The Grid

Here it is.  Whenver I talk about my training grid, this is what I am referring to. It is a grid that I got from Runner's World  and adapted for me.  I used it for the Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon last June, and since that went so well I thought it was worth repeating.

Tuesdays are for speedwork.  I didn't do any speedwork training for New York and nearly died in the last 10k.  Wednesdays and Saturdays are easy runs, with an emphasis on "easy."  This is a "lesson learned" from the San Diego training where I think I overdid it on these runs and injured myself a little.  During the Thursday and Sunday runs, I try to mix in hills and vary my pace, but marathon pace or better is reserved only for Thursday.

One of the best things I read was that doing 100% of  a training grid means that you are at 100% all the time.  Rather than obsess over missing a run or having to alter the schedule because of work, life, or whatever I just simply try to make sure I get my Tuesday speedwork and Sunday long run in, no matter what. Sixteen weeks is a long time, though, and a lot can happen.

Ask me on April 19th if all of this works out like I am hoping it does!

See you on the trail!
 

Boston Marathon Training Grid

	Week	M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
1	Dec 27 thru Jan 2	Rest	Quality #1	Easy 5 miles	1- hour run	Rest	Easy 5 miles	6 miles
2	Jan 3 thru Jan 9	Rest	Quality #2	Easy 5 miles	1-hour run	Rest	Easy 5 miles	7 miles
3	Jan 10 thru Jan 16	Rest	Quality #3	Easy 5 miles	6 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	8 miles
4	Jan 17 thru Jan 23	Rest	Quality #4	Easy 6 miles	6 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	9 miles
5	Jan 24 thru Jan 30	Rest	Quality #5	Easy 6 miles	4 miles	Rest	5-K Race	6-8 miles
6	Jan 31 thru Feb 6	Rest	Quality #6	Easy 6 miles	7 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	10 miles
7	Feb 7 thru Feb 13	Rest	Quality #3	Easy 6 miles	7 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	12 miles
8	Feb 14 thru Feb 20	Rest	Quality #5	Easy 6 miles	8 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	12 miles
9	Fab 21 thru Feb 27	Rest	Quality #6	Easy 6 miles	8 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	14 miles
10	Feb 28 thru Mar 6	Rest	Quality #4	Easy 6 miles	4 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	16 miles
11	Mar 7 thru Mar 13	Rest	Quality #5	Easy 6 miles	9 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	18 miles
12	Mar 14 thru Mar 20	Rest	Quality #6	Easy 6 miles	9 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	20 miles
13	Mar 21 thru Mar 27	Rest	Quality #3	Easy 6 miles	10 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	22 miles
14	Mar 28 thru Apr 3	Rest	Quality #5	Easy 5 miles	10 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	10 miles
15	Apr 4 thru Apr 10	Rest	Quality #1	Easy 5 miles	5 miles	Rest	Easy 5 miles	5 miles
16	Apr 11 thru Apr 17	Rest	Quality #7	Rest	3-mile jog	Rest	Easy 5 miles	Rest
17	Apr 18	MARATHON	-	-	-	-	-	-

 

SPEEDWORK

Quality #1:
5 x 1000 at 5k race pace with 2-min rec.

Quality #2:
6 x 800 at 10k pace 90-sec rec.

Quality #3:
Three sets: 1 x 1200 @ 10k pace, 1 min rec;
1 x 400 @ 5k pace, 3 min rec.


Quality #4:
4 x 1600 @ 10k pace, 3 min. rec.

Quality #5:
8 x 800 @ 10k pace, 90 sec. rec.

Quality #6:
400 @ 5k pace, 30 sec rec
800 @ 10k pace, 90 sec rec
1200 @ 10k pace, 2 min rec.
1600 @ 10k pace, 3 min rec.
1200 @ 10k pace, 2 min rec.
800 @ 10k pace, 90 sec rec
400 @ 5k pace

Quality #7:
2 x 1600 at marathon pace, 3 min rec.

Boston: Week 2

Off and Running

This was a good week.

Since I was sick at the end of week 1, I mssed my long run and ended up doing a short run on my Monday rest day to get back going again.  I'm back on schedule after speedwork on Tuesday, easy 5's on Thursday and Saturday, and the scheduled long run today.

The snow today was great!  The cold doesn't bother me, with enough layers on, and I think one of the coolest things in running in the snow.  I won't think it is so cool if it is snowing on April 18 in Boston, but I'm sure they weather is always great for the Boston Marathon...okay, well, it is something I can't control anyway.

Off to week three.  More of the same stuff with increasing distances on each successive Sunday.  At this point, the weather looks good so the only thing that can mess things up is work.

Check out my progress by clicking this link.  And click below to listen to the song that starts off every run.  Have you seen "Inception"?  Awesome!



2010 in retrospect

Not a bad year
Looking back, 2010 turned into something I never quite expected. One year ago, the farthest I had run was 13.1 miles - and that one hurt. I was only a couple of weeks away from my first marathon, which I honestly thought would be the only one I would ever run IF I survived. When I did it, and beat my goal time at the same time, I don't think it ever occurred to me not to go for another one...so I did two more.


By the end of 2010, I ran on 293 of the 365 days for a total of 1941 miles. That included three marathons, a half marathon, a 10-miler, a 7k, and two 10k's. 2011 will be scaled back quite a bit, as I don't think my body can take that kind of beating...but I'm still planning on doing a fall marathon if it works out.


Boston: Week 1
What would otherwise be an inauspicious beginning to my 16-week journey to the start line in Hopkinton, MA is of little concern when looking back to what was done in 2010.


If there is a good time to catch a cold during marathon training, week one is the time to do it. Nothing too serious, but a head cold can sure mess up the ability and desire to put on the running shoes - especially when it is 10 degrees outside.


I got my speedwork in on Tuesday and a 5 mile run on Wednesday, but then the cold set in Thursday and I skipped a couple short runs. I'm going to try to get in my Sunday long run today, but at only 6 miles I am going to go after the Broncos game if I feel up to it.  I've got a good base, already so I'm not going to cry if I miss a short run or two in Week 1.


An aggressive 15 weeks ahead
I want to attack Boston, not survive it.  I decided after New York City - literally on the walk back to the apartment from the finish line - that I was going to repeat the hard training program that got me to a PR in San Diego.  That program will have me over 40 miles per week in the hardest weeks and ratchets up long run miles in weeks 7-13.  By combining increasing weekly distance with speedwork on Tuesdays and working hills into Thursday runs - when possible - and all Sunday long runs, then I believe I'll be in as good a place in April as I was last June in San Diego.


That's the plan.

Hellllloooo, December. Remember me?

Three weeks, six days. That is how many days between the New York City Marathon and today - the first time I have run since the marathon.

Big Dry Creek-Sheridan Green 5M by kbomb71

I am happy to admit it now so it doesn't sound so much like and excuse, but my body was broken after NYC. I caught two colds and pretty much something or everything ached or hurt each day. Everything finally felt normal this week, and five miles this morning felt just fine.

December will be a month for some maintenance runs and some cross-training, if I can find time. After almost four weeks off - and six weeks since my last long run at altitude - I was a bit winded. It won't take too long to get that back to normal.

And then December 27, it all starts again. Sixteen weeks of training with the prize at the end being the 115th Boston Marathon on Patriot's Day - April 18, 2011.