WHAT DOES A GOOD MARATHON PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?

TL;DR: It should be a lot more than a training plan and fancy workouts.

A lot of programs fall short because they treat athletes like machines. They’re a rinse-and-repeat of workouts and mileage based on traditional orthodoxy—an athlete pulling out the playbook that worked for them in the past, or using formulas from a coaching course or book. And that is a good place to start! There is no point in re-inventing the wheel. Follow a good plan based on solid principles and you will do quite well. Following a solid plan is a necessary starting point, but it’s just the low-hanging fruit. If your program doesn’t account for your life, your mind, and your trajectory, it’s leaving work on the table.

---

Good 1. Which plan? (Start with the problem)

TL;DR: There is no “best” 18-week program.

We get asked constantly: Which plan is best? Which methodology wins? The truth is, no athlete responds to a plan the same way. There is no formula for a perfect training plan because there is no such thing as a "standard" athlete.

You can’t optimize your workouts if you aren't clear on the problem you're trying to solve. Are you chasing speed or durability? Are you time-crunched or recovering from an injury?

Einstein - “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions."

A plan is just a hypothesis built on your current constraints (time, fitness, life). The art isn't in the spreadsheet; it's in the planning process. If you aren’t learning something through that process—or at least feeling more confident than you would on your own asking AI—your plan is incomplete.

Question to ask yourself >>> Are you learning something through the planning process? Have you considered something you hadn’t before? Are you clear on which problems your plan is focused on tackling?

---

Good 2. The need for flexibility

TL;DR: Even with the best coach, you are 90% self-coached.

The best plan in the world will meet the reality of your life and shatter. It’ll be windy, hot, cold, or hilly. How should you adjust your pace? Life will throw you a curveball and you will have to shuffle the week. What’s the best way to do it? Maybe that calf niggle is a warning, not a suggestion. Should I run, or shouldn’t I?

Mike Tyson - “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Execution is more important than the paper you’re following. With a coach or on your own, you will need to make hundreds of decisions. Adapting a plan to meet changing circumstances is where the real development happens. If you aren't getting feedback, asking questions, and learning how to adjust in real-time, you’re missing the point of a program or coaching.

Question to ask yourself >>> Are you consistently asking questions and getting answers about your plan and workouts? Are you learning and becoming a more knowledgeable athlete along the way? Are you getting feedback on your training and overall development?

---

Good 3. Training the mind

TL;DR: Where the mind goes, the body follows.

The "90-10" principle is about willpower. The will to endure and the daily discipline of being an athlete. Willpower isn't a fixed trait—it’s a muscle you build through the environment you create, the habits you cement, and the company you keep.

Kipchoge - “Running is 90% mental and 10% physical”

Your plan needs to account for how you prepare your mind. Are you building the habits, routines, and purpose that actually make the training sustainable? Or are you leaving your mindset to chance? A good program partners with you to create an environment where you can actually thrive.

Question to ask yourself >>> Are you on your own to figure out the mindset, habits, routines, relationships, purposes, and enjoyment that you apply to your running? Or is your program helping to create an environment you thrive in?

---

Good 4. The long arc (Beyond this training cycle)

TL;DR: Your 12-week plan should never just be 12 weeks.

Most injuries happen because athletes overestimate what they can do in one year. And too many people don’t strive high enough because they underestimate what they can achieve in ten.

Bill Gates - “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

If you are injury-prone, you’re likely guilty of overestimating what you can do in a year. If you’re limiting your ambitions because you don't feel "talented," you’re selling your potential short. A good coach holds you accountable to both ends of the spectrum, protecting you from today’s over-eagerness while keeping your eyes on the long arc.

Question to ask yourself >>> How do you make sure you pull back when needed to help keep you injury free? How can you unbias your potential and get help to dream big and see the bigger long-term picture?

---

Good 5. Your plan for everything else

TL;DR: If you’re running 100km a week, that’s still less than 5% of your life. Plan for the other 95%.

The "marginal gains" approach isn't just about better gear or faster shoes; it’s about the compounding power of tiny, continuous improvements. It looks at the whole athlete.

Sir Dave Brailsford - "The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together."

If your plan only looks at the workout, you’re missing the forest for the trees. Are you planning your sleep, stress management, and nutrition with the same rigor you apply to your track session? Performance isn't just what happens on the road; it’s what you do to optimize your health, recovery, and readiness for the work ahead.

It’s also that no one human can be the expert in all things. A good program and coach will take a vested interest in helping you build your team.

Question to ask yourself >>> Does your plan only include training? Or are you planning how to improve sleep, test race day nutrition, pick the best shoes for you, adapt to the conditions you’ll race in (heat, altitude) etc etc...?