You will see resultsNovember 3, 2008 I've read the book through a few times. You can't digest it all in one sitting. I've followed the 70< MPW week 24 week plan 2x in a row. 2 PR's by a long shot each time. FYI you need to follow the plans and be consistant. On weeks where it calls for a 10K race and there isn't a race around, you have to go out and haul *ss on your own.
If your going to do the 70 MPW plan, it helps to not have a life.
Adding a section on core work and stretching would be nice, but there are plenty of other places to find that info.
I'm setting off on the 24 week plan again, with hopes of closing in on 3 hrs. Not too shabby for 47!!
Outstanding Training GuideJuly 24, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is the finest Marathon Training Guide I've seen. It is written for any level runner from first time Marathoner to experienced veteran. The author explains in an easy to understand format the reasons behind his system. This system works! The better job I did of following the book the faster my times dropped. I've taken over 30 minutes off my marathon time in a 2 1/2 year period. The book has easy to follow running schedules for a wide variety of training circumstances.
Great book if you want to train seriously for a personal bestDecember 9, 2007 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I really can't say enough good things about this book. I'll start by saying that having just followed the "below 70 miles per week" training plan pretty faithfully, I just lowered my personal best in the marathon by 19 minutes, breaking 2:50 for the first time. I also actually enjoyed running the marathon, right to the finish, did not hit "The Wall", and sustained my highest weekly mileage ever without sustaining injury. I attribute a lot of this success to this book.
You need to be fairly serious about training to benefit from this book - the training plans are best suited for those who are willing to do 60 miles per week or more. (The 70+ mile per week plan contains a section "When 93 miles per week just aren't enough"). But the book places a strong emphasis on recovery and nutrition, which I think were critical in allowing me to increase mileage without getting hurt, sick, or run-down. And you certainly don't need to be elite - just willing and able to find the time and energy for a fairly large amount of training.
There are a lot of things to get right in a marathon, and almost all of them seem to be addressed here: all the different types and intensities of training, how to make sure you recover on your "easy" days, how to replenish carbohydrate stores after long runs, how to taper, race day strategy, carbo-loading, hydration, and even how to recover intelligently in the month after the race. Impressively, the book manages to cover all these aspects while being readable and quite easy to comprehend and remember.
A lot of ideas in this book are quite similar to Daniel's Running Formula (another good book) but tuned specifically for the marathon and made a bit easier to digest because it only covers that one event.
Nothing new hereAugust 1, 2007 0 out of 14 found this review helpful
Nothing new to read here, just the same old marathon training instructions we have all heard.
40 yrs old; 2:45 -> 2:35 in 5 months w/ this programJune 6, 2007 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This program is tailored for the "serious but busy" athlete. A big plus are the scaled programs from <50 mpw to >70. The main emphasis is on LONG HARD RUNS. It is no secret that this is the key to aerobic development (Canova, Noakes, Costill etc). Pfitz puts it into practice w/ a well thought out program.
My only issue would be that there is no "anaerobic threshold" training e.g. 6x2k @ 10k pace. While maybe a bit of overkill, training at this pace worked well for me in the past, and is advocated by others (Vigil, etc).
Definitely worth it - I will be following the 18 week cycle (with a few of my own modifications) for my next race.
