Boston: Week 13

A PR in Boston? I must be nuts...
But that is exactly what I am going to go for.  That's the goal three weeks from now.  3:15:00 or better.  There are a whole lot reasons that it might not happen, and I'll honestly be happy to finish.

After the first half of this week, I would have thought that the prospect of just finishing might be in doubt.  I took a couple of days off after last week's 18-miler because I was feeling run down.  Speedwork went fine on Wednesday, but I could never shake the run down feeling.  On Thursday, I went out for a 10-miler tempo run and crashed right out of the gate.  I cut it short after five miles, and skipped running Friday altogether.  Luckily, I felt better on Saturday and went out for an easy five...and by my last long run of 20 miles today, I felt great.

It was the perfect last long run on a perfect day.  I felt good the whole way on a route I picked to mimic Boston's elevation changes, and I challenged the uphill segments.  I finished strong - much stronger than I finished before New York and even San Diego.

And now the taper begins.  I still have 24 miles this coming week - with speedwork and a 10-mile tempo run - but the hardest part is done and it is time to heal.  My pal Erin has always told me to "trust the training," although I think she is reminding herself more than she is telling me!  I trust it, though.  I haven't missed any speedwork and only a couple of other runs along the way.  I think I am in better shape and more prepared than I was for San Diego last June, and I came within 2:51 of 3:15:00.  Boston will be harder, but I am ready.

I'm not nuts...I've just got a goal.
More to come later on what to expect on race day.  For now, I think I'll just enjoy today.

Boston: Week 12

One month to go...
43 miles this week.  Not too bad, considering the first half of the week also included walking all over hell and back in Washington, DC.  Speedwork on Tuesday had to be done inside on the treadmill at the hotel, but I still got a good workout.  Since I had to travel on Wednesday, that meant four days in a row with no break after I got back.  Even with that, I was able to do my first long training run ever at a sub-8:00 min./mile pace.

Sunday's long run - 18 miles total - was intended to mimic Boston.  It started out for 7 miles slightly downhill along the Big Dry Creek Trail. Miles 7-13 was a climb of about 300 feet, and then the last 5 miles were mostly downhill.  Had it not been for some lower back cramps, I would say it was a perfect run.




The next week is my last hard week of training that wraps up with a 20 mile run.  And then....let the taper madness begin!

Boston: Weeks 10 & 11

The home stretch
There are only two hard weeks of training left before I start my taper.  At this point, I feel as good as I have ever felt about where I am at in my training vs. how I expect to do.  The only catch is that before this, I never really had any expectation of how I would do!

I am using the same training plan, for the most part, that I did to get my Boston-qualifying time in San Diego - so that is my yardstick.  I exchanged one extra long run that I did in the San Diego training for a shorter run yesterday that turned out to be one of the coolest runs I have ever done.

Week 10
I wrapped up Week 10 with a long run that I had been looking forward to.  I have been trying to mix hills into as many of my long and tempo runs as I can to prepare me for Boston, and the 16-miler from last week is always a challenge.  The first seven miles are uphill - part of which is climbing up the Standley Lake Dam.  While the return trip is downhill, it seems insignificant as compared to the grunt getting to the west side of the lake.  The difference this time was trying to keep myself from going too fast and increasing the wear and tear on my body, and I have been largely successful.  It was also nice to be able to have decent weather, as I have had for almost all my long runs.



Week 11
A short cold snap meant speedwork in the cold and (some) snow, but that was actually a welcome change.  Everything else for this week was gearing up for a shorter long run than I would have normally done, but one that I was very much looking forward to.

A work trip has me in Washington, DC - where I have not been in about 10 years and have not spent any significant time in about 20 years. I know the town well, though, and planned a route for the day of my arrival that turned out to be one of the greatest runs I have ever had.

Starting out from the hotel near the National Zoo, I dropped down into DC via the Rock Creek Trail.  After going near the Watergate, I ran passed the Lincoln Monument and Vietnam War Memorials toward the Washington Monument.  Skirting near the monument I headed back up the north side of the National Mall up Constitution Avenue.  Passing in front of the United States Capitol, I stopped to have someone take my picture and then ran around the Capitol, passing the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, as well as the House Office Buildings and my old haunt - the Senate Office Buildings.  After crossing back in front of the Capitol, I ran down the south side of the Mall back the way I came, passing the Washington Monument and seeing for the first time the relatively new World War II Memorial.  Rather than retracing my steps completely, I veered west into Georgetown.  I ran up the steps (sort of) made famous by "The Exorcist" and near the bar (The Tombs) made famous by "St. Elmo's Fire" and north back toward the hotel.  Unexpectedly, the last couple of miles ended up a trail run through a wooded area - a perfect end to a great run.

It was also not so shabby being at sea level with all this oxygen!  I will definitely always remember this one.

Boston: Week 9

Goal setting
The last week was a good one.  After speedwork on Tuesday, the rest of the work week forced me to cram an 8-mile tempo run, a 4-mile race, and a 14-mile regular long run (all with hills) into three consecutive days.  The tempo run was at 7:30/mile, the race at 6:51 - and even though I tried to slow myself down, the long run ended up being at 8:09.

I am way ahead of where I was at before New York City last fall, which is not surprising since I was not training as much for that one.  Looking at my training leading up to San Diego last June, I see a lot of comparisons to where I was at then to where I am at now.  This invites the inevitable thought...can I shoot for a PR in Boston, since I got one in San Diego???

Absurd.  Totally absurd....isn't it?  Maybe not.  Up until about Mile 17 in San Diego, I was running at a pace that would have had me finishing at 3:15:00 or better, but I slowed down when the sun came out to ensure I had enough for the last few miles (thank God).  San Diego didn't have a Heartbreak Hill, but it had Fiesta Island in Mission Bay - which I refer to as "desert of pain."  However, I also got a bit lucky in San Diego in that I ran the first half entirely too fast, and I was lucky that I had enough in the tank to finish the race and qualify for Boston.

Here is the reality.  This will probably be one of my only chances to ever run Boston, since the registration process and qualifying standards are changing starting this fall for next April's marathon.  Not that I think I will ever want to run Boston again, but the only way I can for the next 5 years is to run 3:15:00 or better.  My 3:17:51 in San Diego wouldn't have gotten me in...and that one nearly killed me!  However, it seems that perhaps the improbable ought to be the goal...

So now that I am in Week 10 - with just over three weeks left of hard training before I start to taper toward Boston - it is time to set my goals for April 18.

1. Finish in 3:15:00 or better
2. Finish under 3:30:00
3. Finish (this is always the main goal, no matter what!)

Sunday's Long Run

Boston: Weeks 6, 7 & 8

Running with heart
18 months ago, I started training for my first marathon.  I ran my first half marathon 4 months earlier and managed to lose about 10 pounds after that to get under 200 pounds for the first time since I was in college.  Having had a cholesterol/lipids test done in 2007 that was just okay, I thought I would have another one done to compare and was pretty surprised to see that my "bad cholesterol" was worse than 2007, which negated the improvement I had in "good cholesterol."  That was a bit of a wake-up call.

Three marathons later - and halfway through training for #4 - I had the test done again.  My good cholesterol is up 15% and my bad cholesterol is down 15%.  Even though the overall number is inexplicably still above that magic "200" number by a couple of points, it is all good news.  Between that and being at a healthy weight, it is nice to know that all the miles put in are paying off, regardless of what my time is in any of the marathons or other races.

I still want to kick a** in Boston, though...

Halfway there
As of last Sunday, I am halfway to Boston.  More than halfway, really, since the last three weeks are tapering weekly miles.  For the next five weeks, I start piling on the miles with long runs on Sundays going from 14 up to 20 (possibly 22).  Speedwork on Tuesdays will get speedier.  Thursday runs will be tempo runs at marathon pace or faster.  Every run other than speedwork will incorporate hills so that those in Boston seem like little bumps instead of potential heartbreak.

The last three weeks have been challenging, though.  The work schedule has been demanding, and the weather conditions for weeks 6 and 7 downright sucked.  I missed two long runs, although a 6-mile trudge through the snow with the dog might have equaled the 8-mile long run I was supposed to do a couple weeks ago.  I bit the bullet and went to the gym to run on the treadmill until the temps got above zero again and all the snow melted.

Last week, the weather was fantastic, though.  I had the best week of training I have ever had, which included an 8-mile tempo run just over a 7:00 min/mile pace and culminated in a 12-mile long run on Sunday - uphill and into a 20-30 mph wind for the first 6 miles.  It didn't even bother me that the gusts blew me to a stop twice climbing up Standley Lake Dam.  In just under 8 weeks, it is all going to be worth it.

Boston: Week 4 & Week 5

In the zone...

The last two weeks have been good, solid weeks of training.  Schedules and other things kept me from doing my Wednesday easy runs, but I'm not too concerned about those.  The Tuesday speedwork and Sunday long runs are the most important pieces to the Boston puzzle, as well as a good tempo run on Thursday.  Because I am actually doing speedwork this time (as opposed to none for NYC) and have started it on time (as opposed to 4 weeks in for San Diego) I can already feel the cardio/VO part of the equation coming into line.  My resting heart rate has dropped to just about 60 - sometimes lower - and my heart rate during easy pace runs is generally in the low to mid-140's.  Perfect.

Sunday the 23rd was my first double-digit long run of the grid, and then I followed it up this week with a "step-back" week.  Every thing gets dialed back twice during each grid - Weeks 5 and 11.  I plan on throwing in a 4-mile race at the end of February, and then doing one of my favorites - the Runnin' of the Green 7k - on Sunday, March 13.  That meant the grid got a slight adjustment from what you can see online.  There won't be a 22-mile run for Week 13.  Week 12 will be 18 miles and Week 13 will be my 20-miler.  One thing I did learn from San Diego was that having a race or two during the training was good for confidence and getting the race juices flowing.

Yesterday, I threw a 300-foot vertical climb over 2 miles into my long run.  Hills are going to be just as important and speedwork and tempo runs, and I'll keep incorporating hills into my long runs. 

I don't plan to survive Heartbreak Hill in Boston.  I want to have it for lunch...

Boston: Week 3

Life's a beach

A trip to California for Gabriella's mom's 70th birthday could not have come at a better time.  I certainly don't mind running in the cold and snow...but running on the beach cannot be beat!



After a slow start to the week in which I was only able to get speedwork in on Tuesday, thanks to the ridiculously low temps, I was in the "unenviable" position of having to make up my miles while in California.  The average temperature during the short weekend was about 77 degrees.





Belmont Shores, California



On Friday evening, I ran a six-mile lap around the California State University - Long Beach campus.  Saturday morning,  I got up and went through Naples to Belmont Shores for a great run.  2 miles of it was on sand - some of it along the pier in the picture.  It was a great Saturday, especially considering the week before I was running in 24 degrees and snow!

The weekend was about a short vacation and a 70th birthday celebration so there predictably was a lot of food.  I didn't exactly stick to an "athlete's diet," but I knew I would at least break even on my calories in versus calories out.

 

Bolsa Chica State Beach



Running at sea level might just give a false sense of confidence, if I wasn't aware of the fact that I had to come back to "Mile High reality" after a brief stint in oxygen-rich Long Beach.  So I determined that I needed to compensate for all the oxygen by running half of Sunday's 8-miler in the sand.

Now that I'm back home, I have 13 weeks in front of me - all of it in Colorado, no matter what the weather.

Chances are April in Boston is bound to be more like Colorado than California, anyway!

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.