Hansons Marathon Plan Review 2016

I’ve been keeping track of my miles since 2010.  I told myself that I would not train for a marathon until I had run 1500 miles the previous year.  Year after year I got close (I almost did it in 2012), but I didn’t manage 1500 miles until 2015.  With the mileage goal completed, I signed up for a Spring marathon.

I had a clear goal.  I wanted to qualify for Boston.  I wasn't convinced that I wanted to run Boston, but I definitely wanted to qualify.  I did a lot of research and decided on the Hansons plan, because I bought into the theory of cumulative fatigue.

I think that the actual plan started in February.  However, when I looked at the plan, I concluded that there was no way that I could jump into (12) 400, so I started doing one speed day a week starting with (2) 400s.  I landed on (12) 400s on the day it was called for in the plan.  I made a couple of other changes as well.  I ran the 400s at McMillian’s pace, rather than Hanson’s slower pace, and, at some point, I stopped doing the recovery jog and rested 60 seconds instead.  This worked out perfectly, and I ended up doing all of my speed days at McMillian paces, rather than Hanson paces.  I extended speed work one week in hopes of a sub 22 on a 5K in April, but the sub 22 did not happen.  There was a course change that I didn’t know about that made the course too difficult for me to sub 22.  I held out hope for a sub 22, so my only other purposeful training adjustment was taking an RD before a final 5K sub 22 attempt.  The preceding 200+ mile month must have done the trick because on May 14^th, I did sub 22 which something I have been trying to do again for almost two years.

Upon reflection, I really think that I would have gotten better marathon training by running my speed work at a slower pace.  However, I don’t think that if I could go back, I would have done it differently.  I really wanted to sub 22 in a 5K, and I did sub 22.

Although I didn’t get running injuries, I did get sick a couple of times which impacted my training.  Near the middle of the training cycle, I suffered from some intestinal problem.  My doctor forbid me to run, at all.  I had to take a solid week off.  Also, in the last three weeks, I got strep throat.  I took antibiotics, so I assume the strep throat went away, but the illness lingered until I took another antibiotic.  Hanson calls for a very moderate taper, but, in the last three weeks, I only did my SOS runs, and I tapered dramatically.  I did not sustain any cumulative fatigue in the last few weeks of training.  I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish the plan strong, but I was coughing and having asthma symptoms when I ran.  For the last week, I started taking and asthma pill and a Claritin to combat the symptoms.

Despite the problems that I encountered the three weeks before the race, I have never felt better about training.  I knew that I had given everything I could possibly give of myself during the training.  I ran more than I ever thought possible, even throwing in a 70 mile week.  I had a sense of accomplishment for having stuck it out.  I ran every run that my doctor would allow and some against orders.  I ran in the rain, in the wind, in the cold, in the morning, at night, when I felt like it and when I didn’t feel like it.    I actually felt like I had already won, no matter what happened.  That is really not like me at all.  I felt so good before the race, not because I thought I would qualify, but because it didn’t matter that much if I did or didn’t.  I couldn’t lose.

Maybe my new and improved attitude made a difference.  My first marathon was an amazing experience.  I ran Mountains 2 the Beach from Ojai, CA to Ventura, CA on May 29, 2016. The course consists of a 3 mile elevation climb in the beginning and rolling hills with a general declining grade until the 24 mile mark.  At mile 24, there is a moderate climb for about 1 mile, and it is flat for the last mile.  I felt fantastic for the first 20 miles.  At about mile 20, I felt like it was very difficult.  When I hit the last hill, I hit the wall.  My pace slowed tremendously; I felt a dull pain in every part of my lower body, and my body seemed to refuse to obey my commands.  I had a fantastic race, but my finish was very weak.  My overall time was 3:33, which subs my Boston qualifying time by over 20 minutes.  After the race was over, I was in bad shape.  I could drink, but I couldn’t eat.  I could hardly move.  My entire body was in pain.  I really couldn’t enjoy the after party, because I just had to get back to the hotel.  I was extremely sore for a couple of days, but, on Wednesday, the soreness completely subsided.

I am a first time, middle age marathoner who qualified for Boston with a time that almost guarantees entry.  It is surreal, and I give all the credit to the Hansons plan.  I was remarkably prepared for the first 20 miles of the race.  I was less prepared for the last (6), but had enough training to hold on.  This plan, however, is not for the faint of heart.  You have to run 6 days a week, or there is no cumulative fatigue.  Your SOS runs have to sandwich your day off.  That took a mental toll.  For me, at least, the Hanson brothers had a way of taking the fun out of running.  I enjoyed my easy days, but I dreaded my SOS runs.  Every single one was difficult, and the prospect of having to run two a week was always weighing on me.  I wouldn’t recommend this plan for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it to a runner who is goal oriented.

I’m signed up for a fall half that I want to train seriously for, but I want to enjoy the training more.  I live about an hour away from a community that has weekly 5Ks during the summer.  I am going to race, instead of one of my SOS days for the first month or so.  Also, I have several trail-halfs that I am signing up for to take the place of a few of the long runs.  Hopefully, I will always have something to look forward to. 

I have decided to run Boston in April of 2017, and I intend to use a Hansons plan.  Maybe I'll try coaching, but if I use the advanced, I think that will try to add a little more overall mileage and increase the length of the last two long runs.