Boston Marathon 2013 Training Log

[DC Runner]

Shooting for a big PR. My partner is pregnant and due in June. I expect this will be my last competitive marathon for a while, so I'm putting all my chips in. My current PR is 2:41:36. I'd really love to go sub-2:35, but I'd be happy with anything under 2:40.

I was hit by a car while commuting to work by bicycle in late May 2012 and suffered a stage 2 separated A-C joint (shoulder). It took me a long time to be able to run again with no pain and even longer to get back into decent shape. I haven't turned in any great race performances since the accident.

Right now, I weigh about 155+ pounds with all of the holiday gluttony. I'm hoping to get to 135 pounds by April 15. I am cutting out beers and desserts through the week until race day. I'm in pretty decent running shape, at least better than I've been at this point in any other marathon cycle, so I'm feeling pretty good about this. I'll be running the Manhattan Half Marathon on Jan 27. My best time on that course is 1:21:31.

I'll be updating this thread weekly with my specific training. Good luck to everyone this year!
Brian

[hakko]

Great PRs! Good luck to yourself and your new family member!

[DC Runner]

Thanks, hakko!

Week ending 01/06/2013:

Mon: 0

Tues: 0

Training officially begins
Wed: 9 miles easy

Thu: 9 miles easy

Fri: 8 miles on treadmill - 2 w/u, 2 x 2 miles at 6:00/mile pace with 1 mile jog between, 1 c/d

Sat: 0

Sun: 14 miles easy/moderate

Total: 40 miles

It's been a while since I've hit 40 miles in a week and while it felt good mentally, my quads were very sore all week. I was planning to take Friday off because my legs were so sore, but I brought my running clothes to work just in case I was inspired. I decided I'd run on the treadmill because I wasn't sure how far my legs could take me. Once I got on the treadmill, I decided I would see if I could run 2 miles at 6:00 pace. After I was successful at that, I thought I'd try it again after a mile of easy running. For the second interval, I was totally spent at 1.5 miles and I almost gave in and quit, but my stubbornness wouldn't let me. I was able to hold on through the 2 miles. I took Saturday off to try and recover, but the workout was still in my legs on Sunday. I was basically on autopilot the entire run on Sunday. I'm feeling pretty good about my first week back into things.

I hope everyone else's training is going well.

[DC Runner]

So far this week:

Mon: 9.5 miles easy

Tues: 7 miles easy, plus 10 x 60 second hill sprints - 1 minute up, 3 minutes down. About 10 miles total today.

The hill sprints were very exhausting and I'm glad they're done.

[DC Runner]

Wed: 10 miles easy

Total mileage for the week so far: 29.5

I haven't put in this kind of volume in over a year and while my body is getting used to it, I'm tired all the time. Good thing I'm about to make some coffee.

[Mr. Cleetus]

Good thing I'm about to make some coffee.

Excellent idea, I think I will make one too. Good luck with the training. I will be watching.

[DC Runner]

Thurs: 8 miles, including 5 x 4 minutes at around half marathon pace with 3 minutes jog between

According to my GPS watch, the pace per mile for the intervals were: 5:57, 5:57, 6:08, 6:03, and 6:30. I felt like I was running 5:30 pace for the first two, so I'm a little disappointed they weren't faster. This was a tough workout and my legs were toast after the fourth and I had nothing left to give on the last interval.

Total mileage so far this week: 37.5

[kallefs]

What and when are the qualifying races for Boston?

[DC Runner]

kallefs,

I think that pretty much any standard-distance marathon is a qualifier. Here in the states, they have to be certified by USATF, the sanctioning body. I actually qualified at Rotterdam last year.

Their website says: The qualifying window for the 2013 Boston Marathon began on September 24, 2011.

Registration opened in late September last year, so I guess for 2014, the window would be Sept 2012 - Sept 2013. Registration fills up pretty quickly and entry is not guaranteed to those with times very close to the qualifying mark.

[DC Runner]

Fri: 10 miles easy

Nothing special except that my legs are considerably less sore than earlier in the week. Seems like my legs are taking the volume pretty well.

Total mileage so far this week: 47.5

[DC Runner]

Sat: 9.5 miles very easy
Sun: 0

Total weekly mileage: 57

I was planning a run on Sunday also, but everything hurt when I woke up, so I took a day off.

[DC Runner]

Mon: 9 miles easy
Tues: 9 miles easy (cold and rainy)

Total mileage so far this week: 18

[DC Runner]

Wed: 7 miles, including 5k race in 18:29

There is a free 5k race near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC on the third Wednesday of every month. I ran it in 18:11 last month, but the conditions were a bit more tough this time around. We had a tailwind for the first mile and a quarter or so. My GPS said I went through the first mile in 5:20 - GEEZ! The rest of the race was into a pretty stiff constant headwind. Second mile was 6:00 and it only got slower after that. The race is great fun.

Total mileage so far this week: 25

[DC Runner]

Thurs: 9 miles easy - nice weather on my way into work this morning. Great way to start the day!

Total mileage so far this week: 34

[DC Runner]

Fri: 9.5 miles, including 5 x 5 minutes at Half Marathon Pace - with 3 minute jog between intervals

Total mileage so far this week: 43.5