According to Matt Fitzgerald, Haile Gebrselassie doesn’t use a training plan. I like this fact, it reassures me. But this isn’t the same thing as not training. The greatest living marathoner does more miles in his sleep than I would do in the average marathon training cycle. This is the opposite of reassuring me – but luckily I’m not attempting to set any world records.
Reading ‘Run’ by Matt Fitzgerald last year had a big impact on how I approach my training, I don’t sweat missed sessions and I see a training plan more as a guide than something to be followed to the letter. Fitzgerald emphasises the importance of listening to your body and adapting your training accordingly.
When I listen to my body it mainly asks for beer and curry then burps and farts in appreciation when I relent. Listening to what it’s telling me with regard to training is something new all together – like learning a new language. “Je suis fatigue” it complains, and I reach for my phrasebook. Maybe if I shout louder at it, my legs will understand: “GO FASTER”.
The message that my leg was hurt and that we needed to stop urgently got somewhat lost in translation two weeks ago, resulting in a trip to the hospital. 10 days of rest followed and I fell behind with the vague training plan I was following.
What my body has managed to tell me is that any attempts to run more than four days a week will be met with protests and eventual strikes. Three days a week are ideal for it and it’s willing to go a bit faster if I compromise on the number of runs.
So a new plan has been formed: I’ve traded in my cigarettes for Training Plan B*. This is largely the FIRST schedule that promises faster running on three runs a week plus cross training – but you have to run like something is chasing you on each of those three runs. “Aller plus vite jambes!”
*I don’t smoke that’s a bad reference to pop culture.
Without claiming to be any kind of example or authority on marathon training, I think 3 sessions a week is plenty o’running, especially if you’re cross training too. I’ve often looked at the FIRST training plans (without ever committing to it in any capacity, you understand) so I’m interested to hear how you find it. My current training plan may as well have come off the back of a cereal packet for all the focus it has.
Excuse my ignorance about the plan’s details (looked at the wesite but seemed to direct me to te book/paid content as far as traning plans were concerned) but if the plan basically consists of all fast, high-intensity sessions, 3 times a week, how well does it translate to marathon traning? I understand therole of intervals and tempos etc in shorter races, but is even the long steady run, run at a fast pace? Or simply cut down and endurane is built through crosstraining? Just curious really so sory about the plethora of questions!
Good luck with it though, and hope the leg stays in good running order 🙂
*endurance *sorry
Also, please excuse the numerous typos in the haste of typing the above comment
Anna – Basically all three runs are fast and based on your 10k time. So my long runs are 10k pace + 60-75 seconds per mile, which works out 8:22 to 8:37 per mile. This is hard but (so far) achievable. Long runs start at 10 miles and go up to 20 miles like most plans.
They used to offer the plans for free but not any more. I have a PDF of an old runners world article outlining it and the schedule someone gave me. Email me if you’d like a copy and I’ll send you one over.