I'm sure that the plan I used for my marathon would have been considered "half-assed" by some and still it worked fine for me.

I usually only ran 3 times per week. An easy run on Tues., a mid-length tempo or speedwork run on Thurs., and a long run on Sun. I think it was just enough to build a base, still have time for other things in life, and not too much to make me not look forward to my runs.

If I had to shift around my days because something else came up then so be it. I tried not to stress those little things too much.

I went from doing nothing longer then 4-5 mile runs to a half and full marathon within my 1st year. All following a easier training method. I experienced no injuries and am already looking for another marathon to train for. I doubt that I will ever get a Boston qualifying time with my training schedule but that is nowhere near the top of my list of what I need to have a great marathon experience.