Marathon Training Plan Recommendations (Daniels v. Pfitzinger v. Hansons v. Sage BQ v. Runner's World Advance v. other

S. Canaday wrote:

I learned a lot at Hansons. I learned a lot under Rojo and JK. Rojo coached me to my first OTQ in college at the age of 21 when I ran 2:21 (After a 2:22 debut).

I learned a lot reading Pfitzinger and Daniels and Canova. Not that running PRs and performances has anything to do directly with coaching, but I've also been top 20 at both Boston and Chicago and have experienced a lot of these types of races. I've learned from coaching (directly and indirectly) many to sub 3 hr marathons.

Hansons usually didn't structure their long runs very much (at least when I ran under them as an ODP). It was 20-miles maybe with miles 15-18 at MP pace. Our Sage Running advanced marathon plans go up to (and sometimes over 22-miles). I think sometimes those extra few miles on the Long Run are beneficial. We also don't do "simulators" or long tempos (i.e. 15 miles at MP), but higher quality and higher velocity stuff instead.

We base things more off of exercise science principles. When I ran at Hansons it just happened to be something like 3 x 3 miles at "10 sec /mile faster than MP" which just happened to be close to LT for me at the time. But a lot of marathon coaches do sessions like 3 x 5km LT or something. A lot of coaches do 1km repeats or mile repeats at 10km-15km race pace (CV) etc. Pfitzinger has always been a huge influence. Also Canova. Also Tinman. I like Daniels for 5km-10km Traiing but not so much his marathon plans. Of course every athlete is a bit different so it depends on a lot of lifestyle variables, response to certain training workout patterns etc. I can't pick the plan for you, although if Sandi and design one we have a certain market in mind. It's the sequence of the workouts and the blend of workouts (or within workouts) that gives each program it's unique angle.

One can find success with all of these plans obviously. Some may be better than others at certain times of your life though.

Puppy Madness wrote:

Me confused. Didn't you basically copy what you learned from the Hanson's? Their training and workouts are the first of their kind, so isn't that kinda stealing? Just curious.

Puppy Madness wrote:

S. Canaday wrote:

I learned a lot at Hansons. I learned a lot under Rojo and JK. Rojo coached me to my first OTQ in college at the age of 21 when I ran 2:21 (After a 2:22 debut).

I learned a lot reading Pfitzinger and Daniels and Canova. Not that running PRs and performances has anything to do directly with coaching, but I've also been top 20 at both Boston and Chicago and have experienced a lot of these types of races. I've learned from coaching (directly and indirectly) many to sub 3 hr marathons.

Hansons usually didn't structure their long runs very much (at least when I ran under them as an ODP). It was 20-miles maybe with miles 15-18 at MP pace. Our Sage Running advanced marathon plans go up to (and sometimes over 22-miles). I think sometimes those extra few miles on the Long Run are beneficial. We also don't do "simulators" or long tempos (i.e. 15 miles at MP), but higher quality and higher velocity stuff instead.

We base things more off of exercise science principles. When I ran at Hansons it just happened to be something like 3 x 3 miles at "10 sec /mile faster than MP" which just happened to be close to LT for me at the time. But a lot of marathon coaches do sessions like 3 x 5km LT or something. A lot of coaches do 1km repeats or mile repeats at 10km-15km race pace (CV) etc. Pfitzinger has always been a huge influence. Also Canova. Also Tinman. I like Daniels for 5km-10km Traiing but not so much his marathon plans. Of course every athlete is a bit different so it depends on a lot of lifestyle variables, response to certain training workout patterns etc. I can't pick the plan for you, although if Sandi and design one we have a certain market in mind. It's the sequence of the workouts and the blend of workouts (or within workouts) that gives each program it's unique angle.

One can find success with all of these plans obviously. Some may be better than others at certain times of your life though.

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

(For the record, I definitely do not think the Sage BQ plan is a cookie cutter Hanson's plan (at least the plan published in the Hansons' book), but I do appreciate that the troll drew some attention to this thread.)

I am leaning towards trying the Sage BQ plan for the spring marathon. I hope to focus on a December 5k, and an early January half marathon, then into marathon training towards the end of January.

A lot of the workouts under the Sage plan seem like they can be done with a headlamp on a rail trail (tempos/MP pace/fartlek), which is what I will likely be stuck doing through February/mid-March.

It might be fun to attempt to try all of these plans over the course of a few years.

A friend also recommended "Final Surge," so I am looking into what that site has to offer as well.