Review Summary
People run for many reasons. For marathon runners, those reasons are personal. No one knows this better than Marius Bakken, who has brought his nine years of professional running to the electronic word in his e-book, The 100 Day Marathon Plan.
Bakken’s personal training philosophy is a unique compilation of two powerful marathon techniques from different parts of the world. It includes a little known scheduling secret from Italian marathon training and a control technique perfected in Kenya. In this review each of those techniques is described as well as how he applies them to his training schedules.
Bakken’s 100 Day Marathon Plan consists of fourteen chapters built around six different sections. These six sections cover Bakken’s philosophy, selecting the best schedule, the schedules themselves, adjustments and special situations, race day specific recommendations, and advanced information.
You will find a description of the structure of Bakken’s e-book, as well as some pros and cons about navigating the book. Whether you have been running marathons for some time, or you are just starting out, The 100 Day Marathon Plan proves to be an excellent resource. It will serve well as your own personal trainer, or as a coach for your team.
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Review
“The name marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides who was a Greek messenger. The legend says that he was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the “Battle of Marathon”. The story says that he did so without stopping and before he collapsed he managed to say the words, “Nenikekamen” which is simply, “We have Won!” (Bakken, Intro)
We run for so many reasons. For some it’s the feeling of the physical power or accomplishment. For others it’s freedom. Whatever it is that brings us to the track, one thing is for certain. It is personal. There is no way we could stay the course through all the pain, struggle, failure, and even victory if it was not personal.
For Marius Bakken, running is personal. After nine years of professional running, Bakken has finally put all of his personal experience and expertise into written form. If you have decided to take up the challenge of marathon running, then Marius Bakken”s 100 Day Marathon Plan is a must read.
In fourteen concise chapters, Bakken shares all of his trade secrets in a clear and constructive way that anyone can understand. This e-book is meant for professional runners and beginners alike. So we decided to have a look at Bakken’s pearls of wisdom for ourselves. In this article we will explain Bakken’s philosophy towards marathon training and give you a sneak peek into what his Marathon Training Schedule e-book is all about.
The Bakken philosophy of marathon training.
The Bakken philosophy of marathon training works because it pulls together two of the most successful marathon training techniques in the world. The first technique is an Italian secret called Periodisation. The goal of periodisation is to improve your performance over the course of the full 100 days without reaching a plateau. This sets you up to be at your prime on Race Day, not before.
The second technique is a Kenyan concept of Intensity Control. How hard you run, and how long you run, during your training sessions will directly determine your level of success. The secret to intensity control is a variety of speed within your Anaerobic Threshold.
Sound interesting? We thought so, too, but we don’t want to give away too much. Suffice it to say that in his 100 Day Marathon Training Schedule, Bakken weaves these two techniques into a precise plan for success.
A look inside the book.
Specifically geared towards runners who wish to run marathons ranging from two hours and forty-five minutes up to five hours, Marius Bakken’s 100 Day Marathon Plan consists of fourteen chapters built around six sections.
Section 1: The Philosophy. This section is covered entirely in chapter two, and it goes into depth with Bakken’s training philosophy covered earlier in this review.
Section 2: Choosing the Right Schedule. Made up of chapters three and four, this section simplifies the process of determining which training schedule is right for you. Bakken provides eight schedules for you to choose from. His goal is to meet the needs of beginners and advanced runners alike. This section will you determine your goals, commitment level, and the best approach for reaching them.
Section 3: The Schedules. Chapter four continues with the details for each training schedule. The training schedules themselves are truly Bakken’s philosophy put into action. Each schedule contains an excellent description of terms and concepts. This makes it easy to reference the information on each page, rather than having to link back to a separate page of definitions.
Immediately, the second of Bakken’s two techniques is apparent as he outlines the Kenyan concept of Intensity Control with three approaches to the schedule. These are 1) effort, 2) heart rate, or 3) pace. For Effort, Bakken gives a brief description of what the experience should be like. Heart rate is the range you need to keep your heart rate in during the run. And pace is how fast you should complete one kilometer or one mile. However you prefer to approach your training, Bakken keeps it simple and effective.
Bakken utilizes the Italian secret of Periodization throughout his schedule structure. Each schedule is divided into Phases, which are further divided into weeks, then sessions. Each session has a detailed run and recovery plan.
Section 4: Adjustments and Special Situations. Spanning chapters five through nine, this section is full of helpful information regarding how to adjust the schedules to fit your needs, deal with injury, weight loss, and unique situations on Race Day. Turn to this section for tips on finding the right running shoes for you, proper nutrition, and pacing.
Section 5: Race Day Recommendations. In this section, covered by chapters ten through twelve, Bakken gives special tips specifically for race day. These tips cover things such as how to avoid cramps, maintaining your heart rate, and more.s
Section 6: Advanced Information. In this final advanced section comprised of chapters thirteen and fourteen, Bakken discusses advanced concepts of heart rate training and special terms such as Smart Strides.
Each chapter includes a summary video in which Bakken recaps visually what is written in that particular chapter. While you can navigate the e-book chapters offline, you do need to be connected to the internet in order to the view the videos. Still, they are an excellent way to extend the lessons to all learning types. Also, links can be found at the top and bottom of each page which will take you back to the previous chapter, forward to the next, or to an index page from which you can reach whichever you chapter you need.
Whether you have been running marathons for several years, or you are just starting on your own “couch-to-marathon quest”, Marius Bakken’s 100 Day Marathon Plan e-book is a fantastic resource. Well structured and easy to understand, Bakken’s -ebook succeeds at being useful for the individual runner or teams alike. It truly is “Marathon Training that Works”.
Conclusion
Marius Bakken’s 100 Day Marathon Plan is well structured and easily understood. While the chapter summary videos provide a unique touch, they are only accessible with an internet connection, and they interfere with scrolling on the page. Overall, this e-book is a great resource with a personal approach to marathon training.
Click Here to Get More Information on The 100 Day Marathon Plan
