Hansons Plan : adapting after having used it once

anyone? no one? hmm.

Their beginner plans are basically 12-13 weeks of real training on an 18 week plan. The main difference is that they don't start speed and tempo runs until 13 weeks out.

I think you could adapt by basically taking the beginner plan, and beef up the workouts a bit (substitute the workouts with an equivalent advanced plan workout on the same day).

ah.. nice suggestion. So you are essentially saying that one can start on the 6th week of Beginner plan directly, but use the advanced plan workouts for those days.. hmmm!

Looks like Advanced Plan is so tightly (and nicely) woven that it can't be tinkered too much to fit into a shorter duration..

It is pretty tightly woven, but I don't try to sweat the details too much. You're going to benefit from 12 weeks of training regardless of what you do. Don't be too proud to follow a plan that says "Beginner" if it more closely matches your needs.

Your best bet may be to use the beginner plan from week 13 down, and just beef them up. Add mileage as they suggest in the book, on the easy days first. Then maybe throw in an extra rep on the speed/strength days, and a half mile or so on the tempos.

I would also throw in a single SOS run 14 and 13 weeks out, just to get your body ready. Maybe a short tempo or a speed workout, but nothing crazy.

all excellent suggestions. Thank you for those.

Okay, one hypothetical question: If you had more than 18 weeks to go for your following marathon, would you jump onto Advanced Plan from scratch, or continue building the easy mileage till we hit the 13 week down, and enter the "Adapted" beginner plan that we are discussing above?

If you have the motivation and time to do the full 18 week plan, I'd say go for it. But don't sweat the details too much if you decide to cut it down a bit....

Here is what I am doing and why:

I'm currently using the Hanson's method for the first time, for a half marathon. I'm actually following an adapted Beginner program similar to what I described above. Weeks 18-13 out are easy base milage averaging 35 MPW, which is more than is prescribed in their beginner plan. Weeks 15, 14, and 13 I threw in a Tempo run of 2 miles at race pace (5 miles total run) just to get my legs moving a bit.

The main reason I'm only going to do 12 weeks of "real" hansons training is for fear of injury. Stress fractures are not my friend, i'm hoping that the shortened phase that includes speed workouts will be successful in staying injury free.

Don't take my words as the bible, I'm more of a hobby jogger these days that will never come close to my College PRs again. I am shooting for a PR in the half marathon distance, but I admit it is a pretty slow time to what I am probably capable of if I trained all out.

I really like the hansons plan so far as it has kept me extremely motivated and excited for each run. Each run has a purpose, and I've managed to take my easy days EASY for the first time in my life. I think the easy days have improved my overall endurance strength greatly.

Pfitzinger's book (Advanced Marathon Training) also has some good ideas. I believe he has 12-, 18-, and 24-week training plans. 12-weeks is a little compressed, and 24-weeks is not realistic for most people to commit to, so the 18-week plan is the most likely plan people will follow. You could look at the plans and see how he compresses or expands the different workouts at different parts of the training period (early, late, etc.) I believe he also addresses how to train for a second marathon in 4 or 6 weeks after a first marathon (if you have a bad race, are sick, the weather's bad, etc.) to continue the fitness you have developed.

I agree that 12 weeks is a little compressed for a marathon, but if you're running base mileage for 6 weeks prior to starting the 12 weeks you should be okay.