Boston Marathon
Hi guys, at the beginning of December I need to start my training for Boston (nursing an injury and I need approximately 18 weeks for a safely). I found the marathon hack spreadsheet and plan. I assume that I follow the runs on that hack rather than the ones in my Nov OS Plan and does LRP mean long run pace.
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I was doing Boston to finish but still with a decent time (not by choice but because of an injury). I may not be the example you are looking for but here is what I did last year.
I did Nov OS last year and ran Boston. I had a foot injury from swimming in Dec and took about 6-8 weeks off running altogether, but kept up the bike workouts for the most part.
Feb - I easied back into the OS run workouts as written and used a lower vdot for a few weeks
March - I hit it hard again and did all OS workouts as written based on my actual vdot, except one night a week I did a track workout with a running club instead of the OS run workout. I also raced a half marathon.
I ended up only doing 3 long runs during March/April ... 2 hr, 2:15, and 2:30. I did them on Sundays. Otherwise I followed the OS plan except for the notes above.
My method may not work from everyone thought as I tend to be able to run pretty long on little training. If you just want to finish, what I did will work. If you want to truly race the marathon... I would not recomend attempting this during the OS, even I'm not that crazy.
There is a great post in the wiki about how Coach P recomends you add a marathon in... I believe it is just called the Marathon Hack.
My plan - as it is now - is to insert the run hack beginning at week 9 and shift to a run focus after the OS ends. I will be running New Bedford half as my OS closer on 3/20, then Great Bay half on 4/3, both are tuneup races for Boston for me. I did both this past year in preparation for Kentucky Derby which I bonked in the heat. But 3 weeks later I PRed and BQed at Sugarloaf.
Following a recovery transition I jump into race prep for IMLP.
Run Strong
P
Thanks everyone. I know have a good idea of how to make the OS Nov work for me. I am just running Boston. I really am not a great runner, so I really just want to get over the finish line without feeling like I was dragged behind a truck. I am going to do as Patrick recommended and extend my long runs to 60-75 minutes until I hit January and then set into the marathon hack. It is good to know that Patrick is in our group, as we will have his expertise.
Run
* Running overview
* Running a Faster Ironman Marathon Series (3 parts)
* Racing with Pace eBook
* Marathon Pacing
* Half Marathon Pacing
* Marathon Nutrition
* Trail Running
* Ultramarathons
* Marathons and Triathlon Training
* Definition of a Good Run
* Long Run Training for Ironman, EN Version
* Eleven Minute Superstars
It's at the top of the page in the red sentence.
I started my Boston focus 12/27. 16 week plan from BAA that all my friends here are doing together. It is similar to EN as it has a lot of intensity. I only run 3-4 days a week of the plan. 2 interval bikes and 1 easy bike and 2 swims as swimming keeps me flexible in my back and arms.
Anyone interested in posting/sharing our workouts here and keeping eachother fired up?
Carrie
This past Sunday we( 18 of us) ran 14 miles on a simulated BOSTON loop course, first 4-5 miles downhill, then flat, then climbing rollers back to our cars. UUGGH my shins, calves and quads!! I was sore until Wednesday but still able to run track Tuesday. I rolled and dug out my calves Mon and Tuesday and that really helped. Plus wore Compression socks as I ran track. BIG HELP.
Track was 7.5 miles total with 8 x 800 @ 10K pace( 200 recovery) which for me is 6:25 pace. I am lucky as I have 8 folks my exact speed all running in a group on the track!!
Now off to go do an 8 miler with 5 at Marathon tempo( 10-20 seconds faster than goal pace). So for me about 7:00's. Will see how it goes.
Let me know how all of your runs are going.
My intervals on the bike were Monday. They went well, 3 x 12 FT, and 1 x 20@ 90%, 1 x 20 @ 80%. Might squeeze next bike in Fri am? Not sure when. Running recovery comes first.
Carrie
How were your runs?
CC
I've been looking over the Run Hack, the OS, and my own custom plans (15 marathons worth of fine tuning) and haven't quite settled on a strategy yet. I think it will be an amalgamation of the 3.
The first thing I have to say is that I really miss running since starting the OS. To go out the door and just run until I feel like turning around is awesome. But, I have been a good boy and have been sticking to the OS as written. It has been a good learning experience in general. And yes, the OS really is tough on the body and adding run volume may be disastrous if not closely monitored. I do listen to my body and have no problems with rest days or skipping a workout if I am fatigued. I am sure that I will have to be especially careful as I focus on Boston during the OS.
Initially I started with a Hal Higdon plan back in ’04 for my first marathon. Since then I have been making it more of my own to the point that it is nothing like his original plan. The past two years, I have been running fewer days but longer runs in general. Key runs include a long run of 12 to 20 miles, a mid-distance tempo run of 6 to 10 miles, and some kind of speed work like hill repeats or Yasso 800’s. I have found that it really suits me well building durability, dramatically increasing my marathon pace, and almost eliminating the late-mile slow down around mile 24.
My current thinking is that I will continue to do the intervals as the OS calls for mid week and add some time/volume to the short efforts. The Sunday long run will follow my plan. Sometimes, the intervals may be done as hill repeats – I have a hill a half mile from the house that is about 80 feet high at a 6% grade. Takes me 1:30 to 1:40 from bottom to top. I usually start with 6 repeats and work up to 10 or 12 after 4 to 6 mile warm-up. Same with the Yasso 800’s at the UMO track.
A complete list of my past accomplishments is at http://treemapper.blogspot.com/p/races-and-results.html if anyone was interested.
Today’s midday outdoor run was 9 miles at 8:24 overall – a fairly typical mid distance steady pace.
Great Blog! So cool that all your race results are in one place. I have raced since age 14 and have no idea of all my results
Marathoning was my main gig pre IM and I got my PR down to a 3:08!!! This Boston I am shooting for sub 3:15... Dare I hope for 3:10
I will be happy with whatever I do. I am not a risk taker so will likely start easy and build into it and see how I am feeling and negative split my pace.
I like your plan Steve. I am not going to do the VO2 intervals unless my plan calls for 5K pace, which it does maybe 1/3-1/2 of the time.
I will ease back on bikes if they get in the way of my runs.
Carrie
@ Brenda – 4 weeks in, any fatigue issues yet? You must be a fairly strong athlete to keep the full OS going and layer the Hack over it….. what is your weekly mileage at? Are you doing all the T-pace from both?
@ Steve, no fatigue issues yet. Not sure about strong athlete, but to put things in perspective I am on the intermediate plans for both. Not sure about weekly mileage because I go by the time assigned in the marathon hackplan , but roughly that worked out to about 43km last week (1 run was approximately 10km, and then the other was about 13km and then the 20km on the weekend, but I am not running off the bike. Coach P said not to do that, so I have not been doing any bricks. Yes I am doing all the TPace from both.
I historically only run 3X a week for last 3 years or so. I am injury prone and through trial and error and fear of injury I cut back and run T, Th and Sunday. Well I really want to race Boston and go in fit! So I have commited to a 4th day to get my mileage up to around 40 weekly. The 4th day will be Friday and easy peasy pace. I met a friend today after work and we ran 6 easy. Fingers crossed my body will tolerate the extra day a week.
Next up: Sunday long run with tempo in the later part of the run. It is so easy for Steve and I to train for this race because all our training partners are racing Boston too! I almost never run alone. I never ever run with music because I never need to.
Hope you had a fun New Year's eve!
CC
@Carrie, I hope your 4th run does not put you in the injury cave. Good luck with that. I have run my other two marathons on 3 run days a week with cross training on the bike, so I will stick with that plan. Great that you have peeps to train with.
1. no rest since Wednesday
2. new FTP numbers are making my legs tired
3. a bit dehydrated to start
Sooooo, now that we are entering Z5 work I am going to put my long bike of 75 min on my Thursday, Rest on Friday and then my short 60 min bike on Sat and see if that helps.
Carrie - I hope your run today went well?
@ Brenda- Z3 is a very hard pace to hold for so long a distance. Just trying and negative splitting will get you what you are looking for. Your moving of your workouts sounds like a good plan. All that fatigue is accumulating. That is for sure.
I am not doing any Z5 bike stuff. Sticking with Z4 and Z3 bike stuff through Boston.
Thanks for asking Brenda! My run went really well. Huge group again but ended up pushing the pace most of the run, no true tempo just strong long run with 2 girlfriends. 1 girl is super strong, most likely sub 3 marathoner. She held back and ran with us. When we hit the hills she could fly! Just dropped me and left me panting! I love it. Having her with me kept me going.
Ended up with 14 hilly miles in 7:40 average. Once we hit the hills it was tough to keep sub 8's but I did it with lots of heavy breathingand "oh my God's"!. So overall faster than last week and my legs do not feel as cooked as last week.
Hoping to keep building my fitness week by week.
Recover well !!
I know Coach P did 11 in 6:47 pace yesterday. OMG!! Great job P!
CC