Bingham or Galloway?

[marathonmommy]

Okay Dis Friends...I keep going back and forth on this one. I know both plans can adequately prepare me for the half marathons I plan on doing. Please let me know which plan you think is the better one for me. I am comparing Higdon's Novice Plan and Bingham's Running Plan for the Half. Here are the facts:


- I've run 2 half marathons in the past. I use the word "run" loosely, because I am very slow. I think I have now progressed to about an 11 minute mile.

- I'm a 40 year old woman. I'm not "thin" but not "fat".

- I have a very busy lifestyle but am forcing myself to make time for "me".

- My goal is to finish in less than 3 hours. I'd much prefer closer to the 2.5 mark!


The Higdon plans seems to have a bit more miles during the week but not too overwhelming. Not sure what to do for the Strength and Stretch part. Will need to look that up.

The Bingham plan seems very doable. Just not sure about the Form and Speed part but can make it work, I suppose.


So, what's your vote - HIGDON or BINGHAM? Again, I know they will both get me to the finish line, but I can't seem to make this decision on my own. Please make it for me.

 

[marathonmommy]

Anyone?

 

[Bephus]

Since you have experience and are looking to improve on time, I would do Higdon. I have done both for full marathons and have been happy with the results.
oh, and BTW, you have Galloway in your title instead of Higdon

 

[cewait]

Neither!

Look at your lifestyle. Can you make time for the midweek work or will you just mail these workouts in as you force them into your schedule.

I think reading between the lines that you like the Higdon weekends but cannot find time for the midweek runs (maybe I am misreading). Regardless, look at the weekend plan that fits you and your schedule best. Focus on that plan. Then look at what plan’s midweek work suits your lifestyle. Do that plan’s midweek runs. Or find an alternate plan’s schedule. You may be surprised that many 8-9 m/m runners only run twice midweek. But none of their runs are just runs. They have purpose.

I would suggest running long on the day you can. Take the next day off and then run hard hills on Tuesday (assuming Sunday was long). Then cross train on Wednesday and run intervals/other speed play on Thursday. Cross train on Friday and take Saturday off. The two midweek runs can be performed in 45-60 minutes if well planned and you are done.

 

[marathonmommy]

Neither!

Look at your lifestyle. Can you make time for the midweek work or will you just mail these workouts in as you force them into your schedule.

I think reading between the lines that you like the Higdon weekends but cannot find time for the midweek runs (maybe I am misreading). Regardless, look at the weekend plan that fits you and your schedule best. Focus on that plan. Then look at what plan’s midweek work suits your lifestyle. Do that plan’s midweek runs. Or find an alternate plan’s schedule. You may be surprised that many 8-9 m/m runners only run twice midweek. But none of their runs are just runs. They have purpose.

I would suggest running long on the day you can. Take the next day off and then run hard hills on Tuesday (assuming Sunday was long). Then cross train on Wednesday and run intervals/other speed play on Thursday. Cross train on Friday and take Saturday off. The two midweek runs can be performed in 45-60 minutes if well planned and you are done.

LOL! I'm not sure if you read into my post or not but, I have no problem doing the midweek runs in the summer (during the school year it is tough, but I digress). I've been doing them 5 days a week. I thought doing Higdon would be give me more miles.

I live in a place that is relatively flat. Would you suggest hills on a treadmill, or go find the one or two hills in the area and run up and down them? I've never done hill work before.

 

[marathonmommy]

Since you have experience and are looking to improve on time, I would do Higdon. I have done both for full marathons and have been happy with the results.
oh, and BTW, you have Galloway in your title instead of Higdon

Thanks for the advice! So, do you think Higdon prepared you a little better?

Oops on the Galloway thing! I was considering that plan earlier as well but took it out of the running. How can I edit my title?

 

[cewait]

LOL! I'm not sure if you read into my post or not but, I have no problem doing the midweek runs in the summer (during the school year it is tough, but I digress). I've been doing them 5 days a week. I thought doing Higdon would be give me more miles.

I live in a place that is relatively flat. Would you suggest hills on a treadmill, or go find the one or two hills in the area and run up and down them? I've never done hill work before.

See, I have a magic crystal in KNEW you would have issues on the back end of the training schedule.

Seriously, do not feel like you cannot modifiy a plan to fit you, your schedule and your goals.

If you have access to a treadmill then I suggest the treadmill. There are several 'cruel' profiles that I send folks through...as an example...

warm up for 5 minutes @2% incline
at minute 5 increase elevation to 6%
Minute 7 increase to 7%
Minute 9 increase to 8%
Minute 11 to 9%
Minute 13 to 10%
At minute 15 repeat starting at 6%

Repeat 5 times....then at minute 55, bring the elevation back to 2% and cool for 5 minutes.

The goal is to bring heart rates up to near anaerobic (you could say 1-4 words per breath) at the 8-10% elevations. Also, you will not likely be able to do it in the early days... the longer term goal is to set a speed and maintain it through the hour.

 

[elbowglitter]

Well, I'm always a huge fan of Charles' advice (he has pointed me in the right direction more than once), but I will say that I used Higdon's novice plan (slightly modified to fit my schedule) to prep for my first half marathon, and I definitely felt prepared. (I then caught the dreaded stomach bug that was going around Disney and couldn't run, so I can't say if I really WAS prepared). I'm using it now to prepare for the Disneyland half.

I actually can't workout on Mondays, so I make that a rest day, and add a second strength workout where I can fit it during the week. Sometimes that's Wednesday, sometimes Friday or Saturday. Just whatever works for me that week.

 

[Kirsty-Leigh]

I, personally, had overuse injury issues with higdon's plan when I was training for goofy. It was with-in a month of starting the plan. So I switched to the Bingam plan which worked much better for me (and my breakable body!). But everyone is different. I agree with Charles, you don't have to follow someone else's plan - just figuring out how to fit it into your schedule is really important.

Kirsty

 

[Bephus]

Thanks for the advice! So, do you think Higdon prepared you a little better?

I think it helped me most with increasing fitness. I think having run multiple races prepared me the most for how I would fare at each subsequent(sp?) race. I just liked the longer distances midweek and running longer more often (I did Higdon intermediate so ran 20 x 2.) I kindof feel Bingham was best for me when I was coming from an extended break in running, I used that plan after both of my pregnancies.