2011 Boston Marathon training thread
Hi peeps! It has been awesome having you all to train with. Let's keep the communication going over here in the Boston Groups.
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Hi peeps! It has been awesome having you all to train with. Let's keep the communication going over here in the Boston Groups.
Comments
@ Jane- nice job on the 20 miler. A 5K 3 days later. You animal!!
I also have a 5K tomorrow. I was toast after Tuesday track and a solid 3 hour ride Wed. So I skipped Thursday tempo and ran easy for a short run. Did a 1 hour interval trainer ride yesterday. Felt great and hit just above my FT at 206W!! Today super easy trainer ride at IM watts in prep for tomorrow's FAST( I hope) 5K! I ran 19:04 in December on a similar course. I have had the goal of an 18:xx 5K for 2.5 years since Nov OS 08. I have yet to do it. In my 20's I ran 18:16. Many moons ago. I think I can do it tomorrow and will try. I am prepared to be completely out of breath and hanging on for dear life until the end.
CC
I'll report back tomorrow after the race.
I am prepping for my 20 miler but feeling yucky..fingers crossed.
5K done. That was hard and I did not have it in my body at all. Oh my God! I ended up running 19:28 ( for 3.14 on the Garmin- 6:12 pace). I won my AG (40-49) and was 4th OA. Some chick ran 17:40... Holy Crap. Never saw her. She was actually running with Steve for the first mile. Steve ran 17:01 and won his AG( 50-59) and got 6th OA!!
Best news of the day was MADISON, my 7 year old smashing her previous 5K time and getting her first AG medal. She ran every step in 33:58 ( pr by 2.5 minutes) and got 2nd in female 5-8 year olds!!! So freaking cute!!
Hey Patrick- I hope your 20 miler was good. I love your dream about the Boston Marathon. If Madison is passing you then you are running 10:30's
CC
My 5k race was tough. It was a two lap course with 22 turns and many steep hills. Not a fast course especially in the last mile when I had to weave in and out of the back of the pack. I managed to win my AG with a not so stellar time of 23:20 but I managed to beat my co-worker by passing her in the last half mile!
Jane
Congratulations Jane!! Something tells me you are going to surprise yourself at Boston!!!
Congrats to Carrie, Steve, Madison and Jane on what I would consider some pretty impressive 5km times. Coach P, saw that you did your 20 miler although you were not feeling stellar and you did it at a cruising pace of 7:36. Gosh, if only I could cruise at that pace. I am more along the lines of Madisons pace, so maybe I will have a dream that Madison is pacing me in the race tonight.
Steve W - welcome back. Sounds like those legs are getting their memory back.
But first let me say a big congrats to Jane, Carrie and Steve on top shelf podium finishes! You guys are something else – I’m envious of the genes the ya’ll seem to have acquired…. And Madison, she will be on her way to the Olympic trials before you know it!
@ B – no worries, by the time you taper for Boston you will have so much energy in you legs you’ll be ready to jump out of your skin! I also imagine that you will have almost 2 weeks with no bike at all – right? Yeah I hear you about the 7:36 cruising pace…. not going to happen for me anytime soon…. Or ever!
OK, so the plan was for 20 miles with an option to go 22. Pacing was to be steady after an easy start – I wanted to be around 8:30 on the day but I was more concerned about holding my HR down in the lower zone 2 area. It all worked! Overall pace @ 8:34, HR @ 156 and cadence @ 84. I couldn’t have been more on than that. Only 21 of the 188 minutes of HR above zone 2 – nice!
The run was 22 miles out and back. Temp 46* on the out, 44* when I got back, wind less than 10 mph. Was nice enough to go in shorts and a T-shirt with gloves for most of it. I did wear a beanie and arm warmers for the first 4 miles but never put them back on.
22 miles – 3:08:43 @ 8:34; rTSS 231 (0.809)
Solid execution for a negative split:
0-5 @ 8:44, HR 153, Cd 83
6-11 @ 8:38, HR 161, Cd 83
12-17 @ 8:26, HR 154, Cd 84
18-22 @ 8:29, HR 158, Cd 86
Had some lingering quad soreness but nothing to bother my running. Had good form from start to end, posture good, cadence uniform, midfoot striking all the way.
Look out New Bedford Half! I’m ready to run! Right now I’d have to say my pace there will be at or just below 8:00. The Data Tool has me at 7:30 for a half mary. I don’t think I can plan on that. But who knows, after a 3 mile warm-up, maybe…… we’ll see how it goes!
Now on to a 12 oz NY Strip steak on the grill with stir fry veggies and mashed sweat potato!!! Yummy!
@ B- once you taper you are going to feel so good!!!!!
@ Steve- welcome back!!!!! That whining lasted less than a minute. Very NICE!! Oh and as far as genetics. Forget it. I was a sucky athlete. Fat kid. Weakling. Lost the weight in junior high school and worked my ass off.
sounds like a good weekend for all! except maybe coach P who needs to feel better!
I was very glad the group suggested to do long run BEFORE my weekend bike. Much easier to ride hard on tired legs than vice versa. Did a little over 20 in mountains of NC and beat quads up nicely then did the entire psycho bike workout assigned for week 10! UGH!
taking tomorrow as recovery and seriously considering dropping # 2 bike workout this week to have a day off legs before a local 5K Saturday I'm doing as my 5K test.
hope everyone has a great week and hang in there, we're almost to the taper!
I was consistently 3-4 beats lower than my zones since last testing, but my PE was right there. Interesting. Anyway, I got it done and am interested to see how my run tomorrow goes. It calls for Z5 stuff. Eeek.
Getting nervous about the big race. Have to trust the system.
I always get anxious before any event other than training. Doesnt matter if it is a ski trip, boating, camping, a marathon, what ever.... Not in a bad way, more like a jumpy excited way. I look forward to the feeling. I see it like an addictive drug, the reason I do this stuff. Kind of like Christmas when I was little .... I couldn't wait to see what I got!
Races are the no different. You show up with what you bring, and see what you get at the end.... nothing to it! You will do fantastic - you have the best team and coaches on you side!
So far so good with my legs and energy level. That is the tricky part. Getting to the start healthy. I started with a sore throat Sunday night. Crap!! I hit it hard with zinc, vit c , water, alkaline foods and it feels basically gone. Just a liitle stuffy nose and post nasal drip. Hoping it does not become more.
Monday easy trainer spin 45 min @ 80% avg for ride.
Track yesterday rocked. 4 x 1 mile at marathon tempo. Ended up closer to HMP. 6:51, 6:44, 6:40, 6:36. They all felt great and totally in control. But note to self: do not run sub 7's at Boston... the race would not end well
Today 1:50 trainer ride with Tom Glynn. Rode steady listening to music and ended up at 84% for the ride!!! Not bad with no FT work.
Tomorrow BIG Key session: 14 miles with 10 @ goal MP. I'll shoot for 7:15-7:20's for the 10 mile section. Hope I feel good.
CC
@ ;Carrie - you really are something else... beat down an illness while grinding gears and smoking a track workout.... pretty good stuff there. Have a fun 14 miler tomorrow
Yesterday I did the week 18 bike/brick - 2x20'(4')FTP +20' at 85%. Legs were spent after the bike but I needed to get some hills in. Went to my local hill (I have to go up it anytime I leave the house) and did 4 repeats. It is a 7% grade over 0.2 miles. Just under 3 miles total in 26 minutes. Slow for a run, but OK for my hill repeats.
Tonight was a deadmill run - cold rain outside in the low 30's. Ran 9 miles total in 1:11:48 for 7:59 pace. 2 miles were zone 4 (7:20) and the rest were what felt comfortable.
Saturday I have a bike fit then plan to get a few easy miles in as my last run before the New Bedford Half on Sunday. Current forecast for the race is 40* start, warming to maybe 44* under clear skies and light NW breeze. Going to be an awesome run.
Wow Steve! Can't get over the killer bikes you guys are doing along with marathon training. Very impressive! I hope your race goes well Steve. Enjoy it. When in doubt just settle in to a happy pace. Don't cook your goose. You know?
@ Brenda- congrats on all your workouts!
JB- I hope you are resting. Don't dig a huge hole for yourself. Said with love and concern.
I finished a BIG KEY workout this morning and have a good report to give!!!
Ended up with 12 miles. Steve and I ran 2 mile warm up, came back to the house where our friends were waiting for us. They were doing Rock Paper Scissors for who would run with Steve and who would go with me! It was funny. I had Michael with me, 25 years old , adorable and a speedy guy. 16:50 5K runner. So I am calling it the " Cougar" run. HA!! He was awesome. We ran steady!
Goal was 10 @ marathon tempo. At or around marathon pace.
12 total miles with warm up in 7:14 avg pace!!
10 mile section with Michael @ 7:08 avg!!
I really can't believe I can run that pace. I don't have the confidence to run that pace on a training run. All together, steady. you know? Anyway...I did it!! I felt great!
CC
I had a friend in college. He was a strange fellow. He had two pairs of soccer shorts, and two pairs of pants. After the first 2-day stretch of reasonable spring weather, he would commit to wearing shorts for the remainder of the year (no pants). On the first 2-day stretch of unbearably cold weather, he would switch back to pants until it was time to switch back to shorts again. Why do I tell you this? Because that's how I view my workouts.
I've emerged from my cave and logged my first outdoor ride. Outdoor run has already happened. This being the case, I find it nearly impossible to put my bike back on the drainer, or sacrifice further sanity on the dreadmill. I'm sure that I'll wilt under the unpredictable conditions, but for the time being, it's outside or not at all. Hope all is well with you fine Boston folks.
Avg pace for run 7:46. WooHoo.
How were your runs?
4 weeks to go!!
CC
Picked up an ugly case of bronchitis. Haven't had it in about 15 years, and it's back with a vengeance. Yesterday's VO2 intervals had my lungs screaming for mercy so I cut them back to 5 x 1.5'(3.5') in an effort to accomplish something. Even 2 x 15' @ 86-87% was relatively painful. Hoping for some AM relief.
Today's long run - not much better. Had to break it into 2 parts so I could make it to my daughter's ice skating show (what a hoot that was). Did 12 miles this morning @ 6:48 pace, and 8.7 miles this afternoon at 6:54 on gentle rollers. Couldn't get the engine above Z2 or my lungs and throat would start burning, unbearably. Overall 2:22 for 20.7. This was - most decidedly - not a confidence builder for Boston. That second part felt absolutely lousy.
Hope the rest of you are tearing it up. Train safe, and stay healthy everyone.
Carrie great run for you! You are going to rock Boston! If it rains you can handle that too!
Brenda that is awesome you felt great on your run! I am jealous! I wish I was running the 30k around the Bay. It is sold out! Can you get me in!
Justin I hope youm feel better. It is better that you had it now and not in four weeks.
Jane
I just got in after a 5 hour drive back from the New Bedford Half. Did awesome! I always seem to run well on a full moon.... wierd I know but true so far. Boston is on a full moon too ..... just sayin....
34* with a light E breeze at gun time. warmed to low 40's by the finish. Brilliant blue sky - no clouds. Race conditions were perfect. I raced more or less along the HM pacing guidlines but I do pay a lot of attention to HR after the first few miles to make sure I don't burn too many matches and blow up. Basically I try to follow the pacing, but use HR as a govenor.
So, in the end I was exceedingly happy with execution. The data tool has me a 7:30 for HM - a little too optimistic maybe.... but was able to finish in 1:40:53 @ 7:42. A PR by 4 minutes! My third half mary PR in a row - beginning with this very race last spring.
Need to eat and sleep now....
@ B- your fitness is really building too. To throw down Z4 pace in your long run and not feel it is so COOL!!
@ Jane- your running fitness came back beautifully !!! Nice 16 miler my dear!
@ Justin- Bronchitis and I are old friends. Used to get it once a year. I have bike courses I call" hawk a loogie loop", because of coughing so much trying to train through it. It is possible but brutal. You do get a nice six pack from it
Hope you feel better soon. Amazing you managed a split long run.
@ JB- smoking 5K Sat and then a whopper bike / run Sunday!!! Who pushes high 300's but our very own JB!!!! Strong indeed!
@ others- how did your weekend go?
For me on this early Monday am post HILLY long run Sunday.... My legs are so sore. Quads and calves are tender and tight. Gonna be a long day at work.
CC
Everyone else nice job making me feel slow and under trained oh no wait thanks for keeping me motivated. My last couple bikes and last sundays 18 mile run have been absolutely brutal and I finish them because I know YOU GUYS DID!
Finished my OS a few days early today with FTP test. Now I can do easy bikes and concentrate on 20 mile training/race run sunday and then taper into Boston. Knee feels great, speed is coming back, getting a little lighter. Its all good!