Overthinking, under-doing: How Marathon Training Plans Fail

I registered for a handful of marathons and 50k ultras over the last few years.

I haven't finished any of them.

Though to be fair, I haven't actually started any of them, either.

After publicly announcing my intentions to run a marathon, I'm remaining focused on proving Derek Siver's 2010 Ted Talk thesis wrong.

How am I proving his Ted Talk wrong?

I’m sharing my goals with anyone willing to listen. And, I’m not going to let proclaiming my ambitions prevent success.

I know there are plenty of potential pitfalls standing between my feet and race day — publicly sharing goals on the internet is the least of my worries.

In fact, all of my previous race failures happened before showing up at the starting line. In an effort to course-correct, I'm testing a novel approach to make it to the starting line. I'm hoping it helps carve a path toward the finish line, too.

The formula for success this time around?

1. Creating a training plan
2. Sticking to the training plan

The approach shouldn't be surprising to any seasoned, "successful" endurance athletes. They're already accustomed to the process of consistently showing up and doing work. They know that without a plan or consistency, performance suffers. And without both, you're more-or-less YOLOing it to the finish line.

Where past training plans fell short

I managed to build up to half-marathon distance runs without a training plan in the past. But, I never managed to establish the escape velocity required to make to the next rung in the race-distance ladder, the marathon.

My training plans included too much volume, and I didn't stick to what what was originally prescribed. These halfhearted attempts lead to a weak "base" and injury as a result.

Now I'm trying to flip the script - I'm putting together a training plan that takes into account my current level of fitness and layers trail-marathon specific training on top of it. I'm keeping the plan flexible, making sure it's adaptable to fatigue and scheduling challenges while still supporting a weekly increase in long-run distance.

With my primary race goal that of making it to the starting line, I'm focused on a conservative plan that makes the most of the next 10 weeks while avoiding injury. I would rather to make it to race day than wind up sidelined in the weeks prior with a nagging injury.

Swapping triathlon training for a trail-marathon

I'm entering this training phase with 21 weeks of somewhat-consistent running accumulated during my summer's triathlon focus. Given my focus on "short" triathlons, the run portion was only between 5-10km - well below marathon training volumes.

Most weeks averaged around an hour and fifty-five minutes of running specific training, with the lowest week being a single 26 minute run, and the longest week hitting 4.5 hours of dedicated running. So while I would like to be entering this marathon training block with more standard running volume behind me, I'm not starting from scratch.

Initial Training Plan

The initial plan is focused on building "time on feet." It's focused on the total amount of time spent running each week rather than mileage.

I’m focusing on low "easy" miles and maintaining a "casual" heart-rate for most of my sessions. I'm hoping that the plan's emphasis on time rather than distance will help reliably scale the volume increase throughout the plan regardless of heat, elevation, and speed.

I am now 10 weeks out from the target race, a trail marathon boasting 1,700 feet of glorious Midwest elevation gain. The plan also serves as a tool to make sure that scaling up to a marathon distance in 10 weeks is actually possible.

I think it is. But, sourcing elevation is tricky. Living adjacent to cornfields-turned-suburbia translates to "flat," which makes incorporating convenient elevation gain into my weekly running route rotation somewhere between moderately-challenging and impossible.

I'm scouting some hilly routes to bake into my routine. We'll see what I drum up!

One Week Down

The first week went according to plan.

The second week is already off the rails.

If consistency was easy, everyone would do it!

Sticking to a training plan requires unexpectedly un-fun things, like cutting a run short on a beautiful fall day. It also requires classically un-fun things, like running in the cold rain after hanging out in an airport terminal for 6 hours.

I spent the first half of the week traveling to retain employment. With two days lost to hurricane travel delays, three nights of poor sleep, and the time in between spent in meeting rooms, it has been a challenging week to fit in the scheduled runs.

On a positive note, I managed to avoid getting sick despite forgetting my travel mask at home. I’m fatigued and ready for a restful weekend. But instead, I'll be squeezing this weekend’s around an old friend’s wedding. Mazel Tov!

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What’s Next?

Shoe Battles

After using Altra shoes for years, I decided to "expand my world" and try out the cool kids' shoes. It turns out Hokas may be too narrow for my feet, or maybe I’m just used to Altra's wider toe boxes (or maybe I need to size up in the Hoka Mach 6?)

For now, I'm rocking New Balance's Fresh Foam X 1080v13. I have about 90 miles on them, and I'm generally enjoying the cushioned ride when throwing down miles despite the intermittent hot spots on longer runs. We'll see if my feet adapt. If not, the quest for the freshest road soles continues.

Strength & Mobility Training

They're missing from my current training plan, and I need incorporate both into my schedule each week. I'm particularly focused on maintaining ankle strength, as I'm prone to rolling them after years of buttery kickflips and wallies (IYKYK). TBD on what the strength + mobility plan looks like. For now, it's periodically launching into a downward dog flow while chatting with my husband in the kitchen.

[Pending] New Bike Day!

The Pros Closet is kicking the can after 18 years of peddling used bikes. I'm a long time TPC lurker, first time buyer - of a dedicated triathlon bike!

I planned on putting off the purchase until over the winter, but when you secure enthusiastic spousal approval to purchase a new bike you don't wait for seasons to change. I aim to kick of 2025 by digging deep into indoor cycling training for the summer triathlon season.

As with all things, Reddit's opinion of TPC is low, so I'm hoping this doesn't turn out to be an inconvenient and expensive mistake. But, is scoring another bike ever really a misstep?

Thank you for reading!