About This Plan

While part of the actual running plan is the same as the original Beginner-Intermediate Marathon Plan, we did make some significant changes to many of the key runs and workouts.

*The above video was originally created for The “All In” BQ Marathon plan, but the information applies to all of the “All In” plans

The “All In” Marathon Plan is unlike any other training plan on the market. Coach Sandi came up with the idea for this plan over 3 years ago, believing we could develop a plan that would do an even better job of helping people reach their goals. It combines years of research as well as all of our running and high-performance knowledge packaged together in a way so that all the information can be retained and utilized by anyone who uses this plan. We hope this plan will make you feel that you have us as your personal coaches, giving you all the information you need to be successful as you go.

The plan will take you on a 16-week journey, a journey that requires you to be “all in”. You’ll start off by performing a strength self-assessment that will help you prevent injuries and keep you running strong throughout the plan. We’ll also help get you into the right mindset to start the training plan. From there, for each week of the plan, there will be a section on Mindset Training and a section on Physical Training along with the actual running plan. The Mindset Training will give you the tools you need to perform at your highest level. We’ll help you learn to embrace any challenge, give you advice on how to decrease anxiety before key workouts and races, and teach you numerous mindset strategies that can help your mind relax and embrace the feeling of running fast. We aim to do all of this while making sure your joy for running is always there! (More on the mindset training below.)

The Physical Training topics include recovery, heat and altitude training, pre-race and race day fueling, posture and mobility, blood tests, running form, all aspects of tapering (carbo-loading, strength training, bodywork, etc.), creating a race day pacing plan depending on the course profile, and everything else you need to know about physically feeling your best on race day. Our goal while making this plan was to make it so that you’re not left with any crucial questions at the end.

You can’t be “all in” without including some running specific core work into your weekly training. Along with creating a core workout routine for you that can be made to fit into a busy schedule, we wrote in when we thought you should be doing your core workouts, mobility, and stretching under each day of the plan. This plan also contains a pre-run warm-up routine, examples of heavy lifting and plyometric routines, and advice on stretching and foam rolling. We wanted a plan that gives you every chance possible of reaching your goals!

Is This Plan for You?

The goal of this plan is to allow you to run your best marathon possible in 16 weeks time. It is not a “just finish” bare minimum plan though!  If you have run a marathon before, but aren’t quite at the level of the “Boston Qualifying ‘BQ’ Plan” just yet, then this plan is for you!

Otherwise, if you are looking to finish a marathon for the first time, but still run a strong time (i.e. a sub 4-hour etc.) then this plan is for you!

This plan is structured for runners who will reach a peak mileage of somewhere between 45 to 50 miles (72-80km) a week. If you haven’t run a single week over 35 miles (56km) per week in you running career yet, we highly recommend that you take several months (or even a year) to build up your mileage base so you are consistently averaging at least 25-35 miles (40-55km) per week on a regular basis without any serious injury before starting this training program. 

More on Mindset Training

There’s a reason why professional athletes and teams work with sports psychologists. At the highest level of sport, everyone is talented and ready to put in the work. The best athletes know that the difference between performing well and truly performing at their highest level possible is all in the mind. We realize that you may not be able to justify hiring a sports psychologist, so we spent years researching mindset training, neuroplasticity, and everything we could gather from the leading sports psychologists. In this plan, we share the best science-based advice with you that you can immediately incorporate into your training and daily life. Each week’s mindset training topic is multiple paragraphs long, providing the details you need without feeling overwhelming. Our goal is for you to approach all runs as well as race day with a relaxed confidence that will allow you to perform at your highest level possible, pushing past your former perceived limitations to have breakthrough performances. Furthermore, if you truly do the work of applying the advice, we believe this plan can help you create a high-performance mindset that will serve you in all areas of your life.

•16 weeks of Mindset Training (+ bonus tips)
•16 weeks of Physical Training (+bonus tips)
•16 week Running Plan* (in metric and imperial)
•Strength Self-Assessment Videos
•Pre-Run Warm-Up Routine (with video)
•Core Routine (with video)
•Training Guide (explains each type of workout)
•Key Training Zones Chart
•And more! (Heavy lifting, plyometrics, foam rolling, stretching, etc.)