Recommend a Mary Train Plan

There's not much "magic" to marathon training. 

What is your running history?  What kind of mileage and intensity have you been running for the past few months?  Years?  Any injuries?

I guess you're right. I think I have solid running form such that, I have never had any serious injury since some 2005. (I have completed 9 marathons since.) My mileage is null since I just finished an IM 3 weeks ago. But my plans are to do two 13 milers (commute to work), a long run on the weekend, & speed/recover work in between. Marathon is March 26th. 

Looks like you have a plan.

Are you doing the National Marathon in DC by chance? 

I am! (Just registered). I'll get over the VA forum & start a thread--if there isn't one already.

Edited by Porfirio 2010-12-03 10:08 AM

you've done 9 marathons in the last 5 years without injury...
and your asking US for a training plan?

heck... what's your secret?

I've yet to complete a Marathon yet but just looking at the Hal Higdon plans (Advanced I and II) they seem pretty straight forward and if followed should yield good results.

A 4:00 marathon is around 9:10 min/mile pace, a 3:30 is around 8:01 so I would gather that your pace should increase over what you've been doing thus far, assuming your training mileage is at or hear where it should be for Marathons.

The best answer for you would be for someone on this forum who was at a 4:00 Marathon, followed a plan that got him/her down to the 3:30 level.  Hopefully someone that was in that boat can respond as I would value that input as well.

Regardless, happy training and good luck.

Hal Higdon has a number of free marathon plans online. The Boston Bound and Personal Best ones look promising for your goals.

I've only used his Intermediate I and II plans but had success with both.
 

I'm confident I got a sub-3:30 in the bag. Something just always goes wrong! Last March marathon was a disaster as my wife & trained in freezing weather only to be surprised by unusually warm race-day whether! But I tried to emphasize that I have "good running form" (eg, upright shoulders, landing under center-of-gravity, etc). I suppose that's my "secret". Well, that & aerobics is my depression medication. 

I'm checking out the recommended plans. Merci. 

I am also registered.  This will be my second full marathon.  Have you run this one before?

I haven't run this one before, but I think it's ideal given the mild(er) East-cost winters.  Come join me over in the Virginia forums! I see high probabilities for local fun long runs! (With a Chipotle burrito & few beers at the finish line.)

RT Basic Program

RT Advanced Program

runnersworld.com has several free plans. beginner. intermediate. advanced. custom plan creator. i used the beginner plan last year, followed it diligently to a 3:22 first marathon.

i will use the intermediate this year. goal 3:10 (yikes, now the goal is real because i have put it out for everyone to see...) we will have to see what happens. it worked for me once.

from reading lots and lots of threads, i think the secret is actually following the plan and doing the mileage.....

x2
Ran a 3:18:57 off the intermediate II plan. It was my first marathon.

FIRST system works really well. Buy the book Run less Run Faster. It has all the charts for just about any pace. You do 3 quality runs a week, speed work, tempo and long then 2 cross training days. It gives you pace and distance for each workout. It bases off your recent run pace to determine what you should be able to do. my wife used it for her first BQ. I made it to the start of a marathon for the first time uninjured. Ive done the Higdon plans and gotten hurt each time. Just to many miles for my body. Ive found that if I just run big miles I get hurt. I need to also bike and swim I feel that they help keep me in balance and my injury rate has dropped to zero.