I’m halfway through the 12 week/55-70 mile Pfitzinger marathon training plan I’m using to run my first sub-3-hour marathon at the 2024 Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon on March 17—St. Paddy’s Day. How does it compare to the 18 week/55-70 mile plan from Advanced Marathoning?
Week in, week out
I found out last fall that an 18-week training block is tough. It feels overly long (Duh, it’s 18 weeks) and it can be easy to lose motivation at times throughout the grueling 4+ months. But shaving six weeks off the plan is much more manageable, even if each of the 12 weeks demands more. Because, after six weeks, I’ve only got another six left, instead of a whopping 12. Math! So, although there’s a mid-week long run each week that leads to an even longer run on the weekend, it’s “only” three months—it’s manageable knowing the end of the plan is in sight.
This is the part of the blog where you start to wonder if I even enjoy marathon training. It sure doesn’t sound like it. Of course I do. I wouldn’t train for and run two marathons each year if I wasn’t receiving any satisfaction and fulfillment, right? Right? But, it’s also a shit-ton of running—and time! Case in point, the peak weekly mileage of this plan is 70 miles, which I hit in week six. The rest of the weeks’ totals have mileage in the 60s. And aside from logging miles, I do one lower body workout a week along with an upper body workout every other day. It’s time consuming, for sure!
Long runs and speed work
Not only have I had the pleasure of running in a variety of new shoes like the Saucony Ride 17, Brooks Glycerin 21, Topo Athletic Atmos, New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v13, and HOKA Clifton 9 (new for me), but I’ve also run on new surfaces. While the majority of my miles are on the roads, I’ve sprinkled in a good mix of trail running in a state park, as well as speed work and chunks of long runs on the local high school track—two surfaces I tended to avoid in the past simply from fear of the unknown.
Two long runs each week (typically 15 and 18 milers) has made me even more familiar with two+ hour treks. I mean, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of long runs. But my perspective on these lengthy runs has shifted a bit to a point where they simply feel like any other run in the marathon training plan. I’m no longer planning my training week around one long run at week’s end, like I did in the past.
In addition to two long runs, there are typically a couple of speed workouts each week, including lactate thresholds at half marathon pace, VO2 max at 5K pace, strides, and tune-up races at marathon pace. I don’t run a lot of races, so these tune ups will likely be solo races with no crowds. My goal marathon pace is around 6:45 to 6:50/mile, with a half marathon pace around 6:30 and a 5k pace of 6:00.
The road ahead
Running six days a week can feel relentless at times. But, as I noted during my fall marathon training, I’ve found it actually helps keep me motivated. With just one rest day a week, there’s less time to wonder which days I’ll go running. And, it helps me develop a more consistent running schedule, even if I don’t always follow a proper routine of stretching and recovery after logging all these miles.
Similar to the 18-week Pfitzinger marathon training plan, it helps to take each workout day by day. I never look too far ahead in any one week for fear of being overwhelmed. What’s ahead for week seven? Oh, just another 70-mile week. Again?! That’ll be two consecutive weeks of 70 miles. So much for “It’s all downhill from here.”
