The Marathon Method
Tom Holland's The Marathon Method: The 16-Week Training Program that Prepares You to Finish a Full or Half Marathon in Your Best Time.
My review as posted on Amazon.com:
(Rating: 4 stars)
I recently ran my first marathon, using the Intermediate program from this book and had results that I was really pleased with.
I religiously followed the training program and managed to stay injury and illness-free during my 16 week training period. I never missed a run session, and always ran the prescribed distances. I've got to say, the training leading up to my first marathon was not as gruelling as I expected it to be.
My results (to give you an idea of my abilities in relation to the book review):
I had no 'official' goal time in mind, but thought I'd run around 3:53-4hrs based on my training speeds. I took the first half of the race very conservatively, and (likely as a result), never 'hit the wall'. I performed a negative split, and felt very strong during the last 10km. I finished in 4:05, not quite the time I had hoped, but I finished strong, with a smile on my face and it was a result I am happy with. The experience was great and I am looking forward to smashing that time in my next marathon!
Having The Marathon Method and Tom's training program to work from gave me the confidence on race day that I would be able to achieve my goals. The chapters were easy to read and gave specific product references. I referred back to the book several times after I initially read it.
Another thing that really impressed me was the support Tom gave me when I contacted him through his website. I had a couple of questions regarding which of his programs to use, and he got back to me very promptly with useful answers.
