The Pfitzer 18/55 Plan

One question I had going into my training cycle was which training plan to follow. Should I make one up, purchase one, find one online, or some combination of all three. After some research and excellent feedback from my friends, I decided to follow a modified version of Pete Pfitzinger's 55/18 plan. The plan is based on an eighteen week schedule with a peak mileage of 55 miles. Pete Pfitzinger developed the plan with Scott Douglas in their book Advanced Marathoning.

What I like about the plan is the simplicity. There are no major formulas or heart rate zones. The focus is on consistent training, recovery, pacing, and build-up. Recovery includes two full days off a week which is something I've fought with internally. I've always felt that I need to run 6 days a week. While this might be true at lower volumes, it doesn't translate well to longer training sessions. With a mid-distance and long run each week, ample recovery is critical to staying injury free.

In this plan, speedwork is centered around current 5k pace, half marathon pace, and goal marathon pace. Certain workouts include sets of 100 meter strides to help leg turnover. Overall, it's a simple but challenging plan.

This blog, appropriately named The Road to Boston, includes a few of the Pfitzinger plans in a useful web interface. As always, there is no magic bullet for marathon training. No two people are exactly alike and training plans should be customized and tailored to an individuals needs. I think these plan provide a good blueprint for success and I look forward to sharing my personal details with you over the next few months.

Thanks for reading.