Marathon training - it's all in the planning

I am still not running, due to ongoing footache. It is markedly better and I'm hopeful of a run this weekend, but in the meantime have been cycling and walking long distances (which surprisingly does not hurt) to maintain some fitness

I've also been using the downtime to plan my marathon training a lot more rigorously than New York in 2009. Then it was easy - the world (well, it's wide web) is littered with beginner marathon training programmes.

However, after beginner plans move straight into advanced. Some are called intermediate, but essentially these are still for people running their first marathon after trying one or two half marathons. The advanced ones are so daunting as to be impossible. It's becoming a bit of a minefield, to be honest.

I started with the Internet, as that is where I have downloaded all previous training plans. There are essentially 3 types of internet training plan online:

1) the I have never run before, but have accidentally signed up for a marathon/wanted to run a marathon before I die and need to get round 26.2 miles plan. These build basic fitness and measure runs in time rather than miles. And are not testing enough for me
2) The sub 4 hour marathon plan. God I would love to do a sub 4 hour marathon but surely there is something in between getting round in however long it takes and 4 hours. Like sub 4.30 (my target)? I'm quite happy to attempt a sub 4 hour training plan, though, as soon as I find one which doesn't require you giving up full time work due to the amount of mileage and runs/cross training you have to put in.
3) elite. Nuff said...

Failing to find anything suitable on the internet, I've gone for the book route. Currently on my table are 4 books containing training plans.

The first two are female orientated, one more overtly than the other. Liz Yelling's the Women's Guide to Running is quite well written, but aimed predominantly at women who don't do anything resembling exercise, have difficulty motivating themselves or finding time to get out for a run etc and contains nothing for a female who runs already. Even the improvers marathon training plan is plotted in time not mileage. This makes me incredibly sad and equally furious - that a woman's life is so fraught that she can only slot in runs based on time rather than distance.

Runs based on time are dull, dull, dull. I can't figure out how long it will take without doing out and back (yawn). And it doesn't help you to develop pacing strategies for races either. But hey, women are only doing it for the weight loss, aren't they. They aren't serious people, like those masculine chaps. [Feminist rant over.]

The second is How to Run by Paula Radcliffe, my girl crush. It's quite new and not essentially for females but when you read it, you get the sense that the publisher assumes mainly females will buy it. Being Paula, there are some testing training plans in there. Very testing. The gulf between the intermediate (time not distance again, grr) and the advanced (give up work because you're running a minimum of 10 miles 6 times a week), however, is huge. I would like to give the advanced programme a go, but know that off the back of an injury layoff I am asking for trouble. So I will maybe park that one for next year, and hope for full fitness in advance of NYC 2012

The remaining two are chalk and cheese. The Essential guide to Running has made me so mad on opening it I can't even bear to discuss it. Again, aimed at someone who is thinking of taking up running, or just started yesterday. But to make matters worse, it also talks to them like they are a complete simpleton.

Where are the books for the inbetweeners? Surely I can't be the only person looking to improve who isn't going to be a bloody elite after their first marathon. I am getting lots of extra training in walking back to the library to take these books back but not much joy in terms of training plans

My hope is now pinned on Hal Higdon's Marathon. A quick scan of his webpages this morning was vaguely positive - training plans based on miles not time, and a range of them to choose from. Surely something called Marathon must be the winner? Certainly compared to the Essential guide to running, it appears like a seriously worthy tome. I live in hope of these plans working out for me.

In the meantime, if anyone can offer a mileage-based, 4-5 week training schedule that is testing without being a full-time job, please let me know!

LON