My 2012 Marathon Training Plan

Last year, I read a lot of books and went to a lot of websites trying to figure out the best free training plan for me. I ultimately went with the Runners World free Smart Coach because it was simple to understand, and on a website that I am on everyday. Last year, I think using the speed work that was recommended did make my miles faster.

This year, I reentered my July marathon goals. I think a 5 hour marathon is doable for me. All that means is less walking/walk breaks. Below is the general plan that I will be following with long runs on the weekends when I have all day to complete them. Runs during the week will be flexible due to my schedule but I will be more consistent with crosstraining this year then last. I really slacked on crosstraining last year!

5	JAN 9	JAN 10	JAN 11	JAN 12	JAN 13	JAN 14	JAN 15
19 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @12:06	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 5 Mi, inc Warm; 3 Mi @ 10:28; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 12 Mi @12:06	Rest / XT
6	JAN 16	JAN 17	JAN 18	JAN 19	JAN 20	JAN 21	JAN 22
20 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @12:04	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 4 Mi, inc Warm; 2x1600 in 9:50 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 14 Mi @12:04	Rest / XT
7	JAN 23	JAN 24	JAN 25	JAN 26	JAN 27	JAN 28	JAN 29
23 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @12:01	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 5 Mi, inc Warm; 3 Mi @ 10:23; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @12:01	Rest / XT
8	JAN 30	JAN 31	FEB 1	FEB 2	FEB 3	FEB 4	FEB 5
17 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @11:59	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @11:59	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @11:59	Rest / XT
9	FEB 6	FEB 7	FEB 8	FEB 9	FEB 10	FEB 11	FEB 12
26 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:59	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:26; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 18 Mi @11:59	Rest / XT
10	FEB 13	FEB 14	FEB 15	FEB 16	FEB 17	FEB 18	FEB 19
28 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:57	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 9:43 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:57	Rest / XT
11	FEB 20	FEB 21	FEB 22	FEB 23	FEB 24	FEB 25	FEB 26
24 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:54	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:21; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:54	Rest / XT
12	FEB 27	FEB 28	FEB 29	MAR 1	MAR 2	MAR 3	MAR 4
19 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @11:52	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @11:52	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @11:52	Rest / XT
13	MAR 5	MAR 6	MAR 7	MAR 8	MAR 9	MAR 10	MAR 11
28 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:52	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:19; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:52	Rest / XT
14	MAR 12	MAR 13	MAR 14	MAR 15	MAR 16	MAR 17	MAR 18
26 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @11:49	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 9:37 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:49	Rest / XT
15	MAR 19	MAR 20	MAR 21	MAR 22	MAR 23	MAR 24	MAR 25
28 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:47	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:14; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:47	Rest / XT
16	MAR 26	MAR 27	MAR 28	MAR 29	MAR 30	MAR 31	APR 1
22 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @11:45	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @11:45	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:45	Rest / XT
17	APR 2	APR 3	APR 4	APR 5	APR 6	APR 7	APR 8
28 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @11:45	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:12; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:45	Rest / XT
18	APR 9	APR 10	APR 11	APR 12	APR 13	APR 14	APR 15
29 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 3 Mi @11:42	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 9:30 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:42	Rest / XT
19	APR 16	APR 17	APR 18	APR 19	APR 20	APR 21	APR 22
31 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:40	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 10:07; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:40	Rest / XT
20	APR 23	APR 24	APR 25	APR 26	APR 27	APR 28	APR 29
24 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:38	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:38	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:38	Rest / XT
21	APR 30	MAY 1	MAY 2	MAY 3	MAY 4	MAY 5	MAY 6
32 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @11:38	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 10:11; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:38	Rest / XT
22	MAY 7	MAY 8	MAY 9	MAY 10	MAY 11	MAY 12	MAY 13
33 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @11:35	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 9:24 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:35	Rest / XT
23	MAY 14	MAY 15	MAY 16	MAY 17	MAY 18	MAY 19	MAY 20
34 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 10 Mi @11:33	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 8 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 10:06; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:33	Rest / XT
24	MAY 21	MAY 22	MAY 23	MAY 24	MAY 25	MAY 26	MAY 27
27 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 9 Mi @11:31	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 9 Mi @11:31	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 9 Mi @11:31	Rest / XT
25	MAY 28	MAY 29	MAY 30	MAY 31	JUN 1	JUN 2	JUN 3
35 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:31	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 10:04; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:31	Rest / XT
26	JUN 4	JUN 5	JUN 6	JUN 7	JUN 8	JUN 9	JUN 10
37 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 11 Mi @11:29	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 10 Mi, inc Warm; 4x1600 in 9:18 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:29	Rest / XT
27	JUN 11	JUN 12	JUN 13	JUN 14	JUN 15	JUN 16	JUN 17
38 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 10 Mi @11:26	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 8 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 10:00; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:26	Rest / XT
28	JUN 18	JUN 19	JUN 20	JUN 21	JUN 22	JUN 23	JUN 24
30 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 10 Mi @11:24	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 10 Mi @11:24	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 10 Mi @11:24	Rest / XT
29	JUN 25	JUN 26	JUN 27	JUN 28	JUN 29	JUN 30	JUL 1
39 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 12 Mi @11:24	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 11 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 9:58; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @11:24	Rest / XT
30	JUL 2	JUL 3	JUL 4	JUL 5	JUL 6	JUL 7	JUL 8
40 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 11 Mi @11:22	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 9 Mi, inc Warm; 4x1600 in 9:12 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @11:22	Rest / XT
31	JUL 9	JUL 10	JUL 11	JUL 12	JUL 13	JUL 14	JUL 15
21 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:20	Rest / XT	Speedwork Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 4x1600 in 9:10 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 12 Mi @11:20	Rest / XT
32	JUL 16	JUL 17	JUL 18	JUL 19	JUL 20	JUL 21	JUL 22
22 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:19	Rest / XT	Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3 Mi @ 9:42; Cool	Rest / XT	Rest / XT	Long Run Dist: 8 Mi @11:19	Rest / XT
33	JUL 23	JUL 24	JUL 25	JUL 26	JUL 27	JUL 28	JUL 29
34 Mi	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:18	Speedwork Dist: 4 Mi, inc Warm; 2x1600 in 9:08 w/800 jogs; Cool	Rest / XT	Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @11:18	Rest / XT	Marathon Race Day 26.2 Mi @10:17 Time: 4:29:37

Where do you turn to for a marathon (or any other run) training plan?