Boston Qualification Advice
Hi All,
Just finished up Lake Placid and am looking to run a marathon on October 16th, 2016 on my 27th birthday in hopes to qualify for Boston 2018! I have picked the Columbus Marathon in Ohio as it is flat and every year many qualify for Boston. Also, it has a 3:00 pace group. I have been working with Coach P post IM and am in recovery mode for 4 weeks. One of my goals during this time is to shed a few pounds. I am less than 10% body fat, but I figure the less pounds for a marathon the better. I thought I read somewhere on here that a lb = 5 sec per mile for a general rule. I am under 35 so I have to at least hit 3:05. My goal is to run with the 3:00 pace group at the Marathon.
I ran a 1:25 marathon in the outseason so I know I have the ability to reach this goal. Also, I have some shorter road races (5k/10k) that correspond with the 3 hour time. Any advice on what to do in the next 11.5 weeks to help me reach my goal? Thanks in advance!
Comments
Jordan, I think 3:00 is within your capabilities but you have a big challenge to be ready by October 16th:
- After 4 weeks of recovery/detraining, you are left with only 8 weeks to the marathon. You are jumping in really late in the marathon build- You will probably have gone at least a month without a real tempo run, and will need to rebuild that fitness
- Your fitness was right on the edge for 3 hours. 1:25 half projects to right about a 3:00 full, assuming you are really well trained for the marathon. Most of us would be a little slower for the longer race
If it were me I would look for a marathon a little later, to give myself more time to build. Or cut back on the race goal. But I understand the "BQ or bust" mindset, and 3:00 is probably the right target if you want to get in for 2018. If you are determined to try at this race (accepting the higher risk of injury) I would:
- Get back to running frequently (and short) as soon as safe
- Be careful getting back into the long runs. The marathon plan would have you at 16 miles in the first week. You might split the long run the first few weeks
- Make sure you are getting in 1-2 quality tempo / z4 sessions each week, per the plan
- Be really careful with the z5 sessions. Lots of potential to get hurt in these jumping back in quickly
On weight loss, I think you'd see more like 1-2 seconds/mile per pound. So if you can lose 2-3 pounds that is another 2-3 minutes of buffer.
Although not impossible, the odds aren't great. Keep in mind, a 3:05 this year wouldn't have put you on the start line. You needed a 3:02:30 or better. 1:25 HM speed, after complete leg destruction at LP, then 6 weeks of real training to run a 3:02 . . . that's tough. If you were running 40-50 miles per week for LP and can safely return to that soon, then a four-week block in the 60's - maybe. And if you think you're really capable of 1:22 HM, that too would increase the odds. If BQ is more than 50% of the reason for doing this, maybe look for a December race (Dallas), January (Disney) or February (Austin). Right now, time (lack thereof) is your biggest enemy.
Whatever you do, stay safe and have fun.
MR