Another "too aggressive?" Marathoner Question

A 12 week plan for a marathon is always a bit agressive when it includes a build phase. The general idea of the plan seems solid in that you actually have 2 long runs (An 18 and a 20) and the cutback weeks seem well placed. The Rest/Recovery days also seem well placed. (As long as you don't go off on a 100 mile bike ride or do 5,000 yards in the pool )

Short plans like this are always a compromise but you do have a good base to start from. Your base run mileage does not really provide a complete picture of your training mostly because racing and training up to this point has involved Biking and Swimming.

Just a few ideas that might help:

1). Maybe consider a 2 week taper instead to make room for another LR. (A lot of plans come with 2 week tapers)

2). Maybe think about adding a few more medium/long runs (10-15 milers) Your fast enough to keep these runs under 2 hours and so they will be easier to recover from but still offer similar benefits as a long run. (Add them as a second MLR in the weeks you already have them)

3). Not sure what "Other" Training (Swim/Bike) your planning but they might be great for active recovery on your off days as long as your not totally knackered.

4). Make absolutely sure you have a good handle on your training paces; especially your LR pace. Too slow and you will lose the benefits; too fast and you might extend your recovery beyond the 48 hours you have planned.

5). Consider adding a few MP miles at the end of some of your shorter runs and maybe even your 18 miler. MP miles are gonna give you a great read of your fitness and tell you how hard it's gonna be on race day to hold it.

Ultimately, be sure to listen to your body and abandon the plan if things are not going well. Philly is such a fun marathon and your gonna have a blast

My personal preference is to run for active recovery over full rest days but that is definitely not for everyone. Although there are many coaches/experts out there that swear by this approach, there are many others that loathe the idea of running as recovery.

If you do decide to run on rest/recovery days, make it optional. If your not feeling it, bag the run. An easy swim or a spin on the bike is great for speeding up the recovery process and ward off DOMS.

As for your injury, just listen carefully to your body and don't ignore niggles. There is not much if any slack in your plan and the challenge is gonna be balancing your training with proper recovery.

If you do miss a workout, don't try to make it up, just skip it and move on. Obviously, if you have to bag a key workout like an LR, your gonna have to re-adjust your goals for the race

On of my team mates is doing Philly again this year to try and repeat the BQ that he ran last year. Definitely some magic out there on the course