in the book to ramp-up my mileage a little between my last marathon and my next one.The book and the included plans are not for the faint of heart. The 'easiest' plan maxes at 55 miles per week. I'm on the 55-70 mile plan and it's tough! There are 70-85 mile plans and even a section on 100+ mile weeks and multi-marathoning in shorter periods of time that are thought to be sane.The first part of the book provides a great overview of the concepts and guidelines that forms the basis of the plans. I've read a lot of articles and books on running, but there were some great new lessons learned and understanding I got from the first part of this book.The second part are the plans. Even though you'll latch onto the one that best serves your needs, I found it very educational to go through each of them and see how they differed in their construction. It's not just the same plan with different mileages per day. The workouts and weeks are structured differently too.The plan has me right on that razor edge of fatigue almost all the time. I feel I can go into my workouts strong, but you can definitely feel a little residue from the previous days. And just when you feel like you need a recovery run or day off, it's right there.Results wise, I'm getting faster. I always felt that if you want to run distance faster, then you have to practice running distance fast. And the book shows you how to do that without over-taxing your system and burning out. I've also realized the importance of running my recovery workouts easier so I'm ready for the next quality workout. It makes every day interesting to have a theme or point to the workout - but I still enjoy the runs too - and that's kind of what it's about!Great book - definitely differentiated from the bulk of what's out there.

Great book .My running instructions, very detailed.

É um livro de cabeceira. Utilizo os ensinamentos desse livro no meu dia a dia de treinos. Um ponto negativo, é o fato do mesmo basear seus treinos em relação ao batimento cardíaco. Como não fiz o teste de esteira, em laboratório, no começo da temporada, usei o sistema de paces do livro Hansons Marathon Method: A Renegade Path to Your Fastest Marathon, o q me pareceu mais lógico.

Interesting in details, Will try next year. Now I'm using denials plan. Hope it will be even better than that

Full of directly applicable information on how to prepare for and race a marathon. Can’t wait to apply these principles to my next marathon preparation.

Outstanding book for anyone who wants to be a better marathoner.