Off-the-shelf/page marathon training plans. There’s a huge variety out there, and it’s hard to know which one to go for. I’m all for helping people, it’s why I do what I do, but I’ve been asked several times over the years which ones I recommend and I honestly can’t give an answer. Here’s why and what advice I can offer on the topic.
Asking a professional for free advice
In some industries there’s a level of expectation for free advice, and the fitness industry is definitely one of those. To a degree I’m happy to oblige, pointing people in the right direction. I can’t say I completely understand why I would be expected to point someone towards a free product when I offer an alternative that I get paid for. I’m sure you can understand not wanting to work for free right?
Please don’t expect a professional coach to recommend a free product to you unless you’re willing to do them a favour in return and share social media posts etc. It’s a little give and take.
Generic training plans are pretty pants
Any plan not written for you is going to be hit and miss for your needs. I’ve written a lengthy blog post on the topic before which I’ll leave a link to at the bottom of this article. If it follows the ranges of methods available (both scientifically backed ones and some of the ones which make no sense at all), it’s too vague. If it gives one perspective with no ranges, it’s too specific and likely won’t be suitable for you.
Get a plan written for you
Many professional and club coaches can write a plan designed for your personal goals and circumstances. The level of detail, format, quality and price will vary depending on a few factors, but you at least have some assurance it’s suitable for you. It’s likely this will be a product sale, by which I mean you get the plan then you’re on your own, rather than a service sale where you get some after-sale support. I don’t offer training plans at the time of writing this blog (June 2021) but am working on a service based approach with some support for clients.
If you have a small amount of money to spend, try speaking to a coach and asking if you can pay for an hour of their time to go over a plan you’ve written yourself and make amendments together.
What to do if you can’t afford a personalised plan
It’s understandable that you might not have the money available to get a plan written, leaving little choice but to use a free online/magazine plan, so what should you look for?
Make sure it:
- Matches your goals – if you’ve got a sub 3 hour target in mind, don’t try to use or adapt a plan for sub 4 hour marathoners.
- Is suitable to your current training – if you’re currently running 25 miles per week, don’t pick a plan that starts at 35 miles in week 1.
- Doesn’t follow a radically different style – popular plans like Hanson’s might get some people to their fastest time, but it can also leave a lot of people burnt out and/or injured as well.
- Has a degree of flexibility and variety in session types without being vague.
There you have it. Use a marathon plan written for you, or be willing to research them yourself based on your wants and needs.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk
Here’s a link to the blog I mentioned above.